Ehrengraf for the Defense (25 page)

For now, though—and perhaps forever—all the
Ehrengraf stories are available in a single volume, arranged in the
order in which they were written. I hope you like the dapper little
fellow. I can tell you I had a good time writing about him.

Lawrence Block

Greenwich Village, 1994

That was then and this is now, and eighteen
years have passed without Ehrengraf’s having lost a step or a case.
And I’m pleased to report that the reformation which sullied the
latter days of Randolph Mason has not visited itself upon our
little lawyer.

The story count for Ehrengraf now stands at
eleven—the body count is of course a good deal higher—and it would
please me if there should turn out to be more tales yet to be
recounted. For now, though, it would seem that there are enough of
them to warrant a new edition of the collected stories.

I hope you’ve enjoyed them. (Or, if you’ve
cheated and read the afterword first, I hope such enjoyment lies in
your future.)

It is my earnest wish for you, Gentle Reader,
that you never have need of Ehrengraf’s services. But life is an
uncertain enterprise; should you find yourself in such desperate
straits, I can but wish that you secure an advocate who will
represent your interests with the zeal and dispatch of Martin H.
Ehrengraf.

And, after he’s worked his magic on your
behalf, I trust you’ll have the good sense to pay his fee. In full,
and at once.

It would be the greatest folly to do
otherwise...

Lawrence Block

Greenwich Village, 2012

I hope you enjoyed these stories. If so, I’d
love to hear from you. Here’s my contact information:

Email:
[email protected]

Twitter: @LawrenceBlock

Blog:
LB's Blog

Facebook:
Lawrence Block Official
Fan Page

Website:
www.lawrenceblock.com

If you did in fact like these stories, you
might enjoy more of my short fiction. Two collections of my work,
available in eBook form, are
Enough Rope
and
One Night
Stands & Lost Weekends
. In addition, I’ve published the
following individual titles as eSpecials:

“A Bad Night for Burglars” (about a bad-luck
burglar)

“As Dark As Christmas Gets” (about Chip
Harrison)

“Almost Perfect” (about baseball and
adultery)

“The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke” (about
Bernie)

“Catch & Release” (about a fisherman)

“A Chance to Get Even” (about a poker
game)

“Dolly’s Trash & Treasures” (about a
hoarder)

“Headaches and Bad Dreams” (about a
psychic)

“How Far” (a one-act stage play)

“In For a Penny” (a slice of New York
noir)

“Like a Bone in the Throat” (about
revenge)

“Like a Thief in the Night” (about
Bernie)

“Keller in Dallas” (about your favorite hit
man)

“Scenarios” (about a man with
imagination)

“Speaking of Greed” (a four-part novella)

“Speaking of Lust” (a four-part novella)

“Sweet Little Hands” (about a cheating
wife)

“Terrible Tommy Terhune” (about a tennis
player)

“Three in the Side Pocket” (about a failed
scam)

“A Vision in White” (about another tennis
player)

“Welcome to the Real World” (about a
golfer)

“Who Knows Where It Goes” (about a job
hunter)

“You Don’t Even Feel It” (about a boxer’s
wife)

For a list of all my available fiction, with
my series novels listed in chronological order, go to
About LB’s
Fiction
.

And if you LOVE any of these stories, I’d
really appreciate it if you’d tell your friends—including the
friends you haven’t met, by blogging, posting an online review, or
otherwise spreading the word.

Thanks!

Lawrence Block