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    Killer's Payoff
    Killer's Payoff
    Killer's Payoff
    Audiobook6 hours

    Killer's Payoff

    Written by Ed McBain

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    It’s like an old-time gangster movie: a speeding car, a blazing gun…and suddenly a guy walking down the street without a care in the world is lying in the gutter without a head on his shoulders. But who pulled the high-powered trigger that turned Sy Kramer from a blackmailer into a chalk outline? Was it the politician’s wife with a pornographic past? The soda-pop tycoon desperate to keep a business-busting bungle bottled up? Or was it whoever was paying Kramer a small fortune to hide what must’ve been one very big bad? It falls to detectives Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes of the 87th Precinct to pound the pavement of the city and beat the bushes of the backwoods for the suspect with the best motive, the most blistering weapon, and the biggest set of brass ones. En route, they’ll meet pretty ladies and petty lowlifes, great white hunters and gray flannel ad execs, and, when the going gets rough, maybe even their match. It’s all in several long days’—and even longer nights’—work for the guys who make their living behind the badge, and under the gun.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMar 25, 2014
    ISBN9781480593909
    Killer's Payoff
    Author

    Ed McBain

    Ed McBain, a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's coveted Grand Master Award, was also the first American to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writers Association's highest award. His books have sold more than one hundred million copies, ranging from the more than fifty titles in the 87th Precinct series (including the Edgar Award–nominated Money, Money, Money) to the bestselling novels written under his own name, Evan Hunter—including The Blackboard Jungle (now in a fiftieth anniversary edition from Pocket Books) and Criminal Conversation. Fiddlers, his final 87th Precinct novel, was recently published in hardcover. Writing as both Ed McBain and Evan Hunter, he broke new ground with Candyland, a novel in two parts. He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. He died in 2005. Visit EdMcBain.com.

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    Reviews for Killer's Payoff

    3.5/5

    67 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      It's been a while since I last read any of this series - I had forgotten what quick reads these books are!

      I wasn't favorably impressed by Cotton Hawes, though there wasn't any specific reason for my feeling. He did do a good job of figuring out much of the mystery surrounding the death of Sy Kramer.
    • 4/5
      Killer's Payoff veers from the ensemble feel of the previous novels by adhering strictly to one crime, in this case the murder of a blackmailer. The lack of any secondary criminal investigations taking place in the background doesn't take away from McBain's usual layered narrative, as extra time is well spent exploring all of the different paths an investigation can take simultaneously, especially in a case complicated by victims that are as secretive than the criminals themselves. How do you track down and interrogate suspects to a blackmailer's murder, when even the innocent ones have something to hide? The drama isn't as intense as in previous novels, which might explain the novel's absence of side stories to lighten the mood. Since the victim of the case is a criminal himself, the lack of sympathy allows for a lighter approach to the narrative that keeps the mood hovering between serious and humorous. The overall effect is that this installment comes off more like a straight Mystery novel, which can either be viewed as a welcome break in the series format or an unfortunate lapse in the author's recognized style. Carella and Hawes take up the main brunt of the detective work, with Kling and Meyer doing their fair share, while Willis and Brown pull backup duty with minor roles such as stakeouts and wiretaps. Hawes actually spends a good portion of the novel flying solo, making up for earlier trangressions while gaining a reputation as a rather effective ladie's man by bedding a series of beautiful witnesses and strangers, offering a welcome change of pace from the serious love lives of Kling and Carella. McBain's stable of characters also grows beyond the precinct, as sympathetic informant Danny Gimp and the ex-husband of the previous novel's murder victim each lend a hand.
    • 4/5
      The sixth book of the 87th Precinct series continues the focus on the new detective, Cotton Hawes, who — at least from a 21st century point of view — is turning out to be rather unlikeable, as he “falls in love” every few pages and winds up in bed with a whole range of passing, forgettable female characters. In an earlier book, McBain had created a strong woman character (though she was being used as bait), but there’s little sign of that here. The book feels, in that sense, more of its time, with voluptuous women seducing or being seduced by tall, powerful men. Nevertheless, McBain continues to show off his liberal values, having already introduced Jewish, Black and disabled characters. This book features a memorable scene in a gay bar in which the only people the author detests are the suburban tourists who’ve come in to stare at the queers. Not McBain’s finest work, but still a key part of the emerging story.
    • 4/5
      “Kramer died in a gutter,” Hawes said flatly.“But he lived in a penthouse,” Nancy answered.Detective Cotton Hawes falls in love a lot in this book, but only for one day each! And at the end of each of those days, the same thing happens - “And so to bed.” Hilarious!This book only has one case (usually there are two!) - who killed the blackmailer named Sy Kramer? This particular case is led by the above mentioned Detective Hawes, when he's between bedding, and falling in love with, beautiful women! It's a short read, but a good one, with a good twist as to who actually killed Kramer! And so...
    • 5/5
      Killer's Payoff veers from the ensemble feel of the previous novels by adhering strictly to one crime, in this case the murder of a blackmailer. The lack of any secondary criminal investigations taking place in the background doesn't take away from McBain's usual layered narrative, as extra time is well spent exploring all of the different paths an investigation can take simultaneously, especially in a case complicated by victims that are as secretive than the criminals themselves. How do you track down and interrogate suspects to a blackmailer's murder, when even the innocent ones have something to hide? The drama isn't as intense as in previous novels, which might explain the novel's absence of side stories to lighten the mood. Since the victim of the case is a criminal himself, the lack of sympathy allows for a lighter approach to the narrative that keeps the mood hovering between serious and humorous. The overall effect is that this installment comes off more like a straight Mystery novel, which can either be viewed as a welcome break in the series format or an unfortunate lapse in the author's recognized style. Carella and Hawes take up the main brunt of the detective work, with Kling and Meyer doing their fair share, while Willis and Brown pull backup duty with minor roles such as stakeouts and wiretaps. Hawes actually spends a good portion of the novel flying solo, making up for earlier transgressions while gaining a reputation as a rather effective ladies man by bedding a series of beautiful witnesses and strangers, offering a welcome change of pace from the serious love lives of Kling and Carella. McBain's stable of characters also grows beyond the precinct, as sympathetic informant Danny Gimp and the ex-husband of the previous novel's murder victim each lend a hand.