Lawrence Block

The universe of characters of the novels of Lawrence Block range from black urbanite Matthew Scudder in Hope to Die (2001) to urban rebel Bernie Rhodenbarr in The Burglar in the Rye (1999); whilst others include characters such as Evan Tanner, the insomniac globetrotter in Tanner On Ice (1998), and Keller, the introspective assassin in Hit List (2000).

He has published articles and short stories in American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times, and 84 of his short tales where compiled in Enough Rope. His most recent bestseller, Small Town (2003), is a novel on the events following 11 September.

He has been president of the Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America associations. On four occasions he has been awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Prize, the Shamus Prize on two occasions, as well as the Japanese Maltese Falcon, the Nero Wolfe (1979), the Philip Marlowe and, recently, the Life Achievement prize and key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. In France he has been proclaimed Grand Maestro of crime novels and awarded the Société 813 trophy on three occasions.