Mischief (87th Precinct Series #45)

The Deaf Man is back! In his first appearance since Eight Black Horses in 1985, the nemesis of the 87th returns with a vengeance. Zeroing in on Steve Carella, his favorite foil, he bombards the squadroom with directives that seem to describe in detail exactly what he's up to this time - but not quite. What he's planning is his most devilish million-dollar caper to date. In the squadroom, an otherwise slow March night is enlivened by the murder of a graffiti writer under a highway bridge. Over the course of several weeks, more of the city's outlaw artists are killed under mysterious circumstances, and a team run by Detective Parker begins to put the pieces together. Meanwhile, a new criminal activity surfaces: Someone is abandoning helpless elderly men and women at different locations around the city. As if all this weren't enough, racial tensions in the city are at an all-time high. While pressure mounts on various fronts, the city announces a free rap concert in the park, set for a day in the very near future. As the shattering finale of Mischief looms, seemingly unrelated developments intertwine in an ending that sets a new standard even for McBain's most discerning fans. It's been said that "nobody writes the police procedural as well as Ed McBain" (San Diego Union). And in his latest tale of the 87th Precinct, Mischief McBain proves his mastery of the genre beyond reasonable doubt.

Washington Post Book World

Simply the best.

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.

Visit www.edmcbain.com.