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A review by ericbuscemi
De dood op schoot by Ed McBain
4.0
Were it not for Kindle discounts, I never would have started [a:Michael Connelly|12470|Michael Connelly|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1202588562p2/12470.jpg]'s Harry Bosch series, [a:Lawrence Block|17613|Lawrence Block|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1303856083p2/17613.jpg]'s Matthew Scudder series, or this series. In all three cases I am grateful for them highlighting and discounting these genre classics down to $1, where it doesn't make sense not to give them a shot.
The first remarkable thing about this book is its timelessness. Were it not for a very few small details -- a lack of cell phones, a mention of "the forty-eight states" -- I would have had no idea it was first published in 1959.
The second is how deftly McBain weaves three separate settings -- the precinct, the mansion, and the city -- that are almost characters themselves. While the locked-room mystery at the mansion was nothing mind-blowing, it was really just a diversion to the hostage scene playing out at the precinct. One scene at the precinct was so intense,, it gave me one of the strongest visceral reactions to anything I've ever read.
Anyone that likes police procedurals, especially classics like Dragnet -- which this book tips its cap to more than once -- is sure to enjoy the 87th Precinct.
The first remarkable thing about this book is its timelessness. Were it not for a very few small details -- a lack of cell phones, a mention of "the forty-eight states" -- I would have had no idea it was first published in 1959.
The second is how deftly McBain weaves three separate settings -- the precinct, the mansion, and the city -- that are almost characters themselves. While the locked-room mystery at the mansion was nothing mind-blowing, it was really just a diversion to the hostage scene playing out at the precinct. One scene at the precinct was so intense,
Spoiler
Virginia's repeated pistol whipping of Meyer MeyerAnyone that likes police procedurals, especially classics like Dragnet -- which this book tips its cap to more than once -- is sure to enjoy the 87th Precinct.