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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I felt like I was being beat over the head with preaching. Not what I expect or desire in novels from this series.
Too bad about Frankie Hernandez.
Too bad about Frankie Hernandez.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A blazingly hot day in July in a Puerto Rican neighborhood is the locale for See Them Die. The bulls are chasing down Pepe Miranda in an apartment building, but surprisingly they are not McBain's focus. Instead we spend the majority of the >200 pages with the neighborhood residents, including Zip, Cooch, Little Killer, China, and other "one book" characters. See Them Die functions more as a crime thriller than a murder mystery, and it lands magnificently, like a tightly wound watch. The reduced time frame adds to its vitality, the entirety of the book takes place takes place on a Sunday morning/early afternoon - basically in real-time. At the moment this is easily one of my favorite 87th Precinct books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Police brutality
While well written, I had a hard time actually enjoying this book. People who have no work ethic and just want to sponge off people irritate me to no end. Of course, this book features a racist cop, which will annoy most people.
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While it is not my favorite of the series, there’s a shift in tone that feels important. There’s racism, including some “I’m not racist because I have Hispanic co-workers that I don’t hate”, and police brutality/excessive use of deadly force. But where this differs from earlier books is that it doesn’t feel like the casual racism of the day being taken in stride by the author. It feels like condemnation from the author. The violent, racist cop isn’t looked on favorably by anyone, and I appreciate the shift.
Quick read! Bit different in that the whole novel takes place over a couple of blocks in the 87th Precinct. I just love the way McBain writes. Feels good to be reading his books after a long absence
Another great 87th Precinct novel from McBain, this time not a mystery, but the tense tale of a siege in a Puerto Rican district of the city. Many of the usual bulls are missing, but it's still a worthy and enjoyable addition to the series with McBain's liberal views shining through.
This was one of my favorites in the series so far. I came expecting the usual slightly-campy romp, and instead got smacked in the feels with a surprisingly multi-faceted look at race and inner-city gangs.