An absolute banger of a kidnapping story. Like, 10/10, no notes (but I will surely be reflecting on it). ( )

Although I've been a fan of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series of police procedural novels for a long time, I've been highly anticipating this one for another reason. Akira Kurosawa's wonderful film "High and Low" is based on this novel. Kurosawa's film focuses on a business tycoon named Kingo Gondo (in homage to this book's title). McBain's novel focuses both on the businessman (here called Douglas King) and on the police officers who populate this successful book series. Both versions hinge on a delicious twist: a rich man is prepared to do anything to get his son safely back from kidnappers. But will he be as self-sacrificing when he learns the kidnap victim is not his son, but the son of the man's chauffeur? Both a wonderful example of police procedural, with breathless activity that keeps the pages turning rapidly, and an examination of where greed and ambition end and human decency picks up, "King's Ransom" is a splendid little book. ( )

I have read all of Ed McBain's "87th Precinct" books in the past, but I was recently watching Akira Kurosawa's excellent film "High and Low" and was surprised to see that McBain's "King's Ransom" was the basis of the movie. I thought that I would re-read the book since it has been a very long time since I read one of the "87th Precinct" books (and I didn't remember the plot) and wanted to compare it to the film.

King's Ransom is quite good, an early one in the "87th Precinct" series, with an interesting and different story-line about kidnappers and a very wealthy businessman. The basic plot is the same as the Kurosawa film, but the kidnappers and their reasons for the kidnapping are different from the film (greed vs envy), and the ending of the book is very different from "High and Low". The book's ending is much more realistic and likely to happen, a commentary on our world. Ed McBain wrote the book in 1959, but it could easily have been put out today, with a overbearing wealthy business executive and his decisions. Ed McBain always is a good read, with his great characters and crisp dialogue he is not an author to miss out on.



( )

Another great tale of the 87th from McBain. This time the mystery isn't who, but how. To be fair it's not too much of a head scratcher, but McBain throws in some memorable characters and enough commentary on the human condition that I was kept riveted. ( )

Douglas King is trying to wrest control of his company from others by negotiating the purchase of a block of common stock when kidnappers grab a boy they think is his son, but is actually the son of his widowed chauffeur. The 87th Precinct and King's wife (and son) try to get him to pay the ransom, but the greedy capitalist is only willing to pretend; however, some rift among the kidnappers helps avert disaster. ( )