Why You'll Love This
The 87th Precinct's most cunning nemesis is back, and he's not just outsmarting the cops — he's playing with them.
- Great if you want: a classic procedural with a genuinely cerebral villain to match
- The experience: fast-moving and wry, with two converging plots keeping tension alive
- The writing: McBain's dialogue is sharp and street-level — economical, never showy
- Skip if: you haven't read earlier entries and want full context on the Deaf Man
About This Book
Someone is killing graffiti artists — leaving their bodies tagged with paint and blood in a city that barely noticed them while they were alive. That's the hook that opens this entry in Ed McBain's long-running 87th Precinct series, but it's only half the story. The Deaf Man is back, the precinct's most cunning recurring nemesis, dropping cryptic clues that taunt the detectives like a game only he knows he's winning. McBain builds two converging threats with genuine menace, and the tension comes not just from the crimes themselves but from watching smart cops struggle against an opponent who may simply be smarter.
What makes Mischief worth reading — forty-five books into a series — is how effortlessly McBain sustains his world. The precinct feels lived-in, the dialogue crackles without strain, and the city itself registers as a full character rather than backdrop. McBain writes with an economy that never feels thin and a wit that never undercuts the stakes. Returning readers will relish the Deaf Man's return; newcomers will find the story pulls them in without demanding homework. That's craft, not luck.
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