A riveting showcase for its author’s mastery of hard-boiled technique and blending of suspense and wit, Tricks is a genre novel that dares to be great. From start to end, author Ed McBain keeps pulling surprises out of his hat that are brutally twisted and immersive yet also fun.
It’s Halloween and the children of the 87th Precinct are running wild. This goes beyond the usual shenanigans. Four costumed small fry bounce out of a car into a liquor store yelling “Trick or treat!” Before the owner can shoo them off, they shoot him dead and clean out his register.
The novel’s title has several meanings. A magician disappears after a final magic act, leaving body parts across town. A mysterious caller bothers a lone woman by claiming to have legitimate modelling questions about her bust size. A slasher stakeout turns deadly for a detective disguised as a sex worker.
