A new 87th Precinct novel is always to be welcomed. As usual there are a number of threads to the story: a nun has been murdered, a burglar nicknamed The Cookie Boy is at large, and the man who killed Detective Carella's father is now out to do likewise to the son. One of the most perplexing things about the nun's murder is that she has had breast implants, the burglar runs out of luck and becomes involved in a double killing, and the assassin on Carella's trail gets closer and closer. McBain is an expert at cranking up the suspense, and even the city itself becomes threatening in this particular episode. Although the 87th Precinct stories must be running towards the hundred at this stage, each new instalment seems as fresh as the last. How does McBain, also known as Evan Hunter, do it?.