As with all the 87th Precinct novels, indeed with most series fiction, the reappearance of a set of familiar characters provides part of the pleasure of reading the successive novels. We come to know the individual traits of the recurring members of the 87th and their families, girl and boy friends, and even some of the fringe characters in the series. However, most of the characters in the 87th Precinct novels appear only once, and they vary from novel to novel. They usually are those caught up in the police investigation: victims, suspects, witnesses, and criminals. Once in a while, McBain develops characters that prove sufficiently resilient that he may bring them back in a future novel. For example, McBain infrequently brings back his arch criminal, the Deaf Man, who has so far eluded the best efforts of the squad to capture him.

The central character in the...