Publisher Description

In the era before he created moody private investigator Matthew Scudder, burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, sleepless spy Evan Tanner, and the amiable hit man Keller--and years before his first Edgar Award--a young writer named Lawrence Block submitted a story titled "You Can't Lose" to Manhunt magazine. It was published, and the rest is history.One Night Stands and Lost Weekends is a sterling collection of short crime fiction and suspense novelettes penned between 1958 and 1962 by a budding young master and soon-to-be Grand Master--an essential slice of genre history, and more fun than a high-speed police chase following a bank job gone bad.

Author Biography

Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association--only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.

Review

"It's interesting to observe his skills progressing and no doubt inspiring to would-be writers....If your taste runs to cheap detectives, cheaper crooks, and D-cup damsels, One Night Stands and Lost Weekends is for you." -- Library Journal"Taut classic hard-boiled noir....Will leave even newcomers hungry for more." -- Publishers Weekly"Well worth resurrecting as the portrait of a self-described 'gormless young man' who grew up to be a killer writer." -- Seattle Times"This collection will delight the prize-winning author's many fans." -- Aptos Times (Aptos, CA)"Tasty like candy and a little addictive." -- Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers"This new collection of Block's early stories will delight fans of hard-boiled detective fiction." -- Charlotte Observer"These early Block writings deftly capture the flavor and attitudes of an era when crime ran rampant in the city....Block is in fine form." -- Lansing State Journal

Review Quote

"Well worth resurrecting as the portrait of a self-described 'gormless young man' who grew up to be a killer writer."

Details