Review: The Con Man

The Con Man by Ed McBain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This fourth book in the series firmly establishes Steve Carrella and his wife Teddy as primary characters as the 87th precinct deals with an influx of con artists, one of which is also a serial killer. McBain is a superb writer spinning dazzling descriptive prose while keeping the story taut and compelling. The killer is a fascinating character, both clever and repellant. I loved the striking third person narrative with multiple viewpoints that ratcheted up the suspense in a race against time as the serial killer readies the next murder, and a major character is endangered. A fine early entry in arguably the best police procedural series of all time.

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