FUZZ by Ed McBain

 Finished Tu 11/23/21

This is a paperback that I don't know when I bought it, but this was my first time through it.

This is one of the '87th Precinct Mysteries' and was published in 1968. When I was reading the book I thought that it was one of the first in the series, but the first one was released in 1956 and 'FUZZ' is #22 in the series.

This one deals with the arch-villian, 'The Deaf Man'. This master criminal extorts the city in a very novel way. He alerts authorities that he will kill a minor government official unless he receives $5,000. They don't pay, the official is killed, and the Deaf Man asked $50,000 for the next official on his list. Again, the ransom is not paid and the man is murdered. 

Here's where it gets interesting. The Deaf Man sends out one hundred letters asking for $5000 for each name on the list. 

Also, there is a subplot about a couple of youths who are setting homeless men on fire as they sleep. Steve Carella was posing as a bum and was burned by these guys. 

There is an excellent article on Wikipedia about all of the cops and criminals that are covered in the '87th Precinct Series'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/87th_Precinct

A review from GoodReads:

"In Fuzz, a master criminal nicknamed the Deaf Man returns to bedevil the detectives of the 87th Precinct. As is often the case in this series, the weather plays an important part in the book. It's the middle of winter; the snow is deep, and the temperatures are freezing. It's not fit weather for man or beast, but the criminals are not taking the winter off and so neither can the police.

In one particularly aggravating series of crimes, someone is pouring gasoline on sleeping homeless men and then setting them on fire. Detective Steve Carella goes under cover in order to catch the killers, but this means he's going to spend a lot of time freezing in alleys and doorways, playing bait for the attackers. It won't be any fun at all, and it's going to be a particularly frustrating assignment.

While Carella is thus occupied, someone calls the 87th Precinct and demands that he be paid $5,000 or he will shoot the Parks Commissioner. Almost everyone, including the Parks Commissioner, assumes the call is a prank. Sadly it isn't, and after the Parks Commissioner is shot and killed, the caller, who turns out to be the old nemesis of the 87th, the Deaf Man, steps up his game and puts the city in a panic."

The writing is rudimentary, but it's an entertaining read and the 'cop banter' is sharp and funny. 

Ed McBain was a pen name for Salvatore Albert Lombino. 'Ed McBain' was the most notable of his many names. Evan Hunter was second and he wrote 'BLACKBOARD JUNGLE' under this pseudonym.