What do you think?
Rate this book
Downtown
Ed McBain, author of the bestselling 87th Precinct series, takes us "Downtown" in a bold departure of a novel that will have listeners cheering for a lone out-of-towner running for his life in New York City.
Meet Michael Barnes, a Florida orange grower who finds himself in a Manhattan bar with a couple of hours to kill. It's a couple of hours that almost kill him, as he's swindled, robbed, framed for murder, and hunted down by an assassin in one of the wildest, scariest, funniest, fastest twenty-four hours ever packed into one novel.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
6 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Ed McBain
711 books669 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 8, 2020
A Florida orange grower goes to NYC, where he is scammed out of all his money and credit cards within minutes. He gets some money back in a craps game, then finds himself under suspicion of murder. Along with a Chinese woman, he careens around New York City trying to clear his name.
This sort of premise was very popular in the 1980's, but you hardly ever see it today.
This sort of premise was very popular in the 1980's, but you hardly ever see it today.
February 16, 2021
Csak azért három csillag, mert egy film forgatókönyv alapjának jó lenne, egy őrült kerengés New Yorkban. Mint regény szörnyen gyenge, a szerző más művei zömmel jobbak.
December 12, 2020
The storyline was intriguing, but I hate all the filthy language.
April 15, 2024
Not my typical sort of book because it's violent and situated in the middle of New York City. However I like this book because it is well-written, it features a relatable protagonist, and the protagonist's main goals are to avoid violence and solve a mystery.
There are some overarching messages in this book:
* People do unjustifiably bad things to each other.
* The societies we live in are not designed to help us but rather to criminalize us.
* Without meaning to, we do things which harm us.
How do we get help in this world? How do we thrive?
There are some overarching messages in this book:
* People do unjustifiably bad things to each other.
* The societies we live in are not designed to help us but rather to criminalize us.
* Without meaning to, we do things which harm us.
How do we get help in this world? How do we thrive?
January 17, 2025
It finally happened, I found an Ed McBain book that I don’t like.
May 25, 2023
to be fair, i only read three chapters but reading it made me feel like i was on drugs. and not good drugs
September 8, 2018
I would have really given it 2.5 stars, but I prefer to rate upwards, rather than downwards.
There was a time in the late-1980s when I was on a real Ed McBain kick, especially of his 87th Precinct mysteries, but even then, I found them to be formulaic, especially the ending police interview with the big reveal.
This one, although not an 87th Precinct novel, followed rather the same outline. It also read unevenly, as though McBain could not decide whether to write it as a serious action/adventure piece or as a comic exercise. It followed the protagonist on a wild chase through Manhattan, but some of it read as screwball comedy while other parts had a low believability factor.
I had picked it up on the cheap at a Book Sale when I realized that it was not a title that I recognized nor had I read, and while I do not regret my meager purchase, it left me less-than-satisfied.
There was a time in the late-1980s when I was on a real Ed McBain kick, especially of his 87th Precinct mysteries, but even then, I found them to be formulaic, especially the ending police interview with the big reveal.
This one, although not an 87th Precinct novel, followed rather the same outline. It also read unevenly, as though McBain could not decide whether to write it as a serious action/adventure piece or as a comic exercise. It followed the protagonist on a wild chase through Manhattan, but some of it read as screwball comedy while other parts had a low believability factor.
I had picked it up on the cheap at a Book Sale when I realized that it was not a title that I recognized nor had I read, and while I do not regret my meager purchase, it left me less-than-satisfied.
June 20, 2017
An Ed McBain book is always a delight to read and this one gets not only the action but the humor and fun going right away.
Florida orange grower Michael Barnes is in New York on Christmas Eve. Its a simple matter of a divorced business man coming in to see his advertising agency before flying down to spend Christmas with his mother. So when he sees a well-dressed woman at the bar, he is friendly ... and so is she up until she accuses him of stealing a valuable ring right off her hand. Seemingly out of nowhere, there's a police detective who comes to the scene.
And from there if it can go wrong, it just about does for Barnes, until the man who only wants to catch his plane and get to Boston finds himself on the run from the mob, the cops and a hired killer.
No one else can write with the skills of McBain, keeping it all believable and hysterically funny at the same time. This is a book that grabs you and keeps you riveted in your seat from the sheer fun of the tale. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Florida orange grower Michael Barnes is in New York on Christmas Eve. Its a simple matter of a divorced business man coming in to see his advertising agency before flying down to spend Christmas with his mother. So when he sees a well-dressed woman at the bar, he is friendly ... and so is she up until she accuses him of stealing a valuable ring right off her hand. Seemingly out of nowhere, there's a police detective who comes to the scene.
And from there if it can go wrong, it just about does for Barnes, until the man who only wants to catch his plane and get to Boston finds himself on the run from the mob, the cops and a hired killer.
No one else can write with the skills of McBain, keeping it all believable and hysterically funny at the same time. This is a book that grabs you and keeps you riveted in your seat from the sheer fun of the tale. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
December 23, 2024
This is a very busy full on bonkers crime novel.
Its a bit all over the place but its a fun fast paced read. Watch out for the 87th easter egg...
Its a bit all over the place but its a fun fast paced read. Watch out for the 87th easter egg...
November 10, 2015
A good, solid crime/mystery by author Ed McBain. At times it reads like a serious mystery, while at others it borders on farcical. Somehow McBain makes the whole thing work quite well!
Florida orange grower Michael Barnes is on business in New York City, it’s Christmas Eve and he’s having a drink in a ritzy bar before heading to the airport and home. He meets a beautiful blond woman who gets him involved in a sticky situation and the next thing you know he’s wanted for murder...which he didn’t commit. Michael is off and running - literally - trying to figure out what is happening and why he is even involved. Along the way he meets up with a beautiful Chinese woman who inexplicably becomes his sidekick through the whole ordeal. Michael has visited New York several times before but this is his first experience with the greater part of the city. Luckily he has an ace up his sleeve, he has certain skills and intincts that he picked up while a soldier in Viet Nam...he’s no Rambo, by any means, but he’s far from an easy mark. Drug dealers, movie directors, struggling actors, gangsters, muggers, and various other characters - both comical and sinister - pop up throughout the story.
Downtown runs through a fast paced (and occasionally bewildering) narrative that takes place over the course of three days in New York City. While I wouldn’t exactly say it was an edge of the seat thrill ride it is good fun with lots of unexpected twists and turns. It put me in mind of the screwball comedy movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s with the hero valiantly trying to solve a mystery with the aid of his wisecracking best girl.
Four stars is atiny bit of a stretch but it was good enough to upgrade from 3 and1/2. I would recommend it to anyone who likes novels in the style of Donald E. Westlake or Elmore Leonard. (Though it’s not quite as straight ahead funny as the former, nor as gritty as the latter).
Florida orange grower Michael Barnes is on business in New York City, it’s Christmas Eve and he’s having a drink in a ritzy bar before heading to the airport and home. He meets a beautiful blond woman who gets him involved in a sticky situation and the next thing you know he’s wanted for murder...which he didn’t commit. Michael is off and running - literally - trying to figure out what is happening and why he is even involved. Along the way he meets up with a beautiful Chinese woman who inexplicably becomes his sidekick through the whole ordeal. Michael has visited New York several times before but this is his first experience with the greater part of the city. Luckily he has an ace up his sleeve, he has certain skills and intincts that he picked up while a soldier in Viet Nam...he’s no Rambo, by any means, but he’s far from an easy mark. Drug dealers, movie directors, struggling actors, gangsters, muggers, and various other characters - both comical and sinister - pop up throughout the story.
Downtown runs through a fast paced (and occasionally bewildering) narrative that takes place over the course of three days in New York City. While I wouldn’t exactly say it was an edge of the seat thrill ride it is good fun with lots of unexpected twists and turns. It put me in mind of the screwball comedy movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s with the hero valiantly trying to solve a mystery with the aid of his wisecracking best girl.
Four stars is atiny bit of a stretch but it was good enough to upgrade from 3 and1/2. I would recommend it to anyone who likes novels in the style of Donald E. Westlake or Elmore Leonard. (Though it’s not quite as straight ahead funny as the former, nor as gritty as the latter).
May 10, 2021
“He did not know this goddamn city where everyone seemed to be either a cop or a crook and all of them seemed to be crazy.”
Michael Barnes is in NYC on business, and in the first few chapters, he is accused of stealing a ring, had his wallet emptied, has his rental car stolen, is held up at gun point, and is a suspect in a murder! AND, everyone he runs into seems to be named Charlie!
It's a crazy, almost slap-sticky romp as Michael tries to prove his innocence and find out who is behind the set up. LOTS of funny dialogue! Intermixed with lots of flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, which aren't funny at all. But, like all McBain books I've read, the mix works, and the book is very enjoyable!
"Mom? he would say. I'm alive, Mom."
"I'm alive again."
Michael Barnes is in NYC on business, and in the first few chapters, he is accused of stealing a ring, had his wallet emptied, has his rental car stolen, is held up at gun point, and is a suspect in a murder! AND, everyone he runs into seems to be named Charlie!
It's a crazy, almost slap-sticky romp as Michael tries to prove his innocence and find out who is behind the set up. LOTS of funny dialogue! Intermixed with lots of flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, which aren't funny at all. But, like all McBain books I've read, the mix works, and the book is very enjoyable!
"Mom? he would say. I'm alive, Mom."
"I'm alive again."
January 26, 2019
First published in 1989, this is a fast moving story of a Vietnam vet orange grower who gets caught up in a scam which leads to a horrifying Christmas Eve and Day, supported only by a beautiful Chinese woman he meets in an illegal gambling den. Great book from a master of the genre.
April 22, 2021
I must have bought this book back in 1990 to read while travelling to a meeting. For over thirty years it's been in my bookcase so I thought I would give it another go. It's one of the author's attempts at humour but this time around it simply did not hold my interest and half way through I decided to read other books instead. I now realise that I do not want to finish it and I may as well give it to a charity shop and free up space in my bookcase.
Briefly it is the story of a man visiting New York who gets robbed several times and gets involved in bizarre situations but I can't remember how it ends and cannot be bothered to find out.
Briefly it is the story of a man visiting New York who gets robbed several times and gets involved in bizarre situations but I can't remember how it ends and cannot be bothered to find out.
June 8, 2016
Despite some flaws in logic and chauvinitstic attitudes, this was a fun, fast paced ride. It was much like an action movie and descriptions made it very easy to visualize. The dialogue was often hilarious and poked fun at NYC crooks and cops.
The back story of the main characters tour in VietNam was interwoven skillfully and served as a chilling counterpoint to the main story.
The back story of the main characters tour in VietNam was interwoven skillfully and served as a chilling counterpoint to the main story.
December 27, 2017
I read this about 25 years ago and really liked it, so was looking forward to a reread when it turned up in an omnibus I bought for a couple of 87th Precinct novels I needed. Sadly it wasn’t as good as I remembered, it’s fun, and the denouement is great, but I found it a bit confused in the middle and somewhat unbelievable throughout.
December 24, 2012
This book is out of ordinary. Plot is intriguing, action is non-stopping. There are some cliches, but you just might ignore them. End is a little bit out of the book's style, but still, it did not spoil the whole book experience.
October 13, 2015
McBain can do better than this. The plot is far-fetched, the characters are uninteresting and there are about twice as many words as there ought to be. Read his much better novels set in Florida, not this.
February 7, 2013
#7 from mcbain for me...and this is just what the good doctor ordered...funny...heh! and i need funny at the moment...at the start of chapter 4 at the moment...michael leaving the dice game...that called craps?...connie, a beautiful oriental woman saying, wait for me...oh boy oh boy.
downtown, 1989, a dedication: for jan and roy dean, paperback, first avon books printing, 1993
story begins:
michael was telling the blonde he'd never been in this part of the city. in fact, he'd been to new york only twice before in his entire life. he hadn't strayed out of the midtown area either time.
"but here you are now," the blonde said, and smiled. "all the way downtown."
time place scene settings
*the year is...1991...as michael was an 18-yr-old in vietnam in '68 during the tet offensive...he is 41 now. i didn't use a calculator and my math is suspect so the year is in doubt...but that's what i come up with...1991, give or take.
*new york city...downtown...christmas eve
*christmas eve, christmas day, & boxing day +some...the day after christmas
*a bar/restaurant...or just a bar...
*outside on the street
*michael's car rental
*the first precinct on ericsson place...canal street
*varick...moore/walker's...franklin...howard beach/queens...only in directions...mentioned
*at the top of the subway kiosk
*a chinese fortune-cookie factory
*a china doll limousine
*chinatown
*bldg on bowery, crandall films ltd....offices
*plumbing appliance business on one side
*the hotel bowery place on the other
*the fifth precinct...near crandall films ltd bldg
*west tenth street, the crandall residence, a 3-story brownstone just off fifth avenue
*the gulf of mexico, 4' waves or chop or something...past
*bleecker...houston...king...charlton...vandam & the avenue of the americas...st. luke's place...between hudson & 7th
*mulberry & grand
*ristorante blue madonna
*frankie's red buick regal
*st luke's place
*the restroom of the blue madonna...the back door
*china doll garage on canal street
*connie's apt on pell
*by the chinese restaurant, shi kai, corner of mott & pell
*oz...a disco where patrons are in costume
*the green garter...drag club
*theater on 13th off 7th, old church
*amalgamated dwellings, inc...504 grand street
*taiwan noodle factory
*charlie nichols's apt...in knickerbocker billage
characters...literally
*michael barnes, divorced, 41-yr-old, from boston originally, but now living in sarasota,florida where he grows oranges, his card: golden orange groves, in the city for some sort of ad-campaign, or something...he is michael j. (for jellicle/t.s. eliot) barnes...simply michael j barnes now...the name a cause of grief
*the blonde, helen parrish, a criminal lawyer, but she's a blonde, so...32-year-old
*jenny aldershot...his wife before she married him...divorced now, a teller at a bank in florida
*the bartender
*detective daniel cahill, complete w/shield and a spiel
*arthur crandall, a man sitting three stools down, early 50s, from beverly hills, a film producer, one film, war and solitude, an artsy war number about the 1926 nicarauga adventure
*a red cadillac w/a girl, her breasts half exposed and
*a young puerto rican youth w/her
*sergeant mulready, first precinct, desk
*detective anthony "tony" orso, which means "bear" in italian
*a little man handcuffed to the desk or thereabouts, charlie bonano or louie romano, or nicky napolitano
*a uniformed cop
*a huge man in a mask...oriental, charlie wong
*a woman cop, detective o'brien, first squad
*a chinese man stuffing fortune cookies
*a bunch of men gambling, a short hispanic (looks like the puerto rican), 2 black guys, harry & slam, 2 chinese guys, one james, and a white
*connie kee, a beautiful oriental woman, oh boy oh boy, a chaffeur for china doll limousine services
*a salvation army band
*a man w/a microphone
*charlie wong, owner of china doll limousine services...another charlie wong
*connie's uncle benny
*christmas eve businessmen...windshield washers
*freddie, one of the above
*christmas eve shoppers
*clerk at the hotel bowery
*two men in long overcoats
*14 killed by michael barnes in viet nam...
*the number questioned by the rto, company radioman
*the man who married jenny after the divorce, the branch manager of the bank where jenny is teller, james owington
*andrew, a friend of michael's who died in viet nam
*someone shouted from the 4th floor
*mama...albetha crandall...names on crandall's calendar
*sylvia horowitz...lone employee of crandall films
*jessica of the red panties, crandall's mistress, jessica wales, the blonde, or, a blonde bimbo, 33-yr-old...looks like marilyn monroe w/a carly simon smile
*two cops w/flashlights, one named sam
*mrs albetha crandall, 34-yr-old
*3 kids, little girls, 8, 6, 4...the 4-yr-old named glory
*blonde male newscaster
*the real arthur crandall
*solomon gruber...money man for crandall's film...one film, lost $
*an analyst...michael, to-do w/viet nam after he came back
*his father, dead--ran a hardware store in boston, sold by his mother to loan him money to begin his orange growing business
*cops...at the ristorante blue madonna...& beautiful young women waring garter belts etc
*men in business suits
*frank "zeppelin" zepparino
*"donald trump"...michael's name at the blue madonna
*bartender at same
*a man wearing a blue suit, al
*a redheaded woman, hannah
*jimmy "fingers" finnegan
*mayor david dinkins
*police commissioner lee brown
*four women began singing
*isadore onions..."izzie"
*sergeant mendelsohnn...viet nam
*men in suits...women (dressed up)
*jonah hillerman...of the hillerman-ruggiero advertising agency
*irene, a blonde wearing a very tight fluffy sweater
*the man behind the counter
*the cashier (female)
*nicky ornstein...no relation...fanny brice's husband? didn't get that bit of dialogue...w/isadore onions
*a woman carrying
*charlie nichols...worked on mister ed
*long foot howell...viet nam...indian
*black soldiers in viet nam...stomping
*two uniformed cops
*judy jordan= helen parrish
*bartender at benny's in soho, charlie o'hare
*molly the red menace...who looks like det o'brien
*a short, very fat chinese man, peter chen, superintendent of bldg
*mr di angelo, the postman...of connie's
*ju ju...deceased...i think
*pizza delivery boy, from abruzzi pizzeria...this scene is a hoot..there's debate about the cost, right...and then one of the guys says here's fifty bucks, keep the change...the bill was $13.
*marie, the cashier...her ears were ringing...made a penny mistake
*larry...silvio...two of the guys w/alice chaffee, the blonde shooter
*gregory washington...as the burglar
*"phyllis"...woman in lingerie...all over in this story...at winter!
*"michael bond"...to get by..."constgance keene"
*det harold nelson, 7th precinct
*det marvin leibowitz
*two uniformed cops, 6th precinct
*a cab driver
*doctor ling...fixes michael
*mr shi...of shi kai restaurant
*louis klein...michael buys winter apparel from him
*charles p nichols...guy who stole the car
*sarah nichols...a sister
*mr david long, in sarasota, michael's lawyer
*julien rainey, as the body
*max feinstein...
*the baby...in viet nam
*feliz hooper
*the cornerstone players...the play w/i the play
*anne summers, as the stage manager
*kenny stein, as the director
*judy & 3 men...hal, jason, jimmy, the cornerstone players
*judy jordan...father is frank giordano
*mario mateo rodriguez..."mama"...charlie's crack dealer
*lt james curran, 1st precinct
*det 2nd grade, orso...listed earlier, too
*det 3rd grade, mary agnes o'brien. earlier too
*ass't d.a. leila moscowitz
a word or two
oolong, as in oolong tea...is from wu' lung, means black dragon in mandarin chinese
mobile encounters...heh! pol-speak for the numbers the car counters provide
goniff= thief
a fresser...?
"...cannel coal was burning..."
toot sweet...bastardized, learned-from-the-gooks french
wahn yee...wong ying one or the other..."welcome" in chinese
update as i move along here
this story is a hoot...a kind of satirical crime story...by no means is it a serious something or other. expect the unexpected, all these dames and not-dames in lingerie, dead-of-winter, guys pulling guns out of their pockets and saying go shoot that man...this happy little love thingie going on w/michael & connie...where will it end? mcbain had fun writing this one.
update, finished, 8 feb 13, friday morning, 11:22 a.m. e.s.t.
yeah and so this is a good story...there are a number of...tragic...moments, michael's past in vietnam where he saw war etc...these moments are sprinkled throughout the telling, so it's not all fun & games. might be too much for the tender. not for me, though...i have callouses. i work hard.
so...it's satire...
heh! i glanced at one review who said they'd figured it out...i dunno, maybe by the 2nd act or something. naw...not me...i'm not the sharpest crayon in the box but i had no clue what was happening, much less michael...believe me you. i think they were being funny. how else to explain it? i'll update the lists later on, given time...or not.
downtown, 1989, a dedication: for jan and roy dean, paperback, first avon books printing, 1993
story begins:
michael was telling the blonde he'd never been in this part of the city. in fact, he'd been to new york only twice before in his entire life. he hadn't strayed out of the midtown area either time.
"but here you are now," the blonde said, and smiled. "all the way downtown."
time place scene settings
*the year is...1991...as michael was an 18-yr-old in vietnam in '68 during the tet offensive...he is 41 now. i didn't use a calculator and my math is suspect so the year is in doubt...but that's what i come up with...1991, give or take.
*new york city...downtown...christmas eve
*christmas eve, christmas day, & boxing day +some...the day after christmas
*a bar/restaurant...or just a bar...
*outside on the street
*michael's car rental
*the first precinct on ericsson place...canal street
*varick...moore/walker's...franklin...howard beach/queens...only in directions...mentioned
*at the top of the subway kiosk
*a chinese fortune-cookie factory
*a china doll limousine
*chinatown
*bldg on bowery, crandall films ltd....offices
*plumbing appliance business on one side
*the hotel bowery place on the other
*the fifth precinct...near crandall films ltd bldg
*west tenth street, the crandall residence, a 3-story brownstone just off fifth avenue
*the gulf of mexico, 4' waves or chop or something...past
*bleecker...houston...king...charlton...vandam & the avenue of the americas...st. luke's place...between hudson & 7th
*mulberry & grand
*ristorante blue madonna
*frankie's red buick regal
*st luke's place
*the restroom of the blue madonna...the back door
*china doll garage on canal street
*connie's apt on pell
*by the chinese restaurant, shi kai, corner of mott & pell
*oz...a disco where patrons are in costume
*the green garter...drag club
*theater on 13th off 7th, old church
*amalgamated dwellings, inc...504 grand street
*taiwan noodle factory
*charlie nichols's apt...in knickerbocker billage
characters...literally
*michael barnes, divorced, 41-yr-old, from boston originally, but now living in sarasota,florida where he grows oranges, his card: golden orange groves, in the city for some sort of ad-campaign, or something...he is michael j. (for jellicle/t.s. eliot) barnes...simply michael j barnes now...the name a cause of grief
*the blonde, helen parrish, a criminal lawyer, but she's a blonde, so...32-year-old
*jenny aldershot...his wife before she married him...divorced now, a teller at a bank in florida
*the bartender
*detective daniel cahill, complete w/shield and a spiel
*arthur crandall, a man sitting three stools down, early 50s, from beverly hills, a film producer, one film, war and solitude, an artsy war number about the 1926 nicarauga adventure
*a red cadillac w/a girl, her breasts half exposed and
*a young puerto rican youth w/her
*sergeant mulready, first precinct, desk
*detective anthony "tony" orso, which means "bear" in italian
*a little man handcuffed to the desk or thereabouts, charlie bonano or louie romano, or nicky napolitano
*a uniformed cop
*a huge man in a mask...oriental, charlie wong
*a woman cop, detective o'brien, first squad
*a chinese man stuffing fortune cookies
*a bunch of men gambling, a short hispanic (looks like the puerto rican), 2 black guys, harry & slam, 2 chinese guys, one james, and a white
*connie kee, a beautiful oriental woman, oh boy oh boy, a chaffeur for china doll limousine services
*a salvation army band
*a man w/a microphone
*charlie wong, owner of china doll limousine services...another charlie wong
*connie's uncle benny
*christmas eve businessmen...windshield washers
*freddie, one of the above
*christmas eve shoppers
*clerk at the hotel bowery
*two men in long overcoats
*14 killed by michael barnes in viet nam...
*the number questioned by the rto, company radioman
*the man who married jenny after the divorce, the branch manager of the bank where jenny is teller, james owington
*andrew, a friend of michael's who died in viet nam
*someone shouted from the 4th floor
*mama...albetha crandall...names on crandall's calendar
*sylvia horowitz...lone employee of crandall films
*jessica of the red panties, crandall's mistress, jessica wales, the blonde, or, a blonde bimbo, 33-yr-old...looks like marilyn monroe w/a carly simon smile
*two cops w/flashlights, one named sam
*mrs albetha crandall, 34-yr-old
*3 kids, little girls, 8, 6, 4...the 4-yr-old named glory
*blonde male newscaster
*the real arthur crandall
*solomon gruber...money man for crandall's film...one film, lost $
*an analyst...michael, to-do w/viet nam after he came back
*his father, dead--ran a hardware store in boston, sold by his mother to loan him money to begin his orange growing business
*cops...at the ristorante blue madonna...& beautiful young women waring garter belts etc
*men in business suits
*frank "zeppelin" zepparino
*"donald trump"...michael's name at the blue madonna
*bartender at same
*a man wearing a blue suit, al
*a redheaded woman, hannah
*jimmy "fingers" finnegan
*mayor david dinkins
*police commissioner lee brown
*four women began singing
*isadore onions..."izzie"
*sergeant mendelsohnn...viet nam
*men in suits...women (dressed up)
*jonah hillerman...of the hillerman-ruggiero advertising agency
*irene, a blonde wearing a very tight fluffy sweater
*the man behind the counter
*the cashier (female)
*nicky ornstein...no relation...fanny brice's husband? didn't get that bit of dialogue...w/isadore onions
*a woman carrying
*charlie nichols...worked on mister ed
*long foot howell...viet nam...indian
*black soldiers in viet nam...stomping
*two uniformed cops
*judy jordan= helen parrish
*bartender at benny's in soho, charlie o'hare
*molly the red menace...who looks like det o'brien
*a short, very fat chinese man, peter chen, superintendent of bldg
*mr di angelo, the postman...of connie's
*ju ju...deceased...i think
*pizza delivery boy, from abruzzi pizzeria...this scene is a hoot..there's debate about the cost, right...and then one of the guys says here's fifty bucks, keep the change...the bill was $13.
*marie, the cashier...her ears were ringing...made a penny mistake
*larry...silvio...two of the guys w/alice chaffee, the blonde shooter
*gregory washington...as the burglar
*"phyllis"...woman in lingerie...all over in this story...at winter!
*"michael bond"...to get by..."constgance keene"
*det harold nelson, 7th precinct
*det marvin leibowitz
*two uniformed cops, 6th precinct
*a cab driver
*doctor ling...fixes michael
*mr shi...of shi kai restaurant
*louis klein...michael buys winter apparel from him
*charles p nichols...guy who stole the car
*sarah nichols...a sister
*mr david long, in sarasota, michael's lawyer
*julien rainey, as the body
*max feinstein...
*the baby...in viet nam
*feliz hooper
*the cornerstone players...the play w/i the play
*anne summers, as the stage manager
*kenny stein, as the director
*judy & 3 men...hal, jason, jimmy, the cornerstone players
*judy jordan...father is frank giordano
*mario mateo rodriguez..."mama"...charlie's crack dealer
*lt james curran, 1st precinct
*det 2nd grade, orso...listed earlier, too
*det 3rd grade, mary agnes o'brien. earlier too
*ass't d.a. leila moscowitz
a word or two
oolong, as in oolong tea...is from wu' lung, means black dragon in mandarin chinese
mobile encounters...heh! pol-speak for the numbers the car counters provide
goniff= thief
a fresser...?
"...cannel coal was burning..."
toot sweet...bastardized, learned-from-the-gooks french
wahn yee...wong ying one or the other..."welcome" in chinese
update as i move along here
this story is a hoot...a kind of satirical crime story...by no means is it a serious something or other. expect the unexpected, all these dames and not-dames in lingerie, dead-of-winter, guys pulling guns out of their pockets and saying go shoot that man...this happy little love thingie going on w/michael & connie...where will it end? mcbain had fun writing this one.
update, finished, 8 feb 13, friday morning, 11:22 a.m. e.s.t.
yeah and so this is a good story...there are a number of...tragic...moments, michael's past in vietnam where he saw war etc...these moments are sprinkled throughout the telling, so it's not all fun & games. might be too much for the tender. not for me, though...i have callouses. i work hard.
so...it's satire...
heh! i glanced at one review who said they'd figured it out...i dunno, maybe by the 2nd act or something. naw...not me...i'm not the sharpest crayon in the box but i had no clue what was happening, much less michael...believe me you. i think they were being funny. how else to explain it? i'll update the lists later on, given time...or not.
December 17, 2024
Michael Barnes is in New York City on Christmas Eve in the 1980's, visiting for business reasons, when he is robbed at a bar and then robbed again. Written with a humorous semi-comic-book tone to it, we tag along with Michael as he keeps getting marked and conned and then accused of murder by professional hoodlums working the crime-riddled 80's streets of New York. The cops are not helpful but Barnes is an out-of-shape Vietnam vet who has a few defensive surprises up his sleeve and he meets a fun girl who helps him out, and then he tries to figure out who set him up and why.
A late confrontation is a bit odd, trying too hard to mash a PTSD flashback into an action scene, but otherwise a solid mystery.
Verdict: “Downtown” (1990) is a fun, light, entertaining, short street mystery set in late-1980's NYC, some violence and adult content but nothing gratuitous, just a wacky adventure that is quite enjoyable and a nice change of pace from some of the darker and creepier crime mysteries I've been reading lately.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
A late confrontation is a bit odd, trying too hard to mash a PTSD flashback into an action scene, but otherwise a solid mystery.
Verdict: “Downtown” (1990) is a fun, light, entertaining, short street mystery set in late-1980's NYC, some violence and adult content but nothing gratuitous, just a wacky adventure that is quite enjoyable and a nice change of pace from some of the darker and creepier crime mysteries I've been reading lately.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
January 1, 2021
If it wasn’t for bad luck…
His wallet, identification, and money stolen, Michael Barnes then has his rental car ripped by a supposed Good Samaritan. Then, he “borrows” $10 from a felon in the apparent Detective Orson’s office to pay transportation to the airport only to have a fake gun shoved into his face as he exits. Next thing he knows, his ID and auto show up with a body inside and he is the subject of an all points bulletin. And, they know where he lives… It is going to be a difficult job getting back to the orange grove where the police are probably waiting.
What a way to spend a Christmas holiday, what with Vietnam horror flashbacks and Connie who shot like a butter bar the first time on the range.
Described as humorous, this book is perhaps entertaining and attention grabbing, but not funny in that sense. Nothing describing Viet Nam carnage can make me laugh…
There is a bit of vintage film nostalgia and a surprise Mama…with a knife…and a whiz ban finale.
His wallet, identification, and money stolen, Michael Barnes then has his rental car ripped by a supposed Good Samaritan. Then, he “borrows” $10 from a felon in the apparent Detective Orson’s office to pay transportation to the airport only to have a fake gun shoved into his face as he exits. Next thing he knows, his ID and auto show up with a body inside and he is the subject of an all points bulletin. And, they know where he lives… It is going to be a difficult job getting back to the orange grove where the police are probably waiting.
What a way to spend a Christmas holiday, what with Vietnam horror flashbacks and Connie who shot like a butter bar the first time on the range.
Described as humorous, this book is perhaps entertaining and attention grabbing, but not funny in that sense. Nothing describing Viet Nam carnage can make me laugh…
There is a bit of vintage film nostalgia and a surprise Mama…with a knife…and a whiz ban finale.
September 7, 2021
It's always nice to find a "new" Ed McBain to read, and this one was a solid piece and, as usual, a time capsule of NYC, this time of the late 1980s. My biggest issue with it was that the flyleaf data promised more of a tight time frame farce, something akin to Carl Haaisan, and while it opened that way it then opened out, changed gears, started including a meditation on getting past the Vietnam War, and lost a step or two at the end. Which was not bad, just not expected. I wonder if parts of it were a Roman a Clef poking humor at some people McBain knew in the film/theater industry....
June 4, 2022
I have mixed opinions about this book. The way it was written is very witty and funny, although at some points confusing. Even the whole plot is confusing, as a matter of fact.
Michael went through a series of misfortunes (if you can call it that) in the span of 2 days? He was then accused of murder so he tries to clear his name.
It was a crazy ride all throughout the book. The characters are crazy as well. Everyone's crazyyyyyy! HAHAHA but it was a fun read. There were slow parts but all good nonetheless.
Michael went through a series of misfortunes (if you can call it that) in the span of 2 days? He was then accused of murder so he tries to clear his name.
It was a crazy ride all throughout the book. The characters are crazy as well. Everyone's crazyyyyyy! HAHAHA but it was a fun read. There were slow parts but all good nonetheless.
July 25, 2018
I read this the same time that a report was published saying crime in London has overtaken New York. Ironic i thought to myself. Ed Mcbain though is one of my favourite authors. What is not to love, our hero from another state stops in New York and ends up getting conned and framed, its fantastic yet fun. He meets a beautiful Chinese woman who helps me. Yes this story hit all the right buttons for me.
June 7, 2020
Don't visit the Big Apple for the holidays! That's the new mantra for Florida citrus grower Michael Barnes, who within 24 hours has his wallet and rental car stolen at a New York bar. Things go from bad to worse when the car turns up with a corpse in the trunk. Now he is hunted by both the cops and the mob.
December 30, 2020
This is a little gem and most unlike his usual Police stories. I read it because it was a book hanging around while my wife was using my Kindle and I’m glad I did. Great fun, funny and whimsical. You can feel how much he enjoyed writing it. His homage to the noir writers that must have influenced him.
September 6, 2023
Richard Ferrone is the perfect Audible narrator for such an extremely absurd “fish out of water” tale that is whacky but poignant. A whodunnit that leaves you saying WTF until the final moments. The dialogue is equal parts maddening and hilarious, and I loved every minute of this crazy tale.
TW: racist language
TW: racist language
August 22, 2021
This stand-alone novel is fast paced and at times extremely funny. For anyone who lived in New York in the late 1980s it will probably feel a bit like opening a time capsule, what with crime and crack both out of control.
February 28, 2023
Romanzo invecchiato malissimo, praticamente la sceneggiatura di un film poliziesco/commedia anni 80 (tant'è che in un passaggio cita Eddie Murphy di Beverly Hills Cop). Ho letto decisamente di meglio del maestro Mcbain.
April 22, 2023
Hilarious. This is one of the funniest books I've read. A tour de force which somehow blends satire, farce, and subtle humour together into a harmonious whole. With some surprising narrative heft and McBain's usual flair for atmosphere.
February 12, 2024
Kind of like Scorsese's "After Hours," this book is about the zany adventures of a guy who's stranded on Christmas Eve in downtown New York. Amusing at times and breezy, but ultimately it became so fantastical and detached from reality that I could no longer maintain my suspension of disbelief.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews