Eight Black Horses (1st ed.)

Finding a dead body was not unusual for an autumn night in the 87th Precinct. But this young woman’s body was naked—and potentially related to the series of odd missives received at the station house. All signs point to the Deaf Man’s return, this time with a plot more diabolical than even the jaded policemen could imagine. He’s been sending them mysterious pictures of police equipment: nightsticks, helmets, black horses, and more. But what did they mean?

Detective Steve Carella would be one of the first to find out, but only after he discovered that the Deaf Man was impersonating him, which leads to more violence. Now, Carella and his fellow officers must face down the Deaf Man in a lethal confrontation: a confrontation more surprising, shocking, and explosive than anything the cops of the 87th Precinct have ever experienced.

Eight Black Horses is an inventive, tightly woven 87th Precinct novel—and it’s Ed McBain at his incomparable best.