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Catch and Release
"Catch & Release" appeared in and was written for STORIES, the anthology edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. It's a very dark story with an articulate and introspective narrator, and if you don't like to spend time at the intersection of Sex and Violence, it's probably not something you'll enjoy. The lead character, as the title suggests, is a fisherman. The reviewers liked it, and one said she found it singularly impossible to forget.
289 pages, Nook
First published June 1, 2011
28 people are currently reading
394 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
766 books2,961 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
April 29, 2020
You know what I find soothing as I stay indoors during an international pandemic? Tales of crime and murder! Hey, don’t judge me. We’re all just trying to get through this.
I’ve long believed that Lawrence Block is one of our greatest crime writers, and I’ve read a ton of his books so I thought I was familiar with all his tricks and tropes. However, something I picked up on for the first time in this collection is just how often he delivers an absolute killer of a last line. Seriously, even if you see an ending or a twist coming he usually just CRUSHES that final sentence to deliver a solid jolt that is the perfect moment to end on. It’s like how a great comedian can keep you laughing for a whole bit, and then deliver the perfect punch line to end it on that leaves you howling.
This is a fairly eclectic collection that features stories with some of his most famous characters like the one with Block himself having a conversation with bookseller/burglar Bernie Rhoedenbarr in A Burglar’s Eye View of Greed. Then there’s two stories featuring Matt Scudder with Mick Ballou Looks at a Blank Screen and One Last Night at Grogan’s. There’s also another tale, Clean Slate, that eventually got expanded in the novel Getting Off.
It’s not just Block doing his regular characters or familiar material. There’s the titular Catch and Release about a fisherman who applies his fishing philosophy to his other hobby. A Chance to Get Even features a desperate poker player who doesn’t know when to quit. A fan takes his allegiance to a particular tennis player very seriously in A Vision in White, while Dolly’s Trash and Treasures gives us an inside look at the mind of a hoarder. How Far is a one act play that I’d love to see performed someday.
Welcome to the Real World will be extremely relatable to anyone who has ever shanked a golf ball into the woods. Part of the Job is good one with a nice hook, but Block explaining how it was discovered by a fan in an old magazine, but he has no memory of writing or publishing it, is more interesting than the story itself. Scenarios and Without a Body were my least favorites. They’re both fine, but both seem more about the gimmick in each story than anything particularly new or intriguing.
The ones I enjoyed most that don’t involve Matt Scudder are the matched pair Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust. A big part of the reason I likd them is that they sound like the set-up to a joke. “A priest, a cop, a soldier, and a doctor were playing poker while a sleepy old man keeps farting…” Only instead of it being a joke it’s actually a framing device for each character to tell a story about greed and lust. Per Block’s explanation it was part of a plan to write a set based on the seven deadly sins, but he ran out of ideas after just those two. It’s a great premise and each of the stories within the stories are intriguing in their own way with this poker game taking on a vaguely spooky air as things progress. It reminded of a good anthology TV series like Twilight Zone only with crime stories.
The funny thing about why I read this is that somebody pointed out to Block on Twitter that the audio version he narrated was available on Spotify. Block wasn’t sure how or why it ended up on there, but he cheerfully promoted it, and I was happy to listen to him read me some tales as I was stuck at home. It was far more enjoyable than watching the news.
I’ve long believed that Lawrence Block is one of our greatest crime writers, and I’ve read a ton of his books so I thought I was familiar with all his tricks and tropes. However, something I picked up on for the first time in this collection is just how often he delivers an absolute killer of a last line. Seriously, even if you see an ending or a twist coming he usually just CRUSHES that final sentence to deliver a solid jolt that is the perfect moment to end on. It’s like how a great comedian can keep you laughing for a whole bit, and then deliver the perfect punch line to end it on that leaves you howling.
This is a fairly eclectic collection that features stories with some of his most famous characters like the one with Block himself having a conversation with bookseller/burglar Bernie Rhoedenbarr in A Burglar’s Eye View of Greed. Then there’s two stories featuring Matt Scudder with Mick Ballou Looks at a Blank Screen and One Last Night at Grogan’s. There’s also another tale, Clean Slate, that eventually got expanded in the novel Getting Off.
It’s not just Block doing his regular characters or familiar material. There’s the titular Catch and Release about a fisherman who applies his fishing philosophy to his other hobby. A Chance to Get Even features a desperate poker player who doesn’t know when to quit. A fan takes his allegiance to a particular tennis player very seriously in A Vision in White, while Dolly’s Trash and Treasures gives us an inside look at the mind of a hoarder. How Far is a one act play that I’d love to see performed someday.
Welcome to the Real World will be extremely relatable to anyone who has ever shanked a golf ball into the woods. Part of the Job is good one with a nice hook, but Block explaining how it was discovered by a fan in an old magazine, but he has no memory of writing or publishing it, is more interesting than the story itself. Scenarios and Without a Body were my least favorites. They’re both fine, but both seem more about the gimmick in each story than anything particularly new or intriguing.
The ones I enjoyed most that don’t involve Matt Scudder are the matched pair Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust. A big part of the reason I likd them is that they sound like the set-up to a joke. “A priest, a cop, a soldier, and a doctor were playing poker while a sleepy old man keeps farting…” Only instead of it being a joke it’s actually a framing device for each character to tell a story about greed and lust. Per Block’s explanation it was part of a plan to write a set based on the seven deadly sins, but he ran out of ideas after just those two. It’s a great premise and each of the stories within the stories are intriguing in their own way with this poker game taking on a vaguely spooky air as things progress. It reminded of a good anthology TV series like Twilight Zone only with crime stories.
The funny thing about why I read this is that somebody pointed out to Block on Twitter that the audio version he narrated was available on Spotify. Block wasn’t sure how or why it ended up on there, but he cheerfully promoted it, and I was happy to listen to him read me some tales as I was stuck at home. It was far more enjoyable than watching the news.
September 12, 2013
Catch and Release is a collection of Lawrence Block's short stories. As usual, I'll attempt to comment on them as I go without revealing too much, which is difficult when it comes to short stories.
A Burglar's Eye View of Greed: Bernie Rhodenbarr gives his thoughts on greed. It's a nice little window into his personality and makes me want to resume reading the Burglar series.
A Chance to Get Even: This is the story of a poker player who doesn't know how to bet more than he can afford to lose and keeps trying to climb out of the hole he's dug for himself.
A Vision in White: A man develops a fixation on a young beautiful tennis player.
Catch and Release: A former serial killer explains his catch and release philosophy, thinking of himself like a fisherman. Best short story of the collection. Chilling and creepy.
Clean Slate: This was a story that eventually grew and became Getting Off: A Novel of Sex and Violence, Kit Tolliver's systematic killing of every man she's ever slept with to restore her spiritual virginity.
Dolly's Trash and Treasures: This is a sad and creepy story about county workers trying to help a hoarder whose family has run out on her.
How Far: This is a one act play about a woman who wants to get her ex to stop bothering her. It's all dialog and all Block so it's pretty slick.
Mick Ballou Looks at a Blank Screen: Mick and Matthew Scudder talk about what happens after death and the Sopranos finale.
One Last Night at Grogan's: Mick Ballou closes Grogan's and invites Matt and Elaine to spend one last evening with him there. Still as touching as the first time I read it.
Part of the Job: A man searches for another man who's jumped to the competition with an important set of plans. This one was all about the ending, which I will not spoil here. The story behind the story is that someone gave Block a magazine with the story published in it and Block never remembered selling it.
Scenarios: Scenarios is an interesting tale of what might happen when a man meets a woman in a bar.
See the Woman: An elderly former cop recounts the tale of an abusive drunk and the wife that kept making excuses for him.
Speaking of Greed: A group of poker players swap stories about greed in this novella.
Speaking of Lust: A group of poker players swap stories about lust in this novella.
Welcome to the Real World: A retiree's routine is disrupted when another man suggests he play golf instead of just practicing at the driving range. As with P.G. Wodehouse, stories about golf are more interesting to me than actually watching it on TV.
Who Knows Where It Goes: An unemployed man tries a different line of work and thinks about how things change. Without spoiling too much, this could have been a very early Keller story.
Without a Body: This is the story of a murder and the aftermath from the victim's point of view.
The afterword tells the stories behind the stories; what Block had in mind while he was writing it, who he wrote it for, etc.
I'd say Catch and Release, the titular tale, was the best of the bunch but I didn't think any of them were duds. Unlike some Hard Case reprints, this one had the Hard Case feel throughout. Another winning Hard Case from Lawrence Block! Four stars!
A Burglar's Eye View of Greed: Bernie Rhodenbarr gives his thoughts on greed. It's a nice little window into his personality and makes me want to resume reading the Burglar series.
A Chance to Get Even: This is the story of a poker player who doesn't know how to bet more than he can afford to lose and keeps trying to climb out of the hole he's dug for himself.
A Vision in White: A man develops a fixation on a young beautiful tennis player.
Catch and Release: A former serial killer explains his catch and release philosophy, thinking of himself like a fisherman. Best short story of the collection. Chilling and creepy.
Clean Slate: This was a story that eventually grew and became Getting Off: A Novel of Sex and Violence, Kit Tolliver's systematic killing of every man she's ever slept with to restore her spiritual virginity.
Dolly's Trash and Treasures: This is a sad and creepy story about county workers trying to help a hoarder whose family has run out on her.
How Far: This is a one act play about a woman who wants to get her ex to stop bothering her. It's all dialog and all Block so it's pretty slick.
Mick Ballou Looks at a Blank Screen: Mick and Matthew Scudder talk about what happens after death and the Sopranos finale.
One Last Night at Grogan's: Mick Ballou closes Grogan's and invites Matt and Elaine to spend one last evening with him there. Still as touching as the first time I read it.
Part of the Job: A man searches for another man who's jumped to the competition with an important set of plans. This one was all about the ending, which I will not spoil here. The story behind the story is that someone gave Block a magazine with the story published in it and Block never remembered selling it.
Scenarios: Scenarios is an interesting tale of what might happen when a man meets a woman in a bar.
See the Woman: An elderly former cop recounts the tale of an abusive drunk and the wife that kept making excuses for him.
Speaking of Greed: A group of poker players swap stories about greed in this novella.
Speaking of Lust: A group of poker players swap stories about lust in this novella.
Welcome to the Real World: A retiree's routine is disrupted when another man suggests he play golf instead of just practicing at the driving range. As with P.G. Wodehouse, stories about golf are more interesting to me than actually watching it on TV.
Who Knows Where It Goes: An unemployed man tries a different line of work and thinks about how things change. Without spoiling too much, this could have been a very early Keller story.
Without a Body: This is the story of a murder and the aftermath from the victim's point of view.
The afterword tells the stories behind the stories; what Block had in mind while he was writing it, who he wrote it for, etc.
I'd say Catch and Release, the titular tale, was the best of the bunch but I didn't think any of them were duds. Unlike some Hard Case reprints, this one had the Hard Case feel throughout. Another winning Hard Case from Lawrence Block! Four stars!
June 6, 2025
Short story collections, even by the best authors, can range from crap to greatness. Sometimes, such collections are ego-driven collections of stuff no one would ever publish. Sometimes they are collections of an author's early work. Once in a while, a well-known author actually publishes a collection of short stories that is the literary equivalent of hitting it out of the ballpark. With Catch and Release, Lawrence Block's latest short story collection, published in 2013, he has, indeed, launched a ball so high, so far, so deep, that I can fully recommend it for your reading enjoyment.
Catch And Release is, of course, the title story for this volume and, as such, is worthy of a review entirely of its own. Jim Morrison once explained that, The hitchhiker stood by the side of the road and leveled his thumb in the calm, cool, calculus of reason. This book about the joys of hitchhiking and the joys of flyfishing is just terrific. It is told in such a routine, matter-of-fact yarn-spinning manner that it almost deceptive in the twisted sickness found in the narrator himself. He is a loner who likes to pick up hitchhikers, especially young, cute hitchhikers in short cut-offs and scooping tops. He does offer sage advice to the young lady he drops off at her parents' home, explaining that he is a catch-and-release fisherman, but not everybody is a catch- and-release fisherman. She has no clue what he is talking about, but any reader of dark mysteries and noir literature does. Sometimes a fish is allowed to wriggle off the line and flop back into the water. Often, they do not know how lucky they are.
Clean Slate is a lengthy novella-type story from the Kit Tolliver collection. Block also offers it separately as a single. If you like this (and warning: not everyone will), I suggest you run out and grab whatever copy is remaining of "Getting Off," Block's full-length book featuring all of his Kit Tolliver stories. I highly recommend it. "Clean Slate" offers a real peek at Kit Tolliver's background and gives the reader an understanding of how she set out on her path, criss-crossing America and donning different identities in different cities. Kit is a knockout. She has a list and, yes, she is checking it twice. She has a list of men who could sit around a campfire and brag about how they had her. She is going to do something about that list, something about whittling that list down. Kit is no angel. She engages in all kinds of conduct, not all of which is legal. Somehow, Block has crafted this story which includes all kinds of violence and matricide and identity theft and makes the reader want to follow along.
I found all of these to be top-notch stories with a special mention going out to Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust, bawdy tales of sex, violence, avarice, love, and betrayal, told by a doctor, a policeman, a priest, and an elderly man while sitting around after a poker game.
WARNING: this collection is for mature audiences only as it contains sexual situations, violence, cruelty, and cuss words.
Do I need to conclude by explaining that I think this is a fantastic, mind-blowingly good collection that it is well worth your time. Scratch under the surface of our society and it is not all clean and neat and ordered. This is greed, lust, larceny, and revenge percolating out there. I can't say enough good things about this collection. Enjoy!
Catch And Release is, of course, the title story for this volume and, as such, is worthy of a review entirely of its own. Jim Morrison once explained that, The hitchhiker stood by the side of the road and leveled his thumb in the calm, cool, calculus of reason. This book about the joys of hitchhiking and the joys of flyfishing is just terrific. It is told in such a routine, matter-of-fact yarn-spinning manner that it almost deceptive in the twisted sickness found in the narrator himself. He is a loner who likes to pick up hitchhikers, especially young, cute hitchhikers in short cut-offs and scooping tops. He does offer sage advice to the young lady he drops off at her parents' home, explaining that he is a catch-and-release fisherman, but not everybody is a catch- and-release fisherman. She has no clue what he is talking about, but any reader of dark mysteries and noir literature does. Sometimes a fish is allowed to wriggle off the line and flop back into the water. Often, they do not know how lucky they are.
Clean Slate is a lengthy novella-type story from the Kit Tolliver collection. Block also offers it separately as a single. If you like this (and warning: not everyone will), I suggest you run out and grab whatever copy is remaining of "Getting Off," Block's full-length book featuring all of his Kit Tolliver stories. I highly recommend it. "Clean Slate" offers a real peek at Kit Tolliver's background and gives the reader an understanding of how she set out on her path, criss-crossing America and donning different identities in different cities. Kit is a knockout. She has a list and, yes, she is checking it twice. She has a list of men who could sit around a campfire and brag about how they had her. She is going to do something about that list, something about whittling that list down. Kit is no angel. She engages in all kinds of conduct, not all of which is legal. Somehow, Block has crafted this story which includes all kinds of violence and matricide and identity theft and makes the reader want to follow along.
I found all of these to be top-notch stories with a special mention going out to Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust, bawdy tales of sex, violence, avarice, love, and betrayal, told by a doctor, a policeman, a priest, and an elderly man while sitting around after a poker game.
WARNING: this collection is for mature audiences only as it contains sexual situations, violence, cruelty, and cuss words.
Do I need to conclude by explaining that I think this is a fantastic, mind-blowingly good collection that it is well worth your time. Scratch under the surface of our society and it is not all clean and neat and ordered. This is greed, lust, larceny, and revenge percolating out there. I can't say enough good things about this collection. Enjoy!
February 11, 2015
I'd read a scratching from Block on the back of a cereal pack, so picking up a new set of short stories from the Master of Crime was a no-brainer. I say new but I've come across some of these before, notably in a previous collection (Night and the Music) and also a book he penned in 2011 under the pseudonym Jill Emerson (Getting Off). Though rereading these offerings was no problem, in fact given the state of my memory these days it was a while before I recognised I'd trodden some of these paths before.
For the record my favourite offerings were, in no particular order:
Clean Slate
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen
One Last Night at Grogan's
Speaking of Greed
Speaking of Lust
Welcome to the Real World
There is a huge variety of tales here. The second and third stories listed above feature Block's brilliant sleuth Matt Scudder. They remind me what a fine body of work the Scudder series represents; I really must re-read these books one day. Speaking of Lust/Greed - two works previously published as stand alone novellas - are very clever. If you were ever in doubt, you'll know you're in the hands of the master when you get to these -just brilliant. And the final story I listed is funny and, as a fair weather golfer, something I could absolutely relate to.
The only reason I couldn't bring myself to give this five stars is that - and it's the nature of a collection like this - there are a few stories here not up the the very high standard of the very best. But don't let that put you off, overall it's an excellent compilation.
For the record my favourite offerings were, in no particular order:
Clean Slate
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen
One Last Night at Grogan's
Speaking of Greed
Speaking of Lust
Welcome to the Real World
There is a huge variety of tales here. The second and third stories listed above feature Block's brilliant sleuth Matt Scudder. They remind me what a fine body of work the Scudder series represents; I really must re-read these books one day. Speaking of Lust/Greed - two works previously published as stand alone novellas - are very clever. If you were ever in doubt, you'll know you're in the hands of the master when you get to these -just brilliant. And the final story I listed is funny and, as a fair weather golfer, something I could absolutely relate to.
The only reason I couldn't bring myself to give this five stars is that - and it's the nature of a collection like this - there are a few stories here not up the the very high standard of the very best. But don't let that put you off, overall it's an excellent compilation.
June 14, 2021
"Catch and Release" is an awesome collection of short stories by Lawrence Block. I'd never read anything by him before and picked this book up at random (and because I typically love anything published by Hard Case Crime) and I'm glad I did. I had to take a break in the middle of this book because the stories were so dark I had to cleanse my literary palate. (And that's not a bad thing.)
A Burglar's Eye View of Greed: A crooked book seller justifies his business plan and lifestyle. Not much to this one but a good start.
A Chance To Get Even: A card game between friends turns deadly serious. Dick Krale just wants to get back to even and is willing to do just about anything to do so.
A Vision in White: A chilling first hand account of a fan stalking his favorite young tennis star. I needed to take a mental shower after this chilling tale.
Catch and Release: The story of a "catch and release" fisherman, except it's not fish, it's young ladies who are hitchhiking. He picks them up, lets them know they could have been killed and lets them go...usually lets them go, that is. Folks, don't hitchhike.
Clean Slate: A sexually abused young lady goes on a mission to obtain a sexual "clean slate." Spoiler: This mission involves a lot of murder and sex. Creepy stuff.
Dolly's Trash and Treasures: A hoarder is forced to finally clean house when she's reported to the authorities. But some treasures should probably stay buried. This one felt all too real.
How Far: A One-Act Play: A woman tries to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband and gets more than she bargained for. I enjoyed the one-act play structure here. Short and sweet.
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen: I suspect this short oddity may be related to other Lawrence Block work but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Not bad, just...odd.
One Last Night at Grogan's: An Irish bar gets one last send off with remembrances both sweet and bitter...and also there's murder.
Part of the Job: An odd short story about how even the most boring of businesses can become cutthroat...literally. The author also includes the story of how this story came to be which is even more entertaining than the story.
Scenarios: A killer goes hunting for unsuspecting prey in a short story that takes a surprising and welcome meta turn.
See the Woman: Two officers grow tired of going to the same house, over and over, for a domestic violence call. The circle of violence can only end one way...
Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust: These two short stories make up the plurality of the book. Together, they are a fascinating novella of several men playing cards and talking about the two respective topics. I'm always a sucker for stories within stories and these two were the absolute highlight of the book for me. I was kind of wishing for an additional twist at the end but that's a minor complaint to a fantastic story.
Welcome To The Real World: A Golf Story: Never, ever mess with a retirees schedule people. It's sacred!
Who Knows Where It Goes: A former street tough wonders if he still has what it takes. Spoiler: It takes murder.
Without A Body: A decidedly noir take on the afterlife. Short, sweet and satisfying.
Well, this was my first exposure to Lawrence Block but surely won't be my last. This guy knows how to tell a story! Great stuff.
A Burglar's Eye View of Greed: A crooked book seller justifies his business plan and lifestyle. Not much to this one but a good start.
A Chance To Get Even: A card game between friends turns deadly serious. Dick Krale just wants to get back to even and is willing to do just about anything to do so.
A Vision in White: A chilling first hand account of a fan stalking his favorite young tennis star. I needed to take a mental shower after this chilling tale.
Catch and Release: The story of a "catch and release" fisherman, except it's not fish, it's young ladies who are hitchhiking. He picks them up, lets them know they could have been killed and lets them go...usually lets them go, that is. Folks, don't hitchhike.
Clean Slate: A sexually abused young lady goes on a mission to obtain a sexual "clean slate." Spoiler: This mission involves a lot of murder and sex. Creepy stuff.
Dolly's Trash and Treasures: A hoarder is forced to finally clean house when she's reported to the authorities. But some treasures should probably stay buried. This one felt all too real.
How Far: A One-Act Play: A woman tries to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband and gets more than she bargained for. I enjoyed the one-act play structure here. Short and sweet.
Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen: I suspect this short oddity may be related to other Lawrence Block work but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Not bad, just...odd.
One Last Night at Grogan's: An Irish bar gets one last send off with remembrances both sweet and bitter...and also there's murder.
Part of the Job: An odd short story about how even the most boring of businesses can become cutthroat...literally. The author also includes the story of how this story came to be which is even more entertaining than the story.
Scenarios: A killer goes hunting for unsuspecting prey in a short story that takes a surprising and welcome meta turn.
See the Woman: Two officers grow tired of going to the same house, over and over, for a domestic violence call. The circle of violence can only end one way...
Speaking of Greed and Speaking of Lust: These two short stories make up the plurality of the book. Together, they are a fascinating novella of several men playing cards and talking about the two respective topics. I'm always a sucker for stories within stories and these two were the absolute highlight of the book for me. I was kind of wishing for an additional twist at the end but that's a minor complaint to a fantastic story.
Welcome To The Real World: A Golf Story: Never, ever mess with a retirees schedule people. It's sacred!
Who Knows Where It Goes: A former street tough wonders if he still has what it takes. Spoiler: It takes murder.
Without A Body: A decidedly noir take on the afterlife. Short, sweet and satisfying.
Well, this was my first exposure to Lawrence Block but surely won't be my last. This guy knows how to tell a story! Great stuff.
August 25, 2016
I liked the the idea of these short stories and their themes but Lawrence Block as a narrator didn't work for me. :(
OVERALL GRADE: C to C plus.
OVERALL GRADE: C to C plus.
June 8, 2025
A much better collection than *Sometimes You Get the Bear*. Of the 17 stories, 10 were 4 are better. None of these were 6+ stars. But my favorites were:
“Clean Slate” (this one formed the basis of Block’s stand alone *Getting Off*) [5+]
“Catch and Release” [5]
“A Chance to Get Even” [4.5]
“See the Woman” [4.5]
“Speaking of Greed” (novella) [4.5]
“Speaking of Lust” [novella; incl. variation of Clean Slate [4.5]
“Who Knows Where It Goes” [4.5]
I also liked: “A Vision in White”; “Scenarios”; “Without a Body”
“Clean Slate” (this one formed the basis of Block’s stand alone *Getting Off*) [5+]
“Catch and Release” [5]
“A Chance to Get Even” [4.5]
“See the Woman” [4.5]
“Speaking of Greed” (novella) [4.5]
“Speaking of Lust” [novella; incl. variation of Clean Slate [4.5]
“Who Knows Where It Goes” [4.5]
I also liked: “A Vision in White”; “Scenarios”; “Without a Body”
June 26, 2023
hard case crime 70 finished #catchandrelease by #lawrenceblock a collection of short stories published in 2013 with stories written throughout his career. Some cool noir that is so well written that one of the stories (a chance to get even) about a card game was riveting even though I know nothing about poker. Several of the other stories are creepy and intriguing with a little noir twist at the end. Many of which are really well done. There are a few throw away pieces that didn’t do much for me personally, but the majority of the book was very strong indeed.
(A vision in white) was creepy in such a good way.
(Catch and release) was intriguing and really well done.
(Clean slate) was really solid
(Dolly’s trash and treasure) Dark and Creepy and effective. I Guessed the twist but it was so satisfying. Clever writing device because descriptions and prose are minimal. It is mostly dialogue scenes alternating with inner thoughts/narrative from Dolly.
(How far) one act play. Short and cute considering the subject matter
(Part of the job) good little noir
(Scenarios) Interesting narrative device.
3 Different possible outcomes from the set up are explored. Alternating with paragraphs directly from author to reader saying that option doesn’t work or it’s ridiculous or too common and the actual ending is more realistic and mundane.
(See the woman) Really good. I’m a sucker for the la noire game and short story collection that this was part of. Well written oral history.
(Speaking of greed and lust) 2 of the longest pieces each with the same framing device and telling 4-5 separate stories about the topic. Impressive variety.
(Welcome to the real world) Quirky but well written, slice of life sort of thing that Stephen king does quite well. Engaging.
(Who knows where it goes) Cute. Different perspective. Engaging.
(Without a body) Bittersweet, sad but rather hopeful.
Interesting end note detailing the origin and publication background of each story.
Overall: great stuff
(A vision in white) was creepy in such a good way.
(Catch and release) was intriguing and really well done.
(Clean slate) was really solid
(Dolly’s trash and treasure) Dark and Creepy and effective. I Guessed the twist but it was so satisfying. Clever writing device because descriptions and prose are minimal. It is mostly dialogue scenes alternating with inner thoughts/narrative from Dolly.
(How far) one act play. Short and cute considering the subject matter
(Part of the job) good little noir
(Scenarios) Interesting narrative device.
3 Different possible outcomes from the set up are explored. Alternating with paragraphs directly from author to reader saying that option doesn’t work or it’s ridiculous or too common and the actual ending is more realistic and mundane.
(See the woman) Really good. I’m a sucker for the la noire game and short story collection that this was part of. Well written oral history.
(Speaking of greed and lust) 2 of the longest pieces each with the same framing device and telling 4-5 separate stories about the topic. Impressive variety.
(Welcome to the real world) Quirky but well written, slice of life sort of thing that Stephen king does quite well. Engaging.
(Who knows where it goes) Cute. Different perspective. Engaging.
(Without a body) Bittersweet, sad but rather hopeful.
Interesting end note detailing the origin and publication background of each story.
Overall: great stuff
February 28, 2025
Mixed -- I was impressed with that the camera on symposium type discussion of crimes and morals although it went on a little too long. There was a little annoyed at the profusion of serial killers and their mindset I don't remember that being a part of Lawrence blocks works that I liked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2019
Conpillation of short works, took a flyer on it because of the hardcase imprimatur and was not disappointed.
October 24, 2013
I gave the majority of these stories 1 or 2 stars. I liked 7 out of the 17 and gave them 3 stars each. Here are some of my thoughts on some of the stories:
"A Burglar's Eye View of Greed": What a tease. How the hell do you rate a story with only a couple of pages? I get that it's a short story, but really!? I was looking forward to a story featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr after reading past books featuring this character and this was a big disappointment. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
"A Chance to Get Even": Surprisingly, I liked the way it ended, even though all that card talk was boring. It was probably boring because I don't know a damn thing about poker. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"A Vision in White": If the author's goal was to thoroughly creep me out- he did it in spades. However, I always have a difficult time enjoying a story revolving around a bad guy. Unlike "A Chance to Get Even" where I felt sympathy for the main character until he did what he did- or what you're led to believe he's about to do- I didn't feel anything good about this stalker. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
"Catch and Release": This story was extremely disturbing. If I was rating based on the quality of writing, I'd give it a high rating. However, since the rating system is a matter of showing how much you like it, I'll have to give it 1 star because I most certainly did not like this story.
"How Far": Surprisingly, I liked it. It wasn't creepy at all- not like some of the others. At this point, I hadn't liked the majority of the stories and I thought that this would be another dud. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen": Short, but sweet. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Part of the Job": Whoa! That story had a surprising ending. I disagree with the author on one thing. The story itself IS better than the story about the story. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"See the Woman": A very depressing story. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Without a Body": I liked that the character Irene had something beautiful to look forward to after death. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"A Burglar's Eye View of Greed": What a tease. How the hell do you rate a story with only a couple of pages? I get that it's a short story, but really!? I was looking forward to a story featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr after reading past books featuring this character and this was a big disappointment. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
"A Chance to Get Even": Surprisingly, I liked the way it ended, even though all that card talk was boring. It was probably boring because I don't know a damn thing about poker. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"A Vision in White": If the author's goal was to thoroughly creep me out- he did it in spades. However, I always have a difficult time enjoying a story revolving around a bad guy. Unlike "A Chance to Get Even" where I felt sympathy for the main character until he did what he did- or what you're led to believe he's about to do- I didn't feel anything good about this stalker. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
"Catch and Release": This story was extremely disturbing. If I was rating based on the quality of writing, I'd give it a high rating. However, since the rating system is a matter of showing how much you like it, I'll have to give it 1 star because I most certainly did not like this story.
"How Far": Surprisingly, I liked it. It wasn't creepy at all- not like some of the others. At this point, I hadn't liked the majority of the stories and I thought that this would be another dud. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Mick Ballou Looks at the Blank Screen": Short, but sweet. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Part of the Job": Whoa! That story had a surprising ending. I disagree with the author on one thing. The story itself IS better than the story about the story. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"See the Woman": A very depressing story. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
"Without a Body": I liked that the character Irene had something beautiful to look forward to after death. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2013
CATCH AND RELEASE is a collection of crime stories that run the gamut of settings. We have backgrounds of golf, fishing, a couple on poker. We get serial killers, burglars, retired folks, a cop, a priest, a doctor, and a soldier.
A couple I'd read in their original appearances, but it was nice to get reacquainted. All were well written, as one would suspect from the master, and had a twist here and there with victims getting in shot here and there.
The book is available in a nice hardcover edition from Subterranean Press who do their usual handsome job as well as Hard Case Crime's trade edition and an ebook for those on that end of the reading base.
Highly recommended.
A couple I'd read in their original appearances, but it was nice to get reacquainted. All were well written, as one would suspect from the master, and had a twist here and there with victims getting in shot here and there.
The book is available in a nice hardcover edition from Subterranean Press who do their usual handsome job as well as Hard Case Crime's trade edition and an ebook for those on that end of the reading base.
Highly recommended.
October 27, 2013
I have no problem with trash, but this isn't quite the kind of trash I'd hoped for; instead of gleefully pulpy tales, most of these are either quite pedestrian (especially the insufferable poker and golf stories, and the lengthy philosophical discussions), or else they are dark and depraved for no reason other than-- seemingly-- to shock and titillate. There are only a couple of entries that truly surprise and entertain.
October 21, 2013
Well, it is not really a novel, but a number of short stories, a couple of novellas that are really one story, and a few things he had forgotten he had written including one he is not sure is his or not.
The best part of the book, Story Notes, hardly more than 4 pages after the fiction, is included in the back.
The best part of the book, Story Notes, hardly more than 4 pages after the fiction, is included in the back.
August 9, 2025
Any collection of short stories is likely to have its ups and downs even if the author is a grandmaster of the genre. This Catch and Release has more downs than ups, but the ups are so very good that it is still worth checking out.
There has been a sizable gap in time between finishing the book and writing the review, so pardon me if I have forgotten the names of most of the stories. I'm not sure where my copy of the book is, and I'm not in the mood for research.
The title story is excellent and upsetting.
There are two tales that are wrap around stories for a couple of mystery anthologies that had one of the seven deadly sins as its organizing principle. Both the story for Greed and the one for lust entertained me greatly and reminded me of the wraparound stories in the old Amicus horror anthology movies.
There are stories featuring Block's popular PI character Matt Scudder. These are little more than vignettes adding a little resolution or flavor to the character's life and are not worth much if you aren't already a Matt Scudder fan.
There is a story involving Block's sexually compulsive female serial killer it Tolliver and it works well, but it is an excerpt from Kit Tolliver's admittedly episodic novel and not a story unique to this volume.
The other stories generally range from good to forgettable, but there is one that is painfully dull and barely a sketch of an idea. Block notes that it may be his worst published work but that he included it in Catch and Release because the story behind its publication was too funny not to share along with it. Block isn't wrong.
There has been a sizable gap in time between finishing the book and writing the review, so pardon me if I have forgotten the names of most of the stories. I'm not sure where my copy of the book is, and I'm not in the mood for research.
The title story is excellent and upsetting.
There are two tales that are wrap around stories for a couple of mystery anthologies that had one of the seven deadly sins as its organizing principle. Both the story for Greed and the one for lust entertained me greatly and reminded me of the wraparound stories in the old Amicus horror anthology movies.
There are stories featuring Block's popular PI character Matt Scudder. These are little more than vignettes adding a little resolution or flavor to the character's life and are not worth much if you aren't already a Matt Scudder fan.
There is a story involving Block's sexually compulsive female serial killer it Tolliver and it works well, but it is an excerpt from Kit Tolliver's admittedly episodic novel and not a story unique to this volume.
The other stories generally range from good to forgettable, but there is one that is painfully dull and barely a sketch of an idea. Block notes that it may be his worst published work but that he included it in Catch and Release because the story behind its publication was too funny not to share along with it. Block isn't wrong.
August 3, 2022
I read Catch and Release in the collection, "Stories" that was edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. I know that art pushes limits, but the story went beyond what was comfortable for me as a reader, to a great extent. Some people may seek this out, but the short story seemed intentionally disturbing with no redeeming factors. Technically speaking, it was well-written, but the intention of Gaiman and Sarrantonio's anthology is to celebrate quality stories. This is the type of story I wish to avoid; one that highlights people's horrendous actions, without showing that humanity can also invoke hope. I enjoy dark stories and horror. However, what I find appealing about the works of, say, Stephen King, is his incorporation of the good things people can do, even just small kindnesses (especially in his more recent books.)
Different people have different views about these things, and fairly so, but this story (I'm not sure about the whole book of stories with the same name) deserves at least a trigger warning for sexual assault.
Different people have different views about these things, and fairly so, but this story (I'm not sure about the whole book of stories with the same name) deserves at least a trigger warning for sexual assault.
April 5, 2025
Catch and Release, Lawrence Block [Hard Case Crime, 2013].
A collection of sharply honed crime fiction from Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block. Highlights include:
“A Chance to Get Even”—In which a less-than prosperous businessman gets increasingly desperate at the card table…
“Catch and Release”—A fisherman (and serial killer) occasionally practices “catch and release)…
“Dolly’s Trash and Treasure”—A gothic fiction masterpiece about unexpected findings amongst a hoarder’s refuse…
“Speaking of Greed”/“Speaking of Lust”—A sort of meta fiction in which men, gathered around a poker table, and representing certain fields (priest, soldier, cop, doctor) share stories about crimes motivated by greed or lust.
“Welcome to the Real World”—A retired ad exec who follows a strict fitness regimen is pushed to homicide.
***
Lawrence Block is the author of numerous crime novels, including the Matt Scudder series. His most recent novel The Girl With The Deep Blue Eyes was published in 2015, and was a sort of James M. Cain pastiche.
A collection of sharply honed crime fiction from Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block. Highlights include:
“A Chance to Get Even”—In which a less-than prosperous businessman gets increasingly desperate at the card table…
“Catch and Release”—A fisherman (and serial killer) occasionally practices “catch and release)…
“Dolly’s Trash and Treasure”—A gothic fiction masterpiece about unexpected findings amongst a hoarder’s refuse…
“Speaking of Greed”/“Speaking of Lust”—A sort of meta fiction in which men, gathered around a poker table, and representing certain fields (priest, soldier, cop, doctor) share stories about crimes motivated by greed or lust.
“Welcome to the Real World”—A retired ad exec who follows a strict fitness regimen is pushed to homicide.
***
Lawrence Block is the author of numerous crime novels, including the Matt Scudder series. His most recent novel The Girl With The Deep Blue Eyes was published in 2015, and was a sort of James M. Cain pastiche.
June 13, 2017
Like any collection of short stories this is hit or miss. The two worst were "Speaking of Greed" and "Speaking of Lust." They involve a soldier, priest, policeman, and doctor playing cards and like Caterbury Tales they each tell a story relating to greed and then lust. Greed was pretty boring while Lust was fairly disgusting, involving incest, rape, and a murderer who kills so he can get a boner. The characters actually say, "What's the harm in a brother and sister sleeping together (and marrying)?" Really? Are these guys members of House Lannister or what?
The other stories were OK. Some like the one about golf were funny. I wish the Bernie Rhodenbarr one had been longer. He's the only regular Block character to show up in this.
That is all.
The other stories were OK. Some like the one about golf were funny. I wish the Bernie Rhodenbarr one had been longer. He's the only regular Block character to show up in this.
That is all.
December 28, 2023
While a few of the stories are OK, none rise to the level of better than good. Several would never have been published if they were not by Lawrence Block. Editors want that brand name on the covers of their anthologies and magazines. He's written some good stuff, but it's not here. Most of these are depraved crime stories featuring characters free of empathy and guilt. There's nothing subtle or clever in these stories. Often the ending is easy to see 3 pages in. Overall disappointing.
Block should not narrate his or anyone else's work.
Great cover.
Block should not narrate his or anyone else's work.
Great cover.
November 16, 2023
Been angling to read more LB lately so I figured I’d knock out this short story collection for my monthly HCC read. Sadly, the results were predictable: a repetition of serial killers, hit men and un-sexy sex. I just can’t sink my teeth into books featuring short stories and this one was no exception. I enjoyed visiting Matt and Mick at Grogan’s again and the last story was fun but beyond that? Who lotta eh and I’m glad to have it off the HCC list.
July 12, 2017
The author's voice is so droning and one dimensional it was enough to put me to sleep. That was bad because I listened to this while driving. I'm not sure if the stories were boring or just the voice.
August 3, 2021
A collection of short stories by Lawrence Block, the creator of the Matthew Scudder series. ("Eight Million Ways To Die" will always hold a special place in my heart.) Many stories lean more towards psychological suspense, which is fine by me. Recommended, along with the Matthew Scudder series.
September 8, 2022
I've never read anything by Lawrence Black before so I picked up a copy of this collection on a whim. I do have to say that I wasn't disappointed.
Though I do have to say I would have liked more stories from around the poker table. Those were my favorite.
Though I do have to say I would have liked more stories from around the poker table. Those were my favorite.
October 10, 2017
Good collection of mostly recent short stories by Block. I like the way he writes, so I am inclined to like what he does. A lot of the stories were quite dark, but still entertaining.
January 1, 2018
Nevzrušené a nezaujaté rozprávanie sériového vraha o ,,chytaní rýb" pridáva tejto poviedke nový rozmer hrôzy.
August 27, 2019
Nice short stories.
October 1, 2020
This is about what you usually get in a collection of short stories, some good ones, some bad ones and some that should have never seen print. The title story is the best
May 28, 2023
Uneven collection. Some great stories, some not.
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