Customer Reviews

Ghosts: An 87th Precinct Novel

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are a fan of the 87th Precinct potboilers by Ed McBain, then this is a MUST READ for you. The police procedural has never been done better by anyone. Period. This story has Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes confronted with a double murder scenario right off the bat on Page 1. They must try and make sense of a couple of very brutal murders, the musings of a psychic/medium who seems to be eerily prescient with her psychic "takes" on the proceedings, and a number of sidebar issues that include a major blizzard which has been blanketing the city at Christmastime.

This is one of those wonderful 189 or so page mysteries that you can truly read in one sitting and come away saying to yourself, "What a great way to spend the afternoon."

The writing is taut, parsed-down and authentic. The characters are bitingly realisitic and well-drawn throughout.

If you have never read an 87th Precinct novel (and there are over 40!), then this one comes about mid-way in the series and is a good place to start!!

Excellent story, charcters and crackerjack writing, I highly reccommend GHOSTS for your mystery reading short-list.

I have recently become a world traveller mainly on business, and feel that on long haul flights an injection of an 87th precinct mystery is just what is needed. I have read many of Ed McBain's novels and find that I am almost part of the story, However I found in this novel (ghosts) the story ended far to quickly, and was left a little disappointed.....

I found this book in a used book store a while back. Just got around to reading it. Its one of the most enjoyable books I have read. Find this books. Tell the kids not to bother you for a few hours and read it. Great book for a rainy weekend.

Ghosts only fault was that it was too short. Most of McBain's is too short for me. He is excellent at evoking the feelings a cop has in certain situations for the reader. You aren't being entertained you actually become part of the 87th's squad.

Ghosts shows insight into Steve's personality. It is never blatently described instead it is like watching something happen to a friend and partner.

The scene with the house and the ghosts sent chills up my spine. Sitting here typing I am feeling the same chills. It was an intensely uncomfortable scene well written to bring those feelings to life for the reader. You were not reading a story about Ghosts instead you were walking thru the house with Steve and it was happening to you and your partner. I am extremely hard to do this too. I usually laugh at Steven King and the rest. I wasn't laughing here. The impact in that short scene was perfect. The writing transported you there.

Now perhaps I have a different view because I have worked in law enforcement but if you really want to know what it is like, take a look.

This is my favorite 87th Precinct book so far, because I love a good murder mystery, and I also love a good ghost story. McBain had the writing talent to pull off both at once. I actually got chills when I read this. I loved the way McBain, along with Detective Carella, never fell off that fine line between laughing at a drama-queen medium and becoming a True Believer.

I have noticed the author for years and thought I'd try reading one of his works. The book started as a fairly interesting police case of a double murder with some sort of supernatural tie-in and some interesting avenues to pursue. Then the story took a hard right into Barney Miller land with stories of evil twins and the cute goings-on in the precinct. Har, har. When it became clear we woudn't have an investigation for a while, I sort of lost interest and moved onto something else. Perhaps the author could loom to Colin Dexter or other authors to see how to work subplots into stories without taking a vacation from the plot.

Like most of the books in McBain's 87th Precinct series, Ghosts tells an interesting story and provides a very fast read. However, also typical of McBain"s mysteries is the fact that the police detectives he regularly has "star" in his books are secondary to his plots and, thus, are only superficially developed. Having read many of the books in this series, I don't feel that I know his characters in any, or at least much, more depth than after the first 87th Precinct book I read. You must be willing to accept the fact that you're not going to get much more than a good story from McBain in this series. This usually has been enough for me. But to be honest, having read the books in the series by Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben, where you not only get very good and exciting mysteries but well-developed characters, McBain's 87th Precinct series has been steadily losing its appeal to me.

This is came from the public library resell store market major collection central general.
So, that is library stickers and marks and official making normally include.
Unabridged, six 1-hour audio cassettes, read by Jonathan Marosz are in plastic case.
But, the case has been seen cracked tapped and latest dirt.
But, the tapes are still playable and well sound, when I test and listen from the three different cassette players.
[from the experience]

"THE BEST 87TH PRECINCT NOVEL OF THEM ALL." (Stephen King)
[from the back cover of case]