Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Last Dance (87th Precinct #50)
by
Ed McBain
In this city, you can get anything done for a price. If you want someone's eyeglasses smashed, it'll cost you a subway token. You want his fingernails pulled out? His legs broken? You want him hurt so bad he's an invalid his whole life? You want him...killed? Let me talk to someone. It can be done. The hanging death of a nondescript old man in a shabby little apartment in...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
December 1st 2000
by Pocket Books
(first published 1999)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
669)
I was randomly given this book and decided to give it a chance. My lower rating should not indicate that I did not like it, because I did.
For me it was far too simplistic, predictable and left loose ends I would have preferred to tie up. It was blatantly obvious who was connected to the murders in the very beginning and the "twist" wasn't too very exciting and was also very predictable.
Spoilers ahead in this section somewhat, please do not read further if you have a desire to read in the near f...more
For me it was far too simplistic, predictable and left loose ends I would have preferred to tie up. It was blatantly obvious who was connected to the murders in the very beginning and the "twist" wasn't too very exciting and was also very predictable.
Spoilers ahead in this section somewhat, please do not read further if you have a desire to read in the near f...more
The body of an old man is reported dead by his daughter. He is found in an apartment in the modest section of the city. It turns out that he was hung. Before he was hung he was drugged with a date rape drug which rendered him senseless. The detectives of the 87th get to work to uncover this mystery bit by bit. It turns out that the man had rights to a play that is slated for production and can mean a lot of money to certain people. Who did it? His daughter? Those with the play?
The procedures in...more
The procedures in...more
As abig fan of the late Ed McBain, I feel that you can't go wrong with one of his books about the 87th Precinct in his version of New York City, Isola. and this 50th one is one of his best. Most of the usual detectives are there, including Ollie Weeks from another precinct. There are several murders to solve this time, interlinking, and precipitated by the planned revival of a play, whose roots are at question. Who really wrote it, and why doesn't one man want it produced? Who is the mysterious...more
Great writing and terrific dialogues, as usual. I'd easily give this one four stars if not for trying to set some difference in relation to other books in the series. This time the plot seems IMO a little less credible than in your regular 87th Precinct installment. Fat Ollie Weeks is one of the stars of the show, with some very funny cracks about wanting to learn to play five songs at piano. Also, as in many of Mc Bain's books, some jokes about his own work, this time making reference to his no...more
Number 50 in the 87th Precinct series, this one came as a pleasant surprise after its slightly disappointing predecessor, "The Big Bad City." A nondescript old man dies in a threadbare apartment. His daughter claims he had aheart attack but it quickly becomes obvious that he was killed by hanging and taken down. A broad and odd cast of suspects emerges, around the revival of an old Broadway play. McBain has great fun with a serpentine plot and his usual wry observations of show business personal...more
This is a good police procedural - if you enjoy the detective genre - which I do. The story was interesting and fast-paced and the characters were well fleshed out. The only thing keeping me from giving this a five-star rating is the lack of a likable main character. I believe that is the point of this series, though, to tell the stories from the precinct rather than create beloved characters. So, that said, it's not you, it's me! I will most likely read other books in this series.
I first discovered Ed McBain in the early 1990s, when I worked at a library, and I devoured every 87th Precinct book I could find. I lost track of his books once I consumed every library copy, so imagine my surprise when I saw more recent books a couple weeks ago at the library (not the same one I used to work at).
Anyway, reading this reminded me why I enjoyed his work so much. The pacing, the characters, the humor, the dialog - all top-notch and great reading.
Anyway, reading this reminded me why I enjoyed his work so much. The pacing, the characters, the humor, the dialog - all top-notch and great reading.
In this city, you can get anything done for a price. If you want someone's eyeglasses smashed, it'll cost you a subway token. You want his fingernails pulled out? His legs broken? You want him hurt so bad he's an invalid his whole life? You want him...killed? Let me talk to someone. It can be done. The hanging death of a nondescript old man in a shabby little apartment in a meager section of the 87th Precinct is nothing much in this city, especially to detectives Carella and Meyer. But everyone...more
Despite reading a lot of mysteries/thrillers, I had never read an Ed McBain ( or at least, I don't remember doing so). I liked this one - a police procedural, with a lot of action and strong characters. Liked the dialogue and the insight into the 87th precinct - how all the cops interacted and how politics impinge on their jobs. Would read another one.
This is far from the best of McBain, but is well plotted and explores recurring character Fat Ollie Weeks to good effect. Despite being a relatively recent entry to the 87th Precinct series, this reads as somewhat dated and anachronistic. Good for a fan but not where I would introduce a new reader.
As I read this book, I found myself smiling and realizing, "This is how it's done." McBain's dialogue is an art form in itself, at once natural and funny. The plot is simple and direct with enough of a twist to keep the reader turning pages. This is a great read by a master of the art.
It's good. Certainly a page-turner. Although, it really is not for all ages. Some words are hard to understand. And the flow of events seem a little bit confusing. But I liked it! All in all, it's good! ;)
This was a good read. I was mystified as the detectives as to who was murdering people who had seemingly nothing in common. Was it a serial killer or just coincidence?
The Last Dance - VG
Ed McBain - 50th in series
The hanging death of a nondescript old man in a shabby little apartment in a meager section of the 87th Precinct is nothing much in this city, especially to detectives Carella and Meyer. But everyone has a story, and this old man's story stood to make some people a lot of money. His story takes Carella, Meyer, Brown, and Weeks on a search through Isola's seedy strip clubs and to the bright lights of the theater district. There they discover an upcomin...more
Ed McBain - 50th in series
The hanging death of a nondescript old man in a shabby little apartment in a meager section of the 87th Precinct is nothing much in this city, especially to detectives Carella and Meyer. But everyone has a story, and this old man's story stood to make some people a lot of money. His story takes Carella, Meyer, Brown, and Weeks on a search through Isola's seedy strip clubs and to the bright lights of the theater district. There they discover an upcomin...more
This another Ed McBain 87th precinct novel, but it also involves Fat Ollie who uses his W. C. Fields accent. This was narrated by the author.
Not the best book in the series, but still a good solid entry that also tackles issues of race and police brutality without getting preachy. Nicely done.
I haven't read 87th Precinct series for a long time. But I enjoyed reading the story and seeing my favorite detectives again.
view 1 comment
Mar 27, 2013
Ellen Noonan
added it
Ed McBain = reliable and pleasurable read.
procedural novel. well done as always
Classic enjoyable McBain.
Another good 87th precinct book. Three seemingly unrelated murders come together at the end. One major disappointment - a minor recurring character in the series is killed. I was crushed by that - I liked him a lot! Oh well, at least it wasn't my main man Steve! Good book, as usual.
When an old man is hanged, Detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer unfold his life's story to determine who killed him for his money. This is part of the 87th Precinct sees that explores the dark side of the city.
Wally a security guard recommended this author because the details are the same when he worked there years ago easy to listen during our trip
It was a classic example of Law and Order.
predictable but entertining
boring...............
ehh... a bit scatter brained
2 1/2 out of 4 stars
think abut posivilities!!!!!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Ed McBain is a pseudonym of Evan Hunter, who was born and raised as Salvatore Lombino in New York City, living in East Harlem until the age of 12, at which point his family moved to the Bronx. He attended Olinville Junior High School, then Evander Childs High School, before winning an Art Students League scholarship. Later, he was admitted as an art student at Cooper Union.
Hunter served in the Nav...more
More about Ed McBain...
Hunter served in the Nav...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
