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The Gutter and the Grave: A Hard Case Crime Novel
Detective Matt Cordell was happily married once, and gainfully employed, and sober. But that was before he caught his wife cheating on him with one of his operatives and took it out on the man with the butt end of a .45. Now Matt makes his home on the streets of New York and his only companions are the city's bartenders. But trouble still knows how to find him, and when Johnny Bridges shows up from the old neighborhood, begging for Matt's help, Cordell finds himself drawn into a case full of beautiful women and bloody murder.
It's just like the old days - only this time, when the beatings come, he may wind up on the receiving end.
It's just like the old days - only this time, when the beatings come, he may wind up on the receiving end.
Audible Audio
First published October 1, 1958
82 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Ed McBain
706 books666 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 207 reviews
April 3, 2023
I’m so glad this wasn’t bad. I’d previously read two early Evan Hunter novels (also reprinted under the Ed McBain pseudonym) and while I could not tell you a single detail of either, I remember my impressions clearly. Death of a Nurse was bad and Vanishing Ladies was not much better. I have no idea how much reworking this novel underwent before this modern-day publication, but I suspect some, as Hunter rededicated the book to his then-current wife. If so, thank you. I’m glad, for whatever reason, that The Gutter and the Grave is not bad.
But is it good? It’s not great. And understandable when you stop to consider the question of how much time do you want to dedicate to an earlier, less refined work? Particularly when you take into account Hunter’s various health issues. He’d had three heart attacks between 1989 and 1997. By 2000 he had decided to cut back his work schedule, and with a 2002 diagnosis of throat cancer, he then had to work around--and at times in spite of--treatments. I can’t believe he did anything more than a line edit before turning it over to Hard Case Crime. Hunter had to focus his energy on his current projects. Hard Case would eventually publish this novel posthumously in 2005.
The Gutter and the Grave features Matt Cordell, who is a drunk. He tells you that within two sentences. A publicly-disgraced ex-private detective, he is sitting on a city park bench when an old neighborhood friend seeks him out. Someone is regularly stealing small amounts of money from the register of Johnny Bridges’ tailor shop. He can’t afford to hire a real detective but he is hoping Cordell could help. When they return to the business together they find Johnny’s partner murdered. As often happens in these type of stories, Cordell has to find the killer before the police hang the murder on him.
Other expectations of the form promptly arrive, often stretching credibility. Every gorgeous woman Cordell meets falls for him, or at least falls enough to initiate sex. And just about every stranger he meets remembers reading about his fall from grace in the newspapers. Granted, pistol-whipping half to death the man you caught in bed with your wife is sensational, particularly back when newspapers were the nation’s primary news source. But to recognize his name five years later? And, finally, the police drift in and out of the story just enough to fulfill their usual duel role, fluctuating between issuing threats and providing assistance.
So is it good? The positives included an interesting look at life in late-1950s New York City. The drawbacks include seeing all the answers long before Cordell gets anywhere near them. But I think a part of that was probably intentional. This was never meant to be high art. For the author’s target audience, I think the trip was more important that the destination. And therein lay my answer. Since there will be no more Ed McBain novels, it’s good enough.
But is it good? It’s not great. And understandable when you stop to consider the question of how much time do you want to dedicate to an earlier, less refined work? Particularly when you take into account Hunter’s various health issues. He’d had three heart attacks between 1989 and 1997. By 2000 he had decided to cut back his work schedule, and with a 2002 diagnosis of throat cancer, he then had to work around--and at times in spite of--treatments. I can’t believe he did anything more than a line edit before turning it over to Hard Case Crime. Hunter had to focus his energy on his current projects. Hard Case would eventually publish this novel posthumously in 2005.
The Gutter and the Grave features Matt Cordell, who is a drunk. He tells you that within two sentences. A publicly-disgraced ex-private detective, he is sitting on a city park bench when an old neighborhood friend seeks him out. Someone is regularly stealing small amounts of money from the register of Johnny Bridges’ tailor shop. He can’t afford to hire a real detective but he is hoping Cordell could help. When they return to the business together they find Johnny’s partner murdered. As often happens in these type of stories, Cordell has to find the killer before the police hang the murder on him.
Other expectations of the form promptly arrive, often stretching credibility. Every gorgeous woman Cordell meets falls for him, or at least falls enough to initiate sex. And just about every stranger he meets remembers reading about his fall from grace in the newspapers. Granted, pistol-whipping half to death the man you caught in bed with your wife is sensational, particularly back when newspapers were the nation’s primary news source. But to recognize his name five years later? And, finally, the police drift in and out of the story just enough to fulfill their usual duel role, fluctuating between issuing threats and providing assistance.
So is it good? The positives included an interesting look at life in late-1950s New York City. The drawbacks include seeing all the answers long before Cordell gets anywhere near them. But I think a part of that was probably intentional. This was never meant to be high art. For the author’s target audience, I think the trip was more important that the destination. And therein lay my answer. Since there will be no more Ed McBain novels, it’s good enough.
July 4, 2014
I didn't know who was hitting me as yet. It didn't seem very important. My assailants were two sons-of-bitches whose only names were Blackjack and Leadpipe. I didn't need formal introductions to the people swinging the weapons.
Once a private investigator, Matt Cordell has hit the skids, Skid Row, that is. He's now a bum living on the streets of the Bowery.
"I'm a bum. I sleep in flophouses or on park benches when I can't afford a pad. I'm drunk twenty-five hours out of twenty-four. I get my whiskey money by panhandling. I'm a bum. Do you want me to yell hallelujah?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKbI...
Cordell has reluctantly agreed to come out of "retirement" to clear an old buddy who's been charged with murder. The suspect list grows and grows as it turns out almost everybody was screwing everybody else...unless they're ALL lying.
This was fun, a taut, punchy little mystery with snappy dialogue and plenty of action. Unlike many books in this genre, the female characters actually seem like they might have something going on upstairs, though they all rely on their looks to get by. AND, the fact that they were so willing to put out for a Bowery bum was a little implausible. (I've heard of Chubby Chasers, but Hobo Humpers? Naw!)
All in all, a pretty entertaining read. If you read only one Ed McBain, this might be a good one to choose.
Once a private investigator, Matt Cordell has hit the skids, Skid Row, that is. He's now a bum living on the streets of the Bowery.
"I'm a bum. I sleep in flophouses or on park benches when I can't afford a pad. I'm drunk twenty-five hours out of twenty-four. I get my whiskey money by panhandling. I'm a bum. Do you want me to yell hallelujah?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKbI...
Cordell has reluctantly agreed to come out of "retirement" to clear an old buddy who's been charged with murder. The suspect list grows and grows as it turns out almost everybody was screwing everybody else...unless they're ALL lying.
This was fun, a taut, punchy little mystery with snappy dialogue and plenty of action. Unlike many books in this genre, the female characters actually seem like they might have something going on upstairs, though they all rely on their looks to get by. AND, the fact that they were so willing to put out for a Bowery bum was a little implausible. (I've heard of Chubby Chasers, but Hobo Humpers? Naw!)
All in all, a pretty entertaining read. If you read only one Ed McBain, this might be a good one to choose.
July 8, 2023
04/2021
From 1958
Good mystery, very clear writing, in one fight scene anyway. A band with a trumpet player- just very 1950s. I liked this a lot.
Never read anything by Ed McBain before. Though two stories, I think, in The Best of Manhunt, in his earlier pen name, Evan Hunter.
From 1958
Good mystery, very clear writing, in one fight scene anyway. A band with a trumpet player- just very 1950s. I liked this a lot.
Never read anything by Ed McBain before. Though two stories, I think, in The Best of Manhunt, in his earlier pen name, Evan Hunter.
May 26, 2021
"The name is Cannon. I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning. I drink because I want to drink. Sometimes I'm falling-down ossified, and sometimes I'm rosy-glow happy, and sometimes I'm cold sober - but not very often. I'm usually drunk, and I live where being drunk isn't a sin, though it's sometimes a crime when the police go on a purity drive."
Matt Cannon lives in the Bowery, in Manhattan, spare-changing strangers for booze money.
"I'm a bum. I sleep in flophouses or on park benches when I can't afford a pad. I'm drunk twenty-five hours out of twenty-four. I get my whiskey money by panhandling. I'm a bum. Do you want me to yell hallelujah?"
My very first Ed McBain (written under a pseudonym also with Cannon as the last name)! One of the greats, by reputation, in a group with Lawrence Block and Donald Westlake. This is an early one, 1958, with a kind of noir-poetic title, about a guy named Matt that would seem to recall Lawrence Block's also drunk ex-detective Matt Scudder, who also commits a crime and does a little unlicensed tec work when he's not drinking. Block's series is way better than this early McBain, but this is still entertaining.
Matt loses his license because he caught the love-of-his-life in bed with a guy and pistol whips him. But an old friend finds him and asks for his help in figuring out a crime and oops, we go deeper and deeper into the gutter to figure this out. Matt gets beaten up a few times along the way, but it seems too that every single woman he meets is interested in him. Surprising for a bowery bum? I'd say so! Even after he is badly beaten! Though one woman explains it as sympathy--the papers published the story of his true love's betrayal, and he gets points for that with them.
One somewhat interesting aspect of this book is the exploration of late fifties jazz culture. At one point Matt waxes poetic about how the world would be a better place if everyone was given an instrument and played jazz with each other. Racial relations would be improved, he observes, as he watches a white and black jazz combo play together. Cool, daddio, ya dig? Other than the musical sidetrack, the book is pretty straightforward rough and tough stuff. I will look for later, more developed McBain, but this one is good.
Matt Cannon lives in the Bowery, in Manhattan, spare-changing strangers for booze money.
"I'm a bum. I sleep in flophouses or on park benches when I can't afford a pad. I'm drunk twenty-five hours out of twenty-four. I get my whiskey money by panhandling. I'm a bum. Do you want me to yell hallelujah?"
My very first Ed McBain (written under a pseudonym also with Cannon as the last name)! One of the greats, by reputation, in a group with Lawrence Block and Donald Westlake. This is an early one, 1958, with a kind of noir-poetic title, about a guy named Matt that would seem to recall Lawrence Block's also drunk ex-detective Matt Scudder, who also commits a crime and does a little unlicensed tec work when he's not drinking. Block's series is way better than this early McBain, but this is still entertaining.
Matt loses his license because he caught the love-of-his-life in bed with a guy and pistol whips him. But an old friend finds him and asks for his help in figuring out a crime and oops, we go deeper and deeper into the gutter to figure this out. Matt gets beaten up a few times along the way, but it seems too that every single woman he meets is interested in him. Surprising for a bowery bum? I'd say so! Even after he is badly beaten! Though one woman explains it as sympathy--the papers published the story of his true love's betrayal, and he gets points for that with them.
One somewhat interesting aspect of this book is the exploration of late fifties jazz culture. At one point Matt waxes poetic about how the world would be a better place if everyone was given an instrument and played jazz with each other. Racial relations would be improved, he observes, as he watches a white and black jazz combo play together. Cool, daddio, ya dig? Other than the musical sidetrack, the book is pretty straightforward rough and tough stuff. I will look for later, more developed McBain, but this one is good.
February 15, 2017
Slim hardboiled detective novel full of action, keen observations, and crisp tough-guy patter.
Main character is a former cop, thrown off the force for pistol whipping his ex-wife's lover.
He's now a Bowery drunk, spare changing strangers for his booze money.
"The name is Cannon. I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning. I drink because I want to drink. Sometimes I'm falling-down ossified, and sometimes I'm rosy-glow happy, and sometimes I'm cold sober - but not very often. I'm usually drunk, and I live where being drunk isn't a sin, though it's sometimes a crime when the police go on a purity drive."
An old childhood friend finds him and pleads with him to help find out who is pilfering money from the cash register of his tailor shop. He suspects his partner in the shop but doesn't want to go to the police and ruin the guy's life. After much pissing and moaning, Cannon agrees to help. Together they go to the shop where - lo and behold! -they find the partner dead from a gunshot wound.
Tough guy patter ensues, femmes fatale encountered and dealt with, several beatings endured, many endearing 1950s pop culture references abound.
Thoroughly enjoyable romp.
"I drank my coffee and we chatted. Every now and then, Fran kissed me. It was pleasant. I didn't leave the apartment until about a half-hour later. I was thinking of the warm coffee and pleasant kisses. I reached the second floor landing, and somebody hit me."
The author "Curt Cannon" is an early alias of Evan Hunter ("Ed McBain").
I've never read an 87th Precinct novel but intend to very soon.
The character "Curt Cannon" appeared in several stories which were originally published in the Pulp-Digest, MANHUNT and in a paperback original which collected those stories I Like 'Em Tough
Highest Recommendation!
Main character is a former cop, thrown off the force for pistol whipping his ex-wife's lover.
He's now a Bowery drunk, spare changing strangers for his booze money.
"The name is Cannon. I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning. I drink because I want to drink. Sometimes I'm falling-down ossified, and sometimes I'm rosy-glow happy, and sometimes I'm cold sober - but not very often. I'm usually drunk, and I live where being drunk isn't a sin, though it's sometimes a crime when the police go on a purity drive."
An old childhood friend finds him and pleads with him to help find out who is pilfering money from the cash register of his tailor shop. He suspects his partner in the shop but doesn't want to go to the police and ruin the guy's life. After much pissing and moaning, Cannon agrees to help. Together they go to the shop where - lo and behold! -they find the partner dead from a gunshot wound.
Tough guy patter ensues, femmes fatale encountered and dealt with, several beatings endured, many endearing 1950s pop culture references abound.
Thoroughly enjoyable romp.
"I drank my coffee and we chatted. Every now and then, Fran kissed me. It was pleasant. I didn't leave the apartment until about a half-hour later. I was thinking of the warm coffee and pleasant kisses. I reached the second floor landing, and somebody hit me."
The author "Curt Cannon" is an early alias of Evan Hunter ("Ed McBain").
I've never read an 87th Precinct novel but intend to very soon.
The character "Curt Cannon" appeared in several stories which were originally published in the Pulp-Digest, MANHUNT and in a paperback original which collected those stories I Like 'Em Tough
Highest Recommendation!
December 22, 2021
Very solid example of an old school hardboiled pulp crime story with Ed McBain being one of those guys who was talented enough to class it up a bit.
September 26, 2012
Read on the plane from London to Budapest
A highly enjoyable PI story that I didn't expect much from but blew me away with its quality. At times I had to remind myself I wasn't reading a Lawrence Block novel the difference in style from the 87th Precinct novels I'd previously read was so dramatic. I'm not sure if Cordell was a direct influence on the creation of Matt Scudder but I'd definitely be interested in reading more of this down and out drunken bums cases.
A highly enjoyable PI story that I didn't expect much from but blew me away with its quality. At times I had to remind myself I wasn't reading a Lawrence Block novel the difference in style from the 87th Precinct novels I'd previously read was so dramatic. I'm not sure if Cordell was a direct influence on the creation of Matt Scudder but I'd definitely be interested in reading more of this down and out drunken bums cases.
April 22, 2019
Ed McBain's The Gutter and the Grave reminded me of Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder series: the tone, the setting, and the voice of the main character, whose is, in fact, also named is Matt! And of course, I loved it!
September 28, 2021
"The name is Cordell.
I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning. I drink because I want to drink. Sometimes I'm falling-down ossified, and sometimes I'm rosy-glow happy, and sometimes I'm cold sober -- but not very often. I'm usually drunk, and I live where being drunk isn't a sin, though it's sometimes a crime when the police go on a purity drive. I live on New York's Bowery."
Matt Cordell is a hardboiled character – an alcoholic, down and out, pissed off, ex-PI, who wanders through skid row in the Bowery. After losing his wife to another operative, he takes solace in drink and ends up making his home living on the streets.
Sitting on a park bench one day, feeling like tying on a stiff one due to New York city's heat, Matt is sought out by an old friend, Johnny Bridges, to investigate a minor crime in Johnny's drycleaning business. Reluctantly Matt agrees to help but becomes involved in a tangled nest of adultery, blackmail and violence. That said, no day is so bad that it can’t be fixed with a little ‘beneath the sheet’ time!
The Gutter and The Grave is a Hard Case Crime novel. Hard Case Crime is a collection of reprints of books from the pulp era (i.e. reviving the old paperback crime novels that were initially published from World War II through the 1960s), through to new novels written for the collection. Most of the series are pocket-sized novels that have great covers, each typically a picture of the protagonist with a sultry and alluring woman. Award winning authors like Lawrence Block, Donald E. Westlake, David Goodis, Christa Faust and Stephen King are featured.
I started collecting these books a few years ago. There are currently over 150 books available in the collection and so far I’ve managed to purchase 75 for my home library. I view these books as my guilty pleasure, where I’m able to dip in and enjoy the charm of a good yarn of a bygone era. I always know that I’ll unearth a story that has an edge; that will entertain, amuse, horrify, and keep me riveted. There's no political correctness in these stories!
While this book is not of the same calibre as Ed McBain's 87th precinct series, it's still an entertaining read. Great storytelling in grand pulp style.
3.5 stars
I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning. I drink because I want to drink. Sometimes I'm falling-down ossified, and sometimes I'm rosy-glow happy, and sometimes I'm cold sober -- but not very often. I'm usually drunk, and I live where being drunk isn't a sin, though it's sometimes a crime when the police go on a purity drive. I live on New York's Bowery."
Matt Cordell is a hardboiled character – an alcoholic, down and out, pissed off, ex-PI, who wanders through skid row in the Bowery. After losing his wife to another operative, he takes solace in drink and ends up making his home living on the streets.
Sitting on a park bench one day, feeling like tying on a stiff one due to New York city's heat, Matt is sought out by an old friend, Johnny Bridges, to investigate a minor crime in Johnny's drycleaning business. Reluctantly Matt agrees to help but becomes involved in a tangled nest of adultery, blackmail and violence. That said, no day is so bad that it can’t be fixed with a little ‘beneath the sheet’ time!
The Gutter and The Grave is a Hard Case Crime novel. Hard Case Crime is a collection of reprints of books from the pulp era (i.e. reviving the old paperback crime novels that were initially published from World War II through the 1960s), through to new novels written for the collection. Most of the series are pocket-sized novels that have great covers, each typically a picture of the protagonist with a sultry and alluring woman. Award winning authors like Lawrence Block, Donald E. Westlake, David Goodis, Christa Faust and Stephen King are featured.
I started collecting these books a few years ago. There are currently over 150 books available in the collection and so far I’ve managed to purchase 75 for my home library. I view these books as my guilty pleasure, where I’m able to dip in and enjoy the charm of a good yarn of a bygone era. I always know that I’ll unearth a story that has an edge; that will entertain, amuse, horrify, and keep me riveted. There's no political correctness in these stories!
While this book is not of the same calibre as Ed McBain's 87th precinct series, it's still an entertaining read. Great storytelling in grand pulp style.
3.5 stars
June 10, 2017
This 1958 hardboiled detective novel is a perfect example of the genre. If this is
an example of what Ed McBain has to offer in his other books, count me in. He captured just the right tone from the beginning. Cordell is usually drunk and hanging out in the Bowery. His old pal from the old neighborhood looks him up. Seems everyone knows why he's down on
his luck. It hit all the papers. Cordell found the love of his life and four months later caught her in bed with one of his own operatives and went to town on the guy's face. In the end, Cordell loses it all -- the
dream, the woman, his license. All he has left are bitter memories where the dream had been. Naturally, his pal Johnny gets Cordell involved in a murder case. The case is a strange one and Cordell is busy running around with blondes and getting the crap beaten out of him. Of course, he's also a suspect. Somehow, McBain gets it right with scant descriptions and the right vernacular. This book is terrific reading and anyone who enjoys hardboiled crime stories will enjoy this. I did
an example of what Ed McBain has to offer in his other books, count me in. He captured just the right tone from the beginning. Cordell is usually drunk and hanging out in the Bowery. His old pal from the old neighborhood looks him up. Seems everyone knows why he's down on
his luck. It hit all the papers. Cordell found the love of his life and four months later caught her in bed with one of his own operatives and went to town on the guy's face. In the end, Cordell loses it all -- the
dream, the woman, his license. All he has left are bitter memories where the dream had been. Naturally, his pal Johnny gets Cordell involved in a murder case. The case is a strange one and Cordell is busy running around with blondes and getting the crap beaten out of him. Of course, he's also a suspect. Somehow, McBain gets it right with scant descriptions and the right vernacular. This book is terrific reading and anyone who enjoys hardboiled crime stories will enjoy this. I did
November 11, 2015
Reluctantly involved in a murder mystery, the perennial drunk PI Matt Cordell finds himself front and center of a traditional dime-store pulp. With dames throwing themselves at him and cops throwing fists, Cordell catches nothing but trouble in this fast paced case.
Ed McBain builds a lot of back story into Cordell's failed relationship, run in with the law to provide context to his present day predicament all the while keeping the focus of the novel clearly on the whodunit theme and the quest to clear his friend's name.
There's a lot of back and forth switching between suspects until the twist reveals all providing a satisfying ending that makes this pulp ode surprisingly deep.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Ed McBain builds a lot of back story into Cordell's failed relationship, run in with the law to provide context to his present day predicament all the while keeping the focus of the novel clearly on the whodunit theme and the quest to clear his friend's name.
There's a lot of back and forth switching between suspects until the twist reveals all providing a satisfying ending that makes this pulp ode surprisingly deep.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
September 30, 2024
It's a terrific story about a private investigator without a license. However, the ending is abrupt. I enjoyed the character of Matt Cordell. I wish there was more books about him :)
July 7, 2015
Classic noir from a master of the craft. All the ingredients are here, and used to perfection. I'll be hunting down some more of McBain's gumshoe fiction, of that you can be assured.
May 2, 2012
"The name is Cordell. I'm a drunk. I think we'd better get that straight from the beginning."
After reading the first three opening sentences, I knew then that I would love this book.
I've heard the name Ed McBain so for many years, reading other books, being referenced and remembering the movie The Blackboard Jungle (based on his book) but had never read a word he had written so this was my first.
Written in 1958 it's considered noir (which I love) so I wasn't disappointed there. I haven't been able to come up with number but from what I've read he's written more than 74 books, his most famous being the 87th Precinct series. In the more than 87th Precinct's 40 books, there's not one central character but a group of cops each with his own personality bringing something unique to the table. One professional reviewer stated that TV series such as Law and Order, Hill City Blues and others featuring groups of officers wouldn't exist if not for McBain's 87th Precinct. (McBain did attempt to file suit against one series.)
This stand alone was great, better than great, with clear dialogue and plot. His to the point writing in the first person was first rate. There were even some tongue-in-cheek moments of humor which added levity to the situations.
Matt Cordell, the owner of a successful P.I. office with four men working for him, took a fast trip to the Bowery after he found his wife (who dearly loved) cheating on him with one of his own employees.
An old school buddy who found Cordell in the Bowery asked him to assist with a simple problem and after some convincing with liquor, Cordell agreed. This set him up for a sober look at the problem which quickly turned into a murder. Then another murder.
I loved the character because he became so real to me because of McBain's writing. And the story itself moved fast. While I'm not too good or successful at determining the 'who dun it' I was able to sort this out before the ending. Close to the end, but not at the end.
This is one author I will pick up any time although I need to remember his name(s) because he wrote under more than four pen names (for different genres.) His real name was Evan Hunter, although he changed it legally in 1952 to Hunter from his given Italian name. Needless to say when I find an author I like, I read his biography.
After reading the first three opening sentences, I knew then that I would love this book.
I've heard the name Ed McBain so for many years, reading other books, being referenced and remembering the movie The Blackboard Jungle (based on his book) but had never read a word he had written so this was my first.
Written in 1958 it's considered noir (which I love) so I wasn't disappointed there. I haven't been able to come up with number but from what I've read he's written more than 74 books, his most famous being the 87th Precinct series. In the more than 87th Precinct's 40 books, there's not one central character but a group of cops each with his own personality bringing something unique to the table. One professional reviewer stated that TV series such as Law and Order, Hill City Blues and others featuring groups of officers wouldn't exist if not for McBain's 87th Precinct. (McBain did attempt to file suit against one series.)
This stand alone was great, better than great, with clear dialogue and plot. His to the point writing in the first person was first rate. There were even some tongue-in-cheek moments of humor which added levity to the situations.
Matt Cordell, the owner of a successful P.I. office with four men working for him, took a fast trip to the Bowery after he found his wife (who dearly loved) cheating on him with one of his own employees.
An old school buddy who found Cordell in the Bowery asked him to assist with a simple problem and after some convincing with liquor, Cordell agreed. This set him up for a sober look at the problem which quickly turned into a murder. Then another murder.
I loved the character because he became so real to me because of McBain's writing. And the story itself moved fast. While I'm not too good or successful at determining the 'who dun it' I was able to sort this out before the ending. Close to the end, but not at the end.
This is one author I will pick up any time although I need to remember his name(s) because he wrote under more than four pen names (for different genres.) His real name was Evan Hunter, although he changed it legally in 1952 to Hunter from his given Italian name. Needless to say when I find an author I like, I read his biography.
November 6, 2008
This is the first book I've read by Evan Hunter (a.k.a. Ed McBain) that wasn't an 87th Precinct mystery, and I thought it was great. Hard-boiled P.I. fiction is what turned me on to crime fiction as a young reader, and this book offers all the enjoyment of Mickey Spillane's books without all of the racism, sexism, over-the-top violence, and contrived character motivation that was Spillane's stock in trade. (I like the Mike Hammer novels, but they're pretty ridiculous.)
The Gutter and the Grave (originally published as I'm Cannon -- For Hire) is the story of a washed-up, divorced, alcoholic private detective named Matt Cordell who lives in the Bowery in Manhattan, panhandling, people-watching, and drinking his life away (this was the '50s, when homeless men still wore suits and hats). An old friend finds him one day and asks for a favor. Cordell is soon embroiled in a plot in which everyone's story contradicts someone else's. The dialogue in this novel is particularly good; hard-boiled and witty without being too "written." It's easy to imagine that some people talked this way in 1958.
This was the only full-length novel about Cordell that Hunter wrote, which is a shame; he would have made a great series character. Hunter introduced Cordell in a short story called "Die Hard," which was published under Hunter's own name in the first issue of Manhunt Detective Story Monthly in January 1953. It was followed by five more stories in Manhunt; "Dead Men Don't Dream" in the March 1953 issue, "Now Die in It," in May 1953, "Good and Dead," in July 1953, "The Death of Me," in September 1953, and "Deadlier Than the Mail" in February 1954. These six short stories were collected and published by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1958 under the title I Like 'Em Tough, and Hunter was credited as "Curt Cannon." Cordell's name was also changed to "Curt Cannon" at that point. I'd love to read I Like 'Em Tough at some point. Maybe Hard Case Crime will reprint it some day.
The Gutter and the Grave (originally published as I'm Cannon -- For Hire) is the story of a washed-up, divorced, alcoholic private detective named Matt Cordell who lives in the Bowery in Manhattan, panhandling, people-watching, and drinking his life away (this was the '50s, when homeless men still wore suits and hats). An old friend finds him one day and asks for a favor. Cordell is soon embroiled in a plot in which everyone's story contradicts someone else's. The dialogue in this novel is particularly good; hard-boiled and witty without being too "written." It's easy to imagine that some people talked this way in 1958.
This was the only full-length novel about Cordell that Hunter wrote, which is a shame; he would have made a great series character. Hunter introduced Cordell in a short story called "Die Hard," which was published under Hunter's own name in the first issue of Manhunt Detective Story Monthly in January 1953. It was followed by five more stories in Manhunt; "Dead Men Don't Dream" in the March 1953 issue, "Now Die in It," in May 1953, "Good and Dead," in July 1953, "The Death of Me," in September 1953, and "Deadlier Than the Mail" in February 1954. These six short stories were collected and published by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1958 under the title I Like 'Em Tough, and Hunter was credited as "Curt Cannon." Cordell's name was also changed to "Curt Cannon" at that point. I'd love to read I Like 'Em Tough at some point. Maybe Hard Case Crime will reprint it some day.
June 9, 2019
3.5 stars.
The mystery isn't very deep and it hasn't aged very well (lots of cool cats blowing their horns, man), but the protagonist is interesting. There also isn't much action, but when it happens it is explosive and brutal.
The mystery isn't very deep and it hasn't aged very well (lots of cool cats blowing their horns, man), but the protagonist is interesting. There also isn't much action, but when it happens it is explosive and brutal.
May 14, 2014
Another great hard case crime tale . Read a few of these now and all of them have been brilliant. No beating around the bush , the plots just gallop along but that doesn't mean there is not both vivid description and solid characters . The protagonists are very real and the portrayal of the city as a living , breathing thing is first class. It is only recently that I have come across the hard case crime label and it is infuriating to know that these authors wrote some cracking books for very little recognition , not ed mcbain as he's a star, but some of the others are so adept at this genre it's an absolute crime they aren't greatly thought of when there is so much garbage flooding the market today that is praised to the sky. Anyway bring on more hard case and a glut of authors with a huge back catalogue I look forward to reading.
October 23, 2014
Definitely 3 stars. I might have given it higher marks if I didn't have it all figured out so early. It was just a little to simple & obvious. Well done, though. Likable characters, believable motives & setting. Very well setup & played out.
March 22, 2016
A quick read, but nothing special.
June 25, 2024
Fun and Classic Ed McBain Pot-boiler; the perfect rainy day noir mystery
The author known famously as Ed McBain was born Salvatore Albert Lombino. But S.A. Lombino insisted on changing his name to Evan Hunter and wrote under a dozen "suspected" aliases including Curt Cannon. This trivia nugget is important because "The Gutter and the Grave" was originally published as "I'm Cannon--For Hire" by Curt Cannon and appeared to be the origin story for a series about a washed up. alcoholic ex-private investigator named Curt Cannon writing in the first person. But when published by Hard Case shortly before McBain/Hunter/Lombino's death, the main character's name was changed to Matt Cordell and the novel re-titled "The Gutter and the Grave." McBain/Hunter/Lombino studied psychology in college and applied its principles liberally in his suspense noir crime novels (his most famous were "The Blackboard Jungle" and the 87th Precinct series) to uncover the secret lives of his fascinating characters. He apparently ignored the Biblical adage, "Physician, heal thyself." But I digress...
This is a fun little novel. Matt Cordell is a washed up, ex-private investigator living as a drunken bum in the NYC Bowery. He lost his wife, his career and his self-worth when he became infamous for beating his former partner almost to death for committing adultery with his wife. Cordell is damaged goods for sure. He is also a minor celebrity around town as a result of his train wreck private life being fodder for the news mills. Women are attracted to him; men mock him. His homeless, hobo alcoholic existence is his only way to maintain his anonymity.
An old friend from the neighborhood needs Cordell's help solving a minor crime at his tailor/laundermat business -- someone is taking small amounts of cash from the till -- and the friend, Johnny Bridges, who suspects his business partner and wants to keep the investigation low-key, needs someone he can trust to help him. But the business partner ends up dead, then his wife, and Johnny Bridges ends up in jail. Cordell. caught up with the beautiful blonde torch singer sister of the dead wife, can't seem to sort out the pattern of lies of everyone involved in the case, including a private investigator nemesis from his past, the local police who suspect Cordell's involvement in the murders, and the ambitious torch singer who will do whatever it takes to make it to the top.
This is such a classic recipe for a potboiler, noir mystery. And it's a deliciously fun read.
McBain writes like the New Yorker he is, his characters being NYC versions of Raymond Chandler's California creations. I haven't read a lot of McBain's fiction so if it gets better than this, one of his lesser known works, then it must be pretty great. Cordell has a lot of sexualized encounters with women but there is no erotica here. And the violence is just right for a murder novel full of men who solve problems with their fists. Enjoy!
The author known famously as Ed McBain was born Salvatore Albert Lombino. But S.A. Lombino insisted on changing his name to Evan Hunter and wrote under a dozen "suspected" aliases including Curt Cannon. This trivia nugget is important because "The Gutter and the Grave" was originally published as "I'm Cannon--For Hire" by Curt Cannon and appeared to be the origin story for a series about a washed up. alcoholic ex-private investigator named Curt Cannon writing in the first person. But when published by Hard Case shortly before McBain/Hunter/Lombino's death, the main character's name was changed to Matt Cordell and the novel re-titled "The Gutter and the Grave." McBain/Hunter/Lombino studied psychology in college and applied its principles liberally in his suspense noir crime novels (his most famous were "The Blackboard Jungle" and the 87th Precinct series) to uncover the secret lives of his fascinating characters. He apparently ignored the Biblical adage, "Physician, heal thyself." But I digress...
This is a fun little novel. Matt Cordell is a washed up, ex-private investigator living as a drunken bum in the NYC Bowery. He lost his wife, his career and his self-worth when he became infamous for beating his former partner almost to death for committing adultery with his wife. Cordell is damaged goods for sure. He is also a minor celebrity around town as a result of his train wreck private life being fodder for the news mills. Women are attracted to him; men mock him. His homeless, hobo alcoholic existence is his only way to maintain his anonymity.
An old friend from the neighborhood needs Cordell's help solving a minor crime at his tailor/laundermat business -- someone is taking small amounts of cash from the till -- and the friend, Johnny Bridges, who suspects his business partner and wants to keep the investigation low-key, needs someone he can trust to help him. But the business partner ends up dead, then his wife, and Johnny Bridges ends up in jail. Cordell. caught up with the beautiful blonde torch singer sister of the dead wife, can't seem to sort out the pattern of lies of everyone involved in the case, including a private investigator nemesis from his past, the local police who suspect Cordell's involvement in the murders, and the ambitious torch singer who will do whatever it takes to make it to the top.
This is such a classic recipe for a potboiler, noir mystery. And it's a deliciously fun read.
McBain writes like the New Yorker he is, his characters being NYC versions of Raymond Chandler's California creations. I haven't read a lot of McBain's fiction so if it gets better than this, one of his lesser known works, then it must be pretty great. Cordell has a lot of sexualized encounters with women but there is no erotica here. And the violence is just right for a murder novel full of men who solve problems with their fists. Enjoy!
November 14, 2018
My second noir by McBain and Hard Case Crime and the second one that is really quite good. McBain wrote this one as Curt Cannon and it features Matt Cordell, aka Curt Cannon. Cordell occupies an interesting area where hard-boiled detective meets everyman noir. He was a successful P.I. until his wife cheated on him with one of his employees and his license was pulled after he pistol-whipped said employee. Now he spends most of his time in The Bowery pan-handling so he can buy cheap hooch to dull the pain. But now and then he gets pulled into a case...even though it's illegal for him to take them.
The general premise of this one is pretty easy. An guy Cordell knows from the old neighborhood looks him up because he thinks his partner is stealing from him. Cordell gets dragged into the case and it ends up in two different murders. Along the way we also run into another P.I. with an old grudge against Cordell. And in the end...in the best noir tradition...there's no redemption. Just another dive into a bottle.
I've been super impressed with the two books I've read so far by McBain that were published by Hard Case. I'll definitely be seeking more of his work. Highly recommended.
The general premise of this one is pretty easy. An guy Cordell knows from the old neighborhood looks him up because he thinks his partner is stealing from him. Cordell gets dragged into the case and it ends up in two different murders. Along the way we also run into another P.I. with an old grudge against Cordell. And in the end...in the best noir tradition...there's no redemption. Just another dive into a bottle.
I've been super impressed with the two books I've read so far by McBain that were published by Hard Case. I'll definitely be seeking more of his work. Highly recommended.
April 15, 2019
Written in 1958 and reissued posthumously, this is a Hard Case Crime book featuring a ex-private detective and drunk who gets drawn into a murder. Lots of attractive women and shady characters with an injection of jazz. #69 by McBain for me and my Most Read Author, but not as good as the 87th Precinct or the Matthew Hope series
June 12, 2015
3.5, to be honest, but Goodreads....
Anyway, the narrator for this was perfect in having that gravelly noir voice of a beat-down former cop now shuffling along as a drunk bum. The voice did a lot for the book for me, I think, even though I like noir on its own.
The characters in this were interesting, and I was super glad to find female characters with depth and verve and spark as well as beauty. I believed that Matt was broken-hearted and just broken; I believed that he would get caught up in a dame's bed even though all involved knew it would be a bad idea.
And I believed the twists and turns. McBain did a phenomenal job of setting up a lot of characters and slowly but surely stripping your trust in every single one of them, which is always neat in a mystery. And he knows his genre well, poking fun at noir and detective stereotypes even as he's using them.
The thing that stops me from giving this four stars is the ending--not the fact that it's really quite depressing, which it is (spoiler), but the fact that the Bad Guy ended up being way less complicated or even believable than the book itself had set up. When it was revealed, I figured there was a hook somewhere, but nope. Just that. Felt very unsatisfying and, well, easy.
The rest of the book is still worth reading, though, for noir fans--especially if you can get it to listen to.
Anyway, the narrator for this was perfect in having that gravelly noir voice of a beat-down former cop now shuffling along as a drunk bum. The voice did a lot for the book for me, I think, even though I like noir on its own.
The characters in this were interesting, and I was super glad to find female characters with depth and verve and spark as well as beauty. I believed that Matt was broken-hearted and just broken; I believed that he would get caught up in a dame's bed even though all involved knew it would be a bad idea.
And I believed the twists and turns. McBain did a phenomenal job of setting up a lot of characters and slowly but surely stripping your trust in every single one of them, which is always neat in a mystery. And he knows his genre well, poking fun at noir and detective stereotypes even as he's using them.
The thing that stops me from giving this four stars is the ending--not the fact that it's really quite depressing, which it is (spoiler), but the fact that the Bad Guy ended up being way less complicated or even believable than the book itself had set up. When it was revealed, I figured there was a hook somewhere, but nope. Just that. Felt very unsatisfying and, well, easy.
The rest of the book is still worth reading, though, for noir fans--especially if you can get it to listen to.
May 7, 2020
Our hero is a drunk. A skid row panhandling Bowery kind of drunk. The kind with mussed hair and a smell. He tells us that at the beginning of the story. He tells us at the end. He tells all the characters through the story repeatedly. He drinks because five years ago he fell hard for a woman and she cheated on him and he found out and pounded the heck out of the guy who did it and then he lost his PI license and...OK. He drinks for reasons.
But since this is a lurid pulp novel rather than a lurid art novel, our hero has to do something in addition to drink — solve a crime and sleep with a doll with looks. The crime isn’t too tough to figure. The betrayals are what you’d expect. The doll thing? Well, it’s a paperback novel — there’s always a doll with measurements.
This may be the very best novel that could have been written with setup. The Bowery bum as detective is a ludicrous premise. If the murders were in seedy hotels, maybe this idea could work. But the crimes here don’t take place in the Bowery. Nevertheless, McBain makes his premise almost plausible. The writing is quite good — full of wisecracks and atmosphere. The characterizations, within the limits his premise creates, also are good.
You’ll have suspend a lot of disbelief to get through this but it is worth the effort.
But since this is a lurid pulp novel rather than a lurid art novel, our hero has to do something in addition to drink — solve a crime and sleep with a doll with looks. The crime isn’t too tough to figure. The betrayals are what you’d expect. The doll thing? Well, it’s a paperback novel — there’s always a doll with measurements.
This may be the very best novel that could have been written with setup. The Bowery bum as detective is a ludicrous premise. If the murders were in seedy hotels, maybe this idea could work. But the crimes here don’t take place in the Bowery. Nevertheless, McBain makes his premise almost plausible. The writing is quite good — full of wisecracks and atmosphere. The characterizations, within the limits his premise creates, also are good.
You’ll have suspend a lot of disbelief to get through this but it is worth the effort.
May 19, 2009
I love pulp fiction. It's quick paced, great dialogue, murder, mystery, twists, turns. This one is easy to read, there isn't much suspense, if you know there's going to be a twist and pay attention you can figure our who the killer is, so that wasn't a surprise, but it is taut enough to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The great thing about this book is its protagonist. Matt Cordell is a broken man, his wife cheated on him, he lost his Private Detective license, and now he's just a bum and an alcoholic. Until a friend convinces him to look into a string of thefts at his tailor's business. Theft turns to murder and Matt gets drawn in to the investigation. However, what makes Matt such a great character is his trust, of everyone. He is just as hard-boiled and misogynistic as any PI in these kind of books, but for a detective he sure can't see through a lie very well. But that's not it, he just doesn't want to see through the lies. He goes through the motions of detective work, but he doesn't seem to do much detective work. Until you find Ed McBain uses this trust to Matt's advantage. Eventually all the lies pile on top of each other, until they've all fallen apart and the truth remains. Great book. Great character.
October 18, 2015
Published in 2005, this is a revised and restored version of I'm Cannon - For Hire (1958) by author McBain writing as Curt Cannon. This entry is more reminiscent of early non-Hammer Mickey Spillane than of McBain's 87th Precinct novels. A curiosity appears on page 56 "...Elvis Presley began pretending he had the lead in the musical version of Blackboard Jungle. Our drinks came. Laraine knocked hers off before you could say 'Rumpelstiltskin'." The novel Blackboard Jungle by Ed McBain's alter ego, Evan Hunter, had been published in 1953 and the dramatic film with Glenn Ford was released in 1955. In 1981, Ed McBain would publish Rumpelstiltskin as the second entry in his Matthew Hope series.
Thriller - Betrayed by a dame, former PI Matt Cordell has fallen hard and become a bum in New York City's Bowery district. Cordell's decision to help old friend Johnny Bridges, a tailor, investigate petty larceny at his store soon leads to a series of murders and some steamy encounters with the "fair sex," including a femme fatale. A strong cast of characters-from rival private eye Dennis Knowles to tailor's assistant Dave Ryan-creates a tangled web of deceit, with lies piling up faster than tokens in a subway station.
Thriller - Betrayed by a dame, former PI Matt Cordell has fallen hard and become a bum in New York City's Bowery district. Cordell's decision to help old friend Johnny Bridges, a tailor, investigate petty larceny at his store soon leads to a series of murders and some steamy encounters with the "fair sex," including a femme fatale. A strong cast of characters-from rival private eye Dennis Knowles to tailor's assistant Dave Ryan-creates a tangled web of deceit, with lies piling up faster than tokens in a subway station.
June 7, 2012
Compared to other novels within the Hard Case Crime series, 'The Gutter and the Grave', written in the 1950s, is a very classic, very noir crime story. There is no explicit sex, and violence is present but not at the forefront. Although the protagonist is a drinker and a prowler, he is also some kind of gentleman with solid values. The story itself is a very fast read and McBain - as in most of his books - is very skilled in following the golden thread in a very suspenseful way. One of the minor flaws of the novel is that the end comes very fast, almost too fast, and that the motives of the murderer are quite mundane. But that's the way it is, and the auhor manages very well to create an authentic, failed protagonist and a living, men-devouring city. All in all, I really liked this book - I'll definitely try to get more of McBains works.
February 23, 2010
Loved this! Listened to it, and hearing the hard-boiled voices is entertaining and highly comical.
Detective Matt Cordell was happily married once, and gainfully employed, and sober. But that was before he caught his wife cheating on him with one of his operatives and took it out on the man with the butt end of a.45. Now Matt makes his home on the streets of New York and his only companions are the city's bartenders. But trouble still knows how to find him, and when Johnny Bridges shows up from the old neighborhood, begging for Matt's help, Cordell finds himself drawn into a case full of beautiful women and bloody murder. It's just like the old days-only this time, when the beatings come, he may wind up on the receiving end....
Detective Matt Cordell was happily married once, and gainfully employed, and sober. But that was before he caught his wife cheating on him with one of his operatives and took it out on the man with the butt end of a.45. Now Matt makes his home on the streets of New York and his only companions are the city's bartenders. But trouble still knows how to find him, and when Johnny Bridges shows up from the old neighborhood, begging for Matt's help, Cordell finds himself drawn into a case full of beautiful women and bloody murder. It's just like the old days-only this time, when the beatings come, he may wind up on the receiving end....
October 22, 2011
Evan Hunter, author of THE 87TH PRECINCT series, writes a very noirish tale featuring Matt Cordell. He is an alcoholic ex PI who lost his license when he found his wife cheating on him with his partner, and then he pistol whipped the man nearly to death. That is his back-story, and in this adventure he is asked to solve the mystery of a murdered tailor. Set in Manhattan, it is revealed that an aspiring big band singer murders her own sister and her brother in law in hopes of becoming a big star. The outcome is evident early, but it is an engaging tale. I could not find whether McBain wrote any more novels featuring the Cordell character. This is the perfect type of novel to read and enjoy in a couple of sittings.
December 20, 2011
This is one of my recent favorites of the Hard Case series. Cordell starts and ends in the same dark depressing state, and though he is violent and irrational, I think it is impossible to not feel for him, even if part of his bad eotional mire is his own doing.
The plot of this novel is nowhere near s important as the character study of Cordell himself. Some who has fallen apart in the particular way he has, and opts not to try and recover, is someone I want to keep my eye on.
The plot of this novel is nowhere near s important as the character study of Cordell himself. Some who has fallen apart in the particular way he has, and opts not to try and recover, is someone I want to keep my eye on.
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