I must be one of the unfortunate few who have never read Ed McBain before. He has written more than 60 novels—including those under his real name, Evan Hunter—and that is clearly impressive in itself. But more important is the fact that his work is good and entertaining—something I am pleased finally to discover for myself….

[In "Ice"], "the Eight-Seven" must solve the murders of Sally Anderson, a dancer in a hit musical; Paco Lopez, a teen-age cocaine dealer; and Marvin Edelman, a precious-gems dealer, among other things. There is only one common link in these cases: A .38 Smith & Wesson is the murder weapon. As Detectives Carella, Meyer, Kling et al. begin looking for other connections, one is impressed by their diligence in tracking down leads and asking tough questions. Equally impressive is the crash course one receives about the procedures, minutiae and language of police...