Hope to Die by Lawrence Block
Matthew Scudder series
William Morrow -
ISBN: 006019832X - Hardcover
Suspense, Private Investigator

Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer, MyShelf.Com
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Arriving home after attending a concert, Bryne and Susan Hollander are brutally murdered by two burglars. A few days later, the burglars are found dead with the items stolen from the Hollanders. The police determine the deaths to be a murder/suicide, and close the case.

Scudder's assistant, TJ, introduces him to the Hollander's niece who suspects their daughter, Kristen, of engineering the burglary/murder. Scudder rejects this suspicion but suspects that there is a third man involved who planned the murders of the Hollanders and the burglaries. Kristen hires Scudder to find the real killer.

With the assistance of TJ and his computer, Scudder follows various clues and circumstances to open the closed case and unmask the diabolical and calculating killer.

The plot is superbly crafted; the writing smooth and readable. The reader is given glimpses of Scudder's past bouts with alcoholism, his problems with his sons and his present wife. The suspense builds, reaching its climax in an intriguing final confrontation.