Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 2/2/2019 + 1223 more book reviews

This is the first book in the Matthew Scudder series by Block. I've read and enjoyed several books in the series so thought I would fill in some of the gaps starting with book one. Sins of the Fathers was published in 1976 and take place in the gritty NYC of the 70s. Scudder is a former New York cop who resigned from the force when one of his stray bullets shot during a robbery accidentally killed a young child. He also leaves his wife and two kids to live in a hotel room in Manhattan with mostly his drinking and an occasional prostitute to keep him company. He also does some work as an unlicensed Private Investigator to make ends meet. Overall despite his life style, Matt is a very moral man who spends some of his time in church and gives money to the poor.

In this first book, Matt is hired by a man whose daughter is viciously killed by her roommate who may also be her pimp. The daughter is a supposed prostitute and the roommate is found covered in blood raving in the streets leading to the discovery of the girl's slashed body in their apartment. The roommate is arrested and then commits suicide shortly thereafter resulting in a pretty much open and shut case by the police. But the girl's father wants to find out more about his estranged daughter, what her life was really like, and why she ended up dead. Matt agrees to take the case and finds out that the daughter had been involved with a lot of older men but was she really a prostitute? The roommate turns out to be homosexual and the son of a minister but did he really kill her?

I think Block and the Matt Scudder character are near the top of crime fiction. I've only read a hand full of these but am looking forward to more in the series.

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