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cu00's review against another edition
3.0
A solid easy read without a lot of character development. A police story with a fast pace and an interesting end. If you're looking for a lot of substance this isn't it, but if you want a good fast paced murder mystery it's worth your time.
fiddler76's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5 stars. Fast read, with good characters and an interesting setup. This is my first Ed McBain novel, and I look forward to reading more about the 87th precinct.
rickwren's review against another edition
4.0
This book is great for anyone who wants to learn what to do right in creating a gripping story. Sure it's cliche and dated and misogynistic, but Ed McBain could sure write a story that kept you at the edge of your chair page after page. There are no wasted words - everything contributes to the plot and it's great to remember that every small action is going to put us closer to the solution.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants a lesson in plotting.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants a lesson in plotting.
alostarre's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
chrismello's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mtthwsmth's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jamelon13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
McBain is the favorite writer of a Booktuber I follow. This first book is spare, but still well written. I like the way he hides the antagonist's motives to the very end. A good start to a very long series.
analogn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ambrose_7's review against another edition
4.0
I heard raving reviews about this series and wanted to get into crime books more, so I decided to dive into "Cop Hater." I liked a lot of things about this novel. It was fast-paced and just long enough. I liked the dialogue; the characters were witty and snappy. I also liked how the book was about how the cops did everything. It was my first experience reading a book like that, and I've always been interested in police procedures and what happens behind the scenes. I also appreciated how the cops weren't placed on a pedestal; it felt reasonably unbiased. There were bad cops, and there were good cops. Carella was a well-written character. I felt very connected to him and didn't connect super positively with anyone besides his fiancé, but it didn't matter because at least I had Carella. Considering how much build-up there was, the ending felt rushed, but at least the last scene was WELL built up. I'll be indulging in the rest of the series in the future.