Vespers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (87th Precinct Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ed McBain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2004 | Series: 87th Precinct Mysteries

The latest Ed McBain novel of the 87th Precinct. A young Catholic priest is brutally stabbed to death in his garden. A church practising satanism is not four blocks away and the cult sign of Baphomet is found scrawled on the garden gate.

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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stephen King and Nelson DeMille on Ed McBain

I think Evan Hunter, known by that name or as Ed McBain, was one of the most influential writers of the postwar generation. He was the first writer to successfully merge realism with genre fiction, and by so doing I think he may actually have created the kind of popular fiction that drove the best-seller lists and lit up the American imagination in the years 1960 to 2000. Books as disparate as The New Centurions, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Godfather, Black Sunday, and The Shining all owe a debt to Evan Hunter, who taught a whole generation of baby boomers how to write stories that were not only entertaining but that truthfully reflected the times and the culture. He will be remembered for bringing the so-called "police procedural" into the modern age, but he did so much more than that. And he was one hell of a nice man. --Stephen King

Way back in the mid-1970s, when I was a new writer and police series were very big, my editor asked me to do a series called Joe Ryker, NYPD. I had no idea how to write a police detective novel, but the editor handed me a stack of books and said, “These are the 87th Precinct novels by Ed McBain. Read them and you’ll know everything you need to know about police novels.” After I read the first book--which I think was Let’s Hear It for the Deaf Man--I was hooked, and I read every Ed McBain I could get my hands on. Then I sat down and wrote my own detective novel, The Sniper, featuring Joe Ryker. My series never reached the heights of the 87th Precinct series, but by reading those classic masterpieces, I learned all I needed to know about urban crime and how detectives think and act. And I had a hell of a time learning from the master. Years later, when I actually got to meet Ed McBain/Evan Hunter, I told him this story, and he said, “I would have liked it better if my books inspired you to become a detective instead of becoming my competition.” Evan and I became friends, and I was privileged to know him and honored to be in his company. I remain indebted to him for his good advice over the years. But most of all, I thank him for hundreds of hours of great reading. --Nelson DeMille

To read about how Ed McBain influenced other mystery and thriller writers, visit our Perspectives on McBain page.

For a complete selection of 87th Precinct novels available for Kindle (paperbacks coming in February 2012), visit our Ed McBain's 87th Precinct Booklist.

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--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

The latest in the 87th Precinct series, this bizarre and gripping novel shows why MWA Grand Master McBain is acclaimed for his stories about police at work in a big city. Detectives Carella and Hawes are investigating the murder of Fr. Birney at St. Catherine's, a church near the headquarters of satanists, which makes them obvious suspects. But Carella and Hawes, hearing different stories from all the people concerned, recognize the enormous task of separating the truth from lies. There are hints that the pastor was being blackmailed; that the black boy he saved from a beating by a gang of white teens, as well as his attackers, are guarding guilty secrets; that a parishioner who quarreled with Birney could be the killer. As usual, the author's uncannily accurate eye and ear make the many characters identifible as real people. Not as usual, however, the solution to this case and related crimes reverberates with the shocks of totally unexpected disclosures. Major ad/promo; Mystery Guild and Literary Guild selections.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; First Edition edition (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743470753
• ISBN-13: 978-0743470759
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,327,764 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 One of McBain's best, April 18, 2004

By 

Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vespers: An 87th Precinct Novel (Paperback)

There is one master of the police drama who writes with more gritty reality than any other author, and that is Ed McBain. And Vespers is one of the best of the bunch. The detectives of the 87th Precinct are faced with the brutal murder of a young priest from a poor, inner-city parish. There are very few clues, but through hard work and perseverance, they're able to assemble a short list of suspects. Each suspect has their own sub-plot, and they include a drug dealer and his supplier, a volatile, violent parishioner, a congregation of Satanic worshippers and a mysterious woman who was having an affair with the victim.

Eventually, detectives Hawes and Carella are able to piece together the mystery and the ending came as a complete surprise! I wasn't even close to guessing the identity of the murderer.

So if you're looking for a mystery with a little more meat and a little less fluff, McBain is your man. His novels definitely provide a more realistic look at police-work in a big city than many other authors.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Priest is murdered by.........?, May 28, 2000

By 

Lhamo Topgyal - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vespers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (Hardcover)

Vespers is another one of Ed Mcbain's 87th precint novel.It keeps you attached to the book and take you together with the detectives solving the murder.Carella is the main person trying to solve the murder mystery while Hugh,his partner falls in love with Christine Lund,once the priest's secretary.Willis gets to raid a drug house and loses his girlfriend in this novel. The scandalising topic of this novel is the existance of the church of the bornless one where people worship The Devil. The mystery of the priest's murder remains a mystery until the end because it is very difficult to guess who killed the priest. There is also a mention of the black and white tensions and an incident of a black guy being beaten by baseball bats by some Italian guys. This novel is very interesting to read but can be a bit energy consuming.I have many times fallen fast asleep while reading this book but I managed to finish up the book at last and it was quite suprising to know the reason the priest was killed and who killed him.I think the person who killed him was right in doing so because the priest was commiting adultry. This novel is worth reading and I hope whoever reads this review would try to read the novel.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A few interesting characters, but weak plot (plots)., January 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Vespers (Audio Cassette)

I sometimes enjoyed this book. Ed McBain creates some interesting characters and settings: plots are weak, but who reads McBain for his plots. It would be beating a dead horse to say how unreal, how utterly implausible is the actual murderer of the priest. Nice to see Carrella throw some barbs at religion (sarcasm by me) McBain writes books that can be speed read or skimmed. Actually, one positive: EM does try to get some "thinking" into some of the characters. By the way a black would never buy dope from a white guy in a white guy's neigborhood--neutral ground at the minimum. Glad a certain person died at the end: gave the book a tinge of grit. I feel strongly that the sweetest town in Nebraska would have more interesting problems and crimes than in EM's N.Y. Satanic leader was well-developed, as a character, and Satanic "altar" was a nice touch.