It should have been the night that launched a new pop idol. Tamar Valparaiso is young and beautiful, with the body and voice of an angel. The stage is set for her to launch her debut album, Bandersnatch, on a luxury yacht in the heart of the city. But halfway through her performance, masked men drag Tamar off the stage and into a waiting speedboat, while the partygoers look on helplessly. Detective Steve Carella is just showing up for the graveyard shift when news of the kidnapping comes in. Working disjointedly with a Joint Task Force that calls itself "The Squad," Carella and the men and women of the Eight-Seven must find Tamar before time -- or indeed her very life -- runs out. In this brilliant look at the music industry, Ed McBain once again combines his mastery of form with the fast-paced dialogue and intricate plotting that have become his signature.
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"87th precinct series. Great take on the music industry, lots of literary allusions, clever language, good solid police procedural. An up and coming r&b star is kidnapped, and Steve Carella must find her. TOld from the viewpoint of police, kndnappers, victim. Classic tension between police and FBI." — Beverly (4 out of 5 stars)
"87th precinct series. Great take on the music industry, lots of literary allusions, clever language, good solid police procedural. An up and coming r&b star is kidnapped, and Steve Carella must find her. TOld from the viewpoint of police, kndnappers, victim. Classic tension between police and FBI."
“Top-dollar McBain…funny and adroit…Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.”
“O frabjous day! Ed McBain takes us through the looking glass and into the surreal world of the music business…A riotous, if ultimately sobering, tale.”
“Wry entertainment.”
“One of his most delectably cynical, out-and-out corrosive tales since he started writing the series in 1956…This is McBain as savagely satisfying as a very rare filet mignon.”
“McBain remains as fresh and sharp-edged as ever.”
“McBain shows why he’s still the best…[His] writing is tight, his characters believable. Just when readers think they have it all figured out, McBain proves that he is still capable of a shocker.”
" McBain is a master of the quick read crime novel. He created a genre in which the "hero" is the whole department, not a single protagonist. All of his books are great reads and this one was, as usual, good fun for a vacation. "
" Does not start with a dead body. Otherwise standard, readable McBain story of cops with a private life, who make sense of realistic evil. "
" What do people see in this guy's books??? Yuck. "
" Lewis Carroll kidnapped by Britney Spears, for 1 million. "
" Crap. But a fun BookClub. "
" Are all his books about kidnapping? I just found out this is a pen-name and he wrote "The Blackboard Jungle" under his real name: Evan Hunter "
" Ugh, this was entirely too long - in desperate need of an editor. Teach me to pick up a book just 'cause I like the title. "
" I just got the recording from the library without recommendation. The beginning is so gross and vulgar that I don't recommend it nor will I finish it. "
" My copy was a hardcover with a different cover. Don't imagine that that affected the quirky characters or the feelings of pissed off outrage and sadness this generated in me. Bleak ending...typical McBain. "
" Even though I had figured out the part of the plot, it was still a good story, put together well, and what real investigative wor is all about. Liked the fact that i was story about the city cops beating out the FBI arrogance. "
" My first Ed McBain - and a disappointment. Perhaps I should have begun with another, as I've been curious about his 87th Precinct. This slice of life saddened me; I'll try another another time. "
" Not the strongest McBain I've read, but a good read all the same. Starts out strong, but fades away somewhat after that. Lighter on the procedural aspect and heavier on characterization. This is the first one where I saw the ending coming a mile away. "
" Kind of drags for much of the book and then gets unnecessarily violent. Not sure if McBain was going for gritty realism or just getting heavy handed. Not one his better efforts. "
" A hard hitting police drama despite the fantasy title. Kept me interested. "
" I enjoyed it but there was alot of padding in there, pages and pages about Fat Ollie and girlfriend Patricia but they were not part of the story. A completely separate thing. "
" Got this on audiobook, didn't realize it was abridged. Story was eh, nothing special. "
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.
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.
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