Play Audiobook Sample
Fat Ollie’s Book (Abridged): A Novel of the 87th Precinct Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.01) - 578 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Murders happen every day in the big bad city. They're not such a big deal, you know. Even when the victim is a city councilman as well-known as Lester Henderson.
But this is the first time Fat Ollie Weeks of the 88th Precinct has written a novel, ah yes. Called Report to the Commissioner, it follows a cunning detective named Olivia Wesley Watts, who, apart from being female and slim, is rather like Fat Ollie himself. While Ollie's responding to the squeal about the dead councilman, his leather dispatch case is stolen from the back of his car -- and in it, the only copy of his precious manuscript.
Joined by Carella and Kling from the neighboring 87th Precinct, Ollie investigates the homicide with all the exquisite crudeness, insensitivity, and determination for which he is famous. But the theft of his first novel fills Ollie with a renewed passion for old-fashioned detective work.
Following the exploits of one of Ed McBain's most beloved detectives, this lively and complicated tale -- the fifty-second in the award-winning 87th Precinct series -- is McBain at his best.
Download and start listening now!
"Ed McBain was the father of the police procedural Mystery and in Fat Ollie's Book he has his most offensive slob of a character write the worst police procedural novel imaginable. it is about as close to meta-fiction as you will find in a crime novel. Also a city councilman gets shot."
— Keith (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“This is a fast, funny read from the master.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“McBain creates wonderfully strange characters, like the transvestite hooker who latches on to Ollie’s book, and crimes that are somehow ingenious, stupid and utterly convincing.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The excerpts from Ollie’s novel will bring tears of laughter to readers’ eyes as McBain skewers the inherent conceits of the procedural genre as well as bad writers everywhere. Wonderful entertainment.”
— Booklist
Fat Ollie’s Book Listener Reviews
-
" C; just okay. Listened during a road trip with Eddie "
— Cathy, 2/14/2014 -
" bon bon, McBain pokes a little fun at himself here, talking about fictional police book series. "
— Sandi, 1/22/2014 -
" The author was running out of steam on this series. The books all start great, but climax a little too soon and then just fall apart at the end. "
— Sheldon, 1/18/2014 -
" Not one of McBain's better efforts "
— columbialion, 1/6/2014 -
" I like Ed McBain. This is good. Not one of my favorites. "
— Gay, 12/12/2013 -
" As much as I like the 87th Precinct series and Steve Carella, I don't like a book that centered around Fat Ollie. He's a bigot and not a very good detective. It's difficult to have any sympathy for a guy like that. "
— Grey853, 11/23/2013 -
" Well..I had to stop listening after the 1st disc. they could have gotten through that in 10 words versus 1 disc. "
— Sbugsy, 11/16/2013 -
" Fat Ollie Weeks is one of those characters that makes you cringe even though he is only in a book. He has little redeeming value at all but life wouldn't be as interesting without him...right? "
— Kim, 10/11/2013 -
" Inept cop writes a novel, leaves manuscript on the back seat of the car and it's stolen. Carella helps solve the real crime and lets Fat Ollie take credit. Lots of fun farce in this book "
— Ellen, 8/11/2013 -
" A little variation from the usual Ed McBain police procedural - a novel within a novel. I skipped Fat Ollie's novel, but enjoyed, as usual, the good characterizations in the 87th Precinct series. "
— Meredith, 7/20/2013 -
" 1st book read by this author.. not that good ...he jumped around a lot..kinda hard to follow.. Borrowed from Janice - she says good author...... "
— Cindy, 4/18/2013 -
" Fat Ollie fancies himself a writer along the lines of Joseph Wambaugh. When hiss "book" is stolen, he turns the city upside down looking for it. "
— Randy, 3/3/2013 -
" Not McBain's best work. Story within a story - lame. "
— Hapzydeco, 12/27/2012 -
" This book is part of Ed McBain's popular 87th Precinct series. This particular book focuses on one of his characaters Ollie Weeks a disreputable, bigoted, dirty-mouthed cop. "
— Milly, 3/21/2012 -
" So clever and funny, the situations and thoughts of characters... "
— Pete, 2/13/2012 -
" Way too politically incorrect for me to consider it funny. "
— Barbara, 8/14/2011 -
" Put this in "tried to read". It was mentioned in a book on detective fiction some borrowed a copy. Not for me. I've never finished an 87th precinct book. Something about the characters, language. "
— Alan, 7/19/2011 -
" Not my favorite, but my husband liked it. Features Fat Ollie, a detective from an adjoining precinct of the 87th. Ollie is about as politically incorrect as a person can get and still preform his duties and not get sued. This book develops his character. "
— Ginny, 7/8/2011 -
" The author was running out of steam on this series. The books all start great, but climax a little too soon and then just fall apart at the end. "
— Sheldon, 3/11/2011 -
" Well..I had to stop listening after the 1st disc. they could have gotten through that in 10 words versus 1 disc. "
— Sbugsy, 7/14/2010 -
" Not one of McBain's better efforts "
— columbialion, 7/13/2010 -
" Inept cop writes a novel, leaves manuscript on the back seat of the car and it's stolen. Carella helps solve the real crime and lets Fat Ollie take credit. Lots of fun farce in this book "
— Ellen, 6/23/2010 -
" Not McBain's best work. Story within a story - lame. "
— Hapzydeco, 4/27/2010 -
" 1st book read by this author.. not that good ...he jumped around a lot..kinda hard to follow.. Borrowed from Janice - she says good author...... "
— Cindy, 3/17/2010 -
" A little variation from the usual Ed McBain police procedural - a novel within a novel. I skipped Fat Ollie's novel, but enjoyed, as usual, the good characterizations in the 87th Precinct series. "
— Meredith, 3/6/2010 -
" Fat Ollie Weeks is one of those characters that makes you cringe even though he is only in a book. He has little redeeming value at all but life wouldn't be as interesting without him...right? "
— Kim, 8/9/2009 -
" Fat Ollie fancies himself a writer along the lines of Joseph Wambaugh. When hiss "book" is stolen, he turns the city upside down looking for it. "
— Randy, 7/23/2009 -
" C; just okay. Listened during a road trip with Eddie "
— Cathy, 2/17/2009 -
" I like Ed McBain. This is good. Not one of my favorites. "
— Gay, 9/5/2008 -
" Not my favorite, but my husband liked it. Features Fat Ollie, a detective from an adjoining precinct of the 87th. Ollie is about as politically incorrect as a person can get and still preform his duties and not get sued. This book develops his character. "
— Ginny, 7/7/2008 -
" So clever and funny, the situations and thoughts of characters... "
— Pete, 5/31/2008
About Ed McBain
Ed McBain is the most well known pseudonym of Evan Hunter (1926–2005), the author of over eighty novels and several famous screenplays. He is a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award and the Diamond Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers Association. His books have sold more than one hundred million copies, ranging from the more than fifty titles in the 87th Precinct series to the bestselling novels written under his own name. McBain also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
About Ron McLarty
Ron McLarty is a veteran actor of television, film, and stage as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator. He has more than 100 television appearances to his credit, including as a series regular on Spencer for Hire and Law & Order. His film career began in 1977 with a performance in The Sentinel and continued with such films as The Postman, Flamingo Kid, and, most recently, How Do You Know? His stage credits include Broadway and other productions. He has narrated more than 100 audiobooks, earning nine Earphones Awards and recognition by AudioFile magazine as a Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense in 2009 and 2010. He has twice been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Awards and then won the award in 2001 for Best Mystery Narration. He is also an accomplished playwright and an acclaimed novelist.