The Frumious Bandersnatch
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
The brand new 87th Precinct Novel from the master himself - Ed McBain.
Diva disappeared . . .
This was supposed to be the night that launched a new pop idol into the firmament. Tamar Valparaiso has it all: young and beautiful with the body and voice of an angel. And just as importantly she is going to hit all the right demographics. With a Mexican father she's going to walk the Hispanic market and her Russian mother ensured that her blonde hair will not be scaring off the Britney fans. So, tonight, she is going to make debut performance of her first single - Bandersnatch - on a luxury motor-launch in the heart of the city.
But this is when she becomes Detective Steve Carella's problem. Halfway through her performance - and watched by millions of fans - masked men drag Tamar off the stage and into the bowels of a waiting speedboat. Now the city is in uproar and the responsibility of getting her back safely lies on Carella's shoulders . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Amazingly, MWA Grand Master McBain remains as fresh and sharp-edged as ever in his 53rd 87th Precinct novel (after 2003's Fat Ollie's Book), which takes on the culture of celebrity. Bison Records' self-styled impresario Barney Loomis runs into a snag in his effort to catapult his newest performer, Tamar Valparaiso, to stardom. As Tamar is lip-synching the provocative video of her first album aboard a rented yacht, two men in Saddam Hussein and Yasir Arafat masks snatch her before a stunned audience. With his usual expert pacing, McBain alternates the action among a number of characters, including the kidnappers and Tamar; series stalwart Steve Carella, who must endure political maneuvering within a Joint Task Force of police bigwigs and FBI agents; and misogynist Ollie Weeks and his new amour, Det. Patricia Gomez. McBain injects enough humor to leaven the underlying tragedy the fate of a vulnerable, talented young woman. Although it's soon obvious who's behind Tamar's kidnapping, we don't read McBain for surprising denouements but for his true-to-life dialogue, skill at defining characters and effortless transitions. The Lewis Carroll theme provides an extra level of enjoyment. FYI: McBain is only one of two Americans (the other being Sara Paretsky) to win a Diamond Dagger, the highest award from the British Crime Writers Association.
