All the Flowers Are Dying [Large Print]

By Lawrence Block

Book Overview

In his sixteenth Matthew Scudder novel, All the Flowers Are Dying, New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block takes the award-winning series to a new level of suspense and a new depth of characterization. A man in a Virginia prison awaits execution for three hideous murders he swears -- in the face of irrefutable evidence -- he did not commit. A psychologist, who claims to believe the convict, spends hours with the man in his death row cell, and ultimately watches in the gallery as the lethal injection is administered. His work completed, the psychologist heads back to New York City to attend to unfinished business. Meanwhile, Scudder has just agreed to investigate the ostensibly suspicious online lover of an acquaintance. It seems simple enough. At first. But when people start dying and the victims are increasingly closer to home, it becomes clear that a vicious killer is at work. And the final targets may be Matt and Elaine Scudder.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060759429
• ISBN13: 9780060759421
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow Large Print
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.9" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A Master at work

If your a fan of crime fiction do yourself a favor and read all 16 of the Matt Scudder novels. Unlike many series characters Scudder ages in real time in the books and this makes for a deep and realistic look at one characters life. The highest praise I can give is that Scudder seems like a real person and he's someone you'd like to have on your side. The villian in this book takes Scudder to the edge and the payoff is satisfying. If this is the last Scudder book the series is going out on top.

A Master at work

If your a fan of crime fiction do yourself a favor and read all 16 of the Matt Scudder novels. Unlike many series characters Scudder ages in real time in the books and this makes for a deep and realistic look at one characters life. The highest praise I can give is that Scudder seems like a real person and he's someone you'd like to have on your side. The villian in this book takes Scudder to the edge and the payoff is satisfying. If this is the last Scudder book the series is going out on top.

Excellent Entry in Superior Series

Matthew Scudder is back in this book, and I was shocked to find out how much I missed visiting his world. Lawrence Block has written a gripping, moving, and suspenseful novel to mark the return of Scudder, Elaine, TJ, and other lesser characters. This is the first of the Scudder books to be set in post-9/11 NYC, and Block is able to convey the characters' reactions to that event without belaboring it. The mystery is excellent and the taut narrative keeps the story moving. It's been a pleasure to follow Matthew Scudder over the years, watching him age and interact with his cadre of supporting colleagues. If Lawrence Block needs to take this much time between books in the series, I hope he continues to do so. It was well-worth the wait.

A Great New Scudder Adventure

This is by far the best Scudder installment since Dance At The Slaughterhouse. Block has shied away from repetitive plot lines, as happens with so many authors and their serial protagonists, and presented an exciting page turner. Bravo!

THRILLS AND CHILLS IN THIS READING

In this, the 16th Matthew Scudder thriller, we meet a changed protagonist. Many of us are old enough to remember when we were first introduced to him some 25 years ago. If I remember correctly, Lawrence Block described him at that time as a former cop turned private eye (sans license) who drank a lot and worried the same. A quarter of a century can bring about many changes, and those years have made their mark on Matthew Scudder. Happily for listeners "All The Flowers Are Dying" is read by the author himself. A four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards plus numerous other honors, Block has penned more than 50 books. Think you'll agree that his reading is also deserving of recognition. After all, who knows Matthew Scudder better than the man who created him? Block delivers nuances and chills with the aplomb of a trained actor. As our story opens there's a man awaiting execution in a Virginia prison. He received the death penalty on the basis of massive evidence, yet he maintains that he did not commit three gruesome murders. A psychologist has been interviewing the man, and completes his assignment by watching as the death sentence is carried out. What seems to be a parallel plot develops as Scudder takes on an investigation. It's just the kind of job he likes now - no danger just some probing and then a paycheck. No such luck. The corpses start piling up and it seems that the next to die may very well be Scudder and his wife. Is there a relationship between the convicted killer and these murders? Could the psychologist be involved? Listen as this master of suspense weaves one more of his spine tingling tales. - Gail Cooke