The new novel from mystery writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block in his multi-award winning series of Matt Scudder rivate detective mysteries. Matt Scudder is well and truly off the booze, but he still spends time with some of his old drinking pas including Mick Ballou - an Irish American who operates moren often than not on the wrong side of the law. Mick is worried - a garage full of bourbon has ebeen ripped off and 2 of his henchman killed in cold blood.Somebody is muscling inon Micks patch and he wants Scudder to look into it. Matt reluctantly agrees to take a look but won't promise a result. On the wayhome he is attacked but does more damage than he has inflicted. That same somebody wants him off Mick's case. The following weekend Matt's mentor from AlAnon is shot dead at point blank range when Scudder is in the men's room of the restaurant where the 2 had met for dinner - Matt knows it should have been him. Nowe the case is personal and no matter that he's warned off by his ex-colleagues in the NYPD and his wife Elaine, this is 1 he is going to see out to the end.