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erinnow's review against another edition
Old book. Poorly written women. Did he not know about ASL? Wtf?
mph_book_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
When police officer Mike Reardon is murdered, the homicide unit of the 87th precinct work tirelessly to find his killer, who hides in the shadows for his next victim with a badge.
I was new to this series and the writer, but chose to read it on the recommendation of book tuner CriminOlly and I was not disappointed.
This is easily one of the strongest crime books I’ve read. McBain does a great job building up the detectives personal lives, making you care about them, but never knowing which ones the cop killer was going to take. This created loads of tension and I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the story.
I also liked how the mystery was not easy to solve. I only figured out who the killer was when McBain intended it to be revealed.
There are something like 54 books in the 87th Precinct series, and I’m definitely going to continue to book 2.
I was new to this series and the writer, but chose to read it on the recommendation of book tuner CriminOlly and I was not disappointed.
This is easily one of the strongest crime books I’ve read. McBain does a great job building up the detectives personal lives, making you care about them, but never knowing which ones the cop killer was going to take. This created loads of tension and I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the story.
I also liked how the mystery was not easy to solve. I only figured out who the killer was when McBain intended it to be revealed.
There are something like 54 books in the 87th Precinct series, and I’m definitely going to continue to book 2.
cu00's review against another edition
3.0
A solid easy read without a lot of character development. A police story with a fast pace and an interesting end. If you're looking for a lot of substance this isn't it, but if you want a good fast paced murder mystery it's worth your time.
fiddler76's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5 stars. Fast read, with good characters and an interesting setup. This is my first Ed McBain novel, and I look forward to reading more about the 87th precinct.
rickwren's review against another edition
4.0
This book is great for anyone who wants to learn what to do right in creating a gripping story. Sure it's cliche and dated and misogynistic, but Ed McBain could sure write a story that kept you at the edge of your chair page after page. There are no wasted words - everything contributes to the plot and it's great to remember that every small action is going to put us closer to the solution.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants a lesson in plotting.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants a lesson in plotting.
alostarre's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
chrismello's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mtthwsmth's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jamelon13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
McBain is the favorite writer of a Booktuber I follow. This first book is spare, but still well written. I like the way he hides the antagonist's motives to the very end. A good start to a very long series.