Preview of Nocturne Summary:

The 87th Precinct novels contain a variety of themes which have varied over the years. In Nocturne, McBain focuses on aging and the faded hopes and misplaced dreams of the elderly, fractured family relationships, and the disappointments of the American Dream.

The murdered woman whose body is discovered at the opening of the novel, Mrs. Franz Helder nee Svetlana Dyalovich, is portrayed as much a victim of aging as of urban violence. Her hands are twisted by arthritis, and she is losing her hearing because of a brain tumor— infirmities made more tragic because of her former profession as a concert pianist. All that remains of her former fame is a scrapbook of faded clippings and recordings of her past performances. Since the death of her husband, she has been estranged from both her daughter and granddaughter. She dresses in her fading finery and drinks too much...