Hard Case Crime discussion

It's just about April. Post your Killing Castro thoughts here.

I loved the beginning so far
Block is a great successor of Chandler and Cain


in hard hitting, spare language but at the same time He conveys the atmosphere and action in such a way it feels like when You know someone is throwing something Your way, You think You're going to dodge whatever it is and the object hits You anyway

The think I like most about Lawrence Block is that doesn't waste time or words. He gets right down to business. By the end of the first chapter, we already know who all of the main characters are and the general plot of the story.

I like the way Block alternates between the assassins and the story of Castro's rise to power.

Argh! I said I'd join in the discussion group for this one in April, but I just moved. Now the book is buried in one of the many, many, many boxes stacked up. Hopefully, it can be located in the near future....

No one here wants to join for Kiss Her Goodbye reading group after this ?


Im wondering because i cant join this reading group for this book. I havent read Block yet and for a Grandmaster,Noir writer i want to read him first with Scudder or Hitman book.

Mohammed wrote: "No one here wants to join for Kiss Her Goodbye reading group after this ?


Im wondering because i cant join this reading group for this book. I havent read Block yet and for a Grandmaster,Noir w..."

I'll be up for reading Kiss Her Goodbye later in the month.

Dan wrote: "Mohammed wrote: "No one here wants to join for Kiss Her Goodbye reading group after this ?


Im wondering because i cant join this reading group for this book. I havent read Block yet and for ..."

Cool let me know when you can start reading. I have it ready and waiting to read.

Im getting weary of fantasy,other books i want get back into reading some cool Noir.

I finished KILLING CASTRO and thought Block did a great job of doing hard crime with spare language and let me know what thought

also reading KISS HER GOODBYE - is a really engrosing and good read plus moves so fast
just getting to the more unearthly part

I don't want to spoil the ending for those still reading but it wasn't what I was expecting.

A really off-beat and interesting story. I'm assuming that this was thrown together as a dimestore novel in '61 to capitilize on Castro and Cuba paranoia, but Block's talent gave it some real depth. It's like a snapshot of the country's mood of that time between the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis.

The story was more cynical than I was expecting. The anti-communism vibe that America had then definately comes through, but I like that all the characters are in in it for personal reasons and have no patience for the political aspect of killing Castro.

It was an ambitious structure, too. Breaking away to the different stories of the would-be killers and then putting biographical chapters about Castro was a unique approach.

I also agree that the ending came out of left field. I did not see that coming.

Yeah, I liked that none of the characters were patriots. The structure was probably my favorite part.

Another thing I liked about this one. It was hilarious that 4 out of the 5 hitmen are smuggled into Cuba and have to hide in jungles and basements. But the last guy (the professional hitman) just buys some paperwork, flies into Havana, checks into a good hotel and spends every night eating steaks, drinking, and making love to a beautiful woman while he waits for Castro to give a speech across the street so he can shoot him.

I really enjoyed KILLING CASTRO a great deal

It just amazes me how a writer like Block can say so much in such few words about a person's character, their motivation just by describing their thoughts and actions just like You would think they would think and act

KISS HER GOODBYE is flying by but I'm a little freaked by the supernatural -

I liked the natural story a lot and so far don't see the reason for going beyond the normal world

I'll finish it by the weekend and see if the 2 dimensions merge for me in a way that seems plausible and adds to the story's enjoyment for me

What supernatural ? You mean that its dark story? What happened to Gemma ?

Tell us in Kiss Her goodbye thread so we dont spoil the others in this thread.

I read the wrong KISS HER GOODBYE by Browne (wasn't bad except supernatural part)

just got Allan Guthrie's

Haha you can see why i was confused.