In this 87th Precinct thriller, Detective Steve Carella must track down a killer who's systematically rubbing out all the city's graffiti artists, leaving each victim mischievously splashed with paint and blood. Foul play takes another form when an old nemesis, the Dead Man, taunts Carella and the eight-seven with riddling clues for solving a crime - or crimes - not yet committed. Given what he's deduced from the prankish perpetrator, Carella strongly suspects the crime will take place during a free rock and rap concert scheduled to take place in the city's largest park. As Carella tries desperately to second guess him, the Dead Man meticulously puts together a plan to carry off a multi-million dollar coup. Soon Carella finds himself racing against time in a game of wits that could leave the city reeling under an onslaught of dirty tricks from one of the underworld's masters of criminal mischief.
Washington Post Book World
Simply the best.
About the Author, Ed McBain
Ed McBain, a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's coveted Grand Master Award, was also the first American to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writers Association's highest award. His books have sold more than one hundred million copies, ranging from the more than fifty titles in the 87th Precinct series (including the Edgar Award-nominated Money, Money, Money) to the bestselling novels written under his own name, Evan Hunter — including The Blackboard Jungle (now in a 50th anniversary edition from Pocket Books) and Criminal Conversation. Fiddlers, his final 87th Precinct novel, was recently published in hardcover. Writing as both Ed McBain and Evan Hunter, he broke new ground with Candyland, a novel in two parts. He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. He died in 2005.
