In the 1950s and 1960s, LAWRENCE BLOCK was one of many struggling young writers who were attempting to break down the doors at respectable publishing houses.  To make ends meet, however, they accepted work as "sleaze" writers for the fly-by-night publishing houses that churned out pornographic paperback novels for the "adults only" bookstores that one would find in the darker and dirtier parts of town.  One of those writers admitted that it had only taken about a week to produce any of those titles, since plot, style and merit were unnecessary -- all that mattered was typing out page after page of graphic sex, until the writer had reached the desired page count; then, turn in the manuscript, cash the check, and spend the remaining three weeks of the month attempting to write something worthwhile for the BIG publishers.  LUCKY AT CARDS was one of those products of the early 1960s, originally published in 1964 by Beacon Books under the title THE SEX SHUFFLE, with LAWRENCE BLOCK using the pseudonym SHELDON LORD.  However, LAWRENCE BLOCK's "sleaze" novels reveal his potential as a GOOD, plot-driven writer -- not simply content to simply churn out worthless pieces of sex-filled trash, Block's early efforts (such as LUCKY AT CARDS) reveal an author concerned with plot and character development.  Fortunately, Block finally graduated from the "sleaze" factories to provide readers with some of the most thrilling and entertaining novels and short stories of the latter half of the 20th century, as well as the early decades of the 21st century.  Because, without "sleaze" like LUCKY AT CARDS, we would have no MATT SCUDDER, or KELLER, or BERNIE RHODENBARR.  Thanks, Larry! 

Please note:  This is the original February 2007 edition of LUCKY AT CARDS, and NOT the later 2011 edition.

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