Mischief
Low Price

This book, which was first published in 1993, is the 45th entry in the 87th Precinct series. A lot has changed in the thirty-seven years since Cop Hater, the first in the series, was released, and as the books progress, one can watch the evolution of the technology used by police to fight crime from......more

Not my favourite 87th Precinct book, a very downbeat view of the city in crisis, caused by drugs, guns and racial tension, with too many cases coalescing in one book. This loses any pace in the narrative and I found it a little frustrating. Carella, Brown, Meyer, Kling, Hawes and Parker all feature......more

Really liked this one as there was a lot going on. At least three main crime threads plus a couple of minor plots and character backgrounds. As usual some things were not what they at first appeared and a few twists kept me guessing up until the end. The deaf man makes a reappearance and once again......more

As usual, several plots, including the return of the Deaf Man, who is calling and sending clues from a novel to Detective Steve Carella about a pending catastrophe, which is intended as a diversion to hide his brilliant crime. Second, someone is abandoning elderly people suffering from dementia or A......more

Another great yarn by McBain. He has such a deft touch with police dialogue that I forget I'm reading, rather than listening to conversations between characters. My only complaint about Mischief was an overuse of profanity. Yes, these characters would likely talk this way, but McBain's other books a......more