Eight Million Ways to Die

Lawrence Block's fifth Matthew Scudder novel is widely regarded as one of the finest American crime books of its era, and the Shamus Award it won in 1983 was deserved. The case — a prostitute hired to leave her pimp, found dead before Scudder can help — pulls him into the darkest corners of late-70s Manhattan while his drinking descends into blackouts. The novel ends with Scudder walking into an AA meeting, a moment that redefined the whole series. Block's prose is precise and unglamorous in exactly the right way. Be clear-eyed about the content: graphic violence, prostitution, drug trafficking, and alcoholism are all on the page. This is adult crime fiction at its best — but it is decidedly adult.