The Last 87th Precinct Novel

Fiddlers...

The late Ed McBain (Evan Hunter-Salvatore Lombino) was a very prolific author. As with most authors, pen names are valuable, and under the guise of Evan Hunter, McBain, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Richard Marsten, and John Abbott. With well over 100 novels to his credit, and awards from the international press, his presence in the literary world was strong. From his ground breaking "Blackboard Jungle" in the 1950's, his impact on popular media was also diverse.
Like any good writer, his output was not limited to one cast of characters. The 87th Precinct, Matthew Hope, Ben Smoke, Dudley Sledge, Curt Cannon, and a host of other novels including "Jungle" came out of his fertile imagination.
The 87th Precinct novels, all 30 plus of them, began with Cop Hater in 1956. It was instrumental in helping to establish the procedural crime scene investigation genre and is as pivotal to crime novels as CSI is to forensics drama. While there is no fixed cast of characters, the books use an ensemble cast and numerous plot lines.
"Fiddlers" is the latest (last?) Book from McBain. Published by Harcourt, it takes you into the world of serial killer Carlie and an apparent random set of killings. A blind violinist takes his last smoke break, and is shot in the face. An attractive cosmetic sales rep cooks her last meal. An accomplished College professor takes a last stroll across campus, an aged women walks her dog one last time, and Father Joseph takes one last confession.
Are the murders connected? The only connection is a Glock. As the web around each murder grows, similarities arise. Geezer Murders. The Glock Murderer. The same neighborhood?
Detective Steve Carella and his team pick up the clues and after five victims have been counted, names like Purcell and Carlie begin to appear.
McBain was a master of the contemporary. Just as the first novels of the series defined the genre, this one carries on a tradition of excellence. Change it slightly, and you may have a CSI: NY episode, or any of the modern crime dramas. The characters are real, flesh and blood people with problems that can’t be solved in one book/episode. The murderer could be real, just as the victims could be.
Why do people kill? What makes Charlie kill?
You have to read to find out. Sometimes revenge takes a long, long time.
Find this at your local book store, or online at www.HarcourtBooks.com

I remain,
Tim Lasiuta
No fiddin’

Check out http://www.thrillingdetective.com/87th.html for some great information on this book series.