Thursday 22 October 2015

One Man's Opinion: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE DEAF MAN by ED McBAIN


 “The juices were beginning to flow, and nowhere did they flow as exuberantly as in the 87th, where life and death sometimes got a little bit confused and where the flowing juices were all too often a bright red.”

The more books I read about the 87th Precinct, the more I find myself enjoying them.

This was my second Deaf Man story. The fact that I’m going in the wrong order makes not a bit of difference.

Let’s Hear It For The Deaf Man (US) has a similar structure to Eight Black Horses. There’s the totally engaging plotting of the Deaf Man himself, a strand relating to a series of cat-burglaries that have taken place on the same block over a short space of time and there’s been the crucifixion of an unidentified man.

Each of the strands is compelling. They’re written in ways that build up elements of tension and heighten curiosity. They also allow further exploration into the lives of the main detectives and their partners. In this one, Detective Kling is totally bowled over by Augusta Blair (‘He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life.’), one of the victims of a break-in to her apartment where the burglar has left a kitten by way of identifying himself.  

This one covers lots of bases. It’s got something for the fan of the whodunit, for those who like their crime brutal, for anyone who enjoys dark humour, for readers who enjoy the perfectly formed quip and for people who appreciate well-rounded characters who give more than two dimensions.

Super stuff and I look forward to the next one.

If you’ve got any solid tips on your own particular faves, I’d love to hear them – there are so many to choose from. Maybe I should just go for book one and take it from there.   



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