Murder On 34th Street [Paperback]

E. Koch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Christmas in New York. The city's legendary Ramsey's Department Store is suffering its worst season in years. General manager Barnaby Tischler knows it's because their rival, Weatherly's superstore, is scaring off the store's customers--with bomb threats! But when Ramsey's Santa-for-hire is found in a utility closet shot through the heart, Tischler's only hope lies in his old buddy, Mayor Ed Koch.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575663554
• ISBN-13: 978-1575663555
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,339,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Yorkers will enjoy this one, November 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder On 34th Street (Hardcover)

Ed Koch knows that being the mayor of New York City is one of the toughest jobs in the world. However, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Ed knows that there's no place, especially that Joisey mall that can compete with the excitement of the "Big Apple". However, this holiday season has had a poor start for hiz honor. Ed suffers from a cold he caught during the Thanksgiving Day parade and, worst yet for the city, someone is killing the famous Santas at the Ramsey Department Store on thirty-fourth street.

No one messes with Ed's city as long as he is in charge. With his bodyguards in tow, Ed begins to investigate the killings even as he deals with the myriad of problems confronting the largest city in the United States and the interference of his "chicken soup" mother. By doing this inquiry, Ed has placed his own life in jeopardy.

MURDER ON 34th STREET is the third Ed Koch mystery and like the previous two (MURDER AT CITY HALL and MURDER ON BROADWAY), the star is the city itself, especially the neighborhoods being trampled by Mr. Koch as he seeks to uncover the identity of a killer. The Koch persona is identical to when he was the actual mayor (this reviewer resided there at the time). However, the mystery is relatively simple and is overwhelmed by the characters, including the city. This novel is for fans of Mr. Koch, New York City, and those who enjoy a bit of holiday fluff. Readers who are exhilarated by complex who-done-its should not take a bite out of the apple.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Kochophiles, November 25, 1999

By 

Phelps Gates (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder On 34th Street (Paperback)

I'm not sure exactly how much contribution Ed Koch makes to these mystery novels, but they definitely capture his "style"... I could almost hear his voice. I thought this one (Murder on 34th St.) was the best of the batch of (so far) 4 books. Nicely written and plays fair with the reader (I even managed to figure out who the murderer was from the clues!)

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute, October 21, 2002

By 

HeyJudy "heyjudy" (East Hampton, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder On 34th Street (Paperback)

In his spare time, with collaborative assistance, former New York City mayor Edward I. Koch writes mystery stories. Curiously, his protagonist is a character named Edward Koch who is...the Mayor of the City of New York.

Basically, the books in his series are cute, nothing more, nothing less. Yet since these stories are told in the Mayor's own highly distinctive voice, and filled with detail about the back office workings of City Hall, the mysteries nonetheless make for interesting reading. Though the plots here are thin, a reader still will come away with new insights about the Koch administration and the governing of the City of New York.

In the end, Mayor Koch is not much competition for Rex Stout or Agatha Christie, but reading his New York City murder mystery series was fun. As a New Yorker born and bred--and a full-time resident there during his entire term--I enjoyed all of these mysteries.