He manages to remain interesting from novel to novel and unfolds new traits of his complex, troubled and yet endearing personality with every book. Matthew Scudder proves to be one of the most durable detective characters in contemporary literature. As a mystery enthusiast, there isn't anything that pleases me more than a novel that challenges my expectations like that.
It's not that it isn't clear, but it keeps changing and morphing at you turn the pages. Lawrence Block reaffirms in this novel that he is a master storyteller, keeping us glued to the page while wondering what exactly the plot of the book is. While the latter stood out because of its strong character cast, its intricate mystery and the narrative decision of having Scudder fight his alcoholism, WHEN THE SACRED GINMILL CLOSES stands out because of its unpredictability and its bleakness. This was my favorite Matthew Scudder novel alongside the fourth volume in the series A STAB IN THE DARK. WHEN THE SACRED GINMILL CLOSES is not as elegiac and melancholic as the other Scudder novels, but it is definitely much bleaker and if you're familiar with the character, you'll find that it heightens the aura of loneliness and alienation around him. It gave great perspective on why he isolates himself and has such overbearing trust issues in the other novels. There is no young dove to save, in that one, no tragic murder to solve, Scudder is hanging with the wrong crowd and different shady characters are asking him for some of the favors that made Scudder famous both in his book and to us readers.
WHEN THE SACRED GINMILL CLOSES was so different from the first 5 novels in the series, it's both extremely refreshing and difficult to compare to the others.
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