Killer’s Wedge

Theres something about this series I really enjoy. Im not sure whether its the bond among the detectives of the 87th, the way Ive gotten to know the characters, the old fashioned police work and kind of gritty procedures or, most likely, a combination of all those ingredients.

In this book, Steve Carella is not the hero but is the hunted. The whole squad is held hostage while the wife of a man Carella arrested waits to exact vengeance. I dont want to say too much about the story, but it was definitely different from most of the other books in this series.

I always make sure I have a couple of McBains books on my iPad when Im going on a trip. Theyre great reading on a plane or on a beach.

A fast, straightforward addition to the series that is more sparse then I like in terms of characterization or plot- there is definitely a feel of “deadlines coming up” to the whole thing- but as usual well worth the read.

The only real ding I have, and it may be because of when this was written- what was really needed to ratchet up the tension was a better form of ticking clock. We know people will live or die by when a certain character shows up at a certain place- but when that will be, nobody really knows. So instead of checking a mental watch nervously, we as readers are just waiting for something to happen, which drags the pace a bit.

This broad walks into a police station with a gun and bottle of nitroglycerin to kill the detective who arrested her husband, who died in prison. Clearly, the arresting detective is responsible.

So what are a chief detective and 3-4 other detectives to do? What would you do?

Thus is the beginning of a tough story in a tough town filled with tough people (through intention and circumstance). And there is a suicide that might or might not be a murder.

Excellently written and full of fantastic and sometimes hilarious descriptions, great characterization, this was a thoroughly entertaining read. At times I was screaming at the broad for her stupidity and maliciousness, but that indicates my own psychosis and how deeply we are drawn to the characters as real people by the author.

Do not let anyone drive a wedge between you and your reading this book. Unless you don’t like good books. But you like good books, right? I thought so. Highly recommended

NOTE: Review originally posted on Goodreads.

I’m devoted to the entire 87th Precinct series by the late Ed McBain, who was arguably the father of the modern police procedural. This book was written very early in the series, and is quite short, both by modern standards and in comparison to later novels in the series. Because of the space limitations, there isn’t room to round out the many characters. Most of the action takes place in a squadroom, where the widow of a criminal holds everyone hostage for hours on a hot summer day, waiting to kill the detective she blames for her husband’s death. The would-be killer’s wedge is a bottle of nitroglycerin, which leads to most of the internal action, as each hostage thinks about how she might be disarmed. The tension builds up steadily, the heat rises, and possible rescuers are oblivious to every clue. There is a tiny bit of humor, enough to create texture, but the story is a straightforward one. As the author developed over the years, his novels became longer, his characters gained depth, and he twisted multiple plot threads to create rich tapestries. One of his trademarks was making both the time of the year and the city itself into players. In this book, the season plays an important role, but not the city, as the action is restricted to the claustrophobic squadroom. Although subsequent books are better, this is still a good novel, for its suspense and period charm.

I’ve been enjoying reading through this series very much. This book was ok, though it lost a star over the sheer comedy of errors throughout. Maybe I’m too critical, but I read through this one in one sitting, and it could have actually been shorter.

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