Kiss

Even though this early Ed McBain police procedural has been out of print, listeners need not kiss it goodbye. David Colacci breathes new life into the story about some old friends at the 87th Precinct, like detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer, who are really good at crime solving. This slick and only slightly dated mystery starts out with two murder attempts on a beautiful blonde. Then the suspect's corpse is found hanging, and a fake detective appears on the scene. Meanwhile, as he investigates the murders, Carella must also sit through the trial of the alleged murderers of his father. Colacci has all the 87th Precinct characters down pat. There are nearly a dozen regulars. He delivers a glib, straightforward narration, and his numerous accents are true to life. The late Ed McBain would be proud. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine