Fiddlers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct

Ed McBain is great, but this production of his work left much to desire. Primarily, Mr. McBain uses short chapters and switches between characters to describe the parallel activities. This narration lacks the requisite pauses between the chapters. The result is that the listener hears the narratrion for the next chapter before he realizes he has completed the previous chapter. Easy to cope with, in a "real" book, but confusing as hell in an audio book. I would like to hear a little music or tone when one ends and the other begins.

I enjoyed this book. The narrator does an excellent job with the varying characters and accents, and was easy to listen to. McBain uses the perspectives of several characters to weave the story to its conclusion, and although the listener sees the end coming, it is plausible detective work and kept interesting by the character development throughout the story. Not a barn-burner, but definitely worth a listen!

I've been a McBain fan since he started, literally. The 87th P books have gotten so formulated that they are beyond saving. The story is weak, the reader's effeminate style is incompatible with a police procedural, and I could not wait until it was over.