panThe main storyline is OK — a heist plot with a photo cut into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, and you get to see the actual jigsaw puzzles in the text. But a gratuitous rape scene and stereotyping of gay people and Black people made for uncomfortable reading. The book then self-destructed after I read it, fortunately.
so-soOne of the earlier volumes in the 87th Precinct series, and for book 16 to be considered “early”, that‘s a LOT of books. So it has brevity on its side. That said, not too much character development, more for the detectives. Women are objectified a great deal, and the solution to the main crime was unsatisfying (although I suppose unsatisfying solutions occur in real life as well). I finished this, so not a Pan.
pickA compelling and at times horrifying read. Content warning for graphic descriptions of poisoning (as you might expect from the title) and sexual assault.
June 25 #BookMoods Set in the 1960's Inhavenread most of the 87th precinct novels. Most were set in then1960s. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pickAn earlier book in the 87th Precinct series, so a bit more tightly plotted. This takes place over a single day: the wedding of Carella‘s sister, Angela. It was published in 1959 so there are some cringey descriptions of women as viewed by men 🙄
June 3 #BigJunePhotoChallenge 'Dance' @Clwojick I read most of Ed McBain books on the 87th precinct and really enjoyed them. This one is the 50th in the series
pickI took too much time between starting and finishing the audio, and I completely forgot the plot of the first of the three short stories that comprise The Empty Hours. I know I enjoyed most of the second story, but I can‘t remember the whodunnit. Having just finished, I can say that I really loved the way the third played out. The problem with binging this series is that they all run together. 🤦🏻♀️
pickDetective Kling‘s girlfriend is gunned down in a bookstore, along with three other people, which makes this personal for the detectives of the 87th Precinct. This was an unusually twisty mystery in this series that did a good job of giving the reader the same tunnel vision as the detectives. CW for rape and abortion.
#booked2022 #titlerepeatsitself
pickWhile not my favorite of the series, there is plenty to unpack here - gangs, racism, excessive use of force. It‘s sad to see topics that are front and center today in a book written in 1960. Will we ever learn to be better?
pickThis installment of the 87th Precinct novels has a very devious bad guy and a more complicated plot than some of the others. Plenty of action, more ridiculous missed opportunities for communication between the detectives to delay the solution, and tons of sexist language, stereotypes, and a pinch of bigotry for good measure. I shouldn‘t like these as much as I do, but they are addictive police procedural brain candy. I can‘t help myself. 🤷🏻♀️
