Hark!: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (Mcbain, ed)

From Publishers Weekly

Recovered from his wounds, the Deaf Man is bent on revenge and determined to rub the collective face of the 87th in the dust of his brilliance in McBain's latest zany romp. After striking first at the woman who betrayed him, the Deaf Man turns to taunting the 87th with cryptic hand-delivered messages (quotes from Shakespeare or anagrams) that are interpreted or misinterpreted with hilarious results. The saga of Fat Ollie's book, which began in Fat Ollie's Book (2003) and continued in The Frumious Bandersnatch (2004), resumes and promises to have a long life of its own. There are a lot of soap opera flourishes to the personal relationships of the 87th crew, and McBain milks them for humor and pathos. Steve Carella faces paying for the double wedding of his mother and his sister. Bert Kling knows his beautiful surgeon girlfriend is cheating on him. Cotton Hawes and his glamorous TV news girlfriend, Honey Blair, are under attack, but which one is the real target? It's vintage McBain, complete with pitch-perfect dialogue, subplots that thrust various precinct cops into the spotlight, a pace that encourages the reader to forget about dinner or a good night's rest, and a plot that teases and tantalizes from start to finish. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile

Ron McLarty's mildly gruff voice perfectly captures McBain's wry humor in this continuing series about New York's 87th Precinct. A clever villain known as the "Deaf Man" returns from a previous volume to finish up old business by murdering the partner who betrayed him. Ready to commit a grand new crime, he toys with the police, sending them riddles in the form of quotes from Shakespeare. Emotional subplots, spicy dialogue, and literary puzzles from a uniquely cultured villain keep the pace lively. McLarty performs well, giving dimension to each character. Fans of the series will enjoy catching up with old friends, and newcomers will feel right at home. E.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the

Audio CD edition.