[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Next is a new author for me. Ed McBain's Cop Hater.

This book's best feature was it's length. 166 pages. McBain did have an interesting storyline and he built up the characters so you felt saddened at their death. He really made you understand what they were feeling and experiencing. But overall the plot had a few holes.

Spoiler:

1. He used a fictitious city. He explained in his Intro why he changed his mind and not used NYC.
2. Cops are being killed one-by-one while walking home or to their cars late at night. Why weren't they driven or escorted?
3. The reporter promises everything is "off the record" but prints it in the newspaper including the detectives' fiancee's address. Does that really happen?
4. The detectives tells the reporter his fiancee's address to a reporter.
5. The murderer and motive not revealed until the last 10 pages.
6. All these killings and bullets fired in one city block and no one sees or hears anything. How loud is the discharge from a .45? Or maybe they did but no mention of a door-to-door search for witnesses was written.

I did also enjoy the 50s cop slang. (Detectives were called "bulls") So along with its short length I would give it a C- [3 stars].

I'm not sure if it's my poor mood or choice of reading material that has caused my string of low ratings. It's a good thing I don't review titles for the NYT or I'd kill off a chunk of the publishing world.

Nevertheless, I keep trying Next is Death in a Scarlet Coat by David Dickinson. My first with this author but not his first book.