Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #03 for 2026...
"The Alienist", by Caleb Carr, published in 1994.
Dr. Laszlo Kreizler #1
"Return to Fit" at YMCA through LED, #02.
"Return to Fit" at YMCA through LED, #01.
Snowstorm in Connecticut!
SPECTRE FOLK - w/ Mark Robinson, Willie Lane, Saturday, January 17, 2026, 8:00 PM
Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #01 for 2026...
"The Night and the Music", by Lawrence Block, published in 2011.
Matthew Scudder Short Stories Collection.
Summing up the stories (borrowed from Goodreads):
Out the Window - Matt’s still drinking and looks into the apparent suicide of a waitress who worked at his favorite gin joint.
Candle For the Bag Lady - Another one where Matt is still boozing. A neighborhood bag lady was stabbed to death and Matt is surprised to learn that the woman had money and left him a tidy little sum for no reason he can think of. Feeling an obligation he doesn‘t really understand, Matt starts looking into the murder and his investigation gets the neighborhood talking and turns the woman into a minor folk hero with surprising consequences.
By the Dawn’s Early Light - No AA for Matt yet. His drinking buddy Tommy’s wife is murdered and he hires Matt to help solidify the evidence against the two burglars accused of the crime. This is the story that inspired Block to continue the series after he thought it may have reached a conclusion and it’s the basis for the novel When the Sacred Ginmill Closes.
Batman’s Helpers - Matt works a freelance gig for a big agency trying to get bootleg Batman merchandise off the New York streets.
Merciful Angel of Death - The administrator of an AIDs hospice fears that a mysterious woman has been killing the patients and asks Matt to investigate.
The Night & The Music - Matt and Elaine hit New York's after hours clubs to hear some jazz.
Looking for David - While on vacation in Europe, Matt bumps into a man he had once sent to prison for murdering his male lover. Surprisingly, the man invites Matt to lunch and tells him exactly why he committed the crime.
Let’s Get Lost - Another flashback story when Matt was still a cop, and he provides some odd advice to players at a poker game who have a murdered man on their hands.
A Moment of Wrong Thinking - Yet another flashback to his police days where Matt tells Elaine of how his partner handled a case of apparent suicide.
Mick Ballou Looks At the Blank Screen - Matt’s best friend Mick wants to talk about the Soprano’s finale and share some news.
One Last Night at Grogans - Written especially for this collection, Mick has sold the saloon where he and Matt spent so many long nights talking, and the two of them and their spouses spend one last evening in the bar. Hard not to think that this may be Block having Matt take one last bow at the close of the series, but if this is the end, then it was a perfect way to say goodbye.
Review with CWOps.