Mischief

This is one of my favorites. There is just so much going on.
First of all, the Deaf Man is back, and he's planning on stealing the police department's haul of illegal narcotics that are scheduled to be incinerated. To create a diversion, he has planned to incite a riot at an outdoor concert taking place the same day.
One of the women Eileen works with on the Hostage Negotiating Team is shot and killed while Eileen is "working the door" during a hostage crisis. Bert Kling meets Sharyn Cooke, the doctor who operated Georgia, the police officer who was shot, and even though she is black and he is white, and she's a chief and outranks him, and is a doctor to boot, they start dating.
As if all this weren't enough, Meyer and Hawes are dealing show more with a man who is taking old people at the request of their families, and dumping them off in various locations in the city, hoping they won't be identified and returned. Ouch. I know it's hard to care for an elderly relative, but still. Yikes. And, believe it or not, this is tied in to thefts from a local nearby homeless shelter. McBain packs a lot into these pages, and it's very good. show less

A really enjoyable and assured entry in the series. This one has almost as much going on as ‘Tricks’, with old people being dumped in the city, someone killing graffiti artists and the Deaf Man making a new appearance. Sometimes the Deaf Man books feel too silly, but this one balances his schemes really well against the other storylines. There’s also a pleasing reappearance of character from a former book and a great sub plot about Eileen Burke’s experiences as a hostage negotiator.

This one opens with an intense story about the death of a graffiti artist. Brutal.
Elsewhere, elderly patients, who have major problems with their memories, are being dumped around town. And a concert in the park is being planned.

Another good story about the 87th, and their ongoing battle with the Deaf Man! All the story lines in here are pretty good, with the one exception of Teddy and the abortion clinic, which seemed to have no purpose in this book. I was also sorta bummed there wasn’t more wrap up with the rap group. But overall, I was satisfied with the read. Even with the weird little ending with Kling.

I'm also totally curious about the Deaf Man’s fate! That's why I've already checked out the sixth, and last, book in this show more confrontation. Can't wait! show less

Another 87th squad although Carella (to my dismay) plays a rather inconsequential part. The Deaf Man makes his appearance, sending cryptic notes to Carella that hint at potential mass disruption while the other detectives work on the apparent serial killings of graffiti artists.

Good, but not up to McBain's other 87th squad work. McBain sets the bar so high that when he can't quite make the leap, we are excessively disappointed.

I have been reading 87th Precinct novels since I was in my teens. I love them all. I know the city, the detectives, their histories and lives. McBain has kept techniques up-to-date, and his plotting is as perfect as ever. This particular book is as good as any of them. A real treat for police procedural aficionados.

As usual, several plots, including the return of the Deaf Man, who is calling and sending clues from a novel to Detective Steve Carella about a pending catastrophe, which is intended as a diversion to hide his brilliant crime. Second, someone is abandoning elderly people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's. Finally, there is a series of killings of graffiti artists ("writers"), which falls in the 87th Street Precinct to solve. A little weaker than usual.

The detectives of the 87th are all facing trying cases. The Deaf Man has made a return and sends notes to Steve Carella warning he and Brown that there will be an fire or explosion at a large gathering of people. The detectives thing the warnings are a cover for something the Deaf Man is planning is planning.

Meanwhile Detective Parker and Kling are trying to find the killer who is shooting street artists as they spray their art work on walls. The case takes an sudden turn when a well respected lawyer is killed while supposedly tagging a wall. Parker continues to hit on every attractive woman he meets during investigations.

Detective Meyers and Hawes are searching for someone who is leaving ill elderly men and women in isolated places show more with only a blanket for warmth and no ID so officials are unable to trace their identity.

One addition to the novel is the love story of how Detective Steve Carella met his wife Teddy who is deaf and dumb. show less