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Lawrence Block Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Lawrence Block
Photo credit: Athena Gassoumis

Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block Biography

A Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, Lawrence Block is a four-time winner of the Edgar Allan Poe and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writer's Association - only the third American writer to do so. The author of more than fifty books and numerous short stories, he is a devout New Yorker who spends much of his time traveling.

Lawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess of 100 books, and no end of short stories.

He is best known for two long-running New York-set series, about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively.

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he'd be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them. His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg.

The first time Lawrence Block's name appeared in print was when his short story You Can't Lose was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death.

His monthly instructional column ran in Writer's Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar's Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.

Several of LB's books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder.

Block and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.

Lawrence Block's website

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Books by this Author

Books by Lawrence Block at BookBrowse
Hit Me jacket A Drop of the Hard Stuff jacket Hit and Run jacket All The Flowers Are Dying jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Lawrence Block but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Michael Connelly

    Michael Connelly

    Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    All The Flowers Are Dying

    Try:
    The Lincoln Lawyer
    by Michael Connelly

  • Robert Crais

    Robert Crais

    Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    All The Flowers Are Dying

    Try:
    The Forgotten Man
    by Robert Crais

We recommend 6 similar authors

View all 6 Read-Alikes

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  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
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