Fat Ollie's Book [Hardcover]

NATIONAL PRESS 'Simple, clever and very funny.' ****THE MIRROR 'The fact that his novels, like this one, are intricately plotted and beautifully structured demonstrate his mastery of the crime form... That a book so late in a series can be so light and lively is a tribute to McBain's skills... Fat Ollie's Book demonstrates, once again, that he is himself a consummate professional'THE OBSERVER 'As usual with McBain, the plots are complicated, the dialogue fast and funny, and the entertainment value immense.'DAILY MAIL 'There is nothing and no one around guaranteed to give the same sharp excitements, the same steady delight'LITERARY REVIEW ''The plot is adroitly conceived, the writing as pacy as ever, and the characterisation as finely honed.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE THE OBSERVER - major review by Peter GuttridgeDAILY MAIL - reviewTHE GUARDIAN - major review by Mark LawsonTHE MIRROR - reviewSUNDAY TELEGRAPH - review by Susanna YagerHELLO - reviewFOCUS - reviewCRIME TIME - reviewJACK - reviewBOOKS - reviewGOOD BOOK GUIDE - reviewTHE OLDIE - review REGIONAL PRESS REVIEWS: YORKSHIRE EVENING POSTEASTERN DAILY PRESSSOUTH BUCKS BURNHAM & IVOR EXPRESSSUNDAY MERCURY (BIRMINHAM)HUDDERSFIELD DAILY EXAMINERBIRMINGHAM POSTTHE SCOTSMAN 'The outcome is clever, but the greatest pleasure is the skill of the narrativeMORNING STAR - Mat CowardHAM & HIGHWOOD & VALEDRIFFIELD POST w

Irritating though he was, Lester Henderson had it all when he strode up to rehearse his keynote address in the darkness of a downtown theatre. Widely tipped to be the next mayor and possessing a nice line in catalogue-casual daywear, Henderson stood four-square facing his glorious future. But five shots later and his lifeblood was seeping away. He had been gunned down by persons unknown from stage-right... At that point he became Ollie Weeks' problem. But this savage crime is suddenly overshadowed by a deed even more repugnant. Ollie's life work is his novel. Honed by countless rejection letters, it is finally ready to be released to the general populace. But then the one and only manuscript disappears, leaving Ollie to head off in pursuit of the thief. A thief who is convinced that Ollie's work contains the secret location of a hoard of hidden diamonds...

Ed McBain is one of the most illustrious names in crime fiction. In 1998, he was the first non-British author to be awarded the Crime Writers' Association/Cartier Diamond Dagger Award and he is also holder of the Mystery Writers of America's coveted Grand Master Award.