I was surprised with just how average this book was. I'm reading my way through the list of "100 Greatest Crime Novels" and decided to give it a try. It was okay, but pretty predictable, and very bare-bones in terms of plot and characters. Maybe McBain's novels get better, but this was the one on the list so I would assume it is supposed to be the best. So-so, but not up to the level of Chandler, Macdonald, James, or Tey.
THE HEROES OF THE CITY'S STREETS BECOME THE HUNTED--IN THIS CRIME FICTION CLASSIC
ED MCBAIN'S FIRST 87TH PRECINCT NOVEL
COP HATER
Swift, silent, and deadly--someone is knocking off 87th Precinct's finest, one by one. The how of the killiings is obvious: three .45 shots from the dark add up to one, two, three very dead detectives. The why and who are the Precinct's headaches now.
When Detective Reardon is found dead, motive is a big question mark. But when his partner becomes victim number two, it looks like open-and-shut grudge killings. That is, until a third detective buys it.
With one meager clue, Detective Steve Carella begins his grim search for the killer, a search that takes him into the city's underworld to a notorious brother, to the apartment of a beautiful and dangerous widow, and finally to a .45 automatic aimed straight at his head...
"MCBAIN IS SO GOOD HE OUGHT TO BE ARRESTED." --Publishers Weekly
Very gritty, very in your face mystery with strong characters and a tough story to go along with them.
