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87th Precinct #11
Give the Boys a Great Big Hand
The mystery man wore black, and he was a real cut-up king. Why else was he leaving blood-red severed hands all over the city? Was he an everyday maniac with a meat cleaver, or did he have a special grudge against the 87th Precinct? Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes went along with the grudge theory, because the black-cloaked killer didn't leave any clues to go on - the grisly hands even had the fingertips sliced off. And how do you nail a murderer when you can't identity or unearth most of his victims? That's what the boys of the 87th Precinct have to find a killer before he carves up any more corpseless hands!
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1960
114 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Ed McBain
710 books668 followers"Ed McBain" is one of the pen names of American author and screenwriter Salvatore Albert Lombino (1926-2005), who legally adopted the name
Evan Hunter
in 1952.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
March 2, 2018
He had been a cop for a long time now, and he knew instantly from the expression on Hawes's face that the bag must contain a segment of the human body.
When a severed hand is found inside an airline bag, all the boys from the 87th precinct have to go on is that it was removed from a "large white male, aged 18-24." Now they've got to find not only the rest of the body, but the killer as well. Steve and Cotton are on the case, which has them, among other things, interviewing strippers.
Yeah - some guys have all the luck!
Though the ending was a bit abrupt, and more than a little gruesome, this was a pretty good entry in the series. I liked it W-A-Y more than the last go-round - King's Ransom.
When a severed hand is found inside an airline bag, all the boys from the 87th precinct have to go on is that it was removed from a "large white male, aged 18-24." Now they've got to find not only the rest of the body, but the killer as well. Steve and Cotton are on the case, which has them, among other things, interviewing strippers.
Yeah - some guys have all the luck!
Though the ending was a bit abrupt, and more than a little gruesome, this was a pretty good entry in the series. I liked it W-A-Y more than the last go-round - King's Ransom.
June 27, 2013
In the world of 2013, if a policeman were to find a bag abandoned near a crowded bus stop, the first thing he might expect to find in the bag would be an explosive devise left by a terrorist. But in the simpler world of 1960, it's only a bloody, crudely severed hand.
It's raining day after day in Isola and the last place the detectives of the 87th Precinct want to be is out running around in the rain, trying to figure out who might be missing the hand in question. In due course, yet another hand turn up, apparently removed from the same victim. The lab determines that the hands were once attached to a large white male, but someone has carefully sliced the edges of the fingers off of the hands, so there's no way of knowing who the large white male might have been.
Steve Carella, Cotton Hawes and the other members of the squad spend a lot of time chasing down missing persons who might be missing their hands, but without much luck. They also stumble over a stripper named Bubbles, who may or may not have anything to do with anything, but they will continue to push ahead until they find a resolution to this gruesome and troubling case.
The result is another entertaining entry in Ed McBain's acclaimed series. As always, it's fun to watch Carella and the other detectives at work, and in this case, there's even a fist fight in the squad room. Any fan of the series will certainly want to find this book.
It's raining day after day in Isola and the last place the detectives of the 87th Precinct want to be is out running around in the rain, trying to figure out who might be missing the hand in question. In due course, yet another hand turn up, apparently removed from the same victim. The lab determines that the hands were once attached to a large white male, but someone has carefully sliced the edges of the fingers off of the hands, so there's no way of knowing who the large white male might have been.
Steve Carella, Cotton Hawes and the other members of the squad spend a lot of time chasing down missing persons who might be missing their hands, but without much luck. They also stumble over a stripper named Bubbles, who may or may not have anything to do with anything, but they will continue to push ahead until they find a resolution to this gruesome and troubling case.
The result is another entertaining entry in Ed McBain's acclaimed series. As always, it's fun to watch Carella and the other detectives at work, and in this case, there's even a fist fight in the squad room. Any fan of the series will certainly want to find this book.
June 22, 2025
McBain knows how to tell a story. The 87th Precinct series reminds me of Tana French's Dublin murder squad books in that the plot serves simply as a hook to move the story with the focus being character driven interactions. The title says it all! One day, a patrolman finds a severed hand, a great big hand, in a travel bag and takes it to the bulls at the 87th. The fingertips have been sliced off and the beleaguered CSI can only conclude that it came from a man, aged 18-24. Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes lead the investigation, which seems to go nowhere really fast...
Weather typically (so I have found) plays a big role in this series, and here, it rains almost the entire time the story takes place, creating a hushed, gloomy atmosphere to be sure. Also, as usual, McBain gives us lots of misdirection. After investigating missing person files, they turn up a few potential matches to the guy the hand came from, so the detectives try to track these guys down but that leads to all kinds of other issues. As this installment is still early in the series, it tops out at just over 170 pages, so it makes for a quick read. Good pulpy fun! 3.5 rounding up!
Weather typically (so I have found) plays a big role in this series, and here, it rains almost the entire time the story takes place, creating a hushed, gloomy atmosphere to be sure. Also, as usual, McBain gives us lots of misdirection. After investigating missing person files, they turn up a few potential matches to the guy the hand came from, so the detectives try to track these guys down but that leads to all kinds of other issues. As this installment is still early in the series, it tops out at just over 170 pages, so it makes for a quick read. Good pulpy fun! 3.5 rounding up!
March 20, 2025
Book on CD performed by Dick Hill
First published in 1960, this is book number eleven in the 87th Precinct mystery series. During a downpour, a beat cop notices that a tote bag was left behind at a bus stop. He can’t get to the bus in time to stop it, so he opens the zipper case hoping to find identification. What he finds, though, is a severed hand.
McBain never mentions the city, though it seems to be a stand-in for New York. It’s a classic police procedural mystery that held my interest throughout. The detectives of the 87th precinct have their work cut out for them, but they pound the pavement looking for clues and suspects. McBain populates this unnamed city with a wide variety of colorful characters. There are several red herrings (both for the cops and for the reader), but the boys of the 87th precinct are nothing if not tenacious. They WILL get the guy or gal responsible.
I’ve read one of these books before, and thought I’d try another. I don’t think it’s necessary to read them in order (I certainly haven’t), and it may be difficult to find some of the older ones. The series began in 1956 with Cop Hater , and ended in 2005, when McBain died, with Fiddlers .
Dick Hill does a fine job of narrating the audio. His gruff voice is perfect for several of the precinct cops, and he even does a reasonable job of voicing the women.
First published in 1960, this is book number eleven in the 87th Precinct mystery series. During a downpour, a beat cop notices that a tote bag was left behind at a bus stop. He can’t get to the bus in time to stop it, so he opens the zipper case hoping to find identification. What he finds, though, is a severed hand.
McBain never mentions the city, though it seems to be a stand-in for New York. It’s a classic police procedural mystery that held my interest throughout. The detectives of the 87th precinct have their work cut out for them, but they pound the pavement looking for clues and suspects. McBain populates this unnamed city with a wide variety of colorful characters. There are several red herrings (both for the cops and for the reader), but the boys of the 87th precinct are nothing if not tenacious. They WILL get the guy or gal responsible.
I’ve read one of these books before, and thought I’d try another. I don’t think it’s necessary to read them in order (I certainly haven’t), and it may be difficult to find some of the older ones. The series began in 1956 with Cop Hater , and ended in 2005, when McBain died, with Fiddlers .
Dick Hill does a fine job of narrating the audio. His gruff voice is perfect for several of the precinct cops, and he even does a reasonable job of voicing the women.
May 25, 2017
Another great story of the 87th Precinct as Carella, Hawes and Kling follow the clues to the mystery of the severed hand found in an airline bag.
Quick, easy reads with a good plot and great description of the city at night.
I am really enjoying this series.
Quick, easy reads with a good plot and great description of the city at night.
I am really enjoying this series.
June 25, 2019
Chilling psychological ending!
June 15, 2014
It's always great to be back with the boys from the 87th Precinct even when McBain struggles to work a worthy plot line.Hapless beat cop Richard Genaro makes another grisly discovery in the form of a severed hand. McBain turns up the extreme weather (its raining constantly) while he scrambles to fit a story to the discarded appendage. Carella leads the investigation whilst Hawes attempts to charm the local Strippers. Kling adds support. Other than plot this one has Teddy and Carella moving into new digs with the newly born twins. The too brief inclusion of Frankie Hernandez as a Puerto Rican detective. And Carella resorts to violence in the squad room as local bad egg Detective Andy Parker crosses the racism line. It's far from the classic of the previous volume King's Ransom but still time well spent.
April 30, 2022
Ed McBain is one of the masters of the police procedural. His plots and writing style are crisp, the dialogue feels authentic and he gave us characters we can care about.
September 24, 2017
This case starts off when a patrolman finds a severed human hand in a bag. As the case develops the detectives have a hard time identifying the victim let alone the perpetrator. Some of the clues point to the same person for both roles.
A decent story and it wraps up in the end with a bit of a twist. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous book.
A decent story and it wraps up in the end with a bit of a twist. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous book.
December 16, 2018
A black-cloaked killer leaves a bag behind when disappearing onto a bus. Patrolman Richard Genero sees what happens and goes and opens said bag. The only thing in it is the hand of the title. A murder investigation takes place, using the reports of missing persons as that's about the only line of enquiry available.
I suppose that any series is going to have it's highs and lows. It also makes sense to say that the better a series is, the more enjoyable the lows will be, so it stands to reason that any of the 87th Precinct books are going to be worth reading even if they don't always hit the mark.
This one didn't really get me totally absorbed. I'm unable to put my finger on why. As much as anything, I suspect that it's because there's no serious development of any of the central characters.
The case itself goes like clockwork. Though the leads don't take them far in the early stages, they soon come together to help the detectives crack the case.
Notable in this one are some of the set pieces. Genero trying to get a warming Passover wine from a local tailor, Carella spoiling for a fight (and finding one) and an amusing visit to a high-brow clothes shop stood out for me. The ending also provides a terrific and bizarre finale that is hugely twisted and has been oft borrowed since.
More good stuff from McBain, but there are better vintages available.
I suppose that any series is going to have it's highs and lows. It also makes sense to say that the better a series is, the more enjoyable the lows will be, so it stands to reason that any of the 87th Precinct books are going to be worth reading even if they don't always hit the mark.
This one didn't really get me totally absorbed. I'm unable to put my finger on why. As much as anything, I suspect that it's because there's no serious development of any of the central characters.
The case itself goes like clockwork. Though the leads don't take them far in the early stages, they soon come together to help the detectives crack the case.
Notable in this one are some of the set pieces. Genero trying to get a warming Passover wine from a local tailor, Carella spoiling for a fight (and finding one) and an amusing visit to a high-brow clothes shop stood out for me. The ending also provides a terrific and bizarre finale that is hugely twisted and has been oft borrowed since.
More good stuff from McBain, but there are better vintages available.
January 24, 2025
★★★½
Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series never fails to transport me, and *Give the Boys a Great Big Hand* is no exception. From the opening pages, McBain hooks you in – and his city, with its grit and quirks, shines as much as the detectives themselves. I love how the setting becomes a character in its own right, evolving with each book and drawing you deeper into its world.
This mystery felt fresh and unique, keeping me engaged as it unfolded. The level of detail McBain brings to daily life, police work, and even the old-school tech of the 1950s creates an atmosphere that’s both vivid and comforting – like stepping into a classic black-and-white TV show. There's a real warmth in the nostalgia, and it’s the kind of series you come back to when you want something familiar but still sharp.
The pacing is spot-on, with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting without overloading the story. The characters feel real, too – flawed, human, and relatable. My only gripe is that sometimes the resolutions feel a little too tidy, but it’s a small nitpick in an otherwise enjoyable read.
Overall, this book – and the series as a whole – is like catching up with an old friend. Solid, reliable, and just a bit timeless.
Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series never fails to transport me, and *Give the Boys a Great Big Hand* is no exception. From the opening pages, McBain hooks you in – and his city, with its grit and quirks, shines as much as the detectives themselves. I love how the setting becomes a character in its own right, evolving with each book and drawing you deeper into its world.
This mystery felt fresh and unique, keeping me engaged as it unfolded. The level of detail McBain brings to daily life, police work, and even the old-school tech of the 1950s creates an atmosphere that’s both vivid and comforting – like stepping into a classic black-and-white TV show. There's a real warmth in the nostalgia, and it’s the kind of series you come back to when you want something familiar but still sharp.
The pacing is spot-on, with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting without overloading the story. The characters feel real, too – flawed, human, and relatable. My only gripe is that sometimes the resolutions feel a little too tidy, but it’s a small nitpick in an otherwise enjoyable read.
Overall, this book – and the series as a whole – is like catching up with an old friend. Solid, reliable, and just a bit timeless.
April 6, 2014
Another terrific book in the 87th Precinct series of police procedurals. This one's got a great title, a nifty play on the subject matter. All of McBain's stories are fun, but with an underlying level of seriousness that grounds them in reality.
October 30, 2017
The man in black gets on a bus leaving a small bag behind. The beat cop opens the bag and finds a human body part.
Thus begins one of the more intriguing cases that I have read thus far in my quest to read the 87th Precinct series from start to finish in order. This one has its share of rabbit trails along with a somewhat sophisticated conclusion that brings together a number of loose ends. And, I will admit, I did not see the case wrapping in the way it did. Somewhat more gruesome than the previous nine books.
Ed McBain’s writing is somewhat hit or miss. Some of these books are quite goo; others stink to high heaven. This one is not the best I’ve read, but it ain’t bad. In fact, if you just want to dip you r toe in the water, this is a pretty good book to do it with.
Thus begins one of the more intriguing cases that I have read thus far in my quest to read the 87th Precinct series from start to finish in order. This one has its share of rabbit trails along with a somewhat sophisticated conclusion that brings together a number of loose ends. And, I will admit, I did not see the case wrapping in the way it did. Somewhat more gruesome than the previous nine books.
Ed McBain’s writing is somewhat hit or miss. Some of these books are quite goo; others stink to high heaven. This one is not the best I’ve read, but it ain’t bad. In fact, if you just want to dip you r toe in the water, this is a pretty good book to do it with.
December 4, 2015
11 books into the series McBain is getting more philosophical. The last book explores money and class and this one talks more deeply about city life itself. Thankfully it's been several books without putting the wife of hero Steve Carella in peril after leaning on that device often in the first half dozen or more books.
This time a beat cop finds a bag left on a street corner and discovers a severed hand inside. With nothing else to go on the cops lean heavily on the lab for any clue the hand might contain. The series has always been interesting in explaining lab techniques but this encounter is the best so far in the series. How he determines the age and size of the person was more than I thought was possible for crime labs 50+ years ago.
Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes take the lead here although Bert Kling is back and there is much about his amorous adventures with the fiancee that wants a Master's Degree rather than marriage. Because this is a series book that may be read out of order we don't typically meet Meyer Meyer without getting the backstory on his name or Cotton Hawes without an explanation of either his name or the white streak in his hair.
The book has a humorous passage explaining what makes pretty Irish girls so intriguing but it mistakenly gives credit for the movie The Quiet Man (1952) to John Huston instead of John Ford. I don't know if this has been corrected by later editions or if the mistake has stood for the 55 years.
I've been reading these at a pretty steady pace and I think what makes them work again and again is that the actual mystery is not as interesting as the process of investigation and personal traits and habits of the detectives.
This time a beat cop finds a bag left on a street corner and discovers a severed hand inside. With nothing else to go on the cops lean heavily on the lab for any clue the hand might contain. The series has always been interesting in explaining lab techniques but this encounter is the best so far in the series. How he determines the age and size of the person was more than I thought was possible for crime labs 50+ years ago.
Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes take the lead here although Bert Kling is back and there is much about his amorous adventures with the fiancee that wants a Master's Degree rather than marriage. Because this is a series book that may be read out of order we don't typically meet Meyer Meyer without getting the backstory on his name or Cotton Hawes without an explanation of either his name or the white streak in his hair.
The book has a humorous passage explaining what makes pretty Irish girls so intriguing but it mistakenly gives credit for the movie The Quiet Man (1952) to John Huston instead of John Ford. I don't know if this has been corrected by later editions or if the mistake has stood for the 55 years.
I've been reading these at a pretty steady pace and I think what makes them work again and again is that the actual mystery is not as interesting as the process of investigation and personal traits and habits of the detectives.
May 23, 2020
Typically, these 87th precinct books start off with a monologue about the city, or the weather, or something that seems like it would be suitable for a TV opening.
This time, we get right to the crime, but then things meander quite a bit. There are a few things that seem like they don't go together at all, like surely the detectives were grasping at straws.
Even Steve Carella was grumpy, and thought so. It was actually pretty clever when everything did come together, and didn't seem a random coincidence as such things sometimes do, but actually made sense in a logical (though very sad) way.
This time, we get right to the crime, but then things meander quite a bit. There are a few things that seem like they don't go together at all, like surely the detectives were grasping at straws.
Even Steve Carella was grumpy, and thought so. It was actually pretty clever when everything did come together, and didn't seem a random coincidence as such things sometimes do, but actually made sense in a logical (though very sad) way.
March 1, 2017
finished this one lastnight, the 28th of february. good read. i really liked it. quite the mystery. and another mcbain. surprised there are so few (relatively) reviews...what was the number? 46? give or take. anyway, an entertaining story. onward and upward.
June 19, 2025
A killer leaves a gruesome calling card, the hand of a murdered victim, at a bus stop in an otherwise empty bag. An Isola city patrolman finds the bag and now the detectives of the 87th Precinct are on the case.
Where "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" (1960) starts with what might seem to be a pretty standard cop procedural, both for regular readers of the 87th Precinct novels or just crime fiction readers in general, it excels in its tremendous highs and lows as it moves along. As McBain's perfect pacing and storyline proceeds, we visit the witty, smart and dry-humorous cop banter, the pathologist's facts-only scientific examination of the hand and empty bag, the families of recent missing persons inquiries who have their own secrets and concerns, and then a devastating low before the halfway mark when the most depressing and downtrodden of criminals, a middle-aged and shamelessly vulnerable bad mom named Martha Livingstone, is interrogated by these street heroes trying to find the truth.
As the case progresses and more facts roll in, Detectives Steve Carella, Cotton Hawes, and Meyer Meyer close in on the potential victim and culprit and there's an ending I didn't see coming.
Verdict: In spite of its really stupid title, "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" has a good mix of levity and tension beyond what we've seen in the 87th Precinct novels so far and shows McBain getting better at the series with this, a smartly-paced police procedural. Can't wait to read the next one.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
Where "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" (1960) starts with what might seem to be a pretty standard cop procedural, both for regular readers of the 87th Precinct novels or just crime fiction readers in general, it excels in its tremendous highs and lows as it moves along. As McBain's perfect pacing and storyline proceeds, we visit the witty, smart and dry-humorous cop banter, the pathologist's facts-only scientific examination of the hand and empty bag, the families of recent missing persons inquiries who have their own secrets and concerns, and then a devastating low before the halfway mark when the most depressing and downtrodden of criminals, a middle-aged and shamelessly vulnerable bad mom named Martha Livingstone, is interrogated by these street heroes trying to find the truth.
As the case progresses and more facts roll in, Detectives Steve Carella, Cotton Hawes, and Meyer Meyer close in on the potential victim and culprit and there's an ending I didn't see coming.
Verdict: In spite of its really stupid title, "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" has a good mix of levity and tension beyond what we've seen in the 87th Precinct novels so far and shows McBain getting better at the series with this, a smartly-paced police procedural. Can't wait to read the next one.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
July 4, 2017
Despite having been written in 1960, the story is still an entertaining one, complete with simply the best dialogue in the game. McBain's 87th Precinct series, featuring a slew of engaging detectives (Carella and Hawes are featured here), delivers consistently high quality police procedurals / murder mysteries with just the right balance of humor and grizzly details. McBain has the ability to draw up characters that jump off the pages and while reading through their conversations, one easily slips into the belief that he/she is actually there, "on location," as if a fly on the wall.
If you can overlook some of the date-bound limitations (1960's social norms, technology, etc.), this story is even better. And the kicker-- it's not even one of the best of the breed. There are other entries in the series that are superior in both plot complexity and depth of characters, but this one is a great quick read-- get your feet wet if you like, or if you're already a committed fan, just enjoy the addition.
If you can overlook some of the date-bound limitations (1960's social norms, technology, etc.), this story is even better. And the kicker-- it's not even one of the best of the breed. There are other entries in the series that are superior in both plot complexity and depth of characters, but this one is a great quick read-- get your feet wet if you like, or if you're already a committed fan, just enjoy the addition.
February 15, 2020
Hele. Jedenáctá kniha z 87 revíru... a asi první, kterou bych označil za klasickou policejní detektivku. Na začátku máte tašku s uříznutou rukou a tudíž zbývá už jen najít zbytek těla. Což nebude taková legrace, protože chlápků s rukama jako lopata se poslední dobou ztratilo pár. Takže je nutné obrážet jejich manželky a přítelkyně a pokusit se zjistit, jestli je to některý z nich.
Vážně mám pocit, že tohle je zatím nejkonzervativnější z dílů. Fakt je tu nějaké policejní pátrání... a dokonce to ani nevyřeší Carellova manželka či nezasáhne náhoda. Zase na druhou stranu není ani časový press či jiný tlak, takže se prostě v klidu obchází, dokud se něco nenajde. V tomhle díle už začínají více kynout McBainovy básnické popisy, "město bylo jako...", které mě obvykle spíš otravovaly. Už vzhledem k tomu, že jsem měl pocit, že v Isole buď pořád prší, sněží, nebo je děsný horko. Ale pořád jsou tu dobré dialogy... což si mohl McBain užít díky spoustě rozhovorů a výslechů.
Vážně mám pocit, že tohle je zatím nejkonzervativnější z dílů. Fakt je tu nějaké policejní pátrání... a dokonce to ani nevyřeší Carellova manželka či nezasáhne náhoda. Zase na druhou stranu není ani časový press či jiný tlak, takže se prostě v klidu obchází, dokud se něco nenajde. V tomhle díle už začínají více kynout McBainovy básnické popisy, "město bylo jako...", které mě obvykle spíš otravovaly. Už vzhledem k tomu, že jsem měl pocit, že v Isole buď pořád prší, sněží, nebo je děsný horko. Ale pořád jsou tu dobré dialogy... což si mohl McBain užít díky spoustě rozhovorů a výslechů.
January 25, 2020
This is the 11th Book in the series and much I have said in the previous 10 reviews still applies to I will deal with those points in brief. They are all positive.
The writing is still very sharp and very good
The Plot is sharp, focused and brilliant
It is a single tale that is concluded quickly
I still love the fact that because it is set in the 50s there has to be proper long form detective work.
It amazes me the author was writing 2-3 of these a year and they are this much fun
Its a quick fund read.
I like all of the characters
For this one the plot has a great twist at the end. The only other comment I would make is the title. I am not a fan of it. Its basically a poor quality pun / joke. It just doesn't fit the tone of the series or the book in my mind.
That's not a huge issue however. The book is a fantastic read and I am going to continue to work through the series.
The writing is still very sharp and very good
The Plot is sharp, focused and brilliant
It is a single tale that is concluded quickly
I still love the fact that because it is set in the 50s there has to be proper long form detective work.
It amazes me the author was writing 2-3 of these a year and they are this much fun
Its a quick fund read.
I like all of the characters
For this one the plot has a great twist at the end. The only other comment I would make is the title. I am not a fan of it. Its basically a poor quality pun / joke. It just doesn't fit the tone of the series or the book in my mind.
That's not a huge issue however. The book is a fantastic read and I am going to continue to work through the series.
July 24, 2022
Let's hope no one on the US Supreme court reads this, because they might find a old law to reintroduce:
But Cronin had a few other things to worry about. By his own admission, he and Martha Livingston had lit a few sticks before hopping into bed together and Section 2010 of the Penal Law quite bluntly stated: “Perpetration of an act of intercourse with a female not one’s wife who is under the influence of narcotics is punishable by an indeterminate sentence of one day to life or a maximum of twenty years.”
But Cronin had a few other things to worry about. By his own admission, he and Martha Livingston had lit a few sticks before hopping into bed together and Section 2010 of the Penal Law quite bluntly stated: “Perpetration of an act of intercourse with a female not one’s wife who is under the influence of narcotics is punishable by an indeterminate sentence of one day to life or a maximum of twenty years.”
December 2, 2018
Another solid entry in the series. I remembered nothing of this one but the title. It's got all the trademark stuff - it's naturalistic, full of believable characters, full of equal parts cynical realism and a humanity that makes your heart ache. The view of women in this one was particularly noticeable in its datedness, but on that account McBain is occasionally jokey and crude, but never leering or demeaning. He's also self-aware enough to give the most emotionally devastating scene (imo, an early one) to a minor female character, an overweight, aggressive alcoholic.
Rated 3 as a stand alone in comparison to the others, rated 5 for the series as a whole.
Rated 3 as a stand alone in comparison to the others, rated 5 for the series as a whole.
May 19, 2017
A very clever entry in this well crafted series.
July 18, 2025
A killer is leaving severed hands all over town, and Carella and Company have to find the perp.
I feel like McBain was still trying to find his way with this series.
I feel like McBain was still trying to find his way with this series.
February 2, 2014
Dear Mr McBain,
First I want you to know how saddened I was by your death several years ago and secondly to thank you for not allowing some other author to "buy" your series and continue to write as you. It's never the same and I would prefer a finite number of 87 Precient novels that are good solid mysteries with interesting characters. I started reading you in the 70's and have probably read almost everything you wrote but one advantage of getting older is that you don't always remember the plots of a book you read 20 or 30 years ago. And so when I'm in need of a mystery that I can count on, I reread one of yours and it's like a visit with old friends--Steve, Cotton, Meyer Meyer, Bert and the rest of the gang. It's also a nice history lesson in police investigations--things have changed since you started writing this series in the 50's. Sure, I like some of your mysteries better than others but they always readable and always come together in the end. Give The Boys a Great Big Hand was classic McBain--some disparate police calls actually are all linked together--it just takes the detectives of the 87th a little bit to tie it all together and arrest their man. So, even though you aren't here to write new books--I thank you for the old ones and the fact that you will remain the one and only Ed McBain.
First I want you to know how saddened I was by your death several years ago and secondly to thank you for not allowing some other author to "buy" your series and continue to write as you. It's never the same and I would prefer a finite number of 87 Precient novels that are good solid mysteries with interesting characters. I started reading you in the 70's and have probably read almost everything you wrote but one advantage of getting older is that you don't always remember the plots of a book you read 20 or 30 years ago. And so when I'm in need of a mystery that I can count on, I reread one of yours and it's like a visit with old friends--Steve, Cotton, Meyer Meyer, Bert and the rest of the gang. It's also a nice history lesson in police investigations--things have changed since you started writing this series in the 50's. Sure, I like some of your mysteries better than others but they always readable and always come together in the end. Give The Boys a Great Big Hand was classic McBain--some disparate police calls actually are all linked together--it just takes the detectives of the 87th a little bit to tie it all together and arrest their man. So, even though you aren't here to write new books--I thank you for the old ones and the fact that you will remain the one and only Ed McBain.
October 2, 2007
GIVE THE BOYS A GREAT BIG HAND (Pol. Proc- 87th Precinct-Fic. City-Cont) – Ex
McBain, Ed – 11th in series
Simon and Schuster, 1960, US Hardcover – Lib. of Congress Card No: 60-6103
First Sentence: It was raining.
*** On a rainy Marcy day in Isola, Patrolman Richard Genero sees someone all dressed in black board a bus but leave behind an airline tote bag. What Genero doesn’t expect is that the bag contains the large severed hand of an adult male. Now it’s up the “boys” of 87th Precinct to identify both the victim and the killer.
*** There is something wonderful about reading the Ed McBain books. His descriptions are unparallel: “It had been raining for three days now, an ugly March rain that washed the brilliance of near-spring with monochromatic, unrelenting grey.” His characters are great; the members of the 87th are real and imperfect. The dialogue is among the best there is. The plots are tight and twisty; I can never predict where they are going. It’s fun to read a story where men wore hats, women usually wore dresses, there were no cell phones or DNA matches, and references are made to Debbie Reynolds and a man having an Ernie Kovack’s mustache. If you’re looking for a special treat, read McBain.
McBain, Ed – 11th in series
Simon and Schuster, 1960, US Hardcover – Lib. of Congress Card No: 60-6103
First Sentence: It was raining.
*** On a rainy Marcy day in Isola, Patrolman Richard Genero sees someone all dressed in black board a bus but leave behind an airline tote bag. What Genero doesn’t expect is that the bag contains the large severed hand of an adult male. Now it’s up the “boys” of 87th Precinct to identify both the victim and the killer.
*** There is something wonderful about reading the Ed McBain books. His descriptions are unparallel: “It had been raining for three days now, an ugly March rain that washed the brilliance of near-spring with monochromatic, unrelenting grey.” His characters are great; the members of the 87th are real and imperfect. The dialogue is among the best there is. The plots are tight and twisty; I can never predict where they are going. It’s fun to read a story where men wore hats, women usually wore dresses, there were no cell phones or DNA matches, and references are made to Debbie Reynolds and a man having an Ernie Kovack’s mustache. If you’re looking for a special treat, read McBain.
February 1, 2022
I know this is the 11th installment of the 87th Precinct series, not the 1st, but it felt amateurish compared to all the others. The dialog was awful, with a steady stream of repeated lines from one character after another. I hope as McBain went forward he dropped this technique, or at least cut it way back.
The mystery was fine; detectives Carella, Hawes and Kling are chasing down first one unattached human hand and then another. As always the police work was straight forward, and interesting, but the book seemed to put too much emphasis on non-related issues, enough so as I noticed and kept thinking "get on with it already".
If you feel a need to complete the cannon ok, but otherwise pick one of the many much better McBain efforts.
The mystery was fine; detectives Carella, Hawes and Kling are chasing down first one unattached human hand and then another. As always the police work was straight forward, and interesting, but the book seemed to put too much emphasis on non-related issues, enough so as I noticed and kept thinking "get on with it already".
If you feel a need to complete the cannon ok, but otherwise pick one of the many much better McBain efforts.
December 9, 2012
Gli uomini dell'87° si trovano a dover fronteggiare una situazione davvero singolare.
Carella e i suoi avranno il loro bel da fare per risolvere l'intricato rompicapo che si cela dietro il ritrovamento di una mano umana.
Un puzzle dove i pezzi acccuratamente scelti vanno uno ad uno al loro posto, regolari come un orologio svizzero.
Grandi i dialoghi di McBain che lasciano come sempre senza fiato.
Magnifica la descrizione che l'autore fa della città alle 17.00 del pomeriggio in alcune pagine in cui si concede una pausa dal "giallo".
Carella e i suoi avranno il loro bel da fare per risolvere l'intricato rompicapo che si cela dietro il ritrovamento di una mano umana.
Un puzzle dove i pezzi acccuratamente scelti vanno uno ad uno al loro posto, regolari come un orologio svizzero.
Grandi i dialoghi di McBain che lasciano come sempre senza fiato.
Magnifica la descrizione che l'autore fa della città alle 17.00 del pomeriggio in alcune pagine in cui si concede una pausa dal "giallo".
April 26, 2013
This is a solid entry into the 87th Precinct series. But I found myself drifting and wanting to hurry through it. It could be the ill-conceived title. I think that was a burr in my saddle for the whole book. It was fun to have some actual dismembered hands show up, and I am taken aback at the snapshot of the world McBain provides in his books. It somehow seems so innocent. But I really appreciate how some officers are having sex and some are in relationships and it's not judgmental at all - just an observation.
April 7, 2015
Possible spoiler? It could have been called "A Rose for McBain-ily" McBain's dark humor is in full effect in this one starting with the title. When the titular big hand shows up, Carella and the boys have to piece together a mystery with less evidence than you can count on...well, one hand. After "King's Ransom" (with it's shoe-company-stock-plotline) this entry gets back to the roots of the series, delivering a fast-paced, tightly-plotted mystery that kept me reading.
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