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87th Precinct #47
Romanca
Známi experti z 87.obvodu Carella a King sú po vražde povabnej herečky nútení rozhodiť siete v divadle , kde obeť účinkovala. Smrť ďalšieho jej kolegu , ktorý vypadne z okna, poskytne viacero pravdepodobných motívov , ktoré dobre zohratá dvojica detektívov zaradom vylučuje na základe prísnej logickej úvahy skombinovanej s obdivuhodne vyvinutým čuchom skúsených profesionálov.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 1995
85 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
About the author
Ed McBain
710 books668 followers"Ed McBain" is one of the pen names of American author and screenwriter Salvatore Albert Lombino (1926-2005), who legally adopted the name
Evan Hunter
in 1952.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 25, 2016
The 47th entry in the 87th Precinct series begins with Detective Bert Kling standing at a phone kiosk in the pouring rain, getting soaking wet making a call that he didn't want to make from the station house. He's calling a woman to ask her for a date and doesn't want to make the call in front of any of his colleagues, especially if the woman turns him down. He'd be nervous enough as it is, but the woman he's calling, Sharyn Cooke, is also a cop. And she outranks him. And she's black. Kling is a white man who's never dated a black woman before and he has no idea what the woman is going to think when he asks her out.
Shortly thereafter, a young actress named Michelle Cassidy appears at the station house after first calling Detective Steve Carella to report that someone is threatening to stab her to death. Oddly, she's currently in rehearsals for a really bad play called Romance in which she plays the female lead whom someone is threatening to stab to death. It's bad enough to be cast in a play that stinks, she says, but it really sucks when life imitates art and someone is threatening to kill you for real.
The detectives take her information, but they have very little to go on and, practically before they can take any action at all, someone stabs the poor woman as she's passing an alley. Happily, the wound is not fatal, but shortly thereafter Cassidy opens her apartment door to someone who finishes the job in fine style.
The two stories, Kling's attempts to romance Sharyn Cooke and the investigation into Ms. Cassidy's murder, constitute the backbone of the book. It's a very entertaining story, with some especially amusing scenes involving the self-important actors, writer, producers and others involved with the lousy play. They allege that they are heartbroken about the death of their leading lady, but truth to tell, the sordid details of her death are great publicity which will virtually guarantee that even a play this bad will be a hit.
My only reservation about the book is that is runs on a bit long and drains some of the fun out of the story in the process. As I noted in reviewing the last book in the series, Mischief, this book appeared in the mid-1990s, a time when the pulp crime novels of an earlier era that ran 60,000 words or so, were exploding into books a third again as long. Unfortunately, this didn't always mean that the stories were necessarily a third again as good. I enjoyed Romance, but it would have been better had it been a bit shorter.
Shortly thereafter, a young actress named Michelle Cassidy appears at the station house after first calling Detective Steve Carella to report that someone is threatening to stab her to death. Oddly, she's currently in rehearsals for a really bad play called Romance in which she plays the female lead whom someone is threatening to stab to death. It's bad enough to be cast in a play that stinks, she says, but it really sucks when life imitates art and someone is threatening to kill you for real.
The detectives take her information, but they have very little to go on and, practically before they can take any action at all, someone stabs the poor woman as she's passing an alley. Happily, the wound is not fatal, but shortly thereafter Cassidy opens her apartment door to someone who finishes the job in fine style.
The two stories, Kling's attempts to romance Sharyn Cooke and the investigation into Ms. Cassidy's murder, constitute the backbone of the book. It's a very entertaining story, with some especially amusing scenes involving the self-important actors, writer, producers and others involved with the lousy play. They allege that they are heartbroken about the death of their leading lady, but truth to tell, the sordid details of her death are great publicity which will virtually guarantee that even a play this bad will be a hit.
My only reservation about the book is that is runs on a bit long and drains some of the fun out of the story in the process. As I noted in reviewing the last book in the series, Mischief, this book appeared in the mid-1990s, a time when the pulp crime novels of an earlier era that ran 60,000 words or so, were exploding into books a third again as long. Unfortunately, this didn't always mean that the stories were necessarily a third again as good. I enjoyed Romance, but it would have been better had it been a bit shorter.
August 8, 2009
Okay, let me get this straight. This novel is called "Romance." It's about a redheaded actress being stalked by a killer. It's also about a play called "Romance" that's about a redheaded actress being stalked by a killer. The play within the book is also about a play... called "Romance".... which stars the actress who is played by the actress being stalked by a killer in the book. I hope everybody is following that. McBain obviously had a great time messing with the reader's mind. There are some sweetly nasty parodies of show-biz characters and the usual tight characterizations of the guys from the 87th Precinct investigating this whole mess. There's also still another romance in the story, this one budding for the hard-luck Detective Bert Kling, with a bi-racial factor to add to his ever-present angst and pessimism. Nobody weaves disparate plot elements into a seamlessly theme-related whole like McBain.
June 6, 2018
A top story from the 87th Precinct, investigating the stabbing and later the murder of an actress, involving detectives from 3 precincts, including the unsavoury Fat Ollie from the 88th. Also a sub-story about an emerging romance between Bert Kling and the black police doctor Sharyn Cooke enables McBain to reflect interracial relations and how they have changed since the first books in the series.
May 17, 2014
Not one of his better ones. A play called Romance is being produced in which a character is pursued by a knife-wielding stranger, and then the actress is stabbed in an alley. Attack or publicity stunt? Then she is actually killed. The 87th Precinct gets to work, with the help of Fat Ollie Weeks. Meanwhile, Bert Kling continues to pursue Sharyn Cooke, a black cop-surgeon, with both wondering about the consequences of dating across races. More romance.
February 16, 2025
Best writer of police procedurals EVER.
April 7, 2023
A mediocre play titled Romance is about to open in the city and some cast members decide to give it a boost, by having the main character stabbed - exactly as it happens in the play. The "real" romance is the buddying relationship between detective Bert Kling and surgeon/cop/big shot Sharyn Cooke.
My impression is that McBain - who was also a screen-player - wanted to take the piss out of some pretentious colleagues, those who write absurd plots for characters with no name (I hate that, too). In the Romance play, the Actress, the Detective and another couple of nameless characters are supposed to be archetypes of such characters, but this does not work with a plot that involves an attempted murder.
As McBain points out, with a crime, the plot turns into a whodunnit and the audience focus on that, not on the archetypes.
I enjoyed the fact that this novel is considerably less sleazy than several of the previous ones and I can see that Mc Bain was also trying to deal with race issues, adding an Oreo love story. Unfortunately, it seems clear that what Kling and Cooke have in common is sexual attraction and nothing else (apart from the goodwill to overcome whatever issue may come their way).
As in most other novels, dialogues are snappy, but sometimes overlong. You can imagine some smart-ass character in a Tarantino movie blurting out all those words, but they do slow down the narrative.
Still, one of my favourites, also because it sticks to one main plot, without any of the labyrinthine detours of previous books.
My impression is that McBain - who was also a screen-player - wanted to take the piss out of some pretentious colleagues, those who write absurd plots for characters with no name (I hate that, too). In the Romance play, the Actress, the Detective and another couple of nameless characters are supposed to be archetypes of such characters, but this does not work with a plot that involves an attempted murder.
As McBain points out, with a crime, the plot turns into a whodunnit and the audience focus on that, not on the archetypes.
I enjoyed the fact that this novel is considerably less sleazy than several of the previous ones and I can see that Mc Bain was also trying to deal with race issues, adding an Oreo love story. Unfortunately, it seems clear that what Kling and Cooke have in common is sexual attraction and nothing else (apart from the goodwill to overcome whatever issue may come their way).
As in most other novels, dialogues are snappy, but sometimes overlong. You can imagine some smart-ass character in a Tarantino movie blurting out all those words, but they do slow down the narrative.
Still, one of my favourites, also because it sticks to one main plot, without any of the labyrinthine detours of previous books.
April 29, 2023
Kling is trying to date a Doctor meanwhile an actress comes to the squad and says she is having threatening telephone calls. Then she is in the hospital having been stabbed. Soon there is a murder and the complexities of the theatre and the egos of the actors begin to surface as Kling and Carella start to close in on the murderer.
A very complex story that is so wrapped around the theatre and the rehearsals for the play called Romance. On the side are the subplot of Kling and Sharyn. All that you need for a good 87th. story. I give this a 4 star rating as it has kept me entertained for a couple of evenings.
A very complex story that is so wrapped around the theatre and the rehearsals for the play called Romance. On the side are the subplot of Kling and Sharyn. All that you need for a good 87th. story. I give this a 4 star rating as it has kept me entertained for a couple of evenings.
February 26, 2023
Another decent entry in the series although I though this one was a bit long and overcomplicated. McBain puts in quite a bit of social commentary on race relations and how the entertainment industry views itself and others. This was written in 1995 so some of those ideas come across as a bit dated and the book would have been much tighter without them.
January 27, 2021
McBainův návrat ke klasice. Vražda v divadelním prostředí, následovaná, jak to u klasických kriminálek bývá, další vraždou. A samozřejmě, jsou tu také detektivové, kteří se v tom snaží vyznat. Prostředí egoistických režisérů, scenáristů přeplněných pocitem důležitosti a hereček posedlých slávou je skoro automaticky zábavné. Zvláště, když se na pódiu zrovna odehrává detektivka (s uměleckým přesahem, samozřejmě), která zločin připomíná... a všichni umělci se na policisty dívají na z nebe poslaný zdroj inspirace. Navíc se vraždy táhnou přes několik policejních rajónů, které se nemůžou dohodnout, komu to vlastně patří.
Do toho jsou tu další milostné trable Berta Klinga, který si tentokrát nabrnkl holku černé pleti – zrovna v době, kdy se bílí a černí zrovna moc nemusí (na rozdíl ode dneška).
I když tu už taky je silnější důraz na aktuální dobu, na to, jak Amerika přestává fungovat jako spojovací článek, ale jak se naopak veškeré komunity snaží od ostatních co nejvíc oddělit a co nejvíc si pěstovat vlastní identitu, stejně je tohle rozhodně lehčí a zábavnější příběh s typickými popkulturními prvky.
Do toho jsou tu další milostné trable Berta Klinga, který si tentokrát nabrnkl holku černé pleti – zrovna v době, kdy se bílí a černí zrovna moc nemusí (na rozdíl ode dneška).
I když tu už taky je silnější důraz na aktuální dobu, na to, jak Amerika přestává fungovat jako spojovací článek, ale jak se naopak veškeré komunity snaží od ostatních co nejvíc oddělit a co nejvíc si pěstovat vlastní identitu, stejně je tohle rozhodně lehčí a zábavnější příběh s typickými popkulturními prvky.
November 8, 2017
If this book had been set in a less cosmopolitan place than New York City (ok, the story is actually set in a fictional city modeled on NYC, but in one dialogue the author even forgets that his novel is not in NYC and has a character say he's in Manhattan) or if the story was set in the 1950's, 60's or 70's, it might have fit better. As it was...
This novel is structured around the investigation of a stabbing and some murders surrounding a play which is itself about a stabbing. There are spots where this fractal plot structure seems to confuse even the author, but it was a clever idea even if it didn't work out as successfully as the author had hoped. I really disliked the writing style in this novel, and played a lot of 'where/how would I edit" while reading this one. The dialogue segments are far too long, putting the reader in the story as a fly on the wall not just for important bits, but for the entirety of many conversations. The point of view in this book shifts occasionally in ways that come across as problem spots the editor missed, rather than clever uses of POV-switching. And then there's the race stuff.
McBain seems intent on cashing in on the demand for greater diversity in popular fiction. In this book, while all the detectives and beat cops are male, the assistant DA is female, and the female love interest is not only a cop of sorts, but she in fact outranks the guy she starts dating during this story. There were still only a couple female characters in the novel, but for a 1995 crime/police procedural novel, this one showed some promise. The love interest is also Black, and therein lies some of the biggest weakness of this novel.
I do know some 'people of color' so hung up on the color of their own skin that they seem unable to interact with anyone of a different skintone without bringing up race as an issue. So, to be fair, Sharyn's character in this novel is not all that far-fetched, and her concerns about dating a White man could be realistic, even for a woman in NYC in the mid-90's. But, through out the book the authors attempts at race awareness lend a very awkward tone to the novel, as if the author is trying to be politically correct while sneering at the concept and at those concerned about it. In fact, near the end of the book the author's narrator breaks into a rant that seems more of the author's POV than part of the novel, ranting about people who are oversensitive and about the term 'ethnic', etc. There are readers in the US now, obviously, who would appreciate the perspectives in the undertone of this novel, but many modern readers may find this book irritating.
And, a quibbling note, early one in this book the male cop Bert Kling is gushing about the lovely Sharyn, and talks about her 'modified Afro' as making her look like a proud Masai woman. Well, Masai women traditionally have more-or-less bald heads. Maybe in 1995 Americans weren't paying much attention to different cultural traditions in different parts of Africa, or maybe the editor for this novel liked the word Masai better than whatever the author originally wrote. In any case, it was a bad start for this novel with respect to race.
If you want to read an attempt at fractal or nested storytelling, this novel does a pretty decent attempt at that, but I suspect many modern publishers would want a few more rounds of editing if this manuscript came their way in its current (1995) form.
This novel is structured around the investigation of a stabbing and some murders surrounding a play which is itself about a stabbing. There are spots where this fractal plot structure seems to confuse even the author, but it was a clever idea even if it didn't work out as successfully as the author had hoped. I really disliked the writing style in this novel, and played a lot of 'where/how would I edit" while reading this one. The dialogue segments are far too long, putting the reader in the story as a fly on the wall not just for important bits, but for the entirety of many conversations. The point of view in this book shifts occasionally in ways that come across as problem spots the editor missed, rather than clever uses of POV-switching. And then there's the race stuff.
McBain seems intent on cashing in on the demand for greater diversity in popular fiction. In this book, while all the detectives and beat cops are male, the assistant DA is female, and the female love interest is not only a cop of sorts, but she in fact outranks the guy she starts dating during this story. There were still only a couple female characters in the novel, but for a 1995 crime/police procedural novel, this one showed some promise. The love interest is also Black, and therein lies some of the biggest weakness of this novel.
I do know some 'people of color' so hung up on the color of their own skin that they seem unable to interact with anyone of a different skintone without bringing up race as an issue. So, to be fair, Sharyn's character in this novel is not all that far-fetched, and her concerns about dating a White man could be realistic, even for a woman in NYC in the mid-90's. But, through out the book the authors attempts at race awareness lend a very awkward tone to the novel, as if the author is trying to be politically correct while sneering at the concept and at those concerned about it. In fact, near the end of the book the author's narrator breaks into a rant that seems more of the author's POV than part of the novel, ranting about people who are oversensitive and about the term 'ethnic', etc. There are readers in the US now, obviously, who would appreciate the perspectives in the undertone of this novel, but many modern readers may find this book irritating.
And, a quibbling note, early one in this book the male cop Bert Kling is gushing about the lovely Sharyn, and talks about her 'modified Afro' as making her look like a proud Masai woman. Well, Masai women traditionally have more-or-less bald heads. Maybe in 1995 Americans weren't paying much attention to different cultural traditions in different parts of Africa, or maybe the editor for this novel liked the word Masai better than whatever the author originally wrote. In any case, it was a bad start for this novel with respect to race.
If you want to read an attempt at fractal or nested storytelling, this novel does a pretty decent attempt at that, but I suspect many modern publishers would want a few more rounds of editing if this manuscript came their way in its current (1995) form.
November 11, 2021
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I’ve been powering through the 87th Precinct books in the last couple of months, having read 11 of them in quick succession, with only a few other things thrown in. I think that’s a pretty good measure of how enjoyable they are, and how McBain manages to stick to his central formula, whilst still making each book distinct and fresh. Having not taken the time to write a full review of one of them for a while, I thought I’d pause to consider this one in a bit more depth.
Many of the other recent entries which have multiple threads woven together. The last book ‘Mischief’ certainly did that, with a couple of mysteries (graffiti artists being murdered and old people being abandoned), a tense hostage negotiation storyline with Eileen Burke, plus the Deaf Man making an appearance. ‘Romance’ is far simpler, just one mystery and a character based sub-plot about Bert Kling’s relationship with police surgeon Sharyn Cooke.
The mystery is a really fun one concerning an actress receiving death threats and then being stabbed. The twist being that she’s in a play about an actress receiving death threats and then being stabbed. McBain does a great job with this, giving you just enough information to make you feel like you’re one step ahead of the cops, when in fact you aren’t at all. I found the denouement a tad less thrilling than it might have been, but it’s still a very entertaining read. At over 300 pages it’s a longish entry in the series, but he still manages to keep it gripping.
The sub-plot about Kling and Cooke is also good, with McBain exploring the challenges of being a mixed race couple in 90s America. The handling of the subject isn’t always as deft as it might have been, but it’s still thought provoking and credible in its romantic suspense. I’ve really enjoyed the ongoing character-based storylines that have run over the last few books, and the Kling/Cooke one is no exception to that.
Throw in the normal McBain highlights – cracking dialogue, humour and lots of digs at Hill Street Blues and you end up with a treat that any fan of the books will enjoy.
Wordpress: https://criminolly.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC351...
I’ve been powering through the 87th Precinct books in the last couple of months, having read 11 of them in quick succession, with only a few other things thrown in. I think that’s a pretty good measure of how enjoyable they are, and how McBain manages to stick to his central formula, whilst still making each book distinct and fresh. Having not taken the time to write a full review of one of them for a while, I thought I’d pause to consider this one in a bit more depth.
Many of the other recent entries which have multiple threads woven together. The last book ‘Mischief’ certainly did that, with a couple of mysteries (graffiti artists being murdered and old people being abandoned), a tense hostage negotiation storyline with Eileen Burke, plus the Deaf Man making an appearance. ‘Romance’ is far simpler, just one mystery and a character based sub-plot about Bert Kling’s relationship with police surgeon Sharyn Cooke.
The mystery is a really fun one concerning an actress receiving death threats and then being stabbed. The twist being that she’s in a play about an actress receiving death threats and then being stabbed. McBain does a great job with this, giving you just enough information to make you feel like you’re one step ahead of the cops, when in fact you aren’t at all. I found the denouement a tad less thrilling than it might have been, but it’s still a very entertaining read. At over 300 pages it’s a longish entry in the series, but he still manages to keep it gripping.
The sub-plot about Kling and Cooke is also good, with McBain exploring the challenges of being a mixed race couple in 90s America. The handling of the subject isn’t always as deft as it might have been, but it’s still thought provoking and credible in its romantic suspense. I’ve really enjoyed the ongoing character-based storylines that have run over the last few books, and the Kling/Cooke one is no exception to that.
Throw in the normal McBain highlights – cracking dialogue, humour and lots of digs at Hill Street Blues and you end up with a treat that any fan of the books will enjoy.
May 23, 2021
McBain griped for years about Hill Street Blues - I guess because he felt the series ripped off the ambience and style of his 87th Precinct series. Despite having made his point in earlier books, he returns again to pick the scab in "Romance." Not only does he mention HSB by name, he also includes the name "Furillo" in a bit of dialog in which someone can't remember Steve Carella's name. The plot revolves around a play about a detective, so McBain gets to vent about actors who can't quite play cops correctly on stage (or screen).
One thing McBain learned from his TV rivals is the "long-arc" plot, which unfortunately becomes a detriment in his later books. There are extended stories (usually involving particular cops and their romantic failures) which continue over several books, making them confusing for casual readers who drop in for an occasional visit to Isola. In this case, it's another chapter in Bert Kling's pursuit of a black police surgeon. This entire story could have been excised from the book without anyone noticing. McBain's comments on race seem particularly dated in the era of BLM and CRT.
So what does that leave? A tepid mystery which could have worked on "Murder, She Wrote," about an actress killed during the days leading up to a premiere. McBain pokes plenty of fun at life in the theater, and how directors attempt to spoil an author's creation. But the solution of the actual mystery is fairly "ho-hum."
Besides the Hill Street references, McBain once again manages to mention his own birthday (count how many times October 15 occurs in his books), and the title of a play he wrote (The Conjuror), briefly mentioned by one of the theater types.
As I near the end of my reading of the entire cycle of the 87th, I become convinced that the first half of the series was the strongest, and the books started going off the rails sometime in the 1980s. Nevertheless, I plan to see it through to the end.
Teddy Carella
Birthday, name of play
One thing McBain learned from his TV rivals is the "long-arc" plot, which unfortunately becomes a detriment in his later books. There are extended stories (usually involving particular cops and their romantic failures) which continue over several books, making them confusing for casual readers who drop in for an occasional visit to Isola. In this case, it's another chapter in Bert Kling's pursuit of a black police surgeon. This entire story could have been excised from the book without anyone noticing. McBain's comments on race seem particularly dated in the era of BLM and CRT.
So what does that leave? A tepid mystery which could have worked on "Murder, She Wrote," about an actress killed during the days leading up to a premiere. McBain pokes plenty of fun at life in the theater, and how directors attempt to spoil an author's creation. But the solution of the actual mystery is fairly "ho-hum."
Besides the Hill Street references, McBain once again manages to mention his own birthday (count how many times October 15 occurs in his books), and the title of a play he wrote (The Conjuror), briefly mentioned by one of the theater types.
As I near the end of my reading of the entire cycle of the 87th, I become convinced that the first half of the series was the strongest, and the books started going off the rails sometime in the 1980s. Nevertheless, I plan to see it through to the end.
Teddy Carella
Birthday, name of play
May 29, 2014
Somehow for however mystery novels I read, I've somehow managed to miss reading some of the major authors of the modern manifestation of the form. So I found this one at a used bookstore and thought this was my chance.
And it was okay-- it did feel a lot like an episode of Law and Order, especially from the early years with Lenny, in the way it has a constant view of NYers as being kind of crazy, but crazy lovable. And like an episode of Law and Order, the narrative mostly lacks the sense of moment you might want, even as the death toll rises. It feels like, oh, this is episode #47 of this serial, as Goodreads helpfully tells me, and there are probably at least 47 after this one, and it's hard to think this novel is one you'd need to read.
I think there are some problems here-- I think some of the scenes, especially in the last sections, don't really work as scenes. So, when the detectives try to get into one characters apartment and get static from the doorman and the super for no really clear reason. It just felt totally arbitrary. Likewise, the novel loses interest in its own apparatus at the end-- so, we never get a sense of what happened to the play, for example. Did it never open? And why did the one character suddenly have a hard-on for the playwright? There are these characters and threads that are given much ado at points in the book and which never justify that attention. In the end, it felt kind of lazy. I don't think that fairly describes the whole book, but there are definitely moments that I think deserve the label.
And it was okay-- it did feel a lot like an episode of Law and Order, especially from the early years with Lenny, in the way it has a constant view of NYers as being kind of crazy, but crazy lovable. And like an episode of Law and Order, the narrative mostly lacks the sense of moment you might want, even as the death toll rises. It feels like, oh, this is episode #47 of this serial, as Goodreads helpfully tells me, and there are probably at least 47 after this one, and it's hard to think this novel is one you'd need to read.
I think there are some problems here-- I think some of the scenes, especially in the last sections, don't really work as scenes. So, when the detectives try to get into one characters apartment and get static from the doorman and the super for no really clear reason. It just felt totally arbitrary. Likewise, the novel loses interest in its own apparatus at the end-- so, we never get a sense of what happened to the play, for example. Did it never open? And why did the one character suddenly have a hard-on for the playwright? There are these characters and threads that are given much ado at points in the book and which never justify that attention. In the end, it felt kind of lazy. I don't think that fairly describes the whole book, but there are definitely moments that I think deserve the label.
March 22, 2013
We decided to try one more McBain after a disappointing first reading of his 45th novel in the 87th Precinct stories, “Mischief.” We likened that story to pulp fiction mysteries of 50 years ago, but wondered if “Romance”, 47th in the 55-book set, might be different. Alas, we still failed to find much intrigue or entertainment in the story, although a budding bi-racial romance between the leading detective (Kling) and another cop/surgeon provided some interesting (though dated, circa 1995) discussion of that social issue.
The plot centered around a play entitled “Romance”, in which an actress is stabbed. As a publicity stunt, that actress gets stabbed in real life, but her subsequent murder is no joke and launches the serious police investigation with the 87th’s Kling and Carella. Much of the interaction of the play’s characters was boring, and the slow machinations of the police, with some jurisdictional bickering that added little, got a little tiresome. Even the wrapup seemed somehow ho-hum.
We just have not found these McBain novels energizing. To us, his plots aren’t really that exciting, his characters do little to inspire or engage; and in general, we find little in his stories with which to resonate. While we understand he has published an astonishing quantity of books, we must conclude they are just not for us.
The plot centered around a play entitled “Romance”, in which an actress is stabbed. As a publicity stunt, that actress gets stabbed in real life, but her subsequent murder is no joke and launches the serious police investigation with the 87th’s Kling and Carella. Much of the interaction of the play’s characters was boring, and the slow machinations of the police, with some jurisdictional bickering that added little, got a little tiresome. Even the wrapup seemed somehow ho-hum.
We just have not found these McBain novels energizing. To us, his plots aren’t really that exciting, his characters do little to inspire or engage; and in general, we find little in his stories with which to resonate. While we understand he has published an astonishing quantity of books, we must conclude they are just not for us.
September 27, 2018
I was exited to read an 87th Precinct novel as I heard they were influential to the Italian-based series of books about the "Bastards of Pizzofalcone" by Maurizio De Giovanni which I really like. However, I may have had my expectations too high- this was a bit of a let-down. I liked elements of the story, such as Detective Kling's budding romance with a doctor on the force, and some of the repartee between the seasoned members of the 87th and officers from other precincts and departments. The main story here, about a play in rehearsal (and seemingly headed for a short, unsuccessful run) whose events become mirrored in real life (and an increased interest in the soon to premiere play), was not very compelling. The characters in this part of the story seemed just that, characters, and not real, fully-formed people. I was also thrown off by the fact that the city the story takes place in is fictitious (even though I shouldn't have been as this fact was disclosed in the book, and also easily discovered with a little on-line research which I have since undertaken). Perhaps this just wasn't a strong book in the series (this was the 47 as indicated above) and therefore a bad entry point? I will definitely give the series another try (I am going to start at the beginning with #1- Cop Hater) to see if it hooks me.
August 14, 2008
ROMANCE - Okay
McBain, Ed - 47th in the 87th Precinct series
An actress in a play about an actress who gets stabbed is stabbed. Her superficial wound draws little blood but enough media attention, perhaps, to save the drama from the opening-night closing its director expects. The play is titled Romance, a subject very much the focus of Kling's personal life as he doggedly pursues another cop-black surgeon, Sharyn Cooke. Next, a cast member is fatally stabbed and another member of the company dies in a suspicious fall out of an apartment window, giving the case some urgency and, not incidentally, stirring up ugly interprecinct politics, notably with Carella and King's loathed colleague, Fat Ollie Weeks.
This was a very disappointing book from a master of the police procedural.
McBain, Ed - 47th in the 87th Precinct series
An actress in a play about an actress who gets stabbed is stabbed. Her superficial wound draws little blood but enough media attention, perhaps, to save the drama from the opening-night closing its director expects. The play is titled Romance, a subject very much the focus of Kling's personal life as he doggedly pursues another cop-black surgeon, Sharyn Cooke. Next, a cast member is fatally stabbed and another member of the company dies in a suspicious fall out of an apartment window, giving the case some urgency and, not incidentally, stirring up ugly interprecinct politics, notably with Carella and King's loathed colleague, Fat Ollie Weeks.
This was a very disappointing book from a master of the police procedural.
April 14, 2021
Later period McBain, with my usual recent qualifications. Just one plot here is the focus, and McBain takes on theatre life. His disdain for pretty much every aspect of that life (including the playwright) is funny, and interesting considering what I know of his own stabs at theatre writing.
It's a decent story with interesting characters, McBain's attempt to look at mixed race relationships is laudable enough but seems a little awkward. It's not helped by him occasionally lapsing into grumpy old man mode, lambasting people for not getting along or chastising immigrants for not assimilating like his generation supposedly did. Having reread his 50s and 60s Precinct books relatively recently, the contrast is stark. Oh well, we all get old I guess. It's still a decent book.
It's a decent story with interesting characters, McBain's attempt to look at mixed race relationships is laudable enough but seems a little awkward. It's not helped by him occasionally lapsing into grumpy old man mode, lambasting people for not getting along or chastising immigrants for not assimilating like his generation supposedly did. Having reread his 50s and 60s Precinct books relatively recently, the contrast is stark. Oh well, we all get old I guess. It's still a decent book.
September 18, 2009
after evan hunter, otherwise known as ed mcbain, died, i decided to start collecting all of his books that i could, since i enjoy them so well. in this particular book we learn how bert kling, a white detective, first meets deputy chief surgeon sharyn cooke, a black woman. there are also several murders involving some cast members from a play in isola, the city patterned after manhattan.
good fun, and reading which moves you right along.
good fun, and reading which moves you right along.
November 17, 2013
I love Ed McBain's mysteries and this one doesn't disappoint. It is about a play about a murder mystery and true life events start to mimic the play. It is different from McBain's other books and I enjoyed it. I agree with other reviewer's it is hard to keep all the other titles of this author's books straight but they are timeless and always interesting in portraying a fictional police detective squad that is really close to real life it seems.
May 21, 2016
This book had the regular cop drama in it, but all of the side stories seemed to be very reactionary. The racial tensions drawn from what was going on in the news at the time he was writing this novel. Then there's the playwright, who has to be based upon either the author's own experience or someone he was made aware of.
Neither of those two aspects made the main story any better, but it was alright.
Neither of those two aspects made the main story any better, but it was alright.
May 20, 2020
I read this on my Kindle. There were so many spelling mistakes and changes in font from bold to regular--it was disconcerting. I found I was looking for mistakes rather than concentrating on the story. I wonder if anyone else had a Kindle edition and found the same mistakes. A serious need for a proofreader. The book version must have been okay because I didn't see any comments about that problem. As a story, it really was lacking, compared to other police mysteries I have read.
June 6, 2008
Well, Grace was definitely correct on Ed McBain books. If you like a straight-forward cop/crime story, these books are for you. If you like a bit of intrigue or mystery, you should continue looking in the bookstore because these books will not provide you with either of those. It was OK, but I certainly wouldn't list it among books I recommend to others.
November 8, 2008
I love all of the books from the 87th precinct! I've read a lot of them and can't remember the titles, so I may be forced to read them all again. They are quirky and humorous and often very touching.
April 19, 2021
It’s always interesting to read older books. Practices and dialogue is always set to the time. I thought it was a lot of dialogue which made it somewhat hard to follow but it came together not quite how I had thought earlier in the story.
March 28, 2015
I need a guilty pleasure and a quick read occasionally, and Ed McBain (Evan Hunter) has been my go-to author for 40 years.
January 10, 2018
Good mystery about an actress who gets stabbed in a play and then gets stabbed in real life.
October 14, 2019
Real life parallels a play about an actress getting stabbed. Lots of suspects come and go. Fat Ollie makes an appearance and is his usual sloppy, bigoted self.
I really enjoy this series.
I really enjoy this series.
January 18, 2020
Read this on a recomendation. A good read but not one of my top picks.
May 25, 2020
I love the 87th - warts and all. I do have to finally admit that the early ones are outstanding while the last ones are extremely entertaining. Okay (4.5).
January 10, 2021
I've read a lot of the 87th Precinct series. It has been a long time since I last read one. This one wasn't a fave - did not like most of the characters.
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