Fat Ollie's Book

Irritating though he was, Lester Henderson had it all when he strode up to rehearse his keynote address in the darkness of a downtown theatre. Widely tipped to be the next mayor and possessing a nice line in catalogue-casual daywear, Henderson stood four-square facing his glorious future. But five shots later and his lifeblood was seeping away - gunned down by person or persons unknown from stage-right...At that point he became Ollie Weeks' problem. But this savage crime is suddenly overshadowed by a deed even more repugnant. Ollie's life's work is his novel. Honed by countless rejection letters, it is finally ready to be released to the general populace. But then the one and only manuscript disappears, leaving Ollie to head off in pursuit of the thief. A thief who is convinced that Ollie's work contains the secret location of a hoard of hidden diamonds...

About the Author

Ed McBain (1926-2005) was born Salvatore Lambino in New York. He changed his name to Evan Hunter and under that name is known as the author of The Blackboard Jungle and as the writer of the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The 87th Precinct series numbers over fifty novels. McBain was a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and was one of three American writers to be awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.

Prizes

The latest brilliant 87th Precinct novel from one of the true greats of crime fiction Published alongside his new hardback, THE FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH McBain's recent novels have been widely acclaimed as the best of his long and distinguished career Ed McBain won the prestigious CWA/Cartier Diamond Dagger He always receives excellent reviews: 'A masterpiece of crime writing ... I think Ed McBain is brilliant' DAILY MIRROR 'Zestful, inventive and utterly compulsive ... Shrewd, funny, tough and so topical that it practically sprints from the page' LITERARY REVIEW 'Detective Steve Carella plays second fiddle to one of the best fictional characters around: Detective Oliver Wendell Weeks - aka Fat Ollie ... Simple clever and very funny' DAILY MIRROR 'The fact that his novels, like this one, are intricately plotted and beautifully structured demonstrate his mastery of the crime form ... That a book so late in a series can be so light and lively is a tribute to McBain's skills' OBSERVER 'Give thanks that you share the same time span with an absolute master' LITERARY REVIEW 'Unbeatable ... the finest police procedural series ever...Keep 'em coming, Ed' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY