David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "steve-carella"
Money, Money, Money
When I first read an 87th precinct novel, I didn't like it. Not enough character development. Later, I went to a book sale at the library, got three of them in one book for a quarter. After reading all three, I got to know the detectives and their back stories. Steve Carella is the center of the stories. He's got a deaf mute wife and a son and a daughter, fraternal twins. He also has a chip on his shoulder over the way his father died (in a stick-up) and how the case was handled. Meyer Meyer is Carella's bald, Jewish sidekick, and Burt Kling is the youngest member of the squad and the resident lady's man. There's a black detective named Brown.
Another amazing thing about these books is that McBain has invented his own city. Of course, it's based on New York. I read someplace that he did this to avoid research. There's always some eagle-eyed reader who knows New York better than the writer.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY is exactly what it sounds like. Everybody's after a big stash. A cocaine deal unravels and the abused parties are all out to get their money back. A retired Gulf War pilot is the most interesting of those involved. She makes Kinsey Millhone look like Little Orphan Annie. Fat Ollie Weeks draws jurisdiction in one of the ensuing murders. One of the culprits is literally thrown to the lions. Fat Ollie is one of my favorite recurring characters. McBain is having fun thumbing his nose at the PC police. Ollie hates everybody; he even does a W.C. Fields impression.
Another satirical element is the front for the cocaine operation. Would you believe a publishing house?
Every once in a while I hit a bad stretch where every book I buy stinks, but I'm too cheap to quit reading. The problem is always easily remedied, though, if there's an 87th precinct novel at hand.
Another amazing thing about these books is that McBain has invented his own city. Of course, it's based on New York. I read someplace that he did this to avoid research. There's always some eagle-eyed reader who knows New York better than the writer.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY is exactly what it sounds like. Everybody's after a big stash. A cocaine deal unravels and the abused parties are all out to get their money back. A retired Gulf War pilot is the most interesting of those involved. She makes Kinsey Millhone look like Little Orphan Annie. Fat Ollie Weeks draws jurisdiction in one of the ensuing murders. One of the culprits is literally thrown to the lions. Fat Ollie is one of my favorite recurring characters. McBain is having fun thumbing his nose at the PC police. Ollie hates everybody; he even does a W.C. Fields impression.
Another satirical element is the front for the cocaine operation. Would you believe a publishing house?
Every once in a while I hit a bad stretch where every book I buy stinks, but I'm too cheap to quit reading. The problem is always easily remedied, though, if there's an 87th precinct novel at hand.
