This hefty collection of acclaimed mystery master Lawrence Block's short fiction is packed with delights for fans of his many popular series as well as first-time readers who haven't yet met the engrossing protagonists who people them, including Keller, the thoughtful hit man; private eye Matt Scudder; burglar and bookstore owner Bernie Rhodenbarr; and Martin Ehrengraf, the well-dressed lawyer who takes criminal cases on a contingency basis and has his own devious methods for making sure his clients are always acquitted. But it's the non-series stories that are the standouts here, particularly "Cleveland in My Dreams," in which a psychiatrist comes up with a novel way to rid a patient of a relentless nightmare, and the patient passes on the "cure" to an unsuspecting friend; "Collecting Ackermans" and "Death Wish," two standouts about jealousy and its discontents; and a handful of other little gems with central characters who may not merit their own series because they're just not very likable, but show off Block's ability to keep the reader guessing until the last sentence. It may be hard to pick up--if only because it runs nearly a thousand pages--but this wry, witty, well-wrought collection is even harder to put down. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
A month before the mass market edition of his bestseller Hope to Die hits shelves, whodunit Grand Master Lawrence Block will come out with Enough Rope"in Blocks words, a huge doorstop of a thing "a collection of 83 stories spanning a career that began nearly five decades ago. With early tales (1957s You Cant Lose ) and recent ones (Terrible Tommy Terhune ), not to mention plenty featuring series heroes Martin Ehrengraf, Matthew Scudder and Keller, this compendium of sharply written short fiction will delight Blocks many fans, and likely earn him new ones. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Block's (Hope To Die) latest is a fun but daunting doorstop collection of short stories. At almost 900 pages, it contains every short story Block ever wrote. Opening the book are the stand-alone stories, which are alphabetically arranged; the character stories, which feature the likes of Matthew Scudder and Bernie Rhodenbarr, then appear in chronological order. The collection ends with 12 stories 11 new tales and the very first story Block ever published. Most of the pieces are enjoyable but should not be read straight through; they tend to depend on similar themes and plot devices, which creates a sense of monotony by the end. The tales not about Block's regular set of characters are clearly the best, and a good portion of them would have made terrific episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Librarians should beware that only the final stories are new to this collection, which first appeared in 1999 under the title The Collected Mystery Stories. Recommended only for collections lacking the previous edition.- Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
This gargantuan collection of Block short stories--nearly 50 hours' worth--will test the patience of even his most fervent fans. The stories--most concerning murder, as befits this premier mystery writer--are uneven. Too often listeners know what's coming long before Block takes them there. What is satisfying is the richness of Block's characterizations, which are often arch and always discerning. A voluminous body of work such as this one obviously taxes the range of any narrator. It's not enough to say that Alan Sklar is up to the challenge. He certainly is, especially with his seemingly endless characterizations. But Sklar brings something more to the reading, something that becomes ever more apparent as the hours elapse: He's clearly enjoying himself in this marathon production, and his pleasure is infectious. M.O. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description

Enough Rope, a collection of superb stories, establishes the extraordinary skill, power, and versatility of contemporary Grand Master Lawrence Block.

Block's beloved series characters are on hand, including ex-cop Matt Scudder, bookselling burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and the disarming duo of Chip Harrison and Leo Haig. Here, too, are Keller, the wistful hit man, and the natty attorney Martin Ehrengraf. Keeping them company are dozens of other refugees from Block's dazzling imagination, all caught up in more ingenious plots than you can shake a blunt instrument at.

Half a dozen of Block's stories have been short-listed for the Edgar Award, and three have won it outright. All the tales in Block's three previous collections are here, along with two dozen new stories. Some will keep you on the edge of the chair. Others will make you roll on the floor laughing. Enough Rope is an essential volume for Lawrence Block fans, and a dazzling introduction for others to the wonderful world of Block magic!


Download Description
"E-book exclusive extra: "Keller By a Nose," a short story that is not available in the print edition of this title. Elmore Leonard: ""Block grabs you with the first story and never lets you go." Lawrence Block's novels win awards, grace bestseller lists, and get made into films. His short fiction is every bit as outstanding, and this complete collection of his short stories establishes the extraordinary skill, power, and versatility of this contemporary Grand Master. Block's beloved series characters are on hand, including ex-cop Matt Scudder, bookselling burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and the disarming duo of Chip Harrison and Leo Haig. Here, too, are Keller, the wistful hit man, and the natty attorney Martin Ehrengraf, who takes criminal cases on a contingency basis and whose clients always turn out to be innocent. Keeping them company are dozens of other denizens of Block's dazzling imagination -- all caught up in more ingenious plots than you can shake a blunt instrument at. Half a dozen of Block's stories have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, and three have won it outright. Other stories have been read aloud on BBC Radio, dramatized on American and British television, and adapted for the stage and screen. All the tales in Block's three previous collections are here, along with two dozen new stories. Some will keep you on the edge of your chair. Others will make you roll on the floor laughing. And more than a few of them will give you something to think about. Enough Rope is an essential volume for Lawrence Block fans, and a dazzling introduction for others to the wonderful world of ... Block magic! "

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Weighing in at nearly 900 pages and containing 83 mystery stories and novellas written over a 45-year period, this doorstop of a book is a remarkable monument to Lawrence Block's equally remarkable career.

The earliest story in the collection, "You Can't Lose," first appeared in 1958. It's an energetic, unabashed piece of pulp that shows just a hint of Block's evolving narrative facility. Also included are the complete contents of three earlier collections (Sometimes They Bite, Like a Lamb to Slaughter, and Some Days You Get the Bear), plus self-contained excerpts from the episodic Keller novels Hit Man and Hit List, as well as many classic tales featuring Block's recurring characters Chip Harrison, Martin Ehrengraf, Bernie Rhodenbarr, and Matthew Scudder.

The 23 more recent, previously uncollected stories that appear here are fresh, funny, and readable. Between the old material and the new, there are so many good pieces that it's impossible to review this collection in detail. Highlights include "Keller's Designated Hitter," in which the amateur philatelist and professional hit man leaves his mark on the national pastime; "Sometimes They Bite," which concerns the lethal encounter between two fishermen who meet and converse along a lonely stretch of river; and "A Thousand Dollars a Word," a heartfelt vignette about the economic predicament of the nickel-a-word pulp writer. Two of the nine Matthew Scudder stories reprinted here have won major awards and become minor classics: "By the Dawn's Early Light," which became the novel When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes, and the superb "A Candle for the Bag Lady," in which Scudder solves the murder of a homeless woman who has left him an unexpected legacy.

For Block's admirers, this massive retrospective is essential reading. For the uninitiated, it provides a vigorous, varied introduction to one of the most prolific -- and significant -- figures in contemporary popular fiction. Bill Sheehan

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Lawrence Block's novels win awards, grace bestseller lists, and get made into films. His short fiction is every bit as outstanding, and this complete collection of his short stories establishes the extraordinary skill, power, and versatility of this contemporary Grand Master. Block's beloved series characters are on hand, including ex-cop Matt Scudder, bookselling burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, and the disarming duo of Chip Harrison and Leo Haig. Here, too, are Keller, the wistful hit man, and the natty attorney Martin Ehrengraf, who takes criminal cases on a contingency basis and whose clients always turn out to be innocent. Keeping them company are dozens of other refugees from Block's dazzling imagination -- tormented psychics and cheerful psychos, angst-ridden athletes and thoughtful murderers -- all caught up in more ingenious plots than you can shake a blunt instrument at.

Half a dozen of Block's stories have been shortlisted for the Edgar Award, and three have won it outright. Other stories have been read aloud on BBC Radio, dramatized on American and British television, and adapted for the stage and screen. All the tales in Block's three previous collections are here, along with two dozen new stories. Some will keep you on the edge of the chair. Others will make you roll on the floor laughing. And more than a few of them will give you something to think about. Enough Rope is an essential volume for Lawrence Block fans, and a dazzling introduction for others to the wonderful world of ... Block magic!

SYNOPSIS

E-book exclusive extra: "Keller By a Nose," a short story that is not available in the print edition of this title.

Lawrence Block's novels win awards, grace bestseller lists, and get made into films.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A month before the mass market edition of his bestseller Hope to Die hits shelves, whodunit Grand Master Lawrence Block will come out with Enough Rope"in Blocks words, a huge doorstop of a thing "a collection of 83 stories spanning a career that began nearly five decades ago. With early tales (1957s You Cant Lose ) and recent ones (Terrible Tommy Terhune ), not to mention plenty featuring series heroes Martin Ehrengraf, Matthew Scudder and Keller, this compendium of sharply written short fiction will delight Blocks many fans, and likely earn him new ones. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Block's (Hope To Die) latest is a fun but daunting doorstop collection of short stories. At almost 900 pages, it contains every short story Block ever wrote. Opening the book are the stand-alone stories, which are alphabetically arranged; the character stories, which feature the likes of Matthew Scudder and Bernie Rhodenbarr, then appear in chronological order. The collection ends with 12 stories 11 new tales and the very first story Block ever published. Most of the pieces are enjoyable but should not be read straight through; they tend to depend on similar themes and plot devices, which creates a sense of monotony by the end. The tales not about Block's regular set of characters are clearly the best, and a good portion of them would have made terrific episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Librarians should beware that only the final stories are new to this collection, which first appeared in 1999 under the title The Collected Mystery Stories. Recommended only for collections lacking the previous edition. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/02.] Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

This gargantuan collection of Block short stories—nearly 50 hours' worth—will test the patience of even his most fervent fans. The stories—most concerning murder, as befits this premier mystery writer—are uneven. Too often listeners know what's coming long before Block takes them there. What is satisfying is the richness of Block's characterizations, which are often arch and always discerning. A voluminous body of work such as this one obviously taxes the range of any narrator. It's not enough to say that Alan Sklar is up to the challenge. He certainly is, especially with his seemingly endless characterizations. But Sklar brings something more to the reading, something that becomes ever more apparent as the hours elapse: He's clearly enjoying himself in this marathon production, and his pleasure is infectious. M.O. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews