Rating: 
Summary: It's the 1950s all over again!
Review: This is not only the first of the 87th Precinct police procedurals, it's also one of the best. You get to meet Teddy when she was still Miss Franklin. You get to meet some detectives who don't appear in any other books (guess why!). Most importantly, you get to see McBain's genius when it was raw. There are a few clanking sentences in this one, and a few little mistakes that would never appear in his more recently written, more polished books. For instance: "The room smelled badly." Even so, this is great fun and highly recommended. If you want to order more than one McBain, the best is "Ice," with "Vespers" second and the books about the DEAF MAN also high on the list.
Rating:
Summary: "GREAT"
Review: This is the first McBain book I have read. Like to read a series in order but guess this one will be hard to do as so many are out of print. I thought it was a great read. It was short enough I did not have to wait days to get to the end. I really like the characters. Carella and Teddy are very good. You could almost feel like you were there. Just everyday folks, some doing good and some doing bad. No big macho thing just like what would happen anywhere in any town. If you like a good mystery, a quick read and good characters you will like this book. Sure hope I can find the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Read
Review: This is the first novel I have read in Ed McBain's 87th precinct series. The book itself was actually released over forty years ago but for the most part the story ages well. Cop Hater was the first book in the classic series and it moves along at a quick and rapid pace. A little too quick and rapid for my tastes. Fans of the series will be overjoyed at the chance to relive this early book but for those of us who are reading McBain for the first time Cop Hater is just an average read. There are some flashes of great writing but over all this book did not engage me. Good interseting read but not great.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Read
Review: This is the first novel I have read in Ed McBain's 87th precinct series. The book itself was actually released over forty years ago but for the most part the story ages well. Cop Hater was the first book in the classic series and it moves along at a quick and rapid pace. A little too quick and rapid for my tastes. Fans of the series will be overjoyed at the chance to relive this early book but for those of us who are reading McBain for the first time Cop Hater is just an average read. There are some flashes of great writing but over all this book did not engage me. Good interseting read but not great.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: This is the novel that started the 87th Precinct series. It introduces Carella, Kling, Teddy, and others in the series during the hunt for a cop killer. As always, the dialogue is crisp with no padding, the descriptions are atmospheric, like the 50s Noir Hollywood was putting out. You know you're seeing everyday people at work, not some super-idiosyncratic armchair wonder. It sets the tone for a series that will (hopefully soon) see it 50th entry. When this was written in 56, Carella was in his 20s. With #49(Big Bad City), he's contemplating the threat of turning 40. Ahh, the joys of being able to control the passage of time!
Rating:
Summary: In the Beginning....
Review: This is the novel that started the 87th Precinct series. It introduces Carella, Kling, Teddy, and others in the series during the hunt for a cop killer. As always, the dialogue is crisp with no padding, the descriptions are atmospheric, like the 50s Noir Hollywood was putting out. You know you're seeing everyday people at work, not some super-idiosyncratic armchair wonder. It sets the tone for a series that will (hopefully soon) see it 50th entry. When this was written in 56, Carella was in his 20s. With #49(Big Bad City), he's contemplating the threat of turning 40. Ahh, the joys of being able to control the passage of time!
Rating: 
Summary: The Start of a Great Series
Review: Too bad the book is out of print. The price for an audio version seems a little steep, considering that a second hand version can be had for about $3.00. The 87th Precinct series is one of the most successful detective series ever written; it began with this story in 1956 and is still going, close to 50 titles have been published by now. With this kind of prolific writing you might expect the series to be repetitive or formulaic (at least at times) but McBain has managed to avoid this. In the vast majority of these books he manages to involve his characters in a compelling and puzzling mystery with a satisfying conclusion, and he has enough ingredients in his mix to come up with new and fresh ways of looking into his characters' lives. The earlier books are shorter pieces; in the 80s McBain began to write much longer novels with more complex plots and upped the violence level. Any title is worth a try!
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