Dust jacket illustration by Ken Laager.

A Hard Case Crime Book.

The Master Returns—With Never-Before-Collected Tales of Murder and Desire

One of the most highly acclaimed novelists in the crime genre, Lawrence Block is also a master of the short story, with award-winning work ranging from the macabre to the slyly comic, from heart-stopping tales of revenge to memorable explorations of lust and greed, all told in Block’s unforgettable style. The sixteen stories (and one stage play!) collected here feature appearances by some of Block’s most famous characters, including gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr and alcoholic private detective Matt Scudder, as well as glimpses into the minds of a rogue’s gallery of frightening killers, dangerous sociopaths, crooked cops, and lost souls whose only chance to find themselves may be on the wrong side of a gun.

You’ll meet a compulsive hoarder whose towering piles of trash and treasures hide disturbing secrets…a beautiful young tennis star with a rather too possessive secret admirer…a dealer in stolen art who is unwilling to part with his most prized possession at any price…poker players with agendas that have nothing to do with the cards in their hands…and a catch-and-release fisherman whose preferred catch walks on two legs.

Terror and passion, cruelty and vindication—it’s all here, in a collection that will thrill you, scare you, and remind you why Lawrence Block is still the best there is at what he does.

Trade: Fully cloth bound hardcover edition: $30

Table of Contents:

A Burglar’s-Eye View of Greed
A Chance to Get Even
A Vision in White
Catch and Release
Clean Slate
Dolly’s Trash and Treasures
How Far
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen
One Last Night at Grogan’s
Part of the Job
Scenarios
See the Woman
Speaking of Greed
Speaking of Lust
Welcome to the Real World
Who Knows Where It Goes
Without a Body

From Booklist (Starred Review):
"Block’s short stories are intelligent and respectful of the reader yet often take an unexpected turn. He plays fair. If you reread the story, you’ll find that he left you little clues about the final destination but didn’t connect the dots. Block is a master of the long-form mystery, and this collection proves he’s got the short form locked down as well."

From Publishers Weekly (Signature Review):
“Crime writer Lawrence Block, who turns 75 this year, is beyond a legend and practically a force of nature at this point in his career. You might expect this collection of relatively new material to come in on the nostalgic side, to be attenuated due to the master’s age, to present as a lagniappe to a successful career. Instead, Block’s latest collection will scare the hell out of you, turn your perception inside out, and generally provide the same thrill ride of expert characterization and twisted expectation as the best of Block has always done.”