Rating: 
Summary: Too Short & Not Mysterious Enough
Review: Although it was a fast & easy read, I was truly disappointed in this book. First of all, it was too short. It should have been a short story or novelette; it should not have been sold as a novel. [...], it's very much overpriced. I read it in less than an hour. Secondly, it was not hard to figure out "whodunit." McBain seems to have written this in his sleep. It was a big disappointment. I did like the heroine, though.
Rating: 
Summary: Driving Lessons
Review: And it is a refreshing little trip away from everyone in the Big Bad City of which his familiar 87th Precinct is a part. Is this a new continuing crew, as he created with Matthew Hope? I hope so. The inhabitants of the Detective Division in the small city of River Close are just as interesting as their "Big City" colleagues. Driving Lessons is short and snappy. We don't know these people well yet, so there aren't as many concurrent cases and side stories going on. Maybe our next ride with them will be longer?
Rating: 
Summary: Ed McBain has left the City
Review: And it is a refreshing little trip away from everyone in the Big Bad City of which his familiar 87th Precinct is a part. Is this a new continuing crew, as he created with Matthew Hope? I hope so. The inhabitants of the Detective Division in the small city of River Close are just as interesting as their "Big City" colleagues. Driving Lessons is short and snappy. We don't know these people well yet, so there aren't as many concurrent cases and side stories going on. Maybe our next ride with them will be longer?
Rating:
Summary: Driving Lessons
Review: Driving Lessons was a great book! I can't believe that Ed Mc'Bain has pulled off another thrilling book. Although it could have been much longer, and provided more detail. I guess people will just have to read the rest of the books (past and present) in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Three And One Half Stars
Review: Ed McBain has been described by one jacket endorsement as being so good he should be arrested. "Driving Lessons" is a novella and the first of his work that I have read. It is very well done, and demonstrates the man's ability to entertain with a mystery in a very brief period of time. It also is a guaranteed catalyst to continuing with the massive body of work that he has produced.The description on the jacket will lead many to divine the outcome of the story and the guilty party. I would wager that many of those that would hazard a guess would be disappointed when they find they are wrong. This was the intriguing bit the writer created, he offers 72 brief pages, a description that seemingly tells the entire story, but in fact does not. It is akin to a novella of misdirection, he knows that most will look to what they believe to be the obvious, only to believe that which he wanted them to place their faith in. Mr. McBain also does a great job of bringing the personalities of the main players into very sharp relief not only for a novella length book, but also for a novel that most Authors would require hundreds of pages to create legitimate characters that you feel familiar with. This is the reading equivalent of speed chess, when not given the normal length of time brilliant moves often arise.
Rating:
Summary: Three And One Half Stars
Review: Ed McBain has been described by one jacket endorsement as being so good he should be arrested. "Driving Lessons" is a novella and the first of his work that I have read. It is very well done, and demonstrates the man's ability to entertain with a mystery in a very brief period of time. It also is a guaranteed catalyst to continuing with the massive body of work that he has produced. The description on the jacket will lead many to divine the outcome of the story and the guilty party. I would wager that many of those that would hazard a guess would be disappointed when they find they are wrong. This was the intriguing bit the writer created, he offers 72 brief pages, a description that seemingly tells the entire story, but in fact does not. It is akin to a novella of misdirection, he knows that most will look to what they believe to be the obvious, only to believe that which he wanted them to place their faith in. Mr. McBain also does a great job of bringing the personalities of the main players into very sharp relief not only for a novella length book, but also for a novel that most Authors would require hundreds of pages to create legitimate characters that you feel familiar with. This is the reading equivalent of speed chess, when not given the normal length of time brilliant moves often arise.
Rating: 
Summary: An Outstanding Novella About Learning from Each Other
Review: First, a word of caution. This is a novella. A novella is much different from a short story and a novel. If you don't know if you like novellas or not, give this one a try. Novellas are rewarding because they require the author to trim down the story to its essentials, and move much faster than novels. They are much more complex and developed than short stories, making them more rewarding for the reader. I like to think of novellas as getting the good parts of the novel without the unnecessary and annoying aspects. If you know you don't like novellas, skip this one. No novella is going to please someone who only likes novels. There is a lot to be said for the long, relaxing process of curling up in a chair to spend several hours browsing through a fictional world. Novellas don't take that long, and cannot substitute for that psychologically distancing experience. Second, this is not an 87th Precinct story. So you will be disappointed if you buy and read it looking for one. In fact, it takes a much different form from those novels. On the other hand, for those who love novellas, this is a particularly rewarding one. The book's theme is contained in the word "lessons." We all learn in different ways, and what we do with that new learning can be important to us and to others. The book also contains a mystery, as you would expect from Mr. McBain (Evan Hunter). Both the theme and the mystery are well developed, and nicely intertwine as an added reward for those, like me, who admire the craft of writing novellas. The opening scene is gripping. Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Patton runs down a pedestrian while taking her driving lesson. The woman she hits is tossed into a pile of burning leaves and lies seriously injured. The police arrive before the ambulance leaves. Rebecca is confused and upset. Worst of all, her driving instructor cannot even say his own name. How could this happen? Before long, she's in the police station being interrogated. Every parent's heart will be in their mouth while they read this opening. The story develops nicely from there, with many mirror images that reflect in many different directions. I felt like the story allowed me to look into a crystal that contained many repeating images of itself in an ever expanding universe. You will learn a lot about the expanding potential for good and evil from this story, as well. The plot is fully developed with many twists and turns. In fact, the complexity is consistent that found in any full-length novel in the mystery genre. This is an impressive accomplishment because it is hard to write a detailed plot in a novella without seeming to be rushed or confusing the reader. Also, consider giving this book as a gift to those you know who admire the novella form. Not sure whether your friends and relatives like novellas? Ask them. You may be surprised by what you learn. Also, you may get a chance to introduce the format to them. That can lead to a lifetime of additional reading enjoyment. After you finish reading this book, I suggest you think about where else in life less can be better. And then seek out more concentrated doses of essence for your own benefit. That can save you time now wasted on the superfluous. You can then spend the time you save on other things you love to do that are good for you! Keep learning and turn it to the best!
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Novella About Learning from Each Other
Review: First, a word of caution. This is a novella. A novella is much different from a short story and a novel. If you don't know if you like novellas or not, give this one a try. Novellas are rewarding because they require the author to trim down the story to its essentials, and move much faster than novels. They are much more complex and developed than short stories, making them more rewarding for the reader. I like to think of novellas as getting the good parts of the novel without the unnecessary and annoying aspects.
If you know you don't like novellas, skip this one. No novella is going to please someone who only likes novels. There is a lot to be said for the long, relaxing process of curling up in a chair to spend several hours browsing through a fictional world. Novellas don't take that long, and cannot substitute for that psychologically distancing experience. Second, this is not an 87th Precinct story. So you will be disappointed if you buy and read it looking for one. In fact, it takes a much different form from those novels. On the other hand, for those who love novellas, this is a particularly rewarding one. The book's theme is contained in the word "lessons." We all learn in different ways, and what we do with that new learning can be important to us and to others. The book also contains a mystery, as you would expect from Mr. McBain (Evan Hunter). Both the theme and the mystery are well developed, and nicely intertwine as an added reward for those, like me, who admire the craft of writing novellas. The opening scene is gripping. Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Patton runs down a pedestrian while taking her driving lesson. The woman she hits is tossed into a pile of burning leaves and lies seriously injured. The police arrive before the ambulance leaves. Rebecca is confused and upset. Worst of all, her driving instructor cannot even say his own name. How could this happen? Before long, she's in the police station being interrogated. Every parent's heart will be in their mouth while they read this opening. The story develops nicely from there, with many mirror images that reflect in many different directions. I felt like the story allowed me to look into a crystal that contained many repeating images of itself in an ever expanding universe. You will learn a lot about the expanding potential for good and evil from this story, as well. The plot is fully developed with many twists and turns. In fact, the complexity is consistent that found in any full-length novel in the mystery genre. This is an impressive accomplishment because it is hard to write a detailed plot in a novella without seeming to be rushed or confusing the reader. Also, consider giving this book as a gift to those you know who admire the novella form. Not sure whether your friends and relatives like novellas? Ask them. You may be surprised by what you learn. Also, you may get a chance to introduce the format to them. That can lead to a lifetime of additional reading enjoyment. After you finish reading this book, I suggest you think about where else in life less can be better. And then seek out more concentrated doses of essence for your own benefit. That can save you time now wasted on the superfluous. You can then spend the time you save on other things you love to do that are good for you! Keep learning and turn it to the best!
Rating:
Summary: Missed the Mark
Review: I believe that it takes great skill to write a novella or a short story, and think that Ed McBain should stick to his conventional format. I can only compare this to Steve Martin's novella, "Shopgirl", which contained fully developed characters and a complete storyline within about the same number of pages.
Anyone expecting a full-scale Ed McBain story will be disappointed in this little novella. I was initially interested in the story but found it to be deficient in character development. The reader never really knew much about the characters....I felt that the man who found the purse , a very minor character, was described more fully than any of the main characters. Not every author can write this kind of book, but I do know that it is possible to have fully fleshed-out characters in even a short story---it just did not happen here. That makes it very difficult to really care about what happens to anyone in "Driving Lessons".
Rating:
Summary: Missed the Mark
Review: I believe that it takes great skill to write a novella or a short story, and think that Ed McBain should stick to his conventional format. I can only compare this to Steve Martin's novella, "Shopgirl", which contained fully developed characters and a complete storyline within about the same number of pages. Anyone expecting a full-scale Ed McBain story will be disappointed in this little novella. I was initially interested in the story but found it to be deficient in character development. The reader never really knew much about the characters....I felt that the man who found the purse , a very minor character, was described more fully than any of the main characters. Not every author can write this kind of book, but I do know that it is possible to have fully fleshed-out characters in even a short story---it just did not happen here. That makes it very difficult to really care about what happens to anyone in "Driving Lessons".
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