McBain, Ed

Average customer rating:

A Reading Buffet
A smorgasbord of great reads!
More Novellas, Please
Death In Varied Forms by the Best.
10 Excellent Novellas

Transgressions

Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0765308517
Release Date: 2005-04-21

Book Description

Forge Books is proud to present an amazing collection of novellas, compiled by New York Times bestselling author Ed McBain. Transgressions is a quintessential classic of never-before-published tales from today's very best novelists. Faeturing: "Walking Around Money" by Donald E. Westlake: The master of the comic mystery is back with an all-new novella featuring hapless crook John Dortmunder, who gets involved in a crime that supposedly no one will ever know happened. Naturally, when something it too good to be true, it usually is, and Dortmunder is going to get to the bottom of this caper before he's left holding the bag."Hostages" by Anne Perry: The bestselling historical mystery author has written a tale of beautiful yet still savage Ireland today. In their eternal struggle for freedom, there is about to be a changing of the guard in the Irish Republican Army. Yet for some, old habits-and honor-still die hard, even at gunpoint."The Corn Maiden" by Joyce Carol Oates: When a fourteen-year-old girl is abducted in a small New York town, the crime starts a spiral of destruction and despair as only this master of psychological suspense could write it."Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large: Walking the Line" by Walter Mosley: Felix Orlean is a New York City journalism student who needs a job to cover his rent. An ad in the paper leads him to Archibald Lawless, and a descent into a shadow world where no one and nothing is as it first seems."The Resurrection Man" by Sharyn McCrumb": During America's first century, doctors used any means necessary to advance their craft-including dissecting corpses. Sharyn McCrumb brings the South of the 1850s to life in this story of a man who is assigned to dig up bodies to help those that are still alive."Merely Hate" by Ed McBain: When a string of Muslim cabdrivers are killed, and the evidence points to another ethnic group, the detectives of the 87th Precinct must hunt down a killer before the city explodes in violence."The Things They Left Behind" by Stephen King: In the wake of the worst disaster on American soil, one man is coming to terms with the aftermath of the Twin Towers-when he begins finding the things they left behind."The Ransome Women" by John Farris: A young and beautiful starving artist is looking to catch a break when her idol, the reclusive portraitist John Ransome offers her a lucrative year-long modeling contract. But how long will her excitement last when she discovers the fate shared by all Ransome's past subjects? "Forever" by Jeffery Deaver: Talbot Simms is an unusual cop-he's a statistician with the Westbrook County Sheriff Department. When two wealthy couples in the county commit suicide one right after the other, he thinks that it isn't suicide-it's murder, and he's going to find how who was behind it, and how the did it."Keller's Adjustment" by Lawrence Block: Everyone's favorite hit man is back in MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block's novella, where the philosophical Keller deals out philosophy and murder on a meandering road trip from one end of the America to the other.

Customer Reviews:

A Reading Buffet.......2006-02-09

Transgressions provides readers with the opportunity to sample ten different offerings from ten different authors. There is a gritty 87th Precinct novella from Ed Mcbain and a lyrical offering on a child abduction from Joyce Carol Oates. Steven King is well represented with a short but strangely moving tale of a 911 survivor haunted by his souveniers from his unlucky co-workers.

I enjoyed Transgressions for both its quality and variety. While no story in particular was a stand out, each provided a sample of the particular author's style. Like a buffet, a taste is really all you need to determine where (and whether) you will return for second and third helpings.

A smorgasbord of great reads!.......2006-01-08

After the success of his novel BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, Evan Hunter (Ed McBain) turned to what were then referred to as "novelettes," his subject being the 87th Precinct detectives of Isola (think New York). As time passed, the 87th Precinct novelettes grew to full-length novels. Fifty years later, McBain persuaded nine other mystery, thriller, and horror writers to submit what are now called "novellas" of around a hundred pages each.

The result was one of my most enjoyable reads of 2006. I don't know why I don't read more anthologies. It was in an anthology that I first experienced Stuart Kaminsky, Sharyn McCrumb, and Lawrence Block.

Coincidentally, one of the best novellas in this anthology is one by Block. Block returns with his enigmatic hit man Keller in KELLER'S ADJUSTMENT. Block manages to make us feel empathy for the man. Although he has sex with a Phoenix real estate saleslady, Keller is essentially a lonely man. He needs somebody to talk to. He once had a dog, but a former girlfriend took it with him when she left; he went to a therapist, but the therapist turned into a snoop, and he had to dust him. Unwilling to take a chance on a living breathing entity, Keller buys a stuffed animal to talk to.

Jeffrey Deaver also responded to the call with FOREVER. In it he introduces Tal Simms, a mathematician/statistician working for Westbrook County Sheriff's Department. Simms is considered a "computer geek" by the rest of the detective squad, especially homicide detective Greg "Bear" LaTour. Simms and his eventual partner LaTour are confronted with several suspicious suicides. Older rich couples are killing themselves under dubious circumstances. In most respects, the underdog character Simms is every bit as likable as Lincoln Rhymes. I would definitely buy a full length novel featuring Simms.

A new discovery for me was John Farris. Farris's THE RANSOME WOMEN concerns a beautiful art appraiser named Echo Halloran who agrees to pose for the great artist John Leland Ransome. She's not only flattered, but as a budding artist herself, she wants to learn from him. Her boyfriend, police detective Peter O'Neil, is suspicious, and with good reason. I enjoyed this novella so much I ran right out and bought FURY, THE TERROR Farris's masterwork.

I have to admit that Ed McBain's own contribution, MERELY HATE, was my principal motivation for purchasing the anthology. I needed my 87th Precinct fix, and it's great as usual. It is post 9/11 in Isola, and the detectives are called to investigate the murder of a Muslim cab driver. Through these cab driver murders, McBain capsulizes the reason for the problems in the Mid East.

Other writers who contributed novellas were Donald Westlake, Anne Perry, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Mosley, Sharyn McCrumb, and Stephen King. All of them were excellent.

More Novellas, Please.......2005-11-11

Hopefully Ed McBain's effort in convincing a stellar cast of fellow writers to contribute the novellas that comprise "Transgressions" will induce publishers to encourage more of the same.
Don't get me wrong, I love long novels. But, in these days when we all seem to have less time than we'd like, the novella is the perfect form to consume in a short period. And, the novella is a deserving and time-honored part of literature. Nabokov and Simenon, to name two among many, excelled in the form.
McBain, who contributed an interesting tale of his own, deserves kudos for the roster of superstars who joined him in this venture. The 10 stories provide a good introduction for those not familiar with the work of some of these writers.
Naturally, some stories are better than others. That, of course, being defined by personal taste.
My own favorite would have to be Anne Perry's "Hostages," a moving look at the continuing plight of families in Northern Ireland. Sharyn McCrumb contributes an excellent Southern gothic tale, "The Resurrection Man," and the awesome Walter Mosley is represented with "Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large." There are also tales by Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Jeffrey Deaver, John Farris, Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block.
I can truthfully say I enjoyed all 10 stories and a few writers who were less familiar to me will now receive more attention.

Death In Varied Forms by the Best........2005-11-11

Since I am a big fan of Sharyn McCrumb, this compilation was chosen to find something harking back to her historical novels. "The Resurrection Man" was Southern in setting alright, in Georgia instead of Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia, but it predated her Appalachian ballads. Why she chose such a morbid subject is beyond me. This story takes place in pre-Civil War and concerns the maneuvering of a medical school doctor to get the cadavers he needs for anatomy class.

In 1852, Dr.George Newton, was forty-five years old and paid his carefully-selected servant to obtain supplies (newly-buried bodies from the cemetery) saying, "We must make use of the dead to help the living." After serving fifteen years doing this grotesque work, he returns to show the freed blacks with white guardians how to be grave robbers. In 1859, the doctor contracts tetanus (lockjaw). Then the war intervened, bypassing Augusta, for the big city of Atlanta. Slaves were called servants. The doctor's supplier returns to the college as a porter.

Walter Mosley contributed "Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large." The longest was John Farris' "The Ransome Women." Lawrence Block wrote "Keller's Adjustment." This collection of ten stories was edited by Ed McBain, a writer in his own right. TRANSGRESSIONS is a "quintessential classic collection of stories" by mystery writers.

10 Excellent Novellas.......2005-10-26

From what I've read, it seems like a lot of readers bought this just for the King novella. While King's short novella excellent, I highly recommend you read all the others, too. There's a lot of good material in this big book!

The Big Bad City (87th Precinct Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

A late arrival to McBain finds hims wonderful
more of the same from the 87th precinct
This is a read that I would recommend, might be 4 stars
A Very Entertaining Mystery/Dark Comedy
A book to be proud of, by an ashamed author

The Big Bad City (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671025694

Amazon.com

Ed McBain is the only American winner of the coveted Diamond Dagger Award, and he is also a past recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award. So, when a reader picks up the latest installment of McBain's 87th Precinct series, the bar is set pretty high. But with The Big Bad City, McBain meets expectations.

In the opening pages, Steve Carella and Artie Brown return to the department with 9 basketball players (the 10th player was murdered) only to discover a knife fight erupting in a holding cell. It's a steamy August night, and Carella and Detective Parker end up having to shoot one of the fighters to cool things down. Then Meyer and Kling enter the scene; they're hot in pursuit of the Cookie Boy, a thief who leaves chocolate-chip cookies at every crime sight. Before the interminable day is done, Carella and Brown are called out to Grover Park to investigate a homicide. A nun has been strangled to death, but she's no ordinary Sister. She's got signs of a breast augmentation operation that hint at a sordid past. Finally, readers are privy to a conversation between Juju and Sonny. Sonny killed a cop's dad, and Juju is convinced that the police will bend the rules to see that Sonny winds up dead. Juju insists that the only way out of the death trap is to kill the cop first. The officer's name is Steve Carella. And all of this happens in the first 15 pages.

McBain is one of the artists of the police procedural. Though his city is fictional, it breathes with the darkness and gritty reality of many American cities. He enters the minds and hearts of his characters to uncover the daily insecurities that accompany the work of policemen. Readers new to the 87th Precinct will want to venture back to such tales as 1956's Cop Hater, 1964's Ax, and 1965's Doll, among the 47 installments in this series. Those who've been along for the ride will be happy they did not give up their seat. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

In this city, you have to pay attention. In this city, things are happening all the time, all over the place, and you don't have to be a detective to smell evil in the wind.

Take this week's tabloids: the face of a dead girl is splashed across the front page. She was found sprawled near a park bench not seven blocks from the police station. Detectives Carella and Brown soon discover the girl has a most unusual past. Meanwhile, the late-night news tracks the exploits of The Cookie Boy, a professional thief who leaves his calling card -- a box of chocolate chip cookies -- at the scene of each score. And while the detectives of the 87th Precinct are investigating these cases, one of them is being stalked by the man who killed his father.

Welcome to the Big Bad City.

Customer Reviews:

A late arrival to McBain finds hims wonderful.......2005-10-12

I've arrived late to Ed McBain. The first work of his I read was his last (unless, like the late Ludlum, his estate decides to keep him alive through badly written and truly "ghost" novels).

McBain wrote, I think, 55 87th Precinct police procedurals. "The Big Bad City" was published in 1999. Structurally, McBain seems to have found a forumula and stuck with it - and that's a good thing, because his forumula works.

In a city that stands in as a thinly veiled New York city, the 87th Precinct bustles with activity. The precinct's detectives juggle many cases at a time, some propelled by political pressure, others by the personal involvement of the detectives, some because of happenstance and lucky tips or breaks.

In "The Big Bad City," a burglar dubbed The Cookie Boy by the press because he leaves chocolate cookies behind is on the loose; the man who killed Detective Cardella's father decides to wrap up loose ends by killing the Detective is on the prowl and a woman is found strangled in the park. The latter case rises from the routine when the woman is discovered to be a young nun - with breast implants.

McBain is in flawless. His characters have enough depth to be believable; just enough depth. His police officers run the range from the competent to slovenly and not quite-as-competent. Some are fair-minded, some are bigots. They solve their crimes through good, tedious police work. They don't get miraculous breaks: just those that they develop through their own persistence , diligence, experience and hard-work, aided by the occasional walk-in or phone-in tip. McBain is terrific at describing this often boring, often discouraging work without himself becoming tedious.

The unravelling of the murder of the nun is great storytelling as is the story of the guy plotting to kill the cop. The burglar story is a delight that could easily stand alone as a short story.

I regret having discovred McBain after his death, but he left one hell of a legacy.

Jerry

more of the same from the 87th precinct.......2004-10-03

If you have read McBain before, you will find more of the same in this novel. As usual in his 87th precinct works that I have read, McBain (pen name of the author) sets out what are basically three short stories that interlink and form into a short novel. All three of these stories are slick no nonsense to the point Dragnet style pieces. They are very readable and enjoyable. If you are a fan as I am and are looking for more of the same from McBain this book will not let you down. If you have not read McBain before, I would suggest that you start towards the beginning of his series even though you could jump in here and it would not effect the enjoyment this work offers in any way. That aside, I am only rating this work as a three star read because it is so formulaic. I can't bring myself to rate it any higher because I feel that the author is just churning this out without much thought (even though he does this quite well). This book is not high literature. It is just something, as are all of the books in this series, to pick up and enjoy for what it is, a mass produced work by a master in familiar surroundings.

This is a read that I would recommend, might be 4 stars.......2004-09-29

The only reason I am being a little hard on McBain here is that one of his numerous Isola city crime novels melds into another with little to make any particular work stand out from the rest. As usual, this book is taught with fine prose and a couple different plots that weave past each other and develop without pain to the reader. As usual the plots are distinct and well scripted while being laced with tidbits of philosophical rumblings by the protagonists. McBain is in my opinion one of the more gifted writers of the last five decades, churning out enough material to encompass several careers. Only I don't think McBain is taking any risks here, he plays it safe and we get more of the same. So that is why I am knocking this book down a couple of notches. Its totally worth reading and I would say that you will not be disapointed by purcasing this book. Its just not ground breaking and I am being hard on the old guy because I think he has it in him to churn out a magnificent read if he desired.

Lastly I would reccomend early Dick Francis novels or Johng MacDonald if you are looking for authors on par with McBain. They are different but similar in approach to their craft.

A Very Entertaining Mystery/Dark Comedy.......2003-01-01

The Big Bad City is the 49th Novel of the 87th Precinct, and those that are familiar with Ed McBain's previous works won't dispute the fact that he's a great mystery writer, but the thing that I enjoy most is his sense of humor. While it's never over-the-top and won't get you laughing out loud, you are guaranteed to have a grin on your face as you read this book.

In this particular novel, Detectives Brown and Carella are investigating a homicide in which the victim is a young nun with breast implants. There are also several subplots, one involving a burglar called the Cookie Boy who leaves home made chocolate chip cookies at the homes that he burglarizes. Also, Detective Carella is being stalked by the man who killed is father.

While the details of the story's plot may slip from the reader's memory soon after the book is completed, the nonsensically comical banter between the two detectives is quite memorable. I especially liked the nun jokes that they crack throughout the story.

The only pitfall that I can find in this story is in Ed McBain's writing style. He uses small words and short sentences, and while the story is easy to follow, it's also very dry at times. Though the book was written just a few years ago, it reads like a detective novel written in the 1950s. However, if you like detective novels, and if you like movies like "L.A. Confidential", you're going to like this book.

A book to be proud of, by an ashamed author.......2002-08-03

This very effective thriller may rank among the best McBain's. Those of us who know the series could begin noticing the clever devices McBain employs to deliver his punches, but they do not detract from the final pleasure.
Mi point is, however, to stress my discomfort with the matter of McBain's real name. I am dissapointed by what seems to be McBain's refusal to acknowledge his Italian-American origin. Until some twenty years ago, it was generally accepted that the name Evan Hunter was a pen-name taken from the high school and college he attended and that his real birth name is Salvatore Lombino.
More recently, editors began telling the readers that Evan Hunter IS his real name. The fact that his wife's name is Dragica Dimitrijevic-Hunter strongly suggests that Mr. Mc Bain has effectively CHANGED his name. As an person of Italian descent, I feel ashamed of the fact that Mr. McBain seems to be ashamed of his origins.
This rather hollow protest of mine, of course, should not stop any reader from reading this very entertaining book.

Killer's Payoff (87th Precinct Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

ANOTHER WINNER!!!

Killer's Payoff (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Big Bad City (87th Precinct Mysteries)

ASIN: 0743463064
Release Date: 2002-12-31

Book Description

He appeared to be a decent, upright, honest citizen....

And yet appearances can be more than deceiving in the world of blackmail and extortion. The shocking gangland-style murder of known blackmailer Sy Kramer begs the question: which of Kramer's marks had given him his very last payoff? A politician's beautiful wife with a deadly secret? An overly interested ex-con? A wealthy soft-drinks executive? Or the mystery person who had fattened Kramer's wallet by the thousands? The detectives of the 87th Precinct must break the chain that links the dead man's associates and single out a killer -- before someone else cashes it in.

Download Description

"He appeared to be a decent, upright, honest citizen.... And yet appearances can be more than deceiving in the world of blackmail and extortion. The shocking gangland-style murder of known blackmailer Sy Kramer begs the question: which of Kramer's marks had given him his very last payoff? A politician's beautiful wife with a deadly secret? An overly interested ex-con? A wealthy soft-drinks executive? Or the mystery person who had fattened Kramer's wallet by the thousands? The detectives of the 87th Precinct must break the chain that links the dead man's associates and single out a killer -- before someone else cashes it in. "

Customer Reviews:

ANOTHER WINNER!!!.......2002-02-11

This is the sixth book on the 87th precinct I have read. They all have been good and this is no exception. The precinct is trying to find who ever gunned down a man who was walking down the street and why. The usual bunch is here, Steve Carella, Bert Kling, Cotton Hawes, Myer Myer(yes that is right) Hal Willis and newcomer Bob O'Bryan. Danny Gimp, the informer for Steve Carella shows up with information. Through much work the answer is found and one of the above is nearly killed. A fast read, will hold your attention and make you want to read the next one, if you can find it.

Average customer rating:

Model Crime
An 87th precinct novel
Fast, accurate and page turning
Reliable and professional entry in long running series
ONE OF THE BETTER MCBAINS!!!

Doll (87th Precinct)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446601462

Customer Reviews:

Model Crime.......2007-02-20

The best thing you can say for "Doll" is that it is no less than you expect in opening an 87th Precinct novel: A ripping crime involving a scantily-clad woman, a title that comes to suggest several different meanings as the plot twists along, and a page-turner that never lets go.

Several books and years after 1961's "Lady, Lady, I Did It!" Det. Bert Kling is still mourning the loss of his girlfriend while getting on the nerves of his fellow detectives at the station house. His pal Steve Carella decides on some occupational therapy by bringing him along on his latest case, the murder of a high-priced fashion model, a "mannequin" as she is called by the strange agency she works for. Kling becomes the station goat when he leaves Carella after an argument and Carella subsequently disappears. Is he a burnt corpse or someone's prisoner?

Any 87th Precinct fan will know that "Doll," since it takes place in 1965, doesn't actually kill off Carella, the series's main character. But author Ed McBain (really Evan Hunter, who kept producing 87th Precinct thrillers for the next 40 years until his death in 2005) keeps you on tenterhooks anyway with a storyline stretched tauter than usual and suspension of the comfortable rules governing past 87th Precinct novels. Lt. Byrnes, the detective commander, tells Kling he blames him for Carella's loss, and will see him off the force for it. Carella may not be dead, but he is in serious danger of losing his mind and self-respect.

One nice aspect of Carella's disappearance is it gives the other detectives a chance to work on solving a case. Kling will have his shot at redemption, of course, but there's also some real work for Meyer Meyer for a change, while Art Brown and Hal Willis dig up a clue or two as well. Even Andy Parker, the department's rotten apple at this point in the series, has a nice moment where he philosophizes about Carella's loss. Being Parker, he shares the moment with a prostitute he is threatening with arrest if she doesn't come across with a freebie, but it's still somewhat out of character for him.

The main weakness in "Doll" is the problem of the victim. The motive behind her death, when revealed, doesn't really wash, and the central clue feels somewhat contrived. The book lacks the depth and humor of other entries, particularly later ones.

But that's something you think about after, when you have time to pause and reflect. The only thing you worry about when reading a solid McBain thriller like this for the first time is getting to the next page, especially with its array of sudden story shifts and clever red herrings flying at you. This is one "Doll" that plays with you. A fun read.

An 87th precinct novel.......2006-11-26

A beautiful model, Tinka Sachs, is murdered, slashed repeatedly in a frenzy of killing, while her tiny daughter hides in the next room, talking to her doll. Detectives Steve Carella and Bert Kling of the 87th precinct, are in charge of the investigation and get a good description of the man who visited Tinka on the night of her murder, from a one eyed doorman, nicknamed Cyclops. Carella and Kling get into an argument about Kling's brusque interrogating technique, which results in Kling going off in a huff, leaving Carella to continue with the investigation alone for that night. Because of being on his own, Carella is captured, handcuffed to a radiator in the suspect's apartment and when an incinerated body, carrying Carella's police warrant card is discovered in a burned out car, his family and workmates are convinced that the body is his. It's a fast, good read, full of meticulous police work, without frills or fuss...a typical McBain book.

Fast, accurate and page turning.......2004-02-07

It would be nice if some cared enough to quote prof reviewers who actually cared to read the work unlike Ingram's stupid mistake of saying it was Bert Kling who disappears. It was Steve Carella. After 50 some books one would think they could get it right finally.

The work is classic McBain. It gives you the feel for police work. Slow where it should be and fast where it should be. He takes us into being part of the team not just a entertained reader. Perhaps that is why he has so many books published. We become a member of the 87th. It is spare writing designed for maxium impact. Never boring except when police work is indeed boring and that only briefly when emotions arise like "TELL US. Quit hedging around and tell us" rises in interviews with witnesses and perps.

Steve's disappears and is presumed dead but... well you read the book. I won't snitch.

Shame the original Ingram they quoted didn't bother to read it. It is worth it. Ah well their loss not mine or yours if you pick it up.

Reliable and professional entry in long running series.......2003-07-18

This case for the detectives of the eighty-seventh precinct is more "concentrated "than usual as it centres on one case ,rather than having the multi-focus plot that is a feature of many series books.
It is a case of murder,the slaying by multiple stab wounds of the model "Tinka Sachs"in her luxury apartment while her terrified five year old daughter "Anna"is playing with "Charlotte" her favourite doll.Steve Carella the lead detective request the help of Bert Kiling still deeply traumatised over the death of his girl friend some five years earlier.
Carella discovers the identity of the killer but before he can divulge this and make an arrest he is attacked ,knocked unconscious and chained naked to a radiator kept alive by his abductor only so he can reveal how he came by the knowledge of the guilty party .
The key lies in the doll and before Kling can bring the case to a conclusion we are taken into the motives behind the killing (drug related)and are witness to the way the resolution of the case helps Kling in thre healing process.
Its tautly told and totally professional .Good police and forensic analysis scenes -as ever in the series;and McBain is always good on the strsses and strains that police work imposes on its practitioners.
As an example of detection its a bit thin-I found the plot device around the doll a little implausible-but a solid workmanlike book that maintains the high standards of this reliable series

ONE OF THE BETTER MCBAINS!!!.......2002-08-11

Tina Sachs has been killed. Who would do this to a pretty model? Carella is assigned to the case and asked for Kling who is mad at the world over the killing of his girl friend in a previous book. Carella finds out who the killer is and goes to arrest him. Instead he is taken prisoner and put through much punishment and herion shots. Who is the strange girl who keeps bringing Carella food and also giving him the shots? Kling is taken off the case and Myers is given command. They do find tthe killer but is it in time to keep Carella from becoming addicted? This is much better than book nineteen. At least this one involves some police work. I would have given it a five except for several pages of how a doctor treated Tinka Sachs for her drug addiction. I don't think it had anything to do with the case. You knew,in your mind, that Carella had to live to be in the next book but it did hold my attention and I did not want to quit reading.

Average customer rating:

Trouble at the 87th
Life Goes On Day By Day...
A magical, marvelous novel
The Deaf Man, mayhem, and atrocious rapping!
Could have been better.

Mischief (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Big Bad City (87th Precinct Mysteries)
The Pusher : A Novel of the 87th Precinct
The Heckler (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Killer's Payoff (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Widows (87th Precinct Mysteries)

ASIN: 0743463099

Book Description

A punk wielding a spray can is no match for a killer armed with a gun -- and a deadly aim to knock off the city's graffiti artists. One by one, the young scribblers are found murdered, maliciously coated with paint and blood. Detective Steve Carella can't see the writing on the wall -- yet. Meanwhile, the Deaf Man, the 87th Precinct's longtime tormentor, is leading its cops, clue by maddening clue, to uncover a heinous crime that will make the graffiti killer look like an amateur. It's all primed to go down at a raucous rock and rap concert -- but who's going to take the rap?

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Customer Reviews:

Trouble at the 87th.......2006-11-08

The men of the 87th precinct are being sent strange, cryptic messages from "The Deaf Man" who issues guarded warnings about a disruptive event which is about to take place, but couches these warnings in the form of pages from a sci-fi novel. The event is actually a huge rock/rap fest where thousands will be present at an outdoor venue. Much of this story centres on a rap group and the author offers a few of his examples of this genre, none of which does anything for me personally but...to each his own! The other main story surrounds the murders of graffiti writers who deface public and private buildings with their ugly scrawl and who are now being shot by a person unknown. It ewas an ok story but lacked the zip and sizzle of some earlier ones.

Life Goes On Day By Day..........2006-07-29

In the 87th precinct of an imaginary city named Nowhere, the evildoers were at it again. The one based in New York was blamed with being the instigator, while that one in Denver and one of the two principals in L.A. were co-conspirators in this game of defeating the underdog. The Deaf Man was busy and, thank goodness, he could not hear that awful music -- if you can call it that. It wasn't on Valentine's Day, but a couple of weeks later, that the onslaught on one's ears started and kept on and on for months. It was meant as just a bit of 'mischief' in the beginning but blossomed into a bombshell of hatred.

He'd planned it initially as a taunt because he was jealous of the admiration she had for the sensitive one who had been her 'friend' when her world was coming apart which seemed like forever. He gave her a reason to live when he came to her aid concerning Better Luck Tomorrow, worst than the awful music, if one could call it that. Thank God he cared enough to intervene. But that was then and this time the insensitive one entered the fray with his pleasure of a little torture from afar to build his ego. We don't always get what we want. She thanked God that he was there for her; thank you more than you know.

They did not expect her defiance and she proved to be a force to be reckoned with as the one she cared for took the path of least resistance. After all, he is getting old now and had too many bad memories to deal with adequately. That one with evil on his mind had made the situation somewhat compromised. It hurt too mcuh to lose a love; you have to grieve for what you loved and lost and remember the love without feeling the loss. Grief is part of healing.

Looks were deceiving and she was hurting more than she showed outwardly. So, now they were back to square one and she had to strive to pick up the pieces and get on with her life, such as it was without him. It was just a case of general principles. Once I was asked, "What's the matter here?" and my response was "It's a matter of principle." It's too bad that he failed her this time as he did not stand behind his principles as he had regaled her about his wonderful pastor. No, that's the other one in L.A. Hallelujah!

The 87th Precinct novels are many and still coming. Some titles include 'Framious Bandersnatch,' 'Fiddlers,' 'Vespers,' 'Heckler,' 'Hark,' 'Shotgun,' and 'Ax.' I enjoyed Evan Hunter's novels when he started many years ago. This one is another in the graffiti-hater series.

A magical, marvelous novel.......2004-12-30

Mischief has the Deaf Man as its main character and what a main character he is. Is there a smarter character, hero or villain, in crime fiction than the Deaf Man? No way. (Is he McBain's DARK alter ego, as Hope and Carella are his "good" alter ego?) As per usual, bad things are happening in the big bad city. But the Deaf Man creates special problems for the 87th. He provides (and harrasses) Carella and his mates with clues etc. to his upcoming nefarious action, which will take place on a grand scale. But the best part of this story concerns a black rap band and its leader--no p.c. condescension in his treatment of the band, the rock concert of which they are to be a major act and their plot action, just honest, good and accurate writing about our "in trouble" society and about the individuals whose stories actually make this society come to life. A killing near the end of the story takes your breath away and gives much "haunting" food for thought. Much mischief in the city. Cops really are having trouble capturing and containing the bad guys. No plot spoilers here. Read the book. It is great.

The Deaf Man, mayhem, and atrocious rapping!.......2004-07-26

The Deaf Man and a killer of graffiti writers are the sources of MISCHIEF in this McBain installment. Kling and Parker are pursuing a possible serial killer who is targeting "writers" with one victim not quite fitting in, and the Deaf Man makes his return with one of his far-fetched schemes to sew chaos in order to make a big score. The one big mistake in this otherwise solid addition to the series is the McBain's sorry attempt to create a rap band, in this case one called Spit Shine; a band that is important to the plot but is one more example how many writers are "tone deaf" to rap. Reading McBain's attempts at rap lyrics are painful to say the least and embarrassing to say the most. Docked a star for the weak lyrics, this is still a good addition to the series.

Could have been better........1999-08-06

This book is almost like reading three books in one. One of the stories is about people with Alheimer's Disease who are being abandoned at hospitals all over the city.

Another story is about a serial killer who enjoys killing people who like to spray paint on walls.

Book Description

<CENTER>The kidnapping was audacious, <BR> and there were plenty of witnesses...</CENTER> <BR> But no one attending the dazzling launch party for up-and-coming pop idol Tamar Valparaiso knew what they were seeing when, halfway through her performance, masked men whisked the sexy young singer off a luxury yacht and into a waiting speedboat. Now, the evening that was supposed to send Tamar's debut album, Bandersnatch, skyrocketing with a million-dollar promotional campaign has instead kicked off a terrifying countdown for Steve Carella and the detectives of the 87th Precinct. Time is their enemy in the race to find Tamar's abductors -- before the rising star is extinguished forever.

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"It should have been the night that launched a new pop idol. Tamar Valparaiso is young and beautiful, with the body and voice of an angel, and the stage is set for her to launch her debut album, Bandersnatch, on a luxury yacht in the heart of the city. But halfway through her performance, while the partygoers look on helplessly, masked men drag Tamar off the stage and into a waiting speedboat. Detective Steve Carella is just showing up for the graveyard shift when news of the kidnapping comes in. Working disjointedly with a Joint Task Force that calls itself ""The Squad,"" Carella and the men and women of the Eight-Seven must find Tamar before time -- or indeed her very life -- runs out. In this brilliant look at the music industry, Ed McBain once again combines his mastery of the form with the fast-paced dialogue and intricate plotting that have become his signature. "

Customer Reviews:

A Disappointment.......2007-06-26

I hate giving low marks to an Ed McBain book, particularly an 87th Precinct novel, one of the most uniformly brilliant and long running series in history, but I guess any author has a low point now and then, and this is Ed McBain's.

First of all, McBain is a master of the insane but insanely logical motive. I will never forget the guy in Lightning who was raping women because he wanted to get them pregnant in order to rub their noses in the supposed hypocrisy of their anti-abortion point of view. But in The Frumious Bandersnatch both the motive and the villain are obvious very early in the book. Because this is so, much of the suspense is drained away, subsumed into the simple hope that the victim will be recovered alive. There are many pages of pointless dialogue (it's still good dialogue but I still wound up skipping pages) and the usual sub-plots in the series, those revolving around the lives of the cops in the 87th, are glossed over, except for that of Ollie Weeks and his blooming romance.

In the end, this was a depressing, as well as boring book. Let's hope the next one is better.

Disappointed.......2006-09-29

I was very disappointed with this book. There was too much useless dialogue that I think was used just to fill up space on the page. I have enjoyed his previous novels, but not this one. There were two characters that I have yet to figure out what roles they played in this book. I think the author just threw the whole thing together in a timely manner to satisfy his editor.

Like spending time with a good friend..........2006-07-10

A good friend of mine gave me a couple books as I was passing through New York a couple weeks back. One of them was Ed McBain's The Frumious Bandersnatch. I really like these 87th Precinct novels...

Tamar Valparaiso is the next hot pop sensation, and she's getting ready to perform her breakout hit from the album "Bandersnatch". It's on a yacht that's been chartered for a party, and there's a lot riding on this publicity event. And it definitely generates publicity, when two people board the boat and kidnap her at gunpoint in front of guests and news cameras. Carella and the 87th Precinct draw the call and start to go to work on solving the crime. But the FBI also wants a piece of it, and the inevitable turf war develops. Carella stays on the case when the record producer specifically requests his involvement. The ransom call comes in, and the $250,000 is packaged and delivered. But of course, things aren't always that simple, and things quickly spiral out of control when the next call comes from the kidnappers.

I'll admit that I sort of saw how the plot was going to turn out, but it still didn't detract from the enjoyment of the read. These novels are like "watching" a weekly crime series on network TV. Things get wrapped up in a fairly condensed period of time, and the personality of the characters flow from book to book. The subplot here is Ollie Weeks' budding romance with another cop of Hispanic descent. Watching him overcome his bigotry and still not have a clue as to what's going on never fails to amuse me. Too much like some people I know...

Fans of McBain and the 87th Precinct series will know what to expect here, and it'll be like spending a few hours with a good friend.

I am a huge fan of the 87th Precinct, but not of this book.......2006-01-16

McBain is an old fellow as you probably know. Here he tries to overcome this age barrier in some painful manifestations. He tries to relate to today's dating scene with his bumbling character Fat Ollie. But it comes across as an out of tune Doris Day/Rock Hudson cross with Miami Vice. It's hard to get across just how forced McBain's mindset is here. Another thing is McBain's attempt to ironically poke fun at today's pop music scene. The first third of the book is grotesque in its meaninglessness.

One thing really stuck out for me here. If you think back to the 87th Precinct glory days of say forty years ago, the characters meditated on esoteric questions while quickly but professionally figuring interesting crime scenes. Here, in Bandersnatch, the questions, the city, the subtle crimes are put aside and instead the book reads like a really bad script for an hour long CHIPS or Simon and Simon (bad tv shows of the 80's). The book starts silly and never regains its poise.

I don't know how the other reviewers could give this book such high marks. I know that this is an 87th precinct novel and its nice to pick up yet another one. But in comparison to some of the better ones in this series, I can only hand out a less than enthusiastic review.

Great Title, Great Book.......2005-12-02

Tamar Valparaiso is slated to be the next big pop star diva. That is, until she's kidnapped during a yacht party launching her new video and CD. Which brings the 87th into the mix, along with the Feebies, which Steve Carella doesn't like one bit. Fat Ollie is along for the ride, falling for a Puerto Rican cop. And he still hasn't found the transvestite that stole his beloved manuscript.

This was a fun read, and as always McBain did not disappoint with the jokes and quirky characters. Although, I felt a little cheated when he killed off a character I had begun to like.

Average customer rating:

LIKE LOVE MAKES YOU LIKE ED MCBAIN!!!!
Hooked from the opening

Like Love (87th Precinct)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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'Til Death
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ASIN: 0752865463

Customer Reviews:

LIKE LOVE MAKES YOU LIKE ED MCBAIN!!!!.......2002-06-17

Another good one by Ed McBain. To start with Steve Carella tries to talk a jumber off a ledge. Does he succeed????? The result ends up causing a problem later in the book. Then, Irene Thayer and Tommy Barlow are found dead in bed. Did someone kill them or was it suicide? If you read close enough you can figure it out long before Cotton Hawes does. No, I did not find it out until the end, but it is there. AS usual a book that is short, easy to read and will hold your attention. A very good mystery with a good ending. You get close to these officers and their families. McBain does well!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hooked from the opening.......2000-04-01

This one starts with a bang. A cop tries to talk a young woman off a ledge. McBain provides the usual razzle-dazzle combination of suspense and action. In the end, every clue dovetails together. It's a credit to the author that the finale is both suprising and credible.

Fiddlers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (87th Precinct Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

A decent end to a landmark series of novels
Five Star Finale
Fiddlers
I hate to see these draw to a close...
A Too Dark Tale From a Legend

Fiddlers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Hark! : A Novel of the 87th Precinct (Mcbain, ed)
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ASIN: 0156032783

Book Description

Ed McBain’s last installment in the 87th Precinct series finds the detectives stumped by a serial killer who doesn’t fit the profile. A blind violinist taking a smoke break, a cosmetics sales rep cooking an omelet in her own kitchen, a college professor trudging home from class, a priest contemplating retirement in the rectory garden, an old woman out walking her dog—these are the seemingly random targets shot twice in the face. But most serial killers don’t use guns. Most serial killers don’t strike five times in two weeks. And most serial killers’ prey share something more than being over fifty years of age. Now it falls to Detective Steve Carella and his colleagues in the 87th Precinct to find out what—or whom—the victims had in common before another body is found.

With trademark wit and sizzling dialogue, McBain unravels a mystery and examines the dreams we chase in the darkening hours before the fiddlers have fled.

Customer Reviews:

A decent end to a landmark series of novels.......2007-02-14

Having read more than half of the fifty-five 87th precinct novels written by the recently deceased Ed McBain, I think they break down into two categories. First, there are those that grip you from the get-go and, more important, can be read as an enjoyable" stand alone" novel even if you are not a fan. The three that come to mind for me are "Ice," "Lullaby" and "Hark." On the other hand, there are the ones that are seemingly a bit more plodding but if you are into the characters and McBain's style, you will stick with the book more as a fan and a way to continue watching your old pals move on with life. For me, Fiddlers fits into the latter category. Not as good as his previous work(the aforementioned "Hark") but decent enough where if you stick with it, the end result will be bittersweet - a good read tinged with the sadness this is the end of a landmark series.

A series of execution style murders, with the victims all being old enough to apply for their AARP membership, gives just about the entire group of recurring 87th precinct detectives their moment in the spotlight. Most of the detectives we have seen in this series all get a murder tossed their way and the fun is in us following them on their investigation. Of course, the climactic moment when everyone has to come together to connect the dots is vintage McBain.

As I mentioned, this book may not be a great starting point for a non-fans since I believe the investigation is more fun to read when you know the detectives already. Yet if you are a fan, this is a must read just so you can say a fond farewell to a writer who truly set a standard others may never be able to duplicate.

Five Star Finale.......2006-10-16

Though it had to be, what a shame to end the series on such a downbeat note, with Steve Carella's little April, once the apple of his eye, turning into a gang girl, and her opposite number, the boy twin, becoming a snitch, a rat, of the worst description, telling on April as soon as it's convenient. Those twins once were the highwater mark of cute kids in the detective novel, now they're just like slimy movie kids. Their mother seems incapable of keeping up with the changes puberty brings. Yes, she can sign "No drugs!" as loudly as she can, and it may work the first time, but eventually the kids will do their own thing, rebelling against the unusual home setup (obsessed cop dad and signing Mom) and wanting to be like other more normal families.

However, Ed McBain's tragic death deprives us of resolution, and I expect something in the man delighted in this, for he had a pretty good opinion of himself and, much like you and I, considered himself one of the great American novelists. Irreplaceable. I for one don't want any V C Andrews scam occurring to the 87th Precinct series. We loved him for his writing pure and simple.

FIDDLERS is pretty good and it's miles better than that wretched book where Ollie Weeks was writing a novel, remember that? Its lame parody of bad writing, presented in standard 87th Precinct facsimile form? Yikes was that awful. This one is much better, and although the actial revenge plot borrows quite a bit from Cornell Woolrich's two 1940s thrillers THE BRIDE WORE BLACK and RENDEZVOUS IN BLACK, the addition of the red-headed prostitute, Reggie, turns the human interest up a notch, so we become interested in the unlikely pairing of serial killer and call girl.

Why "FIDDLERS" though? OK, the first victim played the violin. Maybe there's some larger, overarching metaphor here. Funny thing that FIDDLERS should be Ed McBain's last book, while FIDDLERS THREE was the last play that Agatha Christie wrote. Nothing but a coincidence, but I'm just saying.

Fiddlers.......2006-09-11

"Fiddlers" is the 55th and last novel of the 87the Precinct by Ed McBain who passed away in 2005 shortly before this novel was published. "Fiddlers" is an excellent novel that reminded me of many of the earlier 87th Precinct novels. Max Sobolov, a blind violinist, is murdered outside the club in which he was playing. Then, Alicia Hendricks, a cosmetics salesperson, is murdered. Then college professor Christine Langston is murdered followed by a priest Father Michael and a 70+ year old woman named Helen Reilly. All five murders were shootings from the same Glock hand gun, and all the victims were over 50 years of age. Almost all the cops of the 87th are involved in the investigation as well as Fat Ollie Weeks from the 88th who has been in many of the 87th Precinct novels. Ed McBain was the master of the police procedural and this novel won't disappoint his long time fans. He will be greatly missed. I will sorely miss the 87th Precinct novels which were written frequently by McBain. American mystery fiction has lost one of its best. "Fiddlers" is very highly recommended.

I hate to see these draw to a close..........2006-07-10

I'm sad to see the 87th Precinct series draw down to a close... This is (I believe) the first 87th Precinct novel released after Ed McBain's death... Fiddlers.

Carella's group draws a case where a blind violin player was found shot twice in the head behind the restaurant where he worked. This quickly becomes more than "just another murder" when a sales rep for a cosmetic company is found dead in her home, same killing wound, and same murder weapon. Five murders in two weeks, all the same modus operandi, all the same gun, means they have a serial killer on their hands. But how do you tie together victims that have little in common except for the fact they're all over 50? All of the detectives of the 87th Precinct are tracking the murders, trying to find the common thread that will point to the killer. Meanwhile, the killer is on a mission to correct errors that only he knows and understands...

As with all other 87th Precinct novels, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I did find it a bit bittersweet, however. McBain passed away recently, so there's not much hope for too many more episodes. I've heard it rumored that he had one last novel "in the can" to be released upon his death. I'll have to keep an eye open for that, and for any other episodes that happened between this release and now. McBain is a true master of the police procedural, and his passing is a sad event for many of us. Fiddlers is a quick page turner that draws you into the life of the killer, as you try and figure out his motive and story.

Classic McBain, and one to savor...

A Too Dark Tale From a Legend.......2006-04-17

I have read 87th Precinct novels for 45 years and always enjoyed them. I didn't dislike this one but have no trouble believing it was the author's last work. It is very dark and focused on our mortality. His own looming death was obviously on the author's mind as he wrote this story. It doesn't bother me that death is so much a part of part of the book, that's to be expected. It's that depression clings to the whole book. I was kind of sad the author went out on this note.

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The Empty Hours
The Empty Hours
THE EMPTY HOURS WILL FILL A FEW FOR YOU!!!!!!

The Empty Hours
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Orion mass market paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0752864114

Customer Reviews:

The Empty Hours.......2003-06-20

"The Empty Hours" by Ed McBain is a mystery that contains 3 short novels of the 87th Precinct. In "The Empty Hours" Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer investigate the death of Claudia Davis, a wealthy young woman found dead in a slum apartment. In "J" rabbi Jacob Solomon is stabbed to death in an alley behind the synagogue on Passover. Carella and Meyer investigate. In "Storm: Cotton Hawes helps local police investigate the death of ski instructor Helga Nilson who was stabbed to death with a ski pole. All 3 of these early 87th Precinct novels are excellent. Ed McBain is the master of the police procedural.

The Empty Hours.......2003-06-20

THE EMPTY HOURS WILL FILL A FEW FOR YOU!!!!!!.......2002-05-27

As I ordered this book I did not know it is really three stores in one book until I received it. As McBain books are, to me, the three are good. The first one is "The Empty Hours" about a young wealthy woman who is found dead. Who is she and is she who you think she is? Why was she killed? Carella and friends run down clues until they find out. You will be surprised. The second one is simply "J". A Rabbi is found killed. Who would want to kill a Rabbi? There is a Jew-hater, was it him? Meyer Meyer leds the search to find the killer and finds something out about himself while doing. Again a surprise. The last one is "Storm". This one features Cotton Hawes and his sweetie going to a ski resort and an instructor ending up dead. Cotton is afraid the local police will mess up the investigation and trys to get involved. The locals resent him being there. He still gets involved and the killer is finally found. As three are three stories in one book they are all pretty short so it make for each one to ba a quick read. McBain will hold your attention and you won't want to put the book down.

Average customer rating:

sizzling

Bread (87th Precinct Mysteries)
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446604259

Customer Reviews:

sizzling.......2000-04-01

McBain captures the tense relationships of city life in "Bread." The heroes and the villians are equally memorable characters. McBain provides it all: humor, suspense, and action all in perfectly written prose.

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