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Fat Ollie’s Book Audiobook
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(3.01) - 581 listener ratings
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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.
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"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)
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“ [A] howlingly funny send-up.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Wry humor, sly asides, and lagh-out-loud lines mix with solid police work…The prose…leaps off the page.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“McBain give[s] new meaning to deadpan humor…There’s plenty of grit as well as wit.”
— People -
“Wonderful entertainment.”
— Booklist
Fat Ollie’s Book Listener Reviews
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" 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, 2/11/2014 -
" 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, 1/22/2014 -
" So clever and funny, the situations and thoughts of characters... "
— Pete, 1/22/2014 -
" Way too politically incorrect for me to consider it funny. "
— Barbara, 1/18/2014 -
" 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, 1/16/2014 -
" Fat Ollie has written a novel loosely based on himself. When it is stolen from his car, he helps Carella and Kling investigate the murder of a councilman. Along the way he regains his dedication to police work. "
— Fredrick, 1/6/2014 -
" bon bon, McBain pokes a little fun at himself here, talking about fictional police book series. "
— Sandi, 11/18/2013 -
" Well..I had to stop listening after the 1st disc. they could have gotten through that in 10 words versus 1 disc. "
— Sbugsy, 8/30/2013 -
" 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, 6/24/2013 -
" 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, 2/14/2013 -
" 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, 2/8/2013 -
" 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, 10/23/2012 -
" I like Ed McBain. This is good. Not one of my favorites. "
— Gay, 8/4/2012 -
" C; just okay. Listened during a road trip with Eddie "
— Cathy, 3/15/2012 -
" 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, 2/20/2012 -
" Not one of McBain's better efforts "
— columbialion, 1/17/2012 -
" 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, 12/27/2011 -
" Not McBain's best work. Story within a story - lame. "
— Hapzydeco, 11/22/2011 -
" 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, 7/31/2011 -
" 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.