Welcome back to Books With Cause. Let’s dive straight into my latest review.
Back in early March, I read The Sins of the Fathers, which is the first in the Matt Scudder series. It might be worth checking that review out if you haven’t already. Anyway, there are 17 novels in the series, including A Walk Among the Tombstones, which is book ten and was adapted into a movie starring Liam Neeson.
Matt Scudder is an alcoholic ex-cop. He doesn’t consider himself to be a private detective – although that’s how the people who solicit his services consider him – he says he just does favours for people (for the right price).
In Time to Murder and Create, a petty crook known as the Spinner enlists Scudder’s services. He’s willing to pay a premium for Scudder to look after an envelope. Scudder’s instructions are to keep the envelope safe and only open it if he doesn’t hear from the Spinner.
Scudder accepts cash to guard the envelope and checks in with the Spinner each week. One Friday, when he doesn’t hear from him, Scudder realises the Spinner is dead, and it’s time to open the envelope. In there, he finds a letter addressed to Scudder, a thick wad of cash (Scudder’s fee), and photographs of three individuals. One of these three people killed The Spinner. They all had a motive. Now it’s up to Scudder to work out which of them is guilty.
Reading books like this may be the closest we can ever get to time travel. Even if the 70s aren’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things, it’s a time that I would love to visit. When I read a book like this, I am taken back to those days. A time before the internet and mobile phones. Okay, this is also a time when people smoked everywhere and drank alcohol during the day. There are pros and cons.
Scudder is a flawed character, and I find it enjoyable to spend time with him. At only 170 pages, I tore through this in a couple of days.
My Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)
