Where There's Smoke

by Ed McBain, Evan Hunter

Benjamin Smoke is a retired police lieutenant who walked away from teh job fo rone reason alone: he was bored. Bored of the criminals. Bored of the crimes. Bored of answers that came too easy, too fast, and too often the same. Now, working as an unlicensed private detective, Smoke finally gets his wish. Someone has committed the perfect crime -- a perfectly senseless crime -- by stealing a dead body. And when Smoke starts investigating he's in for one surprise after another, from black magic to murder and a woman who believes she's Cleopatra -- and is lighting a fire right before Smoke's eyes...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

179 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

"Ed McBain" is one of the pen names of American author and screenwriter Salvatore Albert Lombino (1926-2005), who legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952.

While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.

He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.

Reviews

[Laura Korbo]

Nice quick read, slightly disappointing ending for how much build up there was, but on theme for the story line. I enjoyed it!

[Joe Nicholl]

Where There's Smoke by Ed McBain (1975) is an excellent crime fiction, probably the author's best stand-alone (no 87th). It's about a retired cop, Ben Smoke, who can't leave his investigating days behind...He steps in the middle of a case of a stolen corpse from a mortuary, which leads to a murder and a dip into Satanism. It's a solid read from beginning to end with a thread of McBain's humor through out. I recommend especially if you like McBain's writing....4.0 outta 5.0...-Oh yeah, this book is out-of-print, I read the free e-book available at Internet Archive. Their viewer is clunky but it works ok once you get use to it.....

[David Highton]

A stand-alone book published in 1975 sees retired Lieutenant Detective Ben Smoke get involved in a body-snatching case at the request of an undertaker. Despite some resistance from former colleagues, he is drawn in as the plot widens.
My 65th McBain book, with the final two books of the 87th Precinct still to be read - I have been holding them back and pursuing some of his other work. A great writer.

[Paul]

3.5*

[Brian Rogers]

This is a one off book from Ed McBain that looks from the start to be the first of a series that never produced a second volume. It reads as a good solid police procedural that could just as easily have been the A plot of an 87th Precinct story. Then things start to get a little... odd. Then you remember that McBain, as Evan Hunter, wrote the screenplay for The Birds, one of the classic "what the hell is going on here" stories. So by halfway through the book you really don't know if things are going to be a police procedural or if they are going to jump the genre rails altogether.

I ain't talkin'.

[Cathy]

Good story, interesting read. Liked Ben Smoke, the main character and many of the peripheral characters. This was good, but I like the 87th Precinct series books better.

[Michael Fredette]

A 1975 stand-alone novel (I would guess that it was the first installment in a series that never developed), featuring a retired police lieutenant Benjamin Smoke, who takes on occasional work as an unlicensed private investigator. An undertaker contacts Smoke about a missing corpse, and this leads to a case involving murder, a satanic cult, and a missing woman who believes that she is Cleopatra reincarnated!

[Dell Posival]

This is the only Ed McBain book I’ve read that isn’t about the 87th Precinct. I wasn’t sure if I would like it as much, but it was great! Excellent story. I was able to deduce some aspects before they were explicitly revealed to the reader, hence the 4 starts. I’m not sure if that’s because of the writing/story itself or because I love this style of novel. All in all, would definitely recommend. Engaging, quick, and fun!

[Charles Bodenheimer]

Benjamin Smoke is another great, fully realized character from the mind of the great McBain. This story could have easily fit in nicely with the 87th squad and Smoke would have been a welcomed addition. It was fun to see McBain dip his toes into the Satanic Panic that was prevalent in stories of the 70's. A throughly enjoyable read.

[Sean Hall]

This is a different detective from McBain's 87th Precinct books. Retired cop procedural with good characters: seedy criminals and associates, working with cops actively on the force, what you'd expect and good for a nighttime read of a few short chapters then turning out the lights.

[Elle K]

Racist, misogynist pulp fiction, light on murder and heavy on characters that were too bonkers to live.

[LJ]

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE – G+
Ed McBain – Stand alone
Ben Smoke is an ex-cop, a tough-guy bachelor who never had a case he couldn't crack--that is, until someone starts snatching bodies from a funeral home. This is the kind of challenge Smoke loves--only this time, the case leads him on a bizarre and dangerous journey, leading to a crazy, kinky lady, a twisted killer, black magic, and ancient Egyptian rites. It's a devilish--and deadly--business.

Written in 1975, the character does have some of the over-the-top macho-ism of the time, but still McBain in 209 pages, excels in the tightly-written plot and crisp dialogue that always makes his books wonderful to read.

[Doug Haskin]

Much in the style of the 87th Precinct books (and possibly set in the same fictional city?) but with one main character, retired Detective Smoke. Detective Smoke now spends his days looking for the impossible: a perfect crime he can't solve.

Much to enjoy here, and some obvious opportunities. It's a shame the author didn't go on to write more for Detective Smoke.

[Gabbiadini]

Only read one other ed mcbain before and this was equally as good .no wasted words ,dirty little plot and a way of telling the story that makes it simply rattle along . this is as good as it gets in its genre .

[Darryl]

Not really into mysteries, but I read a number of them in a four month span. This is one book that I still remember nine years after I removed that stack from the desk.

[Pat]

An easy, fun read!

[Vaijayanthi]

Good, but certainly not one of his best !