Babes, booze, brawls, banter and bitterness. Classic ingredients for this early McBain. There is a terrific scene, where, the P.I., Cordell, visits a late night/early morning jam session and you can really sense McBain's love for improvised jazz. That passage alone makes the book a worthwhile read. Hard Case Crime is to be congratulated fro bring back some of these early fifties pulp noir.
