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Title: Another winner
Review: I've read most of the mysteries in the 87th Precinct series and haven't found a klinker in the lot. I envy readers who've not yet discovered them, because they have a treat ahead. That said, this is perhaps the best of the lot. Alas, there will be no more. Evan Hunter, aka Ed McBain, is no longer amongst us.There are two major plots working here. First, there is the murder of a city councilman and wannabe mayor; it's in there so we can have the second plot, Ollie's stolen novel, the story it contains with Ollie's pursuit of the perp who stole it. Both plots weave nicely together. The atmosphere is police procedural in a big city. Only Michael Connelly is McBain's equal in this sub-genre. The characters, especially the obnoxious, egotistical, pitiful, elephantine Ollie, are excellent. No one wrote dialogue better than McBain/Hunter--with the possible exception of Lawrence Block.It was a pleasure to read this book. My only fault with it is that it ended before I wanted to let it go.
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