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The Night and the Music: The Matthew Scudder Stories Audiobook
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(4.01) - 145 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Award-winning author Lawrence Block presents a rich volume of novelettes, short stories, and vignettes starring private eye Matthew Scudder.
Lawrence Block’s seventeen Matthew Scudder novels have won the hearts of readers throughout the world—along with a bevy of awards including the Edgar, the Shamus, the Philip Marlowe (Germany), and the Maltese Falcon (Japan). But Scudder has starred in short fiction as well, and it’s all here, from a pair of late-70’s novelettes (Out the Window and A Candle for the Bag Lady) through “By the Dawn’s Early Light” (Edgar) and “The Merciful Angel of Death” (Shamus), all the way to “One Last Night at Grogan’s,” a moving and elegiac story never before published.
Some of these stories appeared in such magazines as Alfred Hitchcock, Ellery Queen, and Playboy. The title vignette, “The Night and the Music,” was written for a NYC jazz festival program; another, “Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen,” has appeared only as the text of a limited-edition broadside. Several stories look back from the time of their writing, with Scudder recounting events from his former life as a cop, first as a patrolman partnered with the legendary Vince Mahaffey, then as an NYPD detective leading a double life.
Along with these eleven stories and novelettes, The Night and the Music includes a list of the seventeen novels in chronological order, and an author’s note detailing the origin and bibliographical details of each of the stories. Brian Koppelman, the prominent screenwriter and director (Solitary Man, Ocean’s Thirteen, Rounders) and a major Matt Scudder fan, has sweetened the pot with an introduction.
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"For us long standing Matthew Scudder fans, this is a superb treat. Very few mystery writers can weave a story as well as Block, and these stories are like finding some long forgotten gems stashed at the bottom of the trunk in the attic, even though the last story was written specifically for this collection. A bit of nostalgia, and a bit of the creature make this time well spent with old friends."
— Jim (4 out of 5 stars)
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“The Night and the Music is a collection of all the short stories about Matthew Scudder. Within there is a history of the detective many have followed over the years. The stories explore Scudder as well as other well-known characters and frame the entire life of the famous detective from his time on the force to what looks like retirement. The stories also all have a strong sense of place, as the author celebrates the good and bad of New York…In total, the stories could serve as either a companion to the books, if you’ve read them, or an introduction to the characters if you have not…Also included in the book is a touching introduction from Brian Koppleman where he discusses the impact the books had on him as a young man and what the characters mean to him now. It also includes a revealing author’s note that shines as a story of its own. This is a marvelous collection for fans of Scudder and for those who have never read those riveting books.”
— CrimeFictionLover.com -
“The majority of these shorts are reprints, but “Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen” and “One Last Night at Grogan’s” are new to this volume and bring Scudder’s story up-to-date. Block mixes traditional procedural whodunits with more contemplative and anecdotal character-driven pieces. In the newer writings, Scudder is older, wiser, married (again), off the booze, and looking at life through more experienced eyes. Couched within the action are commentaries about the then looming AIDS crisis and the lingering problem of the homeless in New York, so there’s a conscience at work. Verdict: A quicker, more enjoyable read you won’t find. Veteran Scudder fans will rejoice at sharing his adventures again. May Block—and Scudder—never retire.”
— Library Journal -
“After twenty-five years in the business, Matt Scudder still strolls New York’s mean streets as if he had personally laid the cobblestones.”
— New York Times Book Review, praise for the series -
“One of the very best writers now working the beat. Block has done something new and remarkable with the private-eye novel.”
— Wall Street Journal, praise for the author -
“When Lawrence Block is in his Matt Scudder mode, crime fiction can sidle up so close to literature that often there’s no degree of difference.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer, praise for the series -
“One of the most complex and compelling heroes in modern fiction. Thrillers don't get better than this.”
— Publishers Weekly, praise for the series
The Night and the Music Listener Reviews
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" Matthew Scudder is my favorite of Block's characters, and this collection of short stories follow his development over the decades. The next best thing to a new novel in the Scudder series. "
— Vickie, 2/18/2014 -
" Loved it. Especially enjoyed the bit at the end telling how each of the stories came to be told. "
— Beth, 1/29/2014 -
" Matthew Scudder is one of my favorite characters. I enjoyed this book very much; I especially enjoyed the first few stories and the last one. I was less fond of the story about street vendors. I am sorry Mick closed Grogans. If I could afford it and had the time, I'd open up Grogan's II. "
— Steven, 1/21/2014 -
" Fantastic read for fans of Block's hard-boiled Scudder series. Many of the items in this collection are reprints from other collections, but there are a few new stories that are definitely worth reading. And as always, written in that style that leaves you mentally breathless at the end of the story... "
— Der-shing, 1/18/2014 -
" I'm not a big fan of short stories but I am a big fan of Block & the Scudder books in particular. These gems pick up some of the characters you'll be familiar with if you've read the books - each a master class in modern hard boiled crime writing. Pure class! "
— Andrew, 1/16/2014 -
" Turns out I had read most of these stories in various anthologies...but it is nice to have them all in one place. Always a pleasure to spend time with Matt and the gang thanks to Block's keen sense of who these people are and what is really important in their lives. "
— Harvey, 1/5/2014 -
" I always enjoy a Lawrence Block novel. Easy well written detective stories. "
— Frank, 12/9/2013 -
" Lawrence Block never, ever disappoints, especially with anything to do with Matt Scudder. All of these stories are worth reading and re-reading. "
— Allie, 12/5/2013 -
" Great book, well written with excellent characterization. I'm going back to pick up a few others, even the ones I've read before. "
— Jeffrey, 11/30/2013 -
" All you ever wanted to know about Matt Scudder-- well there's always more I suppose-- and some about Block as well. Great short stories, I understand all to date. May there be more Scudder! "
— Robert, 11/24/2013 -
" I had read most of these stories previously, and I have to say they stand up better alone than in a group. However, for the Scudder completist, this collection is a must. "
— Darusha, 10/25/2013 -
" The good stories have been published elsewhere, and the new stuff just isn't that interesting. "
— Ben, 10/16/2013 -
" A collection of Matthew Scudder short stories with an introduction by Brian Koppelman and an afterword by Block about the stories. "
— Eddy, 7/6/2013 -
" A detailed look into the character. Filled in some gaps and made me want to reread the series. Great stuff. "
— Buck, 7/6/2013 -
" Scudder short stories.. "
— Steve, 5/26/2013 -
" If this is indeed the end, why, then isn't it a fine one? And if not, well, then let this tide you over until the next. "
— R., 5/23/2013 -
" I loved this, as I do most (all?) Lawrence Block work. "
— Andrew, 5/1/2013 -
" wonderful short stores about matt scudded. "
— Steve, 3/22/2013 -
" Short, simple, beautifully written Scudder collection. Buy it now. "
— Brian, 2/7/2013
About Lawrence Block
Lawrence Block is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series and dozens of short stories and articles. He has won multiple Edgar, and Shamus awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of America, and many others. Aside from being a mystery writer, he has also written a number of episodes for television, including two episodes of the ESPN series Tilt; he also cowrote the screenplay for the film My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones. Block currently lives in New York City with his wife, Lynne.