I met up with my book club last night to discuss Cop Hater by Ed McBain and while we all seemed to go on quite a bit about how dated the book seemed, we still gave it a good rating.
I’ll try to do a review of it but in the meantime I can say that for a book written in 1956, I was actually kind of impressed with how the detectives were able to get so much information from clues they were working with. The women in the book unfortunately don’t come across as anything other than femme fatales or housewives. Ah well, glad to see police procedurals have come a long way.
Actually, this is the first book in a series that I think spanned more than 50 books so I actually would be curious to see how the books changed over time. Has anyone read the McBain series? I have a hard time keeping up with series that get long (say more than 15 books) so I can barely imagine keeping up with one that goes up to 50. Wow.
Next month we’ll be reading The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch which I believe has been a bestseller in Germany. This one is a medieval mystery and so I’m looking forward to it as it’s been a while since I read a historical mystery.
Over the next few months we’ll be reading books by Tana French, Malla Nunn, and Deborah Crombie. I think we’ve got a great lineup of mysteries don’t you?
Alright and now it’s time to go read.
Oooh Tana French! It just doesn’t get any better than her, in my opinion. Which one are you reading?
I’ve only read one, midway through the series when I was just discovering mysteries in the early 90s (before I became obsessive about reading mystery series in order). At the time I don’t think I really appreciated the diversity of the genre — so I might enjoy it more now with an understanding that it’s not intended to be like P.D. James, but something completely different — but I found the female characters one-dimensional in that one too.
The book as you describe it reminds me of the old TV series, Dragnet. I like a good police procedural now and then. Glad you enjoyed it well enough and it sounds like there are tons more in the series to enjoy at the right moment.
I don’t read too many mysteries, so I’m looking forward to your thoughts on those books. I need some recommendations.
I’ve not read anything by Ed McBain, but I am curious about him as he seems an important mystery author. Too bad about the one-dimensional female characters–I have a feeling that might have been par for the course at the time in this genre?
I havent heard of the McBain series, but 50 books?? wow. Sounds like youve got some good mysteries line up. Happy reading 🙂
Sandy – I agree, she’s excellent. We are reading the first one in the series. I hope the group likes it. I’ll give it a 5 star rating 🙂
BuriedInPrint – I have a thing about reading mysteries in order too. It just makes more sense to me to see how the characters are developed and you become interested in them and feel like you really know them over the course of the books.
Kathleen – Someone in book group said that it was supposed to be reminiscent of the Dragnet series. I’ve never seen it though so can’t say but I can imagine that it must have been quite a shift in the way mysteries were written.
Anna – I love mysteries but this year I don’t seem to be reading as many. I’ll let you know when I pick up a good one!
Danielle – I know he’s always mentioned as one to read isn’t he? I think you may be right about the women characters in other mysteries from the same time frame. Glad things have changed right?
bookworm – I can’t even imagine! haha.. I think the most books I’ve read in a series is up to 12 or so.