The Big Bad City

by Ed McBain

Book Overview

The first thing you need to know about this city is that it is big. It is difficult to explain to someone who has never seen it. You can fold his town into a corner of one of the city's five separate sectors and still have room for more. The next thing you need to know is that it's dangerous. Never mind the reassuring bulletins from the mayor's office; just watch the first ten minutes of the eleven o'clock news and you'll learn exactly what the people...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684855127
• ISBN13: 9780684855127
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Ed McBain is a masterful suspense writer

This book was the first book I read by Mr. McBain. And after Icompleted this novel, it was not my last. This book was fabulous,decriptive, well written prose, engaging, humane protagonists, fast moving and gripping plots--a myriad of plots! I could not put this book down. This is one of my favorite books ever. I really came to know and like many of McBain's characters... so much so, after I completed the novel--in record breaking time--I immediately went out and purchased McBain's other novels of the 87th precinct. Read this and then rush out to read his others--you will not be disappointed.

McBain does it again

McBain has come down from a higher league of writers and has deigned to give us another book. Flawless as usual. The familiar cast of characters including comic-relief in the character of Ollie. He even manages to include Matthew Hope. Mulitplotted but enough dimension in each plot to allow easy distinction. When Carella and Brown discover who murdered the nightclub owner it is the classic McBain stop-on-a-dime writing.

Confirmed excellence in the genre

All of Ed McBain/Evan Hunter's production is on my shelves. Not only is he a master in the development of plots and in the description of police operational methods, he also keeps me updated in modern English. I think the town of the 87th Precinct is a New York rotated clockwise of 90°. Mr McBain/Evan Hunter is one of the most entertaining writers I ever found and I always look for new production of his whenever I enter a bookstore.

Another virtuoso performance.

As always, with McBain, we're in the hands of a master. Alas, I can certainly add no superlatives that haven't already been applied to this or any other of his many works. One truly petty, nit-picking point, however. In the climactic shootout, McBain uses some clever wordplay involving the word 'nine' in reference to the three weapons on hand. Something to the effect of "three nines (i.e. inverted 666) about to do the devil's business, etc." As I remember, the murderous Sonny had his particular piece chambered for a 50 caliber round, although the specific model is most often seen in 9mm. Sorry.

the 49th novel in the 87th precinct ranks as a number 1

Police detectives Carella and Brown investigate the murder of Sister Mary Vincent, whose strangulated corpse was found in nearby Grove Park. They soon learn that there is more to the nun than just her pious avocation. At the same time, the media glamorizes the Cookie Boy, a thief who leaves a dozen chocolate cookies behind as his calling card. Detectives Meyer and Kling try to capture the felon before someone is hurt. However, as Carella and Brown begin their sleuthing, unbeknownst to the duo, an assailant is stalking them. He fears that Carella will eventually avenge his killing of Carella's father and plans to take action before the cop does. Meanwhile, the fears of Meyer and Kling erupt when two homicides are found at the latest scene of the latest Cookie Boy crime. Over a five day period, life remains violently the same in the 87th precinct. The forty-ninth (incredible) 87th precinct novel retains the freshness of the first tale released in 1956. THE BIG BAD CITY is clearly a testimony as to how good Ed McBain is. The three prime subplots come together to make an intriguing story line that never slows down for even a page. The return of characters is like visiting old buddies as all the prime time players show up in a lively, humanistic manner. Any novel by Mr. McBain (see the Matthew Hope series) is going to be entertaining, but the 87th precinct series is one of the best police procedurals even after four decades of crime.Harriet Klausner