A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Matthew Scudder)
"Totally gripping....A great American crime novel."—Ed Park,Time"Block has so perfected a pared-down, hard-boiled style that this story--about good intentions that backfire, fatally--seems to tell itself."—Maureen Corrigan,Washington PostMesmerizing....A lament for all the old familiar things that are now almost lost, almost forgotten."—Marilyn Stasio,New York Times Book Review"A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is a wise and fascinating addition to the Matthew Scudder cannon.  It could not be more welcome, nor could it have been written with more understated craftsmanship.  The dialogue sounds exactly like things people say to each other, but it isn't.  It's better, quicker, smarter.  Read this book attentively.  It's much more fun than taking lessons."—Thomas Perry