Matthew Scudder
Encyclopedia
Matthew Scudder is a fictional private investigator
, the most famous and enduring creation of American crime writer Lawrence Block
.
Scudder debuted in 1976's The Sins of the Fathers as an alcoholic ex-cop who had recently quit the NYPD and left his family after accidentally causing the death of a young girl. Living in a rent-controlled hotel room in Hell's Kitchen
, he earns his living as an unlicensed private investigator - or, as he puts it, "doing favors for friends." The series' overarching theme is mortality: the early entries are filled with scenes of Scudder alone in churches, compulsively tithing his small income, lighting candles for whatever deceased figures happen to be on his mind - and always for the girl whose life he had inadvertently taken.
The fifth entry, 1982's Eight Million Ways to Die (often cited as the best), is the first to notably move the character forward, concluding with Scudder introducing himself at an Alcoholics Anonymous
meeting. Block planned to end the series there, but a promise he'd made to supply an editor friend with an original short resulted in "By the Dawn's Early Light," a story set during Scudder's drinking days but told from the perspective of a recoverer. Block would go on to expand on that with 1986's When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
, which not only resurrected the series, but proved a favorite of both the author and his fans.
From then on, Scudder's circumstances rarely remain the same for long: 1990's A Ticket to the Boneyard reunites him with Elaine Mardell, a hooker from his days on the force, and concludes with him staging the suicide of a man who had threatened their lives - a decision he recalls in a number of subsequent volumes. 1991's A Dance at the Slaughterhouse introduces TJ, a young Times Square
hustler who becomes Scudder's protégé and closest ally. 1992's A Walk Among the Tombstones sees him struggling with Elaine's role as a prostitute (as well as a pair of violent kidnappers), while 1994's A Long Line of Dead Men ends with the two marrying.
Though Scudder never takes another drink (coming closest in Boneyard), alcohol continues to play a large role in his life: he continues to attend Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings (which constitute a central setting of the later novels), and his best friend, Mick Ballou, is a career criminal and saloonkeeper with whom he often spends long nights. He also has a standing Sunday night dinner with his sponsor, Jim Faber, who eventually becomes a surrogate father figure.
The character of Matthew Scudder was portrayed by Jeff Bridges in "8 Million Ways to Die", in which the setting was moved to Southern California and Scudder becomes a sheriff's deputy. The movie truncates his backstory to involve killing an adult drug dealer in front of the dealer's family rather than a young girl on a darkened street.
Scudder has relaxed somewhat in recent entries, and is now far more apt to enjoy an evening at Lincoln Center with Elaine than he is to take on a job. 2005's All the Flowers Are Dying, the sixteenth title in the series, seemed to have been written as a possible final chapter, but a new Scudder book, titled A Drop of the Hard Stuff, -- a second "flashback" novel -- was published in 2011.
The Night and the Music (2011) short stories
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, the most famous and enduring creation of American crime writer Lawrence Block
Lawrence Block
Lawrence Block is an acclaimed contemporary American crime writer best known for two long-running New York–set series, about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively...
.
Scudder debuted in 1976's The Sins of the Fathers as an alcoholic ex-cop who had recently quit the NYPD and left his family after accidentally causing the death of a young girl. Living in a rent-controlled hotel room in Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
, he earns his living as an unlicensed private investigator - or, as he puts it, "doing favors for friends." The series' overarching theme is mortality: the early entries are filled with scenes of Scudder alone in churches, compulsively tithing his small income, lighting candles for whatever deceased figures happen to be on his mind - and always for the girl whose life he had inadvertently taken.
The fifth entry, 1982's Eight Million Ways to Die (often cited as the best), is the first to notably move the character forward, concluding with Scudder introducing himself at an Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meeting. Block planned to end the series there, but a promise he'd made to supply an editor friend with an original short resulted in "By the Dawn's Early Light," a story set during Scudder's drinking days but told from the perspective of a recoverer. Block would go on to expand on that with 1986's When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes is a Matthew Scudder novel, written by Lawrence Block. Based on the short story "By the Dawn's Early Light", and published four years after Eight Million Ways to Die, this novel resurrected Block's interest in the character and led to his writing 10 more titles in the...
, which not only resurrected the series, but proved a favorite of both the author and his fans.
From then on, Scudder's circumstances rarely remain the same for long: 1990's A Ticket to the Boneyard reunites him with Elaine Mardell, a hooker from his days on the force, and concludes with him staging the suicide of a man who had threatened their lives - a decision he recalls in a number of subsequent volumes. 1991's A Dance at the Slaughterhouse introduces TJ, a young Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
hustler who becomes Scudder's protégé and closest ally. 1992's A Walk Among the Tombstones sees him struggling with Elaine's role as a prostitute (as well as a pair of violent kidnappers), while 1994's A Long Line of Dead Men ends with the two marrying.
Though Scudder never takes another drink (coming closest in Boneyard), alcohol continues to play a large role in his life: he continues to attend Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meetings (which constitute a central setting of the later novels), and his best friend, Mick Ballou, is a career criminal and saloonkeeper with whom he often spends long nights. He also has a standing Sunday night dinner with his sponsor, Jim Faber, who eventually becomes a surrogate father figure.
The character of Matthew Scudder was portrayed by Jeff Bridges in "8 Million Ways to Die", in which the setting was moved to Southern California and Scudder becomes a sheriff's deputy. The movie truncates his backstory to involve killing an adult drug dealer in front of the dealer's family rather than a young girl on a darkened street.
Scudder has relaxed somewhat in recent entries, and is now far more apt to enjoy an evening at Lincoln Center with Elaine than he is to take on a job. 2005's All the Flowers Are Dying, the sixteenth title in the series, seemed to have been written as a possible final chapter, but a new Scudder book, titled A Drop of the Hard Stuff, -- a second "flashback" novel -- was published in 2011.
List of Matthew Scudder novels
- The Sins of the Fathers (1976)
- In the Midst of Death (1976)
- Time to Murder and Create (1977)
- A Stab in the Dark (1981)
- Eight Million Ways to Die (1982)
- When the Sacred Ginmill ClosesWhen the Sacred Ginmill ClosesWhen the Sacred Ginmill Closes is a Matthew Scudder novel, written by Lawrence Block. Based on the short story "By the Dawn's Early Light", and published four years after Eight Million Ways to Die, this novel resurrected Block's interest in the character and led to his writing 10 more titles in the...
(1986) - Out on the Cutting Edge (1989)
- A Ticket to the Boneyard (1990)
- A Dance at the Slaughterhouse (1991)
- A Walk Among the Tombstones (1992)
- The Devil Knows You're Dead (1993)
- A Long Line of Dead Men (1994)
- Even the Wicked (1997)
- Everybody Dies (1998)
- Hope to Die (2001)
- All the Flowers Are Dying (2005)
- A Drop of the Hard Stuff (2011)
The Night and the Music (2011) short stories