Several months have passed since Matt and Nick crossed paths with best-selling crime author, Lawrence Block.  He's back in Hollywood and wants to tag along with the Coopers to get background material for his next Matt Scudder book.  The initial case he tags along on is boring enough to put even the best Scudder fans to sleep, but when Nick's wife, Detective Shelley Cooper, asks them to help out with her latest murder case, they all jump at the chance.  Victims are showing up with the most peculiar causes of death, yet Matt and Larry know immediately what the common thread is between them.

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