Well, here's a rare thing. In fact, it's a first for me. An Ed McBain novel that I haven't enjoyed. I say I haven't enjoyed it, but I didn't really give it a chance. Twenty pages in and I'm throwing it onto the place where the Did Not Finish pile would be if there were any other books there. 
I can't explain what it is that stopped me from carrying on. The introduction has Matthew Hope defending a man suspected of murdering his gay brother in the aftermath of a party. 
Attitudes are somewhat outdated, and I can often live with that, but I'm not sure I like Matthew Hope and didn't feel I could be bothered to get to know him. 
Not for me then, unless you pile in and convince me that it's worth making the effort.