Marilyn Stasio
… there's a toughness to this funny old town, an air of danger McBain picked up from the way people talk when they're scared. He always did have a great ear - the best.
— The New York Times
Patrick Anderson
It's written with verve, and its plot—which involves a murder investigation in which almost no one tells the truth—is ingenious…The novel has nothing like the diamond-hard realism that McBain later brought to the 87th Precinct series, but it's readable and fun. If you're a McBain fan, or just nostalgic for the '50s…you could do worse than to climb into McBain's time capsule and glide back to those more innocent days.
—The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
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. Betrayed by a dame, former PI Matt Cordell has fallen hard and become a bum in New York City's Bowery district. Cordell's decision to help old friend Johnny Bridges, a tailor, investigate petty larceny at his store soon leads to a series of murders and some steamy encounters with the "fair sex," including a femme fatale. 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. Agent, Gelfman-Schneider. (Nov.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
At the time of his death in 2006, McBain had just completed a rewrite of one of his early novels, I'm Cannon for Hire(1958). Here, he posthumously offers this slight yet powerful example of 1940s and 1950s hard-boiled detective noir for his aficionados. Women are "dames" who often use their feminine wiles to get a "hard-working stiff" into trouble, while the cops are just waiting to take the "louse" into the squad room and "teach" him some manners. Former private investigator Matt Cordell is living on skid row after catching his wife in bed with another guy several months before. Down on his luck, he reluctantly accepts a job from a former friend who wants Matt to find out who's been stealing money from his shop's till. What should have been a relatively simple case turns into a blood-spattered crime spree that places Cordell's life in danger. The majority of this book features the hard-bitten, tough-guy dialog McBain excelled in, and narrator Richard Ferrone has the perfect whiskey voice to bring the characters to vibrant life. He does credit to McBain's staccato style of writing, making this addition to the Hard Case Crime titles so irresistible. Highly recommended.
—Joseph L. Carlson Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
AUG/SEP 06 - AudioFile
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. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
