A babysitter and the child she is watching are murdered on New Year s Eve just as a gang war over drug trafficking erupts and puts one of the detectives of the 87th Precinct in mortal danger. McBain has the ability to make every character believable which few writers these days can do. Associated Press The 87th Precinct is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century. Pete Hamill, Newsday"