Customer Reviews

Lightning

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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Unlike most of the 87th series, this one only has two stories involved. The one that relates to the title is very disappointing as both a procedural and a plotted story. It begins with a girl found hanged from a lamppost and another just a few days later and then a third. Because the second one happened in the 83rd, Ollie Weeks joins our intrepid band of detective to search out the murderer. Ollie is there for comic relief and to play to stupid bigoted cop. Of course he ends up leading the guys by the nose and then breaking the case. The interview with the suspect is downright stupid and totally implausible.

Hunter (McBain) must have felt that he needed to flesh out this story at some point so we are treated to discussion of all of the cops getting ready to make love to their wives. Of Teddy Carella going on job interviews and even a mention of 'Evan Hunter' and his novels. There's a little vignette about 'Hill Street Blues' where Ollie complains about a character named 'Charlie Weeks' and an another named 'Furillo'. Last of all we get to 'see' Meyer try wearing a 'rug' and getting nothing but grief from everyone.

The second story deals with a serial rapist who has raped nine woman multiple times (one four times) who is tracked down by Anne Rawles of the Rape Squad with the help of Eileen Burke (Kling's new squeeze). This one IS interesting, especially the dogged determination of Rawles who finds the 'pattern' that makes the arrest of the rapist possible. His reasoning is faulty, but what do you expect from a psychotic rapist?

One good one bad (just like cops).

Zeb Kantrowitz

Fair-to-middling outing from the usually reliable Ed McBain. A serial rapist and a serial killer are plaguing Isola, and the crew from the 87th is on top of it all. But there's too much emphasis on the "procedural" aspect of the story, and not enough on story-progression. The title "Lightning" has nothing to do with storms or electricity, and you don't learn its significance until abo0ut 265 pages in (and my copy is 312 pages long). For all their strengths, the cops don't have suspects (or even a suspicion) until the last 50 pages or so.

On the other hand, he does manage to sneak in an "Evan Hunter" joke.