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Con Man (Paperback)

by Ed McBain (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The members of the 87th Precinct go into action to stop a con man with a bloodthirsty taste for money--and murder. Reissue.

About the Author
Ed McBain (1926-2005) was born Salvatore Lambino in New York. He changed his name to Evan Hunter and under that name is known as the author of The Blackboard Jungle and as the writer of the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The 87th Precinct series numbers over fifty novels. McBain was a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and was one of three American writers to be awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Signet Books (April 1, 1974)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451150856
ISBN-13: 978-0451150851
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,220,157 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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This item is part of The 87th Precinct 87 Series.

Citations (learn more)

34 books cite this book:

Cop Knowledge: Police Power and Cultural Narrative in Twentieth-Century America by Christopher P. Wilson on 7 pages
Nocturne: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (87th Precinct Mysteries) by Ed McBain in Front Matter
The Chisholms: A Novel of the Journey West by Evan Hunter in Front Matter
Candyland by Ed McBain in Front Matter
Killer's Payoff (87th Precinct Mysteries) by Ed McBain in Front Matter

See all 34 books citing this book

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	60% buy the item featured on this page: Con Man 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)
	12% buy Cop Hater (87th Precinct Mysteries) 4.5 out of 5 stars (16) $7.99
	11% buy Killer's Payoff (87th Precinct Mysteries) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
	10% buy The Pusher : A Novel of the 87th Precinct 5.0 out of 5 stars (5) $7.99

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First 87th Precinct Book, December 29, 1998

By A Customer

I first caught on to Ed Mcbain by accident with his Matthew Hope novels, I liked them so much I decided to find other works of his. That's when I found the 87th Precinct Series. I thought I'd never find the original because it was over 40 years old. Fortunately I was wrong. The description of an imaginary city is phenomenal, each character is slowly developed and revealed to you. I loved this first novel and look forward to reading the remainder of the series.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life is a Con, December 25, 2006

By	S. Michael Wilson "A strange hero to a select... (Phillipsburg, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Con Man (Paperback)

The fourth book in the 87th Precinct series, the title says it all as the members of the 87th attempt to track down con men preying on the weak and naive members of The City, as well as involving themselves in a few cons of their own.

Written in 1957, my favorite dated aspects of the narrative:

*When talking about pretty girls, it is noted that no one cares if you are smart "so long as you have a beautiful phizz."

*Pointing out the absurdity of something, it is stated that it "takes the brass bologna" and "wins the fur-lined bathtub."

Main man Steve Carella and his deaf/mute wife Teddy (who is yet again involved in a crime relating to Carella's investigations) track down a deadly Lonely Hearts killer, the impatient Brown attempts to stop a pair of street smart confidence men, and rookie Kling helps out while helping his college student fiancee Claire con her school into granting her an early vacation with Kling. The mischevious Meyer Meyer and violent Havilland take to the background in this short entry into the series.

As always, McBain's characters are all three dimensional and compelling, and he manages to explore the emotional and philisophical aspects of crimes, victims of crimes, and their protectors in a way that few ever match. The theme of the The Con is throughout the novel, from the obvious and dangerous to the subtle and benign, and as his opening states and story demonstrates, life itself is a con, and to some degree we are all Con Men.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An early call at the 87th Precinct, June 15, 2006

By	John Austin "austinjr@bigpond.net.au" (Kangaroo Ground, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Con Man (Paperback)

The 87th Precinct and the guys who staff it must be better known to police procedural mystery readers than any policing establishment in the world. The locale and the guys were presented for the fourth time by author Ed McBain in this short 1957 read. He already opts for the reliable formula: quick changes of scene, colorful dialogue, gruesome murders, suspense, and a chase to effect a last split-second capture at the end. McBain presented several confidence tricks occurring here. Some now seem so obvious and so transparent that one wonders how anyone could fall victim. Nevertheless, for me, McBain's story-telling skill never fails to keep me fascinated.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Con Man
Ed McBain wrote 55 "87th Precinct" novels between beginning in 1956 and going until his death in 2005. "The Con Man" is the 4th in the series and was written in 1957. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Ricky C. Nelson

5.0 out of 5 stars ITS GREAT AND THATS NO CON!!!!
McBain has done it again. Another great book. Steve Carella is investigating the murders of young women who are floating to shore. Read more

Published on January 14, 2002 by Mac Blair

5.0 out of 5 stars The perils of Teddy Carella
I confess, I've been in love with Teddy Carella for years which makes this book a special treat. Her presence is felt all through this book as the guys at the Precinct find... Read more

Published on August 30, 2000 by Larry Eischen

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