Library's review
This entry in McBain's 87th Precinct story marks the first appearance of arch-villain The Deaf Man, who becomes a recurring character in later books. Here, he's the brains behind an audacious and fantastically complicated robbery plot that sends our hero Steve Carella to the hospital and nearly
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drives the rest of the precinct to their knees. In this 12th book of the series, you can almost feel McBain hitting his stride with his characters and his pseudo-New York City setting. A strong entry in a very strong series, provided you can get past the casual sexism reflective of the 1950s era when it was written. Show Less
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Description
"There are crazy people all over, you know that, don't you?"Spring was intoxicating the city air, but the harassing anonymous telephone calls planting seeds of fear around town were no April Fool's joke. Crank calls and crackpot threats reported to the 87th Precinct by a respected businessman were not exactly top priority for detectives Carella and Meyer -- until a brutal homicide hits the papers. Connections are getting made fast and furious, and there's a buzz in the air about the Deaf Man, a brilliant criminal mastermind. Now, the 87th Precinct is buying time to reveal the voice on the other end of the line -- as the level of danger rises from a whisper to a scream....
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1960