Hark!

Name: Hark!
Rating: 3.71 (1213 reviews)
Author: Ed McBain

87th Precinct • Book 54

by Ed McBain

3.71 Goodreads

(1.2K ratings)

397 pages Published 2004 Mystery

Get the Book →

Kindle, paperback, or hardcover · Prefer listening? Try the audiobook →

Why You'll Love This

The 87th Precinct's most infuriating nemesis is back — sending Shakespeare-coded taunts, and the detectives still can't quite catch him.

Great if you want: a cat-and-mouse procedural with a genuinely clever villain
The experience: brisk and witty with a playful, almost theatrical energy
The writing: McBain balances ensemble cast banter with sharp, economical plotting
Skip if: you haven't read earlier 87th Precinct books — context helps

About This Book

In a city that never stops throwing trouble at the detectives of the 87th Precinct, few adversaries have lodged themselves under their skin quite like the Deaf Man. He's back—cryptic, theatrical, and clearly enjoying every minute of it—leaving Shakespeare-laced anagrams and taunting riddles that seem designed less to hide his intentions than to humiliate the people trying to stop him. The result is a cat-and-mouse tension that feels genuinely personal, with Steve Carella and the squad scrambling to decode clues before something far worse than embarrassment lands on their doorstep.

What makes Hark! a satisfying read fifty-four books into a series is Ed McBain's complete confidence in his own formula. The ensemble rhythm is tight and lived-in, the procedural detail grounded without ever turning dry, and the Deaf Man's theatrical menace gives the novel an almost playful quality that McBain leans into rather than apologizes for. The Shakespeare angle adds texture without demanding scholarship from the reader. This is crime fiction that knows exactly what it is—sharp, propulsive, and quietly funny—and delivers on every count.