Brooks on Books: "Cop Hater" by Ed McBain

I had long considered diving into McBain's 87th Precinct series of police procedural novels, but it was only recently I finally got around to it. I kind of wish I hadn't waited so long. See, the first entry, "Cop Hater," is OK, but it is a procedural, and I think knowing so much of the plot hurts the reader's ability to enjoy it.

McBain's (AKA Evan Hunter) debut effort establishes Isola, his fictional equivalent of Manhattan, and introduces the people that populate the 87th Precinct. It also kills some of them off. The story begins with a shocking murder and then builds from there.

Problem for me is, I saw the movie "Cop Hater" several years ago, and while that version telegraphs its ending somewhat, it arguably sets it up more effectively, making a key late twist more powerful. Regardless of which version you prefer, it almost kills the book to have seen the film and know what's coming. At least, it did for me. That's not always the case when going from movies to novels; I often can love a book even knowing the essentials of the plot and wishing I had read it before its screen adaptation. That's not so much the case here.

The characters, setting, and dialogue were interesting enough to merit another look-see at this series, and the inside look at police life--both personal and professional--is still potent even 50 years (and countless other police procedurals in various media) later. But I wanted to be hooked. I wanted to be pulled into the series enough to crave another book. That didn't happen. I expect I'll check out another McBain book at some point, but it may be a while.