This was the first in Block's Matthew Scudder series that I've read, although I don't believe it's the first in the series. I think perhaps I would have appreciated Scudder more if I'd read the previous books and had known what all he's been through in reaching this point in his life. 
 Starting the series with this book, I didn't have his history and this book did not bring Scudder or other major characters alive for me until near the end of the book. 
 I ended up liking both Scudder and his wife, Elaine. But the book overall dragged for me.