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87th Precinct #7
Killer's Wedge
Determined to kill police detective Steve Carella, Virginia Dodge takes Lieutenant Byrnes and other detectives hostage at the 87th Precinct by threatening to explode a home-made bomb.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
161 people are currently reading
535 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 146 reviews
August 27, 2018
This is the first hardcover edition copy write 1959 published by Simon and Schuster.
I originally owned the 'Permabooks' Pocket Books, Inc., New York, published in 1962 version of this book. This was perhaps my favorite cover for the book for which many multiple versions have been published. Somewhere in moving it must have gotten lost.
From 1961–1962 there was a television show about the 87'th precinct. This book was one of it's episodes, season one (1961) episode two and was titled "Lady in Waiting". The series stars were Robert Lansing, Ron Harper, Gregory Walcott. I know of the shows existence and sadly have never seen an episode. If some one knows where it can be seen or purchased please let me know, as I do not think it is available on DVD.
The book begins with Virginia Dodge, who is determined to put a bullet through Steve Carella's brain, and she doesn't care if she has to kill all the boys in the 87th Precinct in the process. Armed with a gun and a bottle of nitro-glycerin she spends an afternoon terrorizing Lieutenant Byrnes and his men with her clever little home-made bomb.
I originally owned the 'Permabooks' Pocket Books, Inc., New York, published in 1962 version of this book. This was perhaps my favorite cover for the book for which many multiple versions have been published. Somewhere in moving it must have gotten lost.
From 1961–1962 there was a television show about the 87'th precinct. This book was one of it's episodes, season one (1961) episode two and was titled "Lady in Waiting". The series stars were Robert Lansing, Ron Harper, Gregory Walcott. I know of the shows existence and sadly have never seen an episode. If some one knows where it can be seen or purchased please let me know, as I do not think it is available on DVD.
The book begins with Virginia Dodge, who is determined to put a bullet through Steve Carella's brain, and she doesn't care if she has to kill all the boys in the 87th Precinct in the process. Armed with a gun and a bottle of nitro-glycerin she spends an afternoon terrorizing Lieutenant Byrnes and his men with her clever little home-made bomb.
June 15, 2014
A few days away from reading this book and I've decided to up the rating by one star.
True, it was not the best in the series. The widow of a slain criminal holding the precinct hostage with a gun and a bottle of nitroglycerin? Yeah...that's pretty far-fetched, to say the least.
BUT, the suspense was great and I tore through this book. There is always great drama to be mined by tossing a group of people together to face a major crisis, and this one was no exception. The tension builds as different detectives try various schemes to separate the woman from her weapons.
McBain also does a great job of delving further into some of the characters' backstories. I love that in only a few paragraphs, he manages to convey what makes someone tick. The repartee between the men of the 87th is getting sharper, and they actually seem like a bunch of guys who've been working together for a while.
Plus, I loved the ending where
True, it was not the best in the series. The widow of a slain criminal holding the precinct hostage with a gun and a bottle of nitroglycerin? Yeah...that's pretty far-fetched, to say the least.
BUT, the suspense was great and I tore through this book. There is always great drama to be mined by tossing a group of people together to face a major crisis, and this one was no exception. The tension builds as different detectives try various schemes to separate the woman from her weapons.
McBain also does a great job of delving further into some of the characters' backstories. I love that in only a few paragraphs, he manages to convey what makes someone tick. The repartee between the men of the 87th is getting sharper, and they actually seem like a bunch of guys who've been working together for a while.
Plus, I loved the ending where
April 26, 2013
One afternoon, a woman named Virginia Dodge walks into the detectives' squad room in the 87th Precinct asking for Detective Steve Carella. When informed that Carella is out on a case, Mrs. Dodge announces that she will wait. She helps herself to a seat at a desk and when told that she must wait outside the squad room, she pulls a .38 from her purse and says that she's fine right where she is.
She forces the four detectives in the room to surrender their own weapons and announces that she's on a mission to kill Carella. Carella had arrested her husband who was then sent to prison and who has just died there. She blames Carella for his death and is determined to exact her revenge. When the detectives begin to circle around, she pulls a bottle from her purse and sets it on the desk. It's Nitroglycerine, she says, and if anyone comes closer, she will shoot the bottle and blow the entire precinct to hell and back.
The crisis plays out through a long afternoon and evening as each of the detectives speculates about whether there's really nitro in the bottle and about how they might outsmart Mrs. Dodge. Meanwhile, blissfully unaware, Steve Carella is investigating the apparent suicide of a very wealthy man whose body is discovered by the three sons who will inherit all his loot.
It's a classic locked room mystery and there seems no way that the man's death could not have been a suicide. But Carella isn't satisfied, and until he is, he's not going to leave. Eventually, of course, he will have to wrap up his investigation and return to the squad room. Will it still be standing when he gets there? If so, will the grieving widow exact her revenge?
To my mind, this short novel is one of the weaker entries in the series. The only criminal investigation in the book is Carella's investigation of the apparent suicide, which is not all that exciting. The crisis in the squad room should be filled with tension, but it seems so implausible that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
Committed fans of the 87th Precinct will certainly want to read the book, but more casual crime fiction readers who want to sample the series have any number of better books from which to choose.
She forces the four detectives in the room to surrender their own weapons and announces that she's on a mission to kill Carella. Carella had arrested her husband who was then sent to prison and who has just died there. She blames Carella for his death and is determined to exact her revenge. When the detectives begin to circle around, she pulls a bottle from her purse and sets it on the desk. It's Nitroglycerine, she says, and if anyone comes closer, she will shoot the bottle and blow the entire precinct to hell and back.
The crisis plays out through a long afternoon and evening as each of the detectives speculates about whether there's really nitro in the bottle and about how they might outsmart Mrs. Dodge. Meanwhile, blissfully unaware, Steve Carella is investigating the apparent suicide of a very wealthy man whose body is discovered by the three sons who will inherit all his loot.
It's a classic locked room mystery and there seems no way that the man's death could not have been a suicide. But Carella isn't satisfied, and until he is, he's not going to leave. Eventually, of course, he will have to wrap up his investigation and return to the squad room. Will it still be standing when he gets there? If so, will the grieving widow exact her revenge?
To my mind, this short novel is one of the weaker entries in the series. The only criminal investigation in the book is Carella's investigation of the apparent suicide, which is not all that exciting. The crisis in the squad room should be filled with tension, but it seems so implausible that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
Committed fans of the 87th Precinct will certainly want to read the book, but more casual crime fiction readers who want to sample the series have any number of better books from which to choose.
January 12, 2013
You know when a long running tv series gets about three quarters through the season it often kicks out an episode where our heroes get caught up in a bank siege or some other contrivance that sees them confined to one or two rooms. Basically they spent all the budget on flashier episodes. Killer's Wedge feels a bit like one of those but in a book. It's easy to become over critical though and forget that 87th Precinct was never meant to be still being appraised, praised and loved over half a century later. They were just 25cent pocket book ephemera that folk might fill a dinner hour or a boring commute with.
A woman turns up at the 87th squad room armed with a gun, a bottle of nitro and a heart filled with hate for Detective Steve Carella. Most of the shift of detectives are present, or stumble in on the proceedings, with the exception of Carella himself. He's off at a creaky old mansion trying to solve a locked room mystery. And it's a very dull mystery with even duller suspects that has the detective mainly fiddling with the locked door, bits of string and crow bars.
Meanwhile back at the squad room various members of the shift roster, including our new hero Cotton Hawes try to work out a way to divest the murderous revenge lady of her weapons. The tension gets cranked to the max for sure, and there's a great wildcard character introduced to the mix, a girl who may or may not have slit a gang leader's throat... but I just didn't enjoy the experience. On the plus side we did get a bit of a look at the inner workings of the precinct. Aside from all that I look forward to the boys getting back to what they do best - fighting crime and shooting the breeze.
A woman turns up at the 87th squad room armed with a gun, a bottle of nitro and a heart filled with hate for Detective Steve Carella. Most of the shift of detectives are present, or stumble in on the proceedings, with the exception of Carella himself. He's off at a creaky old mansion trying to solve a locked room mystery. And it's a very dull mystery with even duller suspects that has the detective mainly fiddling with the locked door, bits of string and crow bars.
Meanwhile back at the squad room various members of the shift roster, including our new hero Cotton Hawes try to work out a way to divest the murderous revenge lady of her weapons. The tension gets cranked to the max for sure, and there's a great wildcard character introduced to the mix, a girl who may or may not have slit a gang leader's throat... but I just didn't enjoy the experience. On the plus side we did get a bit of a look at the inner workings of the precinct. Aside from all that I look forward to the boys getting back to what they do best - fighting crime and shooting the breeze.
July 15, 2025
It's a great entry in the series, even if it's a little bit far-fetched. Our main plot follows a woman who enters the detective office at the 87th with a gun and a bottle of explosives wishing to kill a certain detective who put her husband away. Our subplot follows Steve Carella, who investigates an apparent suicide of a rich businessman, but not is all as it looks.
As usual, the sharp dialogue and our personable characters drive this novel. It's short and sweet with electric pacing, keeping you glued to the pages. Pulp Detective fiction at its best is this series. Solid 4 stars.
As usual, the sharp dialogue and our personable characters drive this novel. It's short and sweet with electric pacing, keeping you glued to the pages. Pulp Detective fiction at its best is this series. Solid 4 stars.
November 29, 2019
McBain cranked up the tension throughout this one. I will not summarize the plot, the GR summary does a good job there. On top of a woman with a gun and a possible bottle of nitro waiting to kill Det. Carella at the precinct, Carella gets to tackle a locked room mystery. This is a story of its time, no cell phones, computers or other ways out of the quandry at the precinct. Really well done.
December 4, 2016
"Ο ντετέκτιβ πρέπει να πεθάνει", εκδόσεις Bell
Έβδομο βιβλίο της σειράς του 87ου Αστυνομικού Τμήματος και από άποψη ποιότητας μου φάνηκε στο ίδιο καλό επίπεδο με τα προηγούμενα βιβλία που διάβασα. Δεν πέρασε και πολύς καιρός από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο της σειράς, ήθελα όμως να διαβάσω κάτι ευκολοδιάβαστο και ξεκούραστο και τα συγκεκριμένα βιβλία είναι τα πρώτα που μου έρχονται στο νου για κάτι τέτοιο.
Λοιπόν, το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της ιστορίας διαδραματίζεται μέσα στο 87ο Αστυνομικό Τμήμα, στο οποίο ένα απόγευμα εμφανίζεται μια μαυροφορεμένη γυναίκα. Που λέτε, αυτή κατευθύνεται προς την ομάδα των ντετέκτιβ που βρίσκονταν εκείνη την ώρα στην μεγάλη αίθουσα, και τους απειλεί με ένα 38αρι. Επιπρόσθετα, μέσα στην τσάντα της έχει ένα μπουκάλι γεμάτο νιτρογλυκερίνη και φωνάζει ότι θα τα τινάξει όλα στον αέρα έτσι και κάνουν τίποτα. Τι θέλει αυτή η γυναίκα; Μα να σκοτώσει τον ντετέκτιβ του τμήματος, Στιβ Καρέλα, που συνέλαβε τον άντρα της, ο οποίος πριν λίγες μέρες πέθανε στην φυλακή. Θεωρεί τον Καρέλα υπεύθυνο για τον θάνατο του αγαπημένου της συζύγου. Ο Καρέλα όμως ερευνά μια υπόθεση αυτοκτονίας (που μπορεί να είναι και δολοφονία), οπότε λείπει. Ε, η μαυροφορεμένη γυναίκα θα περιμένει μαζί με τους αστυνομικούς την έλευσή του στο τμήμα. Η συνέχεια... ένας κακός χαμός!
Κλασικά, το στιλ αφήγησης δεν αλλάζει ούτε εδώ. Έχουμε μια ωραία και καλογραμμένη ιστορία, ρεαλιστική και με ένταση, με τον συγγραφέα να δείχνει για ακόμη μια φορά το ταλέντο τους στις περιγραφές των προσώπων και των διαφόρων καταστάσεων, καθώς και στους ιδιαίτερα φυσικούς διαλόγους. Εδώ που τα λέμε, αυτοί οι διάλογοι κάνουν την διαφορά στα έργα του. Σε σχέση με άλλα βιβλία του έχει λιγότερο μυστήριο και όχι τόσες εκπλήξεις, αλλά κακά τα ψέμματα προσφέρει λίγη αγωνία και αρκετή ψυχαγωγία.
Έβδομο βιβλίο της σειράς του 87ου Αστυνομικού Τμήματος και από άποψη ποιότητας μου φάνηκε στο ίδιο καλό επίπεδο με τα προηγούμενα βιβλία που διάβασα. Δεν πέρασε και πολύς καιρός από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο της σειράς, ήθελα όμως να διαβάσω κάτι ευκολοδιάβαστο και ξεκούραστο και τα συγκεκριμένα βιβλία είναι τα πρώτα που μου έρχονται στο νου για κάτι τέτοιο.
Λοιπόν, το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της ιστορίας διαδραματίζεται μέσα στο 87ο Αστυνομικό Τμήμα, στο οποίο ένα απόγευμα εμφανίζεται μια μαυροφορεμένη γυναίκα. Που λέτε, αυτή κατευθύνεται προς την ομάδα των ντετέκτιβ που βρίσκονταν εκείνη την ώρα στην μεγάλη αίθουσα, και τους απειλεί με ένα 38αρι. Επιπρόσθετα, μέσα στην τσάντα της έχει ένα μπουκάλι γεμάτο νιτρογλυκερίνη και φωνάζει ότι θα τα τινάξει όλα στον αέρα έτσι και κάνουν τίποτα. Τι θέλει αυτή η γυναίκα; Μα να σκοτώσει τον ντετέκτιβ του τμήματος, Στιβ Καρέλα, που συνέλαβε τον άντρα της, ο οποίος πριν λίγες μέρες πέθανε στην φυλακή. Θεωρεί τον Καρέλα υπεύθυνο για τον θάνατο του αγαπημένου της συζύγου. Ο Καρέλα όμως ερευνά μια υπόθεση αυτοκτονίας (που μπορεί να είναι και δολοφονία), οπότε λείπει. Ε, η μαυροφορεμένη γυναίκα θα περιμένει μαζί με τους αστυνομικούς την έλευσή του στο τμήμα. Η συνέχεια... ένας κακός χαμός!
Κλασικά, το στιλ αφήγησης δεν αλλάζει ούτε εδώ. Έχουμε μια ωραία και καλογραμμένη ιστορία, ρεαλιστική και με ένταση, με τον συγγραφέα να δείχνει για ακόμη μια φορά το ταλέντο τους στις περιγραφές των προσώπων και των διαφόρων καταστάσεων, καθώς και στους ιδιαίτερα φυσικούς διαλόγους. Εδώ που τα λέμε, αυτοί οι διάλογοι κάνουν την διαφορά στα έργα του. Σε σχέση με άλλα βιβλία του έχει λιγότερο μυστήριο και όχι τόσες εκπλήξεις, αλλά κακά τα ψέμματα προσφέρει λίγη αγωνία και αρκετή ψυχαγωγία.
July 15, 2022
Luckily the barely interesting locked-door mystery takes a backseat to the incredibly tense hostage drama taking place back at the squad room. It's impressive how well these 25c detective novels stand up over 60 years later.
February 27, 2013
Were it not for Kindle discounts, I never would have started Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series, or this series. In all three cases I am grateful for them highlighting and discounting these genre classics down to $1, where it doesn't make sense not to give them a shot.
The first remarkable thing about this book is its timelessness. Were it not for a very few small details -- a lack of cell phones, a mention of "the forty-eight states" -- I would have had no idea it was first published in 1959.
The second is how deftly McBain weaves three separate settings -- the precinct, the mansion, and the city -- that are almost characters themselves. While the locked-room mystery at the mansion was nothing mind-blowing, it was really just a diversion to the hostage scene playing out at the precinct. One scene at the precinct was so intense, , it gave me one of the strongest visceral reactions to anything I've ever read.
Anyone that likes police procedurals, especially classics like Dragnet -- which this book tips its cap to more than once -- is sure to enjoy the 87th Precinct.
The first remarkable thing about this book is its timelessness. Were it not for a very few small details -- a lack of cell phones, a mention of "the forty-eight states" -- I would have had no idea it was first published in 1959.
The second is how deftly McBain weaves three separate settings -- the precinct, the mansion, and the city -- that are almost characters themselves. While the locked-room mystery at the mansion was nothing mind-blowing, it was really just a diversion to the hostage scene playing out at the precinct. One scene at the precinct was so intense, , it gave me one of the strongest visceral reactions to anything I've ever read.
Anyone that likes police procedurals, especially classics like Dragnet -- which this book tips its cap to more than once -- is sure to enjoy the 87th Precinct.
February 6, 2024
Killer's Wedge (1959) by Ed McBain is an excellent early entry in the 87th Precinct Mysteries. I'd have to rank it near the top with The Mugger...The story takes place in the 87th homicide squad room where a twisted widow is holding all the detectives captive (think Barney Miller minus the humor). Meanwhile Detective Carella is investigating a "locked-room mystery" similar to those written by John Dickson Carr. Although a touch drama heavy here & there, Killer's Wedge is entertaining from beginning to end with a number of twists right up to the last few lines....I'd give it a 4.25 but that's splitting hairs and I really enjoyed reading this 87th novel so I'm giving it a 5.0...yeah, 5.0 outta 5.0...
October 25, 2021
Ed McBain used a different strategy in the "Killer's Wedge. " There is the usual police investigation, but it is only Steve Carella doing the investigation -- and the investigation itself is the smaller part of this book.
A widow out for revenge takes the detectives in the squad room hostage as she waits for Carella, her intended target, to return to his office. And it isn't only the detectives at risk; anyone who enters the squad room is fair game for this vengeful woman.
As always, McBain's stories are character-driven, with "Killer's Wedge" being no exception. The tense squad room makes for some interesting up close and personal character study.
A widow out for revenge takes the detectives in the squad room hostage as she waits for Carella, her intended target, to return to his office. And it isn't only the detectives at risk; anyone who enters the squad room is fair game for this vengeful woman.
As always, McBain's stories are character-driven, with "Killer's Wedge" being no exception. The tense squad room makes for some interesting up close and personal character study.
January 19, 2017
This series gets better as they go on. This one sees Virginis Dodge walk into the squad room with a bottle of nitro -glycerine and a .38, saying she is going to kill Steve Carella. Meanwhile, Steve is looking into an apparent suicide. The story revolves around the hours that tick away as Virginia keeps the squad detectives hostage and their attempts to overpower her. Great descriptions of Grover Park in the October sunshine and the night skyline of the precinct as night approaches. A good read which passed the time on a sub-zero afternoon and evening.
June 12, 2017
Another of the early 87th Precinct books. Some lists show this as #7 in the series, and some as #8. As it follows the other two books with 'Killer' in the title I am reading it as #7.
A crazy woman, bent on revenge, invades the 87th Precinct squad room and holds everyone she finds there hostage. Meanwhile, Detective Carrella is out investigating an obvious suicide. However, it's just to cut and dry and he begins to have suspicions. It's only near the very end of the book that you discover what the title refers to.
Not quite as good as some of the others but I am going to go straight on with the next in the series.
A crazy woman, bent on revenge, invades the 87th Precinct squad room and holds everyone she finds there hostage. Meanwhile, Detective Carrella is out investigating an obvious suicide. However, it's just to cut and dry and he begins to have suspicions. It's only near the very end of the book that you discover what the title refers to.
Not quite as good as some of the others but I am going to go straight on with the next in the series.
December 1, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Tense, Fast-Paced Entry in the Series
This is probably my favorite 87th Precinct book so far. Killer’s Wedge feels like one of those "bottle episodes" from a TV show, where most of the action takes place in one setting — in this case, the precinct — as the characters deal with a single, high-stakes situation. The tension is gripping, and it’s hard to put down once it gets going.
There’s also a secondary plot involving Carella and what seems like a suicide. It’s an interesting side story, but it feels a bit underdeveloped, likely to make room for the main storyline. Still, the book’s short length and fast pace work in its favor, delivering a tightly packed, satisfying read.
And the good news from the Carellas was a nice little touch to balance out all the drama. A strong entry in the series that definitely deserves four stars!
A Tense, Fast-Paced Entry in the Series
This is probably my favorite 87th Precinct book so far. Killer’s Wedge feels like one of those "bottle episodes" from a TV show, where most of the action takes place in one setting — in this case, the precinct — as the characters deal with a single, high-stakes situation. The tension is gripping, and it’s hard to put down once it gets going.
There’s also a secondary plot involving Carella and what seems like a suicide. It’s an interesting side story, but it feels a bit underdeveloped, likely to make room for the main storyline. Still, the book’s short length and fast pace work in its favor, delivering a tightly packed, satisfying read.
And the good news from the Carellas was a nice little touch to balance out all the drama. A strong entry in the series that definitely deserves four stars!
June 5, 2017
As I read this series in order, this was definitely one of the better ones. An angry women holds the squadroom hostage as she waits for one particular detective to return. She intends to kill him as an act of revenge.
Thus was a fairly suspenseful story. McBain has already proven in earlier volumes that he is not afraid to terminate characters, no matter how integral they might seem to the series overall. So this book keeps you in the edge of your seat in fear that one of your favorite detectives might find himself on the wrong end of the gun. Do one (or more) of the boys take one for the team? Find out! Read the book!
Thus was a fairly suspenseful story. McBain has already proven in earlier volumes that he is not afraid to terminate characters, no matter how integral they might seem to the series overall. So this book keeps you in the edge of your seat in fear that one of your favorite detectives might find himself on the wrong end of the gun. Do one (or more) of the boys take one for the team? Find out! Read the book!
September 12, 2015
Damn, I LOVE the 87th Precinct books. This one blends a genuinely tense hostage situation in the precinct building itself with a delicious locked door murder mystery. Throw in McBain's sly humour and superb pacing and you've got another winner. Superb.
March 22, 2025
A vengeful widow enters the 87th Precinct's detective squadroom and pulls a gun, stating her intention to kill Steve Carella. Detective Carella is out investigating a suicide at the time, so while she waits for him to return, she holds the detectives there hostage with that gun and with an explosive that her safe-cracking husband had before Carella sent him away to prison. The suicide investigation is a classic-style whodunit that he is working while distracted by some personal news.
Verdict: A short and smart crime caper; not the best of the 87th Precinct novels, some things I'm being internally critical on to avoid spoilers, but still a good read.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
Verdict: A short and smart crime caper; not the best of the 87th Precinct novels, some things I'm being internally critical on to avoid spoilers, but still a good read.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
October 2, 2018
Seven books into the 87th Precinct series and McBain throws in a very interesting curve ball. Instead of the usual scenario, with the detective squad investigating a few incidents, a lone woman, Virginia Dodge, walks into the 87th building, up the stairs to the detectives' desk area, takes a seat within that area, stating she's looking for Steve Carella, who happens to be out on a case. When politely asked to wait outside the area, she produces a .38 revolver and manages to completely take over the squad room! She threatens that she also possesses a bottle of Nitrogycerin that she's willing to explode, if the detectives fail to hand over their weapons.
So, here's where I would have knocked my rating down to a 3; this bit of the plot stretches incredulity to the breaking point. No way, no how would a group of police detectives (seasoned to varying degrees, but none are rookies) agree to put up their weapons and become willing hostages. As soon as she produced the weapon, she would have been shot by any number of the cops, before she even had the chance to tell them about the nitro (forget the fact that she could have brought a weapon into the station so easily, but one must remember the times in which these stories are set).
But, this story isn't really about whether or not it's believable. It's more of a fascinating one-act play of sorts-- how each of the detectives caught up in the squad room reacts, thinks, and behaves under these preposterous circumstances. Their gradual transition of emotion, from amusement, tolerance, all the way to pure hatred for this crazy woman is really where this book shines. The story is very short and moves at a rapid clip, so it doesn't really bog down where it easily might have. Oh, there's a few points where the reader is shifted outside the building, but for the most part, this story is more or less carried out in the thoughts of the cops and the eventually sadistic actions of Virginia.
And that's why I moved it back up from a 3 star rating to 3.5 (forced to round up to 4 stars). No, it's not a true, full-blown 87th Precinct best of breed, but I found myself completely immersed and entertained, so much so, that I stayed up longer than usual to finish it in one day. Not my typical M.O., but then again, this isn't the typical M.O. for one of this series. I can accept both with pleasure.
So, here's where I would have knocked my rating down to a 3; this bit of the plot stretches incredulity to the breaking point. No way, no how would a group of police detectives (seasoned to varying degrees, but none are rookies) agree to put up their weapons and become willing hostages. As soon as she produced the weapon, she would have been shot by any number of the cops, before she even had the chance to tell them about the nitro (forget the fact that she could have brought a weapon into the station so easily, but one must remember the times in which these stories are set).
But, this story isn't really about whether or not it's believable. It's more of a fascinating one-act play of sorts-- how each of the detectives caught up in the squad room reacts, thinks, and behaves under these preposterous circumstances. Their gradual transition of emotion, from amusement, tolerance, all the way to pure hatred for this crazy woman is really where this book shines. The story is very short and moves at a rapid clip, so it doesn't really bog down where it easily might have. Oh, there's a few points where the reader is shifted outside the building, but for the most part, this story is more or less carried out in the thoughts of the cops and the eventually sadistic actions of Virginia.
And that's why I moved it back up from a 3 star rating to 3.5 (forced to round up to 4 stars). No, it's not a true, full-blown 87th Precinct best of breed, but I found myself completely immersed and entertained, so much so, that I stayed up longer than usual to finish it in one day. Not my typical M.O., but then again, this isn't the typical M.O. for one of this series. I can accept both with pleasure.
June 9, 2019
This book has a truly terrible title. If ever there was a book to avoid based on the title alone it is this. I think the word ‘wedge’ has very little emotional or anticipatory resonance. You read this title and think to yourself ‘this will probably be awful’.
This is not an awful book, it is the very opposite of awful. Wonderful, is wonderful the opposite of awful?
The book is quite a short one again and it is firing on all cylinders from the very start. It's about a chapter in when it kicks off and once it does kick of it never slows down or lets you go until the very end. I ripped through this book because I could not bear to stop once it was going.
The suspense and pace never let up until the very end of the story. There are 2 main narratives within this book and both are solid. The mystery is a good one but does not try to be too clever and the suspense is the same. They are consistent in their logic and presentation and neither felt more important than the other one.
One of the aspects of this book I enjoyed was the fact that rather than having one central character to obsess on it is a team piece. I found myself liking everyone in the team. There is a well handled group dynamic going on here. This is Hill St Blues before Hill St blues.
Why five stars then? Because the story is just so gripping. It's set in 2 key locations. This could almost be a play as it takes place over a single day but it is still brilliant. The twists and turns, the characters and their interplay are all deftly handled. It is tense and interesting and clever all at the same time. I was amazed at the amount of story I read in such a short book set over such a short period of time. If you come out of a book thinking to yourself ‘wow, that was amazing’ then what you have there is a 5 star book.
Also by the end of the book you get a moment where you realise what the title refers to and it almost redeems it. I am still not convinced it is a good title to pull readers into the series but it does at least make sense once you have finished the book.
This is not an awful book, it is the very opposite of awful. Wonderful, is wonderful the opposite of awful?
The book is quite a short one again and it is firing on all cylinders from the very start. It's about a chapter in when it kicks off and once it does kick of it never slows down or lets you go until the very end. I ripped through this book because I could not bear to stop once it was going.
The suspense and pace never let up until the very end of the story. There are 2 main narratives within this book and both are solid. The mystery is a good one but does not try to be too clever and the suspense is the same. They are consistent in their logic and presentation and neither felt more important than the other one.
One of the aspects of this book I enjoyed was the fact that rather than having one central character to obsess on it is a team piece. I found myself liking everyone in the team. There is a well handled group dynamic going on here. This is Hill St Blues before Hill St blues.
Why five stars then? Because the story is just so gripping. It's set in 2 key locations. This could almost be a play as it takes place over a single day but it is still brilliant. The twists and turns, the characters and their interplay are all deftly handled. It is tense and interesting and clever all at the same time. I was amazed at the amount of story I read in such a short book set over such a short period of time. If you come out of a book thinking to yourself ‘wow, that was amazing’ then what you have there is a 5 star book.
Also by the end of the book you get a moment where you realise what the title refers to and it almost redeems it. I am still not convinced it is a good title to pull readers into the series but it does at least make sense once you have finished the book.
March 18, 2022
I know, I know. It’s full of sexism and racism, so how dare I give it 5 stars. I feel guilty about it, but I loved this installment of the 87h Precinct series. The villain is great, the detectives are wonderfully inept at communicating their need for assistance without alerting said villain, and Steve Carella’s investigation of an apparent suicide is interesting. Plenty of action in a fun plot makes this one my favorite of the series thus far. Dick Hill does a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.
December 10, 2022
McBain is a great writer. I haven't read a book this fast in awhile. Will definitely be reading more. I might be obsessed 😂
March 1, 2024
This is one of my favorites from the series so far. Love all the characters.
December 12, 2017
McBain's books, and in particular his earlier ones were lean and tight and well written, packing the punches and building the tension, full of his trade mark procedural process and with good solid and actually believable mysteries. Crime fiction at its finest, not saving the world, not larger than life criminals but good solid crime fiction.
May 2, 2019
I heard some say that this was not rate well against Ed McBain's other 87th books. I thought it was the best I have read. It stepped away from his usual formula, and gave insight to some characters that have been only been briefly touched upon. Good book!
October 17, 2018
Still enjoying these books, well I was years ago when I read them.
June 21, 2019
Some wasted scenes, but the basic plot, had it been left alone, is superb in the same way as a courtroom drama can be. All the characters are in one place, in a short time, with high stakes tension.
March 24, 2025
Perfect.
May 15, 2020
This was a fast read with a bit of a noir feel to it, and might be my favorite detective series. It is also my third time through which is why I have the whole series on my kindle. It is an old fashioned police procedural long before modern conveniences. The story line is tight with great pacing and is action driven as much as character driven. The characters are being fleshed out; and don't miss the fictional city of Isola described, in detail, as a woman all decked out for the pleasures of the night. The city is as much of a character as the detectives who inhabit the squadroom.
There are two plots running concurrently but woven together seamlessly. In the first, Mrs. Frank Dodge a.k.a. Virginia Dodge silently enters the squadroom, asks for Detective Steve Carella; and when she finds out he is out on a case, pulls out a .38, points it at the detectives, and demands their guns. When they hesitate, she brings out a bottle of nitroglycerin and sets it down with the gun pointed at it. It is her wedge to get them to do as she says. She then explains she is there to kill Carella, because she blames him for her husband's death. Carilla made the collar when Frank was robbing a gas station and he was sent to Castleview prison where he died the day before. The three detectives, Cotton Hawes, Bert Kling, and Meyer Meyer plus lieutenant Brynes are the only ones present for awhile.
The second plot has Carella at the old Scott mansion investigating a locked door suicide. Old man Scott was found, by his three sons, hanging from the rafters of his study. Carella feels it doesn't smell like suicide, but can he prove his suspicions? The wealthy Scott had left $750,000 in cash plus the Scott Company and further holdings to be divided by his sons. Lots of possible suspects. The only problem being that the door was locked from the inside.
The tension escalates and the heat rises (pun intended) in the squadroom, and Virginia seethes. The detectives all plan stratagems to get that gun, but the thought always on their minds is - is the nitroglycerin real or is she playing them? What to do? Then, unaware of what's going on, Detective Hal Willis brings in a sassy Puerto Rican girl named Angelica for opening a guy's throat with a razor blade. More complications for Virginia.
And to make matters worse, Carella has asked his deaf mute wife Teddy to meet him in the precinct at 7:00pm so he can take her out to celebrate some very exciting news. The evening approaches, one officer is down, two have been pistol-whipped, and still no Carella. Virginia's nerves are on a thin edge. And in walks Teddy...
A small subplot involves Meyer Meyer surreptitiously filling out a fake DD report asking for help and secretly throwing it and two copies out the bars of the open window near his desk. We get to find out what happens to each sheet and a small glimpse into the life of who found it and what they did with it. There are a couple of twists and the ending is priceless concerning oblivious Carella's reaction when he enters the squadroom. Highly recommended series.
There are two plots running concurrently but woven together seamlessly. In the first, Mrs. Frank Dodge a.k.a. Virginia Dodge silently enters the squadroom, asks for Detective Steve Carella; and when she finds out he is out on a case, pulls out a .38, points it at the detectives, and demands their guns. When they hesitate, she brings out a bottle of nitroglycerin and sets it down with the gun pointed at it. It is her wedge to get them to do as she says. She then explains she is there to kill Carella, because she blames him for her husband's death. Carilla made the collar when Frank was robbing a gas station and he was sent to Castleview prison where he died the day before. The three detectives, Cotton Hawes, Bert Kling, and Meyer Meyer plus lieutenant Brynes are the only ones present for awhile.
The second plot has Carella at the old Scott mansion investigating a locked door suicide. Old man Scott was found, by his three sons, hanging from the rafters of his study. Carella feels it doesn't smell like suicide, but can he prove his suspicions? The wealthy Scott had left $750,000 in cash plus the Scott Company and further holdings to be divided by his sons. Lots of possible suspects. The only problem being that the door was locked from the inside.
The tension escalates and the heat rises (pun intended) in the squadroom, and Virginia seethes. The detectives all plan stratagems to get that gun, but the thought always on their minds is - is the nitroglycerin real or is she playing them? What to do? Then, unaware of what's going on, Detective Hal Willis brings in a sassy Puerto Rican girl named Angelica for opening a guy's throat with a razor blade. More complications for Virginia.
And to make matters worse, Carella has asked his deaf mute wife Teddy to meet him in the precinct at 7:00pm so he can take her out to celebrate some very exciting news. The evening approaches, one officer is down, two have been pistol-whipped, and still no Carella. Virginia's nerves are on a thin edge. And in walks Teddy...
A small subplot involves Meyer Meyer surreptitiously filling out a fake DD report asking for help and secretly throwing it and two copies out the bars of the open window near his desk. We get to find out what happens to each sheet and a small glimpse into the life of who found it and what they did with it. There are a couple of twists and the ending is priceless concerning oblivious Carella's reaction when he enters the squadroom. Highly recommended series.
August 5, 2018
A lady walked into a bar.
Ouch.
It was an iron bar.
A lady walks into the 87th Precinct squad room.
Ouch.
She was carrying a revolver and a jar of nitroglycerine and she wanted Steve Carella dead.
Carella doesn't know this, of course. He's over at the doctor's finding out that his wife is pregnant and that his life (whatever's left of it) will never be the same.
The woman with the jar of sauce is called Virginia and she doesn't give a monkey's about Carella's news. As long as she gets to blow his head off, she doesn't care about many things. And she has lots of time. All the time in the world.
The reason she wants Carella dead is that she holds him responsible for killing her husband. He didn't. The only part he had to play was arresting him and sending him to the prison in which he died.
It's the job of Kling, Meyer, Byrnes and Cotton Hawes to persuade her on the error of her ways. The problem they have is that she's holding them hostage and seems unstable enough to blow the department up and them with it if they try anything. There's an interesting examination of the loyalties of the men here. Byrne, who possibly feels the most love for Carella, is in the position of having to weigh up the lives of everyone in the room against that of one individual. The others, all brothers in the 87th, are prepared to put their lives on the line if need be and don't necessarily agree with their boss's approach.
As time goes on, the detectives all take turns in trying to calm the situation and get themselves out of a mighty hole. Not that Virginia's listening. She's sharp and alert and has a mean streak that's wider than the band of grey in Hawes's hair.
In a parallel universe of sorts, Carella is trying to get to the bottom of a suicide that doesn't smell right. There are similarities between the situations at the station and on the case. Both are set in confined spaces. Each is limited by the ticking of the clock. None of the people involved are in the mood to cooperate and Carella is the main player.
Star of the show is a violent hooker who brings a pleasing freshness to proceedings and keeps life in the squad room interesting when it might otherwise have lost some lustre.
The pressure builds at the station and in the family home of the suicide/murder victim. Tension mounts at a steady and pleasing pace and there are enough spanners in the works and plot twists to keep the eyes glued to the page.
Lots to love about this one. It stretches plausibility on occasion, but McBain handles it all with enough skill to force any questions to the back of the mind.
Killer's Wedge is another gem in the series. It may be less polished than some, but its value is high all the same. Go on. Give it a rub and watch it sparkle.
Ouch.
It was an iron bar.
A lady walks into the 87th Precinct squad room.
Ouch.
She was carrying a revolver and a jar of nitroglycerine and she wanted Steve Carella dead.
Carella doesn't know this, of course. He's over at the doctor's finding out that his wife is pregnant and that his life (whatever's left of it) will never be the same.
The woman with the jar of sauce is called Virginia and she doesn't give a monkey's about Carella's news. As long as she gets to blow his head off, she doesn't care about many things. And she has lots of time. All the time in the world.
The reason she wants Carella dead is that she holds him responsible for killing her husband. He didn't. The only part he had to play was arresting him and sending him to the prison in which he died.
It's the job of Kling, Meyer, Byrnes and Cotton Hawes to persuade her on the error of her ways. The problem they have is that she's holding them hostage and seems unstable enough to blow the department up and them with it if they try anything. There's an interesting examination of the loyalties of the men here. Byrne, who possibly feels the most love for Carella, is in the position of having to weigh up the lives of everyone in the room against that of one individual. The others, all brothers in the 87th, are prepared to put their lives on the line if need be and don't necessarily agree with their boss's approach.
As time goes on, the detectives all take turns in trying to calm the situation and get themselves out of a mighty hole. Not that Virginia's listening. She's sharp and alert and has a mean streak that's wider than the band of grey in Hawes's hair.
In a parallel universe of sorts, Carella is trying to get to the bottom of a suicide that doesn't smell right. There are similarities between the situations at the station and on the case. Both are set in confined spaces. Each is limited by the ticking of the clock. None of the people involved are in the mood to cooperate and Carella is the main player.
Star of the show is a violent hooker who brings a pleasing freshness to proceedings and keeps life in the squad room interesting when it might otherwise have lost some lustre.
The pressure builds at the station and in the family home of the suicide/murder victim. Tension mounts at a steady and pleasing pace and there are enough spanners in the works and plot twists to keep the eyes glued to the page.
Lots to love about this one. It stretches plausibility on occasion, but McBain handles it all with enough skill to force any questions to the back of the mind.
Killer's Wedge is another gem in the series. It may be less polished than some, but its value is high all the same. Go on. Give it a rub and watch it sparkle.
January 30, 2022
I have never been disappointed in Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books — heck, any of his books — and I've been reading them off and on for most of my life.
And though somehow I missed Killer's Wedge in all my reading, it — like all the others — is a tense, thrilling story that forces the reader to continue reading and wondering just how it would all end.
What a roller coaster of a ride! A woman enters the 87th Precinct's detective squad room and asks for Steve Carella. Not here. Can anyone else help her? But the woman insists, Steve Carella is who she wants and she's not leaving until she sees him. And nothing will stop her from that, not even the detectives who are there in the room.
It's a game of cat and mouse with the detectives and Mrs. Dodge, a woman with a gut full of hatred and desperation who firmly believes that there is only one course for her and this is. That desperation is what makes this a thriller — because Mrs. Dodge has crossed the threshold of reasonableness.
Every character in this story is written vividly and realistically. The sweat, swear and weigh the odds of their every actions as the minutes tick by — as Mrs. Dodge waits to see Carella.
This is a master of his game, with lyrical descriptions of the city, the police station, the squad room and the people who populate the story. As a reader, I couldn't put this book down. The story was alive, a living breathing thing that I had to face, to continue reading to the very end. When I put it down to finally sleep, it was still like a living thing in my mind's eye. It was that good, that real.
And though somehow I missed Killer's Wedge in all my reading, it — like all the others — is a tense, thrilling story that forces the reader to continue reading and wondering just how it would all end.
What a roller coaster of a ride! A woman enters the 87th Precinct's detective squad room and asks for Steve Carella. Not here. Can anyone else help her? But the woman insists, Steve Carella is who she wants and she's not leaving until she sees him. And nothing will stop her from that, not even the detectives who are there in the room.
It's a game of cat and mouse with the detectives and Mrs. Dodge, a woman with a gut full of hatred and desperation who firmly believes that there is only one course for her and this is. That desperation is what makes this a thriller — because Mrs. Dodge has crossed the threshold of reasonableness.
Every character in this story is written vividly and realistically. The sweat, swear and weigh the odds of their every actions as the minutes tick by — as Mrs. Dodge waits to see Carella.
This is a master of his game, with lyrical descriptions of the city, the police station, the squad room and the people who populate the story. As a reader, I couldn't put this book down. The story was alive, a living breathing thing that I had to face, to continue reading to the very end. When I put it down to finally sleep, it was still like a living thing in my mind's eye. It was that good, that real.
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