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    A Drop of the Hard Stuff
    A Drop of the Hard Stuff
    A Drop of the Hard Stuff
    Audiobook8 hours

    A Drop of the Hard Stuff

    Written by Lawrence Block

    Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Edgar Award-winning author Lawrence Block has been named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. A Drop of the Hard Stuff continues Block's popular series starring New York private detective and recovering alcoholic Matthew Scudder. Scudder is already struggling with his sobriety when his friend and fellow AA member Jack Ellery is found murdered. Now the only thing keeping Scudder from the bottle is his obsession with finding the culprit.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 12, 2011
    ISBN9781461803874
    A Drop of the Hard Stuff
    Author

    Lawrence Block

    Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.

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    Reviews for A Drop of the Hard Stuff

    4/5

    202 ratings40 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Recently sober Matt Scudder runs into a criminal face from his past at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting– High-Low Jack Ellery, who grew up in the same neighborhood in the Bronx, then went in the opposite direction from Scudder as an adult. Scudder, a former detective, is drawn into the investigation after Ellery is murdered, even as Scudder is adjusting to sobriety and a relationship with the also recently-sober Jan. All three enterprises are on shaky ground.Set in the eighties, the story is told in a long flashback. There’s a refreshing lack of technology as a result. To communicate, Scudder uses pay phones and gets messages left at the front desk of the cheap hotel where he lives. And old fashioned face-to-face conversation.AA meetings are a constant in the story, and where Scudder meets most of the characters – either there or bars. Lawrence Block has successfully managed to meld the culture of AA and hard-fought sobriety with that of the New York City noir private detective novel. It’s an extremely satisfying combination.
    • 3/5
      I devoured quite a few of Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder mysteries when I first got sober. They are entertaining mysteries all on their own as well as charting this character's path to sobriety and into sober living. They are told in the hard-boiled tradition with Block's own particular stamp. Great dialogue; interesting sidebar thoughts in the midst of that dialogue; unpretentious grappling with moral questions. This one is a reminiscence that takes Scudder back to his first year anniversary of sobriety and the plot is directly tied into the AA program. It's been a lot of years since the last Scudder novel. I was worried that Block had given him up in favor of his other series characters. Thankfully not. Now I just have to wait for the next one.
    • 5/5
      A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Matthew Scudder, #17)Matthew Scudder is approaching his one year sobriety. He attends AA meetings, where he is reconnected with an old friend Jack Ellery. Soon Jack is murdered and Matt beings to investigate. As he beings to search for the killer (he) finds it could be someone who attends AA meetings.The story moves at a steady pace with a great plot. Matt is very likable, he struggles with sobriety, but will stop at nothing to find the killer of his friend. Engaging dialog adds to the story as we follow Matt along his journey.Overall I found A Drop of the Hard Stuff enjoyable. I highly recommend to those who enjoy hard-case crime. I look forward to reading more in this series.
    • 4/5
      Not so bad; half of the book is vintage Block. The other half is all Alcoholics Anonymous. The conceit of the book is that Matt Scudder, the intrepid ex-cop, un-licensed private detective, tries to figure out the murder of a friend of a friend when the clue resides in the victim's Ninth Step (or is it the Fourth Step?). Smile. I've read all the Matt Scudder books and they are mostly fabulous. Especially the first five. He's still drinking thru three and then tries to get sober thru five. They continue.
    • 4/5
      A nice return to form with Matt telling an old story from his first year of sobriety. This functions as a guide to AA as much as a detective story with the crime revolving around the 12-step program and Matt recounting some detail about every meeting he attends. And he attends a lot of meetings. Sometimes more than one a day. Still, somehow it works.
    • 5/5
      It is a story that primarily moves through conversations, not through action. Not everyone will like this style and some will hate it. Personally, I thought it was brilliant. Scudder is an ex-cop who does a little of this and that. He reminisces about a childhood pal who went into a life of crime, jack. Lost track of him after grade school. Saw him once in a lineup, but the
      witness didn't make him. Ran into him years later at an AA meeting. Yeah, Scudder is coming up on his one year anniversary of being sober. The next Scudder hears his old pal was shot twice, once in the head and once in the mouth. Kind of a shut your mouth message.
      Jack's sponsor asks Scudder to look into it and Scudder follows up leads to try and get some answers. It's brilliant work although its subdued.
    • 3/5
      In this Matthew Scudder mystery, Matt reminisces about a case he handled shortly after he became sober. A fellow AA member, who was making amends to people he had wronged is killed, and so are people he has been talking to.
    • 5/5
      It's a pleasure to sit down with old friends Matt Scudder and Mick Ballou as Matt recalls a case he took many years ago, back in his first year of sobriety. The voice is sure and the storyline is compelling as Matt investigates the murder of a childhood friend with whom he had recently become reacquainted. This book is not as grisly as the previous Scudder novel, although it contains one of the most chilling personal (though non-violent) attacks in recent memory. (Just thinking about it again gives me chills.)

      A Drop of the Hard Stuff reminds us of why Block was named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America.
    • 4/5
      This was not a Bernie Rodenbarr book. Matt Scudder is a recovery alcoholic and while at one of the AA meetings he is approached by a childhood friend. A short while later he's found dead and his sponsor approaches Matt knowing that he is a former cop, now a a detective because the friend was murdered.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by Tom Stechschulte (added to book description), this was great, my first introduction to Matthew Scudder, even though it is book #17 in the series. I slipped into the world easily. There was some mention of other cases, but it wasn't a big deal & I don't think I'll remember enough details for them to be spoilers. Actually, I got the feeling this series isn't chronological.

      I like hard boiled detective novels & this had a lot of the same qualities, but there wasn't much or any real up front violence. Scudder is laid back & trying to make a year of sobriety. He looks into things, but doesn't seem to mix it up much. Very low key. Tom Stechschulte did a wonderful job with everyone's voices, really made the characters pop for me. He & the way AA was handled took a solid 3 star story & made it worth another star.

      I'm an alcoholic who works the 12 steps, so any inconsistencies in this area would have really bugged me. None did. It was right on, all the way & that was a nice surprise. So many get it wrong. (OK, I was a little surprised that an open discussion meeting was reason for comment - it seems he mostly went to speaker's meetings. AA is slightly different in every region, though. My uncle lived in Manhattan & only went to speaker's meetings. I find there are far more open discussion meetings in MD & KY, but maybe that's because I look for them.)

      Anyway, it was a real pleasure & I'm sorry that this was the only one available from my library for download.



    • 3/5
      It was good to read another Matthew Scudder novel, but the AA meetings are wearing a bit thin. Good, quick reading, with a rather weak ending.
    • 3/5
      The narrative is pretty inert. It gets a little better in the last 20% when Scudder starts giving a crap about actually solving the mystery. The end isn't very satisfying either.
    • 4/5
      A melancholy but moving mystery, a tale full of loss and sadness and aching, empty hearts. Masterfully told.
    • 5/5
      Great book.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant as always, visiting the early days of this character. Exploration of the world of AA particularly interesting.
    • 3/5
      A Drop of the Hard Stuff is pretty slow. It was good while I was reading it, but it was so mellow, I know I won't remember it next week.Matthew Scudder is a former cop and recovering alcoholic trying to make it to his 1 year anniversary. He's lost his career, wife and home due to alcoholism. He lives in a hotel, attends anywhere from 1 to 3 AA meetings a day and has a standing sex date on Saturdays with Jan, his sort of girlfriend. When Matt runs into Jack, a childhood acquaintance, at an AA meeting, he really doesn't want to reconnect, but says yes to a meetup out of politeness. When Matt sees Jack at another meeting a few months later, Jack's face is battered and a few days later, he's murdered. Jack's sponsor Greg feels responsible for Jack's murder because he encouraged Jack to take the 8th step in AA, taking responsibility for your actions and making amends to everyone you ever wronged. Greg asks Matt to investigate the people that Jack was making amends with to rule them out as suspects for Jack's murder.Based on other reviews on Amazon, I'll probably give Lawrence Block another try. It's funny that the only two books of his I've listened to are the ones that people have said are his worst, not that they're all bad.
    • 1/5
      A Drop Of The Hard Stuff by Lawrence BlockPublished by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown and CompanyISBN-13: 9780316127332At the request of Mulholland Books, an ARC TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review. Synopsis (borrowed from B&N): Grandmaster Lawrence Block brings his greatest character, Matthew Scudder, back into action in his most personal case. Matthew Scudder is finally on the straight and narrow when he runs into "High-Low" Jack Ellery, a childhood friend from the Bronx. In Scudder, Jack sees the moral man he might have become. In Jack, Scudder sees the hard-won sobriety he hopes to achieve.Then Ellery, following to the letter the dictates of Alcoholics Anonymous' infamous twelve steps, is shot down while attempting to atone for past sins, and Scudder is drawn into a murder investigation that threatens to upset his path toward recovery—and get him killed in the process. My Thoughts and Opinion: When I initially read the synopsis of this book, I felt that it was definitely a match for me, being in the genre of suspense, which is my favorite preference of books to read. It was also the first book that I had read by this author and also not realizing that this novel was one of many in a series. Before stating my thoughts and opinion, I would like to add a caveat. I did do some research on different sites such as B&N and GR to read other reviews and the majority were very good. I say this because not every book is the same for every reader. And the following is my opinion, and my opinion only. I read 50+ pages and had to put this book aside. I felt that it was an effort to continue to read. To me, it was very dry reading, whereas nothing truly "grabbed" me. I am not sure if it could be that I never read any of the books in the series or any other books by this author. Unfortunately, this book went into the DNF pile. My Rating: 1
    • 4/5
      A Drop of the Hard Stuff. Lawrence Block. 2011. Matthew Scudder left the police department after he accidentally killed a child while chasing a criminal. He lives in a hotel and picks up odd private detective jobs. He keeps just enough money to live on and leaves the rest of it in offering plates at various churches. He is a recovering alcoholic and attends AA meetings through out the city. This book is a flashback to his first year of AA when he looks into the murder of a fellow member of AA. This is a fantastic series. Block manages to come up with fresh plots in each novel. Scudder is the perfect example of the kind, moral, tough guy. It is not absolutely necessary to read the books in order but, wouldn’t read the last 3 first
    • 3/5
      This is my first time reading about Matthew Scudder. I don't think he's an interesting enough character to go back and pick up the other books. Well written, but otherwise not that interesting unless you'd like some inside information on Alcoholics Anonymous--of which there was alot.
    • 4/5
      I so enjoy the Matthew Scudder character and this book helps fill in some of the gaps in previous novels. Shows how he got help for his drinking, joining AA, no longer a cop and meeting up with someone he had known from his old neighborhood. Unlike him this friend didn't become a cop but a thief and murderer, but like him did become an alcoholic. They meet at a AA meeting, where they are both trying to change and stay sober but when the friend is killed Scudder investigates.
    • 3/5
      For years I've been hearing praise for Lawrence Block and his hero Matthew Scudder, but never read one of his stories. I don't know that this is the book to start with. While Block is obviously an excellent writer this one tends to be a bit heavy handed. Its a story that takes place in a flash back to when Scudder was first getting sober. Its a pretty run of the mill mystery with the pleasure coming from the writing. However, as stated earlier, it is very AA centric. At time, to the point of being overbearing. A worthwhile read though.
    • 5/5
      Lawrence Block, one of my all-time favorite authors, is getting up in years and with each new book that comes out I wonder, Is this his last? I sure hope not. Mr. Block has written lots of short stories, and lots of books, in several series, and while I haven't read them all, I have read more than a few. With several exceptions, they have all been terrific reads. My two favorite Block series feature Bernie Rhondenbarr, a current seller of used books and a quasi-retired burgler, and Matthew Scudder, a recovering alcoholic, former NYC detective, and current private eye. The Burglar series provides light entertainment, while the Scudder series is much darker, but perhaps even more entertaining. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a worthy addition to the Scudder series, filling a gap in Scudder's early years as as private detective, before meeting T.J., and before getting back with Elaine. If you like Matthew Scudder, this is a "must read!" If you're not yet familiar with him, this is a great entry point. Most Highly Recommended!
    • 5/5
      Classic Scudder novel. This novel shows that Block continues to improve. I hope he keeps writing for many more years.
    • 3/5
      This is one of those “better than it has to be” genre books: the hard-drinking cop/detective/private eye is a crime novel staple, but Mr. Block carries the character past cliché and into reality: What would happen to that hard drinker if he started going to AA?Scudder’s recovery is an arduous journey, as painful in its way as his descent probably was, and no doubt harder. His sponsor tells him to take as long on the first step as he needs to: “You’ve got two things to do today, and one is go to a meeting, and the other is don’t drink.” Then at one of those meetings, Scudder meets up with Jack Ellery, a half-forgotten childhood friend, glimpsed only once in the intervening years, from the opposite sides of a one-way mirror (Matt as cop, Jack as suspect in a line-up). They talk, and in some ways, Jack’s story is a mirror of Matt’s: both had fathers who drank, and although Matt went into the police force and Jack into armed robbery—and eventually prison—both men drank away all the trappings of the lives they’d chosen, and both have come to sobriety because they didn’t want to be dead.Dead, however, is what Jack ends up being: shot in head and mouth: “Somebody wanted him to shut up.” And Jack’s sponsor, Greg, wants Scudder to clear things up. Not solve the murder, exactly, just check the list of people from Jack’s Ninth Step (Make Amends) list, and eliminate them as suspects. Matt, who had been reluctant to involve himself with Jack when he was alive, now finds himself more than involved in Jack’s death. Initially tasked with making sure no one on the list had killed Jack (so Greg wouldn’t have to turn such sensitive information over to the police), Scudder soon has more victims turning up all around him—and comes close to becoming one himself. But not in any mundane, predictable way (ambush in an alley, attempted hit-and-run); rather, in an insidious, tailor-made way that comes close to shattering Matt’s fragile pieced-together first year of sobriety.This is not Lawrence Block’s first Matt Scudder book, but it was mine. I doubt it will be my last.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars.I suspect my rating would have been much higher if I'd read any of the previous books in the series, if I knew and was already invested in the character of Matthew Scudder. I have the first book of the series in my shopping cart, and plan to meet Matthew properly soon-- I saw lots of promise in this book.The mystery here is secondary, and that's fine with me. It provides something for Scudder to do while he deals with the real meat of the book-- facing one year of sobriety. It also gave an opportunity to introduce characters that I assume play a bigger role in the earlier books. I didn't have any issues with the search for the murderer, and it was well integrated into the other aspects of the story.A Drop of the Hard Stuff is evidently filling in back story for the lead character of this series, and focuses on Scudder's looking back over this year of sobriety, and what it took for him to get there and stay there. Much of the book takes place in AA meetings-- some of this time sets up the plot, but more of it deals with the ins and outs of life as a recovering alcoholic. This was interesting, but I never quite formed a full connection with Scudder. I hope to do so in the future.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Matt Scudder book and I really liked it. It wasn't action packed. It was 'mellow', if you can call a book that. Matt Scudder is sitting at his local bar, after hours, talking to the bartender, reminiscing about paths not taken. Matt tells this story of many years ago.Matt, a recovering alcholic, meets a childhood friend, Jack Ellery, at an AA meeting. They get together once, chat on the phone a few times and then Jack is murdered, shot once in the head and once in the mouth. Jack's AA sponsor wants Matt (not a cop, not a licensed private detective) to look into it. There's a good chance that the murder has something to do with Jack's previous life of crime and his being on Step 9 of AA, where you make amends, in person, to people you have harmed. What secrets will be dredged up in the amends process?Block has an easy going writing style. It's almost like the male version of a cozy mystery...sorry Mr. Block if I've dissed you for saying this. He produces likeable characters and realistic situations. A lot of the references are to AA and the meetings and sponsors, but that's fine. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is an easy and fast read. Go for it.
    • 4/5
      Lawrence Block is my favorite mystery writer. This is the latest Matthew Scudder mystery with Matt scrambling to maintain his first year of sobriety while dealing with a number of interesting characters in AA and on the street. A series of murders takes place and Matt is on the trail.
    • 5/5
      I imagine that when you’ve written 16 books in a series that spans a few decades, you start to wonder about when your character needs to retire. Alternately, you can bring us back to his past, which is exactly what Block has done in this latest Matthew Scudder novel.Really, it’s a stroke of genius. Some people don’t like to pick up a book this late in a series, but set it sometime after book #5, and you not only thrill your fans with a nostalgic trip to the past, but you have the chance to pick up new readers as well.A Drop of the Hard Stuff is set towards the end of Scudder’s first year of sobriety. Alcoholism is a major theme, with Scudder living his life from one AA meeting to the next. When Jack Ellery is murdered while working his steps, Scudder feels almost compelled to find out what happens. It’s hard to tell whether it’s because he feels bad for Ellery, or if he worries that he could some day suffer the same fate.It seems that everything Scudder does involves a decision about whether or not he will remain sober. Even the smallest thing, like choosing in which direction to walk down the street, or how to handle his annoyance with his girlfriend, seems like a major crossroad. I have no personal frame of reference, but Block makes us feel Scudder’s struggle, and think about how much the little things matter. How one miniscule step in the wrong direction can drive the entire train off the tracks. It makes you think.Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the earlier books in this series.
    • 4/5
      Lawrence Block is a prolific crime/mystery writer, having published more than 50 novels since the early 1960's, though is probably best known for his series, the Matt Scudder novels being one of them. I have only read a handful from the series and it has been nearly 6 years since the last was published, which was widely considered to be the final installment. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is the 17th novel that features ex-cop turned unofficial PI Matt Scudder. It begins with Scudder reminiscing with Mick Ballou, a long time friend, which segues into a story about an old case, the murder of Jack 'High-Low' Ellery, interspersed with Scudder's personal history. About to celebrate his first year of sobriety, Scudder runs into Jack Ellery, a childhood friend who drifted to the wrong side of the law, at an AA meeting. Shortly afterwards, Ellery is murdered and his sponsor hires Scudder to investigate, concerned that Ellery's attempts to follow the AA program and make amends was the cause of his death. As he rules out each man on Ellery's list, Matt discovers that High Low Jack has been hiding an even bigger secret, and someone is determined in never comes to light.In a time before google or mobile phones, Scudder's investigation involves traipsing around the city, methodically sizing up and eliminating suspects. It's a blast of nostalgic detective work, all about detail, experience and common sense. Block has crafted a fine mystery that unfolds unhurriedly with an ending few would expect.Equally as absorbing is the story of Scudder's battle to stay sober, despite the breakdown of his relationship and the none too subtle set up by Ellery's killer. It helps to have some history with the character to know how he got to this place, but is not strictly necessary. Block knows his character well and he communicates his authenticity with every thought and action.A bonus read for fans who thought the series had finished, and a perfect way to introduce a new generation to Lawrence Block's classic detective fiction, A Drop of the Hard Stuff is an example of one of the genre's best written series. I hope it's not the last we see of Scudder but if it is, it has been a life well lived.
    • 5/5
      This book is a good addition to the Scudder series, but I'm not sure that it would be the book I would recommend to others who want to read Scudder. You need to come to know and appreciate the man through a few of his other books first. once you do, then you'll find something to appreciate in this backstory.I found Block's writing style to be refreshing. The trend lately in detective fiction is to describe every detail of every scene, whether it is pertinent or not. For example, detectives no long walk into rooms. Now they have to take a few steps, grab the doorknob, turn the knob, pull on the door, open the door, walk through the door, and enter the room. Matt Scudder just walks into rooms. Sometimes, he deoesn't even mention walking into the building first, and walking up the stairs, and blah, blah, blah. Enough with detail overkill already!That's what I like about Block. He's telling you a story. Yes, there are details. But he's not going to tell you the eye color of the first victim unless its relevant. He's not going to enter the medical examiner's autopsy report into evidence, unless we need to know it. His stories are more about people and their relationships, and about the stages of a man's life. Not every little detail of every little thing that happens. if you need that sort of catalog of boredom, look elsewhere.I started this book with some trepidation, since the last Scudder book I read was not this good. Scudder is older now and most of the skin-of-your-teeth detecting he used to do no longer first with his wiser, older character. So i was worried that this was going to be a book about Scudder searching for a stolen perfume bottle in his retirement home or something. I was really impressed with Block's decision to turn to the past, and to tell his faithful readers something about Scudder's first anniversary of sobriety. I hope that if he continues to write more Scudder novels, he continues to fill in the gaps in his past.All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I recommend it to Scudder fans. And to people who want to read some elegantly simple writing.