A Walk Among the Tombstones

I half-closed my eyes during the violent scenes because I'm a real wuss, but they were few and effective. This is the first Block I've read and it won't be my last. It was a really solid read with good characters (I liked spending time with Scudder) and a well worked-out plot. Much of the plot is traditional detective work involving interviews, geography and police file research. He wrote this at the end of the 20th century, a couple of years before 9/11 so pay phones, beepers, and “classic” telephone hackers figure prominently. No google, no easy access via computers to secure files, and almost no mention/use of guns.

This is not the genre that I usually read, but I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. I actually liked it a lot. As I was reading the book, I could picture Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder. This book is not for the faint of heart, it had some intense parts that were kind of gory. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes suspense. I stick mostly with urban fantasy, but I'm glad I gave this book a chance.