Review: ‘Sinner Man’

Lawrence Block managed to lose track of his very first crime novel for nearly 50 years. Block, now a highly respected practitioner of crime fiction, couldn't remember who published the book, or under what title, or even under which of his pseudonyms.

But a photo posted on Facebook led to the solution of the mystery, and now 'Sinner Man” has been published by Hard Case Crime. The book is a tight thriller about a man who accidentally kills his wife and then reinvents himself as the kind of man who makes his living in organized crime.

The story of Don Barshster's transformation into Nathaniel Crowley is quick-paced as 'Crowley” rises from new guy in town to major player. The book slows some when Crowley and his girl take a trip to Las Vegas, but the detour is necessary to set up the story's well-crafted conclusion. The book is filled with the stuff of pulp novels - violence, sex and intrigues of the underworld.

Block acknowledges that he went over the manuscript and made some changes - including changes to the opening - before publication by Hard Case Crime. The book was apparently skillfully line edited by Charles Ardai of Hard Case Crime, and it certainly reads a lot like Block's more recent novels for the publisher, like 'The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes” (five chapters of which appear at the end of 'Sinner Man”).

Those interested in comparing this version of the novel with the original paperback will need to seek out a copy of 'Savage Lover” by Sheldon Lord, published in 1968 by Softcover Library.