What do You think about So Long As You Both Shall Live (1976)?
Fat Ollie takes center stage in this 87th Precinct McBain. Bert Kling is marrying Augusta, a model, who is kidnapped from their wedding suite by a looney. The scene shifts back and forth between Augusta, who is not about to let things take their course without a fight, and the investigation. They are stymied with seemingly no leads, but Ollie, “ who was bigoted, slovenly, opinionated, crude, insensitive, gross, humorless, unimaginative…No, that wasn’t true. Ollie was imaginative,” joins the hunt and, with the help of the wedding photographer, develops the two leads that break the case open.Short, almost a novella, the book is standard McBain fare, that is to say, a solid police procedural.
—Eric_W
Minor spoilers ahead, but nothing you won't get from the book jacket or the blurbs on Amazon.This one was really fun reading, for me. I've read enough of the 87th Precinct books to know pretty well what I'm going to get coming in. This one was fresh. What makes it new is the impending sense of possible disaster hanging over the story.This is a very personal case for the detectives. Kling's wife is kidnapped on their wedding night. So, it's all hands on deck to solve this, including another memorable turn from Fat Ollie Weeks who appears because he knows the boys will be worked up. He's sure he'll be more detached and will therefore see things that the others will miss. Despite his being a completely unlikeable guy, he really does come through on this case. Anyway, I was kind of nervous through the whole story. McBain has never been shy about killing off the supporting cast. He's even done it to Bert Kling before. So there's no comfort level that you know she'll be all right.This is a fast-paced, convincing, edge-of-your-seat police procedural. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
—Tim Healy
Very good book. Detective Bert Kling's bad luck with women is finally over - or so he thinks. In the presence of all their friends and loved ones, he marries the girl of his dreams, model Augusta Blair. On the evening of their wedding, she gets snatched right out of their hotel room. The detectives of the 87th precinct pour all their energy into finding Augusta. Tension rises and time is running out - will they figure it out and get to her in time? Much more of a thriller than most of the 87th p
—Cathy
