Cinderella

Matthew Hope #6

by Ed McBain

Built around the premise that the Communist Chinese might have planted a mole in Richard Nixon's staff before he was elected president, this novel traces the career of Nixon staffer Matthew Thompson

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Detective

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

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

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle aged PI is killed on Highway 41. There's a cocaine theft, and some Cubano thugs looking for the woman who stole it, and Matthew Hope looking for both.

Full of 1980's midlife crises.

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, Cinderella, another aptly named Matthew Hope series.

During the reading of this book, I've been occupied with other personal matters therefore don't feel like I devoted my entire attention to the book.

It was good as usual but my mind kept wandering and that certainly wasn't the book's fault.

For the sake of fairness then, I'm giving the book four stars when in my foggy mind it's a three. Benefit of the doubt, you know.

Not sure if it all wrapped up...all the loose ends that is, however that fog I spoke of, was still there at the end. If it was really, really good, I would re-read it. I'm sure it was better in reality (my reality, that is) than I remember.

Go for it if you're reading the series.

[Sari Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful!

I was familiar with the late Ed McBain’s stories of the 87th Precinct; I have read most of them and am now rereading. But came across this with another setting (Florida) and another protagonist. A real page-Turner,

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Hope gets drawn into two parallel cases after his private investigator gets murdered, while he is also unexpectedly drawn back towards his ex-wife. The complex lines of the plot as it moves towards a conclusion are well-paced.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not quite a 4 star but very close. The book started out kind of slow and was somewhat confusing, but it really got better toward the end of the first third and I ended up liking it a lot.

[Henrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start but quite good the last third of the book. It was funny reading this again after, what?, 20 years?

Read the Danish translation.

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for 99 cent deals on Kindle, which is my only excuse for buying this justly forgotten effort by the late Ed McBain. I knew Cinderella would be yet another book about a maverick attorney/cop/janitor bucking the system to find the scumbags who killed his best friend/fluffer/chiropractor, etc. I expected it to be idiotic but fun. It's just idiotic. McBain writes as if he is straining to meet a contractual word minimum rather than create an exciting piece of escapism. His favored padding technique here is to bloat the early chapters with generic lamentations about divorce and flashbacks of the hero and his ex-wife talking in clipped, fast-paced exchanges that are meant to be witty and sexy but just sound forced, improbable and dumb. I had to give up on this book because I wanted Matthew Hope (the hero) to get killed. Who would read this kind of crap? Maybe my grandpa did, which makes sense, because all the drinking and wartime PTSD cooked his brain. Save your own 99 cents and download something by Max Allan Collins instead.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number six in the fairy tale mysteries by Ed McBain carries three plot lines that tie together in the end. Interwoven in all is Matthew Hope who is rapidly becoming a criminal lawyer rather than dealing with civil matters. A private investigator and friend of Matthew has been hired to assist with one of Hope's cases and is murdered while working on this case. The death of Otto Samalson is now a very personal matter and Attorney Hope starts investigating on his own.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick, easy read. Not terribly compelling, but I picked it up while on vacation and it was perfect for reading on the plane.

I found the chronology of events rather confusing. Even after re-reading several pages, I could never figure out a certain sequence of events but I didn't really care in the long run. The ending was rather weak, but again, this isn't Sherlock Holmes.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matthew Hope is in the sack with his ex when he is notified that Otto Samalson has been murdered on Highway 41. Hope investigates as Otto had told him that he, Otto, feared that someone was out to get him. This is a complex novel.

[Robert James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had several plot lines running through it. Very much in the style of an Elmore Leonard book than an Ed McBain book. Still very entertaining although Matthew Hope does less in this book than the previous entries in this series.

[K. Counihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Wacky Characters in the Criminal Underbelly

The writing may at times be over descriptive , but it never disappoints. The Hope novels, do contain more sex and violence than most of the 87th precinct.

[Laurie Hart]

Excellent....
have not been able to read them in order; however, I have familiarized myself
with characters in previous editions....
I think Matthew should just forget about his EX-----things will never be the same....
and she is kind of annoying !!!

[Tommyb]

Fiction

[Sheldon Lehman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just missed entirely...

[Lesly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average read

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something keeps me coming back, but I have never rated one of the books anything other than a 3 out of 5

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as satisfying as the 87th precinct novels, but still classic McBain.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess that definitely my pool-side definition of reading material leans towards the lowbrow, because I’ve really enjoyed this book.
It’s a very classical noir setup: a private detective, working for the real main character in all this series, Matthew Hope, is killed while on a case; Matthew Hope tries to find out who’s to blame by following up on the cases the detective was tackling.
There follows the usual combination of red herrings, unsavory characters, and pitiless killers who are also tracking down one of the same persons the detective was. Everything is formulaic, characters are what you would expect from the milieu, the city of Calusa, in Florida, even the title is part of a formula; apparently, all Matthew Hope’s cases are entitled as traditional children’s tales. But it does not really matter: the pace is quick, the dialogue sparkling, and, at the end, justice is served, although in a roundabout way.
If you enjoy this genre, you’ll like this one.

[Almeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of McBain’s Matthew Hope series have titles and plots that mimic Fairy Tales.

I am drawn in by the titles; I want to see how the plots will fit.

In Cinderella a mysterious woman disappears after having attended a ball in a blue gown and “glass” high heels. Her two stepsisters can care less that her whereabouts are unknown. As the investigation progresses, her identity turns out to be far from “The Bell of the Ball” and more than just a private investigator is seeking her throughout the kingdom. Another fun McBain mystery

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinderella has stolen a bunch of cocaine Florida and is being chased by a couple private detectives and a couple of thugs representing the owners of the cocaine. When a private detective is killed in the hunt, Matthew Hope gets involved. McBain -- Evan Hunter -- is a master plotter, and creator of dialog, and in this case a lot the feel of Florida from Elmore Leonard novels. A good, fast read.

[Gordon Popular · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best of the Matthew Hope series, but still extremely enjoyable. I think McBain spent too much of the book on Hope's relationship with his ex-wife. There was not too many memorable situations and lines that I've become to expect from McBain. The plot is very good. Overall a good book. Recommended.

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What seems like a pretty straightforward murder investigation by Matthew Hope turns out to be pretty convoluted. Hope is more of an observer than an active participant as events play out.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not His Best

McBain story was long and belabored with minutia. The first five were page turners. This one, unfortunately, not so much.

[Maria]

Another gifted book that is getting unhauled. If I were to read this I would start at book 1 in the series.

[Paul O'Doonnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same old same old.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this had been my first McBain novel, I don't know if I would have read the second one. Luckily, it was not my first so I will try again. There was nothing wrong with this one, it just didn't flow as smoothly or hold my interest like Three Blind Mice did. But I have faith in McBain and will move on to The Last Best Hope.

[Carobe · Rating 3 out of 5]

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