Lawrence Block
4/5 stars
A blackmailer, Spinner, asks Scudder to keep his files and find his killer if he gets bumped off. When Spinner is murdered, Scudder investigates the three people being blackmailed to find which one was responsible.
Scudder is a hard-boiled character, an alcoholic ex-cop who does detective work "as a favor for friends" instead of as a licensed P.I. This second in the series moves quickly, follows up red herrings, and is, in general, an interesting read. It's hard not to like Scudder, despite his near anti-hero characteristics. While the novel isn't intellectual or deep, it's an engaging mystery up until the very end.
