When a childhood friend is shot down while attempting to atone for past sins according to the dictates of Alcoholics Anonymous, Matthew Scudder is drawn into a murder investigation that threatens to derail his own sobriety.

One of the most highly acclaimed novelists in the crime genre, Lawrence Block is also a master of the short story. The sixteen stories collected here feature appearances by some of Block's most famous characters, including burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr and private detective Matt Scudder, as well as glimpses into the minds of a rogue's gallery of killers, sociopaths, and crooked cops.