A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block 319 pages

Matthew Scudder sits with a long time friend and reminisces about the first year anniversary of his sobriety. Matt tells his friend about running into Jack Ellery, an acquaintance from grade school, at an AA meeting who is later found shot to death. Matt was asked to investigate by the Jack's sponsor and the investigaion, in usual Matt Scudder fashion, becomes an involved journey through Jack's life before he joined AA. Matt, too, battles his demons. He remembers his struggle to understand his alcoholism and fight to stay sober. Matt is not alone in his search or struggle for sobriety. He calls on some old police buddies to check back stories of some of Jack's associates and partners in crime. He checks in with a former confidential informant of his to see if there is any chatter on the streets. Matt works through the end of a long-time relationship with another alcoholic and finds a few more friends while working the case. Matt Scudder is one of my favorite Lawrence Block characters. He could be a real person with real problems that he tries to work through. Matt slowly unravels the mystery leading the reader through the process making one feel like a participant.