The Gutter and the Grave - Ed McBain

Written by Ed McBain
Read by Richard Ferrone
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

A Hard Case Crime Novel, #15
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: December 1, 2008
Duration: 04:57:23

Detective Matt Cordell was happily married once, and gainfully employed, and sober. But that was before he caught his wife cheating on him with one of his operatives and took it out on the man with the butt end of a .45. Now Matt makes his home on the streets of New York and his only companions are the city’s bartenders. But trouble still knows how to find him, and when Johnny Bridges shows up from the old neighborhood, begging for Matt’s help, Cordell finds himself drawn into a case full of beautiful women and bloody murder. It’s just like the old days—only this time, when the beatings come, he may wind up on the receiving end…

Two reviews—First published as by “Curt Cannon” under the title I’m Cannon—For Hire (1958), this revised reissue reminds readers that the late McBain had some serious noir chops. … A strong cast of characters—from rival private eye Dennis Knowles to tailor’s assistant Dave Ryan—creates a tangled web of deceit, with lies piling up faster than tokens in a subway station. But the best thing about the novel is the hard-boiled Cordell as the archetypal noir antihero, fated to failure even in success. Of necessity, the story is dated, but the pleasure of following the exploits of a forefather of such later icons as Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder more than compensates. Fittingly, McBain has come full circle with the re-release of this revamped early novel at the end of his long and distinguished career.

Ed McBain’s novels are like a comfortable pair of shoes-they fit well, and by the end of the day you’re still glad you chose them. This one features Matt Cordell, a down-and-out former detective trying to put his life back together, who finds himself in the middle of a murder. Like the book, Richard Ferrone’s reading is comfortable. Ferrone’s style is all business, with a paced staccato delivery reminiscent of a classic radio program. The result is a performance in which the novel remains on center stage. And because this title is less than five hours long, it’s ideal for short trips or a light listen on the beach. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2006,