The Last Best Hope

Matthew Hope #13

by Ed McBain

Leggy Jill Lawton sits in Matthew Hope’s law office, hoping he can help her acquire a divorce. There are just two first, Hope is a criminal attorney, and second, Mr. Lawton has vanished. Jill wants Hope and his crew to track down her husband’s whereabouts so she can get on with her new life. But when a body washes up with a bullet hole for a face and Jack Lawton’s driver’s license in its pocket, it appears the case is closed…except the victim is not Jill Lawton’s missing husband.

Now Hope must team up with the 87th Precinct’s Detective Steve Carella to ID the dead man and hunt down a deadbeat. What the two discover is an underworld of theft, lies, murder, and kink—where all the players have something, or someone, to hide.

Bringing together two of Ed McBain’s most engaging characters, The Last Best Hope is a pulse-pounding ride that brings the Matthew Hope series to a twisted conclusion.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Detective, Mystery Thriller

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

"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.

Reviews

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

McBain, pseudonym for Evan Hunter and author of The Blackboard Jungle, writes a series of novels featuring Matthew Hope, a Florida lawyer, in addition to his regular and quite good 87th Precinct police procedurals. The 87th Precinct is not entirely absent from this novel, because Matthew calls them to help discover the whereabouts of Jack Laughton. Jill, Jack's wife, has hired Matthew to find him, ostensibly because she wants to complete divorce proceedings. Matthew soon discovers that Jack's disappearance may be linked to the murder of an Ernest Corrington, an ex-convict with a felony burglary record.

Jack had been sharing an apartment with Corrington in New York. As Detective Steve Corella continues to investigate Jack for Matthew in New York, it emerges that Ernest and Jack had been involved with a girl named Holly Sinclair, but whose real name is Melaney Schwartz and that Melaney had been involved in a menage-à-trois with Jack and Jill in Florida. It seems she had traveled down there to propose a double-cross to Jill. Jack and his friends had planned to steal a rare Greek cup. What made this cup so valuable was that it was in the style and location of cups kept after having been used to administer hemlock to state criminals in Athens, and this particular cup had Ee5 inscribed on the bottom, making it valuable indeed. Melaney plans to conspire with Jill to steal the cup from Jack after he has stolen it from the museum in Florida where it is to be displayed. A Greek magnate has offered to pay $2.5 million for the cup.

The novel really picks up speed as we are treated to the convergence of each actor in this drama. Matthew and his girlfriend Patty, who announces that she wants to marry someone else, and his ex-wife Susan, who announces that she'd really like to get back together with Matthew, are at the opening of the show at the museum where Jack and two confederates are hidden in the basement after having killed the two outside security guards, intending to steal the cup before it can be locked in the vault. Jill, in the meantime, has shaken a couple of cops who had been tailing her, but decides to confront another person who is following her as she is on her way to kill Jack and to steal the cup from him. The other person tailing her was Denafrio, who also wants to kill Jack because Jack had taken up with Melaney, his former girlfriend, and he thinks that Jack might have killed Melaney. He doesn't know that Melaney has already been killed by Jill, who wants the proceeds of the sale of the cup all for herself. Got that? McBain's writing in this series is much more satirical and humorous. The scene where Jill and Denafrio are waiting for the boat to arrive to pick up Jack is very funny. He's talking about his first name, Peter, which he thinks is really important, it being the name of a saint and all. Jill then mentions all the other things it has been associated with and tells him that in England women knit "willie warmers" for Christmas. Matthew, somewhat drunk and washing his hands in the bathroom, remembers a study that showed that 60% of men don't wash their hands before leaving the bathroom so he swears he'll never shake hands with men again. He's also sure that hand-drying-blowers were invented by the same Nazi scientist who invented panty hose.

[Wishbear · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Ed McBain but this one....it was just Ugh. The story jumped all over from perspective to perspective and sometimes you were current day and sometimes you were in last October and suddenly these two characters were in bed together and there was no lead in. It was just jumbled and disjointed. It was a real struggle to get finished. I originally gave this book 2 stars but really, for me, it only deserves 1 and that hurts most of all.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was an interesting mash-up between the Mathew Hope series and the 87th Precinct series or, more accurately, between Steve Carella of the 87th squad and Mathew Hope.

Ed McBain seemed particularly liberal in his use of superfluous padding in this one, despite having a pretty neat plot that needed no such help. Nevertheless, there’s plenty to like here, even without the famed Det. 2nd Grade, Carella. Still, it’s always a pleasure to spend some time with him and he manages to befriend and aid Hope via telephone, striking up a surprising friendship with the Calusa based lawyer.

The characters in this book all seemed rather randy, and I’ve noticed that in general, the Mathew Hope books strike a much more “adult” chord than those of the 87th Precinct series. It’s not offensively raunchy, but it does raise an eyebrow (and perhaps a grin) now and again.

I could have done without the fluff “padding” that seems so pervasive in this series, but the last quarter of the book, accelerating towards the ending, balanced it all out in the wash. So, four stars, generously awarded, for what I suppose is / was the final installment in the series. A fun diversion by an author I truly enjoy, and fans of his could do worse than to peruse any of these books.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

another from mcbain. good story. i liked it. a solid 3.5 stars. the plot can be difficult to follow, the switches back and forth in time. the early murder first few pages is played out late in the story, as is another. pays to keep track of just where the action is taking place...florida...new york. hope enlists the aid of steve carella up in the 87th precinct, new york. would pay to keep track of jill, the wife of the missing man. a reader could almost come away with the idea that one is being played. jill...no last names used...hmmm. there is only one jill in the story, what i'm saying. mcbain's stories, the dialogue is nice...even great...thinkin they read almost like a play being performed. cop drama on tee-vee...so a playbill would be nice, cast of characters. amazing, isn't it, all these reviews here, and how often do you pick up a story and no clue who the characters are therein? or locale? seems like that should be a given. why it isn't is beyond me. spoilers? shakespeare's plays had a cast of characters...don't believe that ever hurt attendance. anyway, good story. good read.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#13 in the Matthew Hope series. The final entry in the P.I. Matthew Hope series has Hope contacting 87th Precinct Detective Steve Carella, of author McBain's other notable series.

"Matthew Hope novel - In Florida, Jill Lawton hires private investigator Matthew Hope to locate her missing spouse, Jack. Nine months ago, Jack left Jill to looking for work as a graphic designer in the north. He never came back to Jill, who assumes that he abandoned her. She wants to find him, divorce him, and collect alimony from him. Matthew follows Jack's trail which takes him to New York's 87th precinct. Matthew enlists the help of detective Steve Carella, but soon learns that Jack is apparently dead. However, Matthew has uncovered some discrepancies in the man's death that leads him back to his own hometown of Calusa. The local museum is about to unveil a Greek antiquity that has the attention of several folks, which may or may not include Jack. It is up to Matthew to thwart a robbery and uncover motives and identities without being killed during the climatic melee.
"

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the Matthew Hope series see our Florida lawyer instructed to find a missing husband thought to be ‘up north’ and in the process links up with Steve Carella from the 87th Precinct. A complex plan for a heist emerges with murder along the way. My 75th McBain book! Well written as usual.

[Mark Lisac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly fun, and a fast and easy read. One of the most technically polished books I've ever rated at only 3 stars. It's a mystery/police procedural with comic touches — and can be described as a two-or-three notches darker version of a Carl Hiassen story. But Hiassen uses his Florida novels for satirical purposes; McBain (a pseudonym) used this one for pure entertainment. The problem is that the entertainment relies on a steady rhythm of sex and occasionally brutal violence, set against a backdrop of eye-winking irony (McBain/Hunter/Lombino even worked in joking references to himself and some of his written output). There's only so much repeated kinkiness and only so many very bad gunshot wounds that you can take as humorous. That said, if I ever rent a beach cottage I may look to see whether someone has left a McBain paperback lying around, because it would probably be a diverting guilty pleasure on a cloudy day.
Also: the book provided the only joke (a raunchy one) I've ever encountered featuring a play on the word "Saskatchewan"; and it introduced me to the fact that the sporting term "hat trick" originated with cricket in the 1800s and not with hockey in the 1900s.

[Anthony Policastro · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Edward McBain’s The Last Best Hope, all the elements of a mystery/detective story come together rather perfectly. Matthew Hope is a lawyer in Calusa, Florida, where he is hired by Jill Lawton to find her husband, Jack, who had disappeared. What starts out to be a story about tracking down the wayward husband, it soon turns into a tangled story of sex and murder, centering on the theft of a plain terra cotta cup on exhibit at the Casa De Pedro Museum. It’s an ancient cup, supposedly the one from which Socrates drank hemlock. It’s an extremely valuable artifact and a Greek tycoon is willing to pay millions to possess it. The plot thickens after several characters – Melanie Schwartz and Ernest Corrington - are murdered. Nevertheless, Hope unravels the murder with the help of Steve Carella of the 87th precinct. The Last Best Hope is an interesting and entertaining read and one that I highly recommend.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I've given at least 4 stars to every Matthew Hope book that I've read from Ed McBain, but this one just wasn't very good. It's the last in the series, and makes a connection to the 87th precinct series, but it jumps around far too much, shifts wildly between characters without centering the reader, and just generally does a poor job of maintaining clarity. I ended up mostly scanning the last half and was essentially only interested in the Matthew Hope sections, although they weren't tied together at the end either. I can't recommend this one except for completists for the Matthew Hope series. The earlier ones are dynamite.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I managed to finish reading this book but was ready to walk from it by the half way point. I realize the book reviews have giving it a four star but, to me, this book was majorly disappointing. The characters were well developed in the first portion of book. It seemed from that point forward, everything was disjointed. The storyline did not flow and at times I was ready to give up for it.

Having finished it, I will never read another from this author.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

First McBain book to read. Liked it and would probably read more if I found them. Quick and easy reading although I didn't particularly care for the way the book ended. Loose ends dangling. Still would like to read some more of his to have a comparison. If you like mystery and murder with a bit of suspense, this is a read for you.

[Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I learned I don't care to listen to audio books read by a man who tries to sound like a woman when speaking a woman's dialogue.

[Ronnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Something here spelled danger, and it wasn't merely the voracious looks that flashed like tiger eyes in a jungle night."

You eventually get the sense that McBain wrote this one mainly to amuse himself, and parts of it definitely are amusing, but the harebrained heist at the center of the plot involving the cup from which Socrates might've drunk his fatal draught is, at best, scattered and finally just falls apart. Along the way, he features multiple menages a trois, a pretty funny penis joke, and a lot of what seems mere filler on subjects such as alarm wiring systems and getaway boats. The book's timeline is regularly haphazard or, at best, quirky, with scenes written in the present tense just dropped in without warning yet starring characters who've already been found dead a week ago. Easily the best part of it all is the long-distance friendship formed between attorney Matthew Hope down in balmy Calusa in southwest Florida and detective Steve Carella up in snowy NY's 87th Precinct as they work together by phone in their different climes, trying to piece things together though never meeting.

First line:
"Occasionally, Florida could be glorious in January."

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of Ed McBain's snappy police novels featuring his well-honed brands of humor, cynicism, and characters in over their heads. Florida is 'The Last Best Hope's' primary setting, with occasional jumps to the parallel, unofficial investigation underway in McBain's familiar 87th Precinct. And just as Alfred Hitchcock fans look forward to spotting his cameo appearances in his movies, McBain readers watch for his sardonic allusions to the screenwriter of Hitchcock's 'The Birds,' none other than McBain himself. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Regan MacArthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a great heist story lurking inside this exceptionally mediocre mystery novel. Too bad it didn't get out. Oh, yeah, there's a crossover gimmick with Carella from the 87th Precinct series but it goes pretty much nowhere. I keep coming back to the Matthew Hope series because it's written by Ed McBain after all and I keep being massively disappointed. Hell, I'm probably going to end up reading them all eventually. Is there a pill I can take for this condition?

[Meredith Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a thin book, and not my usual genre, but I like a good murder mystery now and again. The only thing really keeping me engaged here was that it took place in Florida so I could picture where the events were taking place. The main characters mostly annoyed me so I wasn’t terribly invested in what was happening to them. I doubt I’ll read more by this author.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art museum heist

Traveling art and traveling bandits. Betrayals and strange relationships make for even stranger bed partners. Missing the end of the story. Did the hero get the girl?

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this a very sad picture of human beings being stupid and rotten. Did not like it at all. And way too much dwelling on what was probably very “edgy” at the time it was written - the sexual relationships between some of the characters. Just not that much good in this book.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but the final Matthew Hope novel was disappointing. It was partially redeemed by crossing over with Steve Carella and the 87th Precinct crew, but Hope was almost an ancillary character in the story, and his personal relationships were left unresolved.

[Timothy F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carella and Hope

A fitting end to the Mathew Hope series of books has Steve Carella from the 87th Precinct stories join the cast for this final book. It is twisted and sweet to see Ed McBain’s two series hero’s interact as they bid us adieu.

[Kryptonian Fletch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only three of the four words in the title are accuate

[Abby Herzog · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent plot but overall fell pretty flat for me. A lot of what happened seemed a bit incredulous.

[Julien · Rating 3 out of 5]

So gay, yet so homophobic...

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite McBain. The usual great dialogue, but too many semi-extraneous characters, many of whom have more than one name. The plot was nebulous, at best.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author. Even though I had no background, the book was fine as a stand-alone. I loved the humor in it, and the mystery I could understand easily.

[Vincent Darkhelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final Matthew Hope novel. McBain is obviously running out of steam by this point. But I still enjoyed it.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

For failing to “resonate”, we gave a mere two stars to the two prior McBain novels we read – both from his very long-running 87th Precinct series. However, “Last Best Hope” is a Mathew Hope tale billed by the author as a “comic mystery”, the final entry in that 13-book set; and with much of the zany action set in Florida, it reminded us of a Carl Hiaasen farce. The story involves a hazy plan to steal from a museum the cup in which Socrates supposedly imbibed the poison that killed him, worth a cool couple of million dollars.

After Jill’s husband Jack disappears, she hires Hope to find him so that she can settle a divorce. Meanwhile, Jack is involved in a threesome in NYC with another scoundrel Ernest and a girl named Holly; some 87th precinct guys help rat some of that out. Interestingly, Holly had been in a threesome with Jack and Jill in Florida, so you already see where this is all headed. Along the line some “professional” crooks are hired to help the amateurs steal the mug, but after a few murderous double crosses, the mug does indeed get taken – but by whom and to what end?

Obviously this was a light and quick-reading affair, none of which need be taken too seriously. Whether the unexpected ending will satisfy all is debatable, but in some respects, it served everybody right! So – not great, but good enough for a couple or three hours of diversion …

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Gush Alert* I love Ed McBain and Evan Hunter. No one, in my view, does what McBain does better than he does it. His 87th Precinct police procedurals are stellar; his Matthew Hope series is excellent. The Last Best Hope is one of the best of the best. I mean, who else but McBain could take the cup from which Socrates may have taken his last "baneful dollop", combine it with "shmutz", two of the best characters ever to grace crime fiction, and a convoluted plot that certainly holds up competitively with the best of Elmore Leonard? I love McBain's pop culture references, although I do admit you have to be of a certain age to get them. I 'd highly recommend any of McBain's books because I never read one I didn't like. I'd also recommend his Evan Hunter books, although they are darker than the McBain novels. Although this book is not the first in the Matthew Hope series, I didn't find it to be difficult to follow, so it could be a stand alone novel. Maybe once a reader tries this one, (s)he will be interested in reading more of this very gifted author.
RIP Salvator Albert Lombino. You are sadly missed.

[Janette]

If you read this book, don't listen to the audio. It jumps around from character to character and it also jumps around in time. I had a hard time following it because there isn't a clear break in the audio that lets you know you just went back in time. And then the author started throwing in threesomes and there's only so much of that I want to fast forward through, so I stopped reading. I like my novels cleaner.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last in the fairy tale series of Attorney Matthew Hope and his foray into criminal law after spending years on general law. Jill Lawton originally made an appointment to meet with Matthew on a matter of filing for divorce from a husband who has disappeared. Then bodies begin turning up, the first believed to be Jack Lawson, her missing husband. It's not. So who is he? And where is Jack and why are these others turning up? A good beach read.