The Sins of the Fathers

By: Lawrence Block

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

The hooker was young, pretty...and dead, butchered in a Greenwich Village apartment. The prime suspect, a minister's son, was also dead, the victim of a jailhouse suicide. The case is closed, as far as the NYPD is concerned. Now the murdered prostitute's father wants it opened again--that's where Matthew Scudder comes in. But this assignment carries the unmistakable stench of sleaze and perversion, luring Scudder into a sordid world of phony religion and murderous lust where children must die for their parents' most unspeakable sins.

©1976 Lawrence Block (P)2011 AudioGo

attention holding!

enjoyed it very much narration was exceptional the most memorable. For me was the interview with Wendy's school mate and former roommate.

Outstanding

I love this character- unpretentious, dark but not as cynical as he thinks he is, reflective enough to provide food for thought without ever diverting from the intrigue of the mystery. Great job by the narrator.

Pulp at its best

If you like hard boiled crime there’s nothing to dislike here. The story is a little dark but that’s to be expected.

Interesting start but it fizzled

The beginning grabbed me and I even enjoyed the breathy reading style of the narrator for a while until everyone started to sound the same. I hated the ending. It was very weak and a bit weird.

Okay

Enjoyable, if not outstanding, read. The end/solution had a far-fetched element that bugged me, and one scene seemed added to show how tough Matt Scudder is. First-person. I liked the now “historical” (70’s) setting. The recording level was VERY low, I had to crank it almost all the way up.

Great listen

Great story. Great pacing by the narrator. Good book for commuting or just general listening. Downloading next in series immediately.

OMG

Got the book because it was free and I was desperate for a listen. Got hooked right away. Mathew Scudder is an interesting character. and the ending OMG never expected that. I've thought stuff like that but never would, could, just really was shocked and appalled and yet...NOT

Good introduction to a popular series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to my friends who enjoy mystery series. And, after reading it, I'll seek out more volumes in this series for myself.

What does Alan Sklar bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good differentiation among voices without over-acting; a good portrayal of the meaning of words, phrases, and entire conversations.

Could you see The Sins of the Fathers being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Perhaps a TV movie -- action could fit into a 90 minute window (plus commercials = 2 hours). The plot is straightforward enough to survive its necessary shortening to make the screen play. Good actors would convey the personalities and relationships among main characters effectively and efficiently, without relying on words alone.

The start of a well respected detective series.

Would you listen to The Sins of the Fathers again? Why?

Maybe. While the book shows growing pains for the still developing Scudder character, it's the performance that really stood out. As far as the story goes, it's...fine.

Have you listened to any of Alan Sklar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to the first three in the Scudder series and the narrator is fantastic. In the fourth book they switched to another narrator who isn't nearly as good. It's a shame. Sklar really nails Scudder's inner voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There is a conversation Scudder has towards the end of the book that is incredible. It would make for a great film scene. Shame none of the movies are very good.

Any additional comments?

This book is for completionists like myself. I've heard it's actually better to skip the first two books in the series, but I couldn't do that. Personally I found it to be a good listen. Just don't expect the fireworks the later books in the series apparently have.

Big fan

Of Mathew Scudder. This is my favorite - but they are all very good. Generally prefer the drinking Scudder. Mr Sklar has the "voice" just right and does a great job conveying both the text and the tone of the story as it evolves