Rating: 
Summary: McBain does it again
Review: McBain has come down from a higher league of writers and has deigned to give us another book. Flawless as usual. The familiar cast of characters including comic-relief in the character of Ollie. He even manages to include Matthew Hope. Mulitplotted but enough dimension in each plot to allow easy distinction. When Carella and Brown discover who murdered the nightclub owner it is the classic McBain stop-on-a-dime writing.
Rating: 
Summary: An Average Entry in an Above-Average Series
Review: McBain is the undisputed master of the procedural; in my own reading experience only John Creasey's "Gideon of Scotland Yard" and Sjowall and Wahloo's "Martin Beck" novels come near. Even poor McBain is better than most other authors' best, and this book is by no means poor or bad; just average -- but being "average" in as high-quality a series as this puts it above many other books that would rank tops for thier writers/in their own series... By this point, McBain is writing psychological studies as much he is mysteries; whodunnit and even howdunnit is generally less the point than *why*dunnit. McBain characterises through dialog better than almost any other writer of popular fiction i can think of, and his work exudes a solid sense of *place* -- of location -- that adds weight and dimension to it. Isola may be fictitious, but by now, fifty books along, i could walk its streets with less chance of getting lost than i would if in Chicago, where i was born fifty years ago. The plot this issue is, indeed, razor thin, more an excuse to string together a series of events and encounters and to show us our old friends Carella, Kling, Fat Ollie Weeks and the rest doing what cops do. There are some Important Events -- one long-running character finally comes to the end of his run, and there is at least one unresolved thread that may well be central to the next volume in the series. And i am sure there *will* be another -- though he has wound up his other series (the "fairytale" books about Matthew Hope, Florida lawyer), i do not believe that Ed McBain will be able to stop writing until they pry his cold dead fingers off his keyboard... A "must-read" if you're already a fan; if not, go back to "Lady Lady I Did It" or "Fuzz" or "Sadie When She Died" or "King's Ransom" or almost any mid-period 87th novel, and begin. ((By the way -- "King's Ransome" was brilliantly adapted into a film set in contemporary Japan by Akira Kurosawa, under the title "High & Low". The plot translated perfectly.)) If you're a mystery fan who has so far managed to miss the 87th books, you won't regret discovering them.
Rating:
Summary: The Latest of the Precint...and still the Greatest!
Review: Once again Ed McBain has managed to write a book that is hard, very hard to put down. I started reading it on a rainy Sunday morning and finished after a long Monday evening. Just as powerful and emotional as the rest. It is hard not to get personally involved with Steve Carella and any investigation he is working. The way he can peel away the layers, no matter how far in someone's past, to solve the crime is truly intriguing. I have always anxiously awaited any book Mr. McBain (Evan Hunter) has written. I have written him several letters to praise his work, and he still takes the time to write back....even in these times of high technology. I recommend this book, and any others written by him, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A New Classic From the Master
Review: One can't pick up an 87th Precinct novel without reflecting that it's been written by the man who is generally considered the master of the police procedural. Yes, there's the nun murder and the "cookie boy" burglar, but the heart of this novel is a small time hood's stalking of Steve Carella. The only reason the punk gives is that Carella may some day come looking for him and Carella's death will take care of that. In the meanwhile, we get Carella reflecting on aging and recalling great moments in 87th Precinct history (at one point, the reverie goes back to 'Cop Hater', the 1st 87th novel). While reliving these moments, I realized that I was again at the feet of the Master. Loved this book and I hope to see a bangup 50th novel for the boys at the 87th.
Rating:
Summary: A New Classic From the Master
Review: One can't pick up an 87th Precinct novel without reflecting that it's been written by the man who is generally considered the master of the police procedural. Yes, there's the nun murder and the "cookie boy" burglar, but the heart of this novel is a small time hood's stalking of Steve Carella. The only reason the punk gives is that Carella may some day come looking for him and Carella's death will take care of that. In the meanwhile, we get Carella reflecting on aging and recalling great moments in 87th Precinct history (at one point, the reverie goes back to 'Cop Hater', the 1st 87th novel). While reliving these moments, I realized that I was again at the feet of the Master. Loved this book and I hope to see a bangup 50th novel for the boys at the 87th.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Mystery/Dark Comedy
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Cracking Plot, Wonderful Dialogue
Review: The usual tight and ingenious plotting from Mr McBain who has actually allowed his main man Carella to approach 40. Spare writing and great dialogue make him one of the best writers (alongside Robert B Parker) in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Ed McBain is a masterful suspense writer
Review: This book was the first book I read by Mr. McBain. And after Icompleted this novel, it was not my last. This book was fabulous,decriptive, well written prose, engaging, humane protagonists, fast moving and gripping plots--a myriad of plots! I could not put this book down. This is one of my favorite books ever. I really came to know and like many of McBain's characters... so much so, after I completed the novel--in record breaking time--I immediately went out and purchased McBain's other novels of the 87th precinct. Read this and then rush out to read his others--you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: One of his best!
Review: This is one of the very best of the 87th Precinct novels, and I've read over 30 of them. The dialogue is so superbly done that you'll easily see why reviewers say he has the best ear in the business. This novel also takes on themes besides murder, violence, the seamy side of life, etc. Chapter 3 explores areas that he usually saves for his "literary" novels, and it will remind you of his brilliant novel "Streets of Gold" in many ways. There's one blunder in the novel about the origin of a bottle of scotch. This is unfortunate as it creates a unintentional red herring that might confuse the reader. Aside from that, it's perfect. Superb read!
Rating:
Summary: A book to be proud of, by an ashamed author
Review: 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.
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