Tricks Author:Ed McBain What is it that Puts McBain so far out in front of the others? The question was posed in the New York Times review of Ed McBain's last 87th Precinct novel, Posion. John Gross's review continued: Part of the answer no doubt lies in the thoroughness with which he sticks to the procedures themselves...His other indispensale qualities include the ... more »speed and economy with which he gets to the point, his humor and the shparness of his dialogue. But I'm not certain that a list of separate virtues could ever quite explain why he is so pecuilarly readable. Perhaps the mystery defies solution.« less