Rating: 
Summary: Money, Money, Money
Review: "Money, Money, Money" is the 51st 87the Precinct novel by the master of the police procedural, Ed McBain. Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer from the 87th Precinct and Fat Ollie Weeks from the 88th are called to the Grover Park Zoo to investigate the death of a woman who has been eaten by lions. They find out that she is Cassandra Ridley, a former Gulf War pilot. They also learn that she had recently made a drug run to Mexico. They also find out that she was paid a tip with "super-bills", bogus $100 bills. The plot to this one is rather complex with drugs, bogus money, murder, and a bombing at Clarendon Hall. More attention is given to the criminal element than is usual in McBain's novels. The characters are all well-drawn, especially a drug dealer named "Wiggy the Lid", a man you would not wish to meet. This is another excellent addition to a series that began in 1956. I have 45 of them, and I have not read a bad one yet.
Rating:
Summary: McBain is Back, and Better than Ever.....
Review: "Detective Steve Carella wished that one of the lions hadn't dragged the victim's left leg into the 88th Precinct. That was what brought Fat Ollie Weeks into the case." It's Christmas week in fictional Isola, and despite the holiday, business at the 87th Precinct is brisk. The unfortunate young lady being consumed by lions turned out to be Army Lieutenant Cassandra Jean Ridley, a pilot in the Gulf War. Her death starts a wild chain of events that leads the boys of the detective squad to an unusual assortment of uncooperative characters, including the Secret Service, terrorists, counterfeiters, drug runners and petty criminals. As the body count continues to rise, Carella and Weeks are having a hard time getting a handle on the case, and find it's nearly impossible to tell the good guys from the bad..... It's hard to believe that after 40 some odd years, a series could remain fresh and entertaining, but Ed McBain has beaten the odds, and his latest, Money, Money, Money, doesn't disappoint. This is a fast-paced, intriguing police procedural, full of crisp, spare writing, unrivaled dialogue, vivid scenes, and brilliant characterizations. This is the master at work, and nobody does it better. Mr McBain weaves the varied and seemingly unrelated threads of his fascinating and complex story line, effortlessly, and then ties them all together into a neat, logical and very satisfying package at the end. For those new to Ed McBain and the boys of the 87th Precinct, start with some of his earlier books to get the flavor of this wonderful series. For those who are already fans, Money, Money, Money deserves all the awards it's about to win.
Rating:
Summary: McBain is Back, and Better than Ever.....
Review: "Detective Steve Carella wished that one of the lions hadn't dragged the victim's left leg into the 88th Precinct. That was what brought Fat Ollie Weeks into the case." It's Christmas week in fictional Isola, and despite the holiday, business at the 87th Precinct is brisk. The unfortunate young lady being consumed by lions turned out to be Army Lieutenant Cassandra Jean Ridley, a pilot in the Gulf War. Her death starts a wild chain of events that leads the boys of the detective squad to an unusual assortment of uncooperative characters, including the Secret Service, terrorists, counterfeiters, drug runners and petty criminals. As the body count continues to rise, Carella and Weeks are having a hard time getting a handle on the case, and find it's nearly impossible to tell the good guys from the bad..... It's hard to believe that after 40 some odd years, a series could remain fresh and entertaining, but Ed McBain has beaten the odds, and his latest, Money, Money, Money, doesn't disappoint. This is a fast-paced, intriguing police procedural, full of crisp, spare writing, unrivaled dialogue, vivid scenes, and brilliant characterizations. This is the master at work, and nobody does it better. Mr McBain weaves the varied and seemingly unrelated threads of his fascinating and complex story line, effortlessly, and then ties them all together into a neat, logical and very satisfying package at the end. For those new to Ed McBain and the boys of the 87th Precinct, start with some of his earlier books to get the flavor of this wonderful series. For those who are already fans, Money, Money, Money deserves all the awards it's about to win.
Rating:
Summary: Money, Money, Money
Review: "Money, Money, Money" is the 51st 87the Precinct novel by the master of the police procedural, Ed McBain. Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer from the 87th Precinct and Fat Ollie Weeks from the 88th are called to the Grover Park Zoo to investigate the death of a woman who has been eaten by lions. They find out that she is Cassandra Ridley, a former Gulf War pilot. They also learn that she had recently made a drug run to Mexico. They also find out that she was paid a tip with "super-bills", bogus $100 bills. The plot to this one is rather complex with drugs, bogus money, murder, and a bombing at Clarendon Hall. More attention is given to the criminal element than is usual in McBain's novels. The characters are all well-drawn, especially a drug dealer named "Wiggy the Lid", a man you would not wish to meet. This is another excellent addition to a series that began in 1956. I have 45 of them, and I have not read a bad one yet.
Rating:
Summary: Madcap mayhem, deadpan delivery
Review: A Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster, and winner of Britain's Golden Dagger award, McBain remains in top form in this 51st 87th Precinct novel. Drugrunners, counterfeiters and terrorists bring mayhem and murder to Isola's Christmas season as Steve Carella (still 40 after 45 years) catches the lead on the case of the lady in the lion's den.Cass Ridley, Gulf War pilot, earns some quick cash flying in a few loads of she-asks-not-what from Mexico. When an ordinary burglar steals some of her hard-earned loot, feisty Cass tracks him down and grabs it back - most of it. Only to wind up at the zoo, in the lions' quarters, being eaten. Grisly. At least she was dispatched by ice pick first. To make matters worse, Fat Ollie Weeks of the 88th precinct, shares the lead with Carella when a lion drags Cass' leg into the 88. Worse yet, in the course of the investigation, Fat Ollie, vulgarian misanthrope extraordinaire, a man to make your skin crawl, saves Carella's life - twice - leaving him beholden. The plot is fast-paced and complex, the money trail branching off into various avenues of depravity and greed, involving double crosses, murders, and conspiracies, from street-level thugs to international terrorists and governments. McBain never misses a twist and his dialogue is trademark crisp. The terrorism aspect strikes a more visceral note than it would have when McBain was composing his plot and for this reason a bit of the humor falls flat, especially that having to do with the competence and cynicism of federal agents. Nonetheless, this is top-notch McBain; spare, baffling and deftly done.
Rating: 
Summary: A intricate 57th Precinct marred by Fat Ollie and Carella!
Review: A nice solid procedural about counterfeiting is constantly interrupted by silliness. Escaped lions at the zoo, Carella's anger and whining (so out of character) about his mother and sister's choice of beaus, and of course, any story featuring Ollie Weeks is guaranteed to be filled with its share of stupidity. McBain's books are always worth a read, as they are well-constructed, with rock solid plots and a storylines that are always filled with enough complexity to be satisfying, but this is a fairly weak entry.
Rating:
Summary: Nearly Fifty Years of Policing in Isola
Review: As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I am amazed that Ed McBain (AKA Evan Hunter)has been writing 87th Precinct police procedurals for nearly fifty years. I doubt if I'll be writing my series in a half a century, but I'm glad McBain is still writing his. Astonishingly, each 87th Precinct novel seems fresh and inventive. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY is no exception. Steve Carella and the boys (as well as the girls) remain as vibrant as they did when this series first began back when Eisenhower was president. In this fifty-first 87th Precint novel, a woman is found dead in the Grover Park Zoo. She turns out to be an ex-military flygirl who has found herself a fulfilling civilian career as a drug pilot. Steve and his associates (mainly Fat Ollie Weeks) follow the money, and McBain's plot spins upward from there. There's a secondary plot involving a terrorist plot, and, of course, the personal problems and concerns of the series characters also play a major part in the story. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY is a fine fifty-first entry in this series. It is one of the best fifty-first novels in any mystery series ever written. Get this book and read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Fast Paced Investigation
Review: Drug-running, counterfeiting rackets and terrorism are all combined and land in the lap of the 87th Precinct. They are called into action after trouble in the lion enclosure at the zoo. Circumstances conspire to ensure that Fat Ollie Weeks of the 88th Precinct is also brought into the case, livening up proceedings no end. Steve Carella and Ollie Weeks join forces to head up the homicide investigation, which becomes a lot more involved as they uncover more about the victim. Counterfeit $100 notes are found that are somehow linked to the victim, as are drugs - a lot of drugs, actually. The irreverent Ollie Weeks provides the lighter moments of the book as he imposes his charm on the unsuspecting public. Steve Carella still has family problems as well as personal ones, providing a more sober and darker sub-plot. This is yet another strong case for the cops from the 87th Precinct combining a fast-paced story with amusing banter from the investigating officers as they go through their standard police procedures. I get the feeling that Ed McBain is becoming more and more happy with his creation of Ollie Weeks and seems to have delighted in developing his character over recent books. His personal hygiene, interviewing techniques and view on minority groups are all so bad, it's good.
Rating:
Summary: Money, Money, Money
Review: Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter) has always given us great thrillers with his 87th Precinct novels. This one is no exception. He does get away from the long explanations regarding who everybody is.
With all the characters presented he gives us this can be a little boring. Especially for us who have followed the 87th for a long time. There are some great scenes between Steve and his family. There is also some humor as Ollie Weeks tries to get his book published. His fans will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Completely enjoyable
Review: Ed McBain has created a completely enjoyable novel. Cass Ridley has found the secret to wealth--a few quick flights to Mexico, deliveries, and then off to fur coats and a life of leisure. Except the money she delivered might not be what it appears to be. 87th Precinct Detectives Steve Carella and Fat Ollie Weeks are stuck tracking down multiple murders that seem tied together by a trail of counterfeit bills. Unfortunately, there seems to be more going on here than a local drug operation. The U.S. Secret Service is stonewalling its involvement and some of the suspects hint that they are protected by forces more powerful than the 87th can deal with. Carella pushes on (and Fat Ollie pushes after). McBain is a wonderful writer and I found myself pulled into this story so deeply that I had a hard time doing anything else. Unfortunately, the plot has several major holes. The middle-eastern terrorists don't even register with the police until the very end, coincidence plays too critical a role in the novel's resolution, and the ending comes so abruptly that it felt like McBain had run out of pages before he ran out of story. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY isn't perfect, but it's definitely an enjoyable read.
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