Ed McBain's The Empty Hours - Episode 15: Carry On Candelabra

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast!

Join us on our journey to find out what happens during "The Empty Hours" - McBain's collection of three novellas released in one volume from 1962. Carella takes on a paper-chase in the title story, whilst Meyer questions his place in the world in 'J' and Hawes goes out of town looking for loving and finding murder instead in Storm. Our research throws up some trivia about the original publication times and places for the stories, as well as info about forensic methods and a sobering look at the sort of idiots spreading race-hate then and now. 

Of course we also talk a lot of the usual rubbish too! We have a look at what was going on in the early part of 1962 in Music, film, World Events and Crisps. Paul reveals a Doctor Who link to Ed McBain and Stevo contemplates undermining the podcast by reading ahead and backwards. 

Join us next time for a return to the full novel format for the book from later in 1962, "Like Love". As ever, a review, rating or share on any of the platforms (but especially Apple and Stitcher!) is massively appreciated and helpful. Fare thee well. 

Roger Moore and the Crimefighters

In the new Bonus episode you'll hear me (Paul) surprise Stevo and Morgan with a second-hand book I'd come across that weekend. It was too good an opportunity to miss sharing this with them. I mean, just look at the cover!

This is a good example of why you should always take the time to investigate the different shelves in second hand bookshops, but especially in charity shops/thrift stores. Very often the staff make an attempt to categorise and alphabetise the books, but they're looked over by so many people it's hard to trust to that fact. Usually there's some gold hidden between the forty-seven copies of The Da Vinci Code and celebrity biographies. I found "The Siege" on a "4 for £1" shelf. There were no other books there that I wanted and ended up paying 50p for it.

It's really extraordinary. It's like having a book series come out these days with, I don't know, Daisy Ridley appearing in it as herself, using her career-connections to act on a hunch about human trafficking or something. To be honest I would read that, but only if it was written by Doctor Who author Rona Monro, to keep the pattern of the book/celebrity/author connections. The author of "The Siege", Malcolm Hulke, wrote a good run of Third Doctor stories in the 1970s, including the plastic-dinosaur extravaganza, Invasion of The Dinosaurs (1974). Clearly he was so immersed in the world of Doctor Who production and life at BBC TV centre, he's written it into the book as an important factor.

I hope you enjoy listening to our response to this novelty on the last bonus episode. I'm sure the next one we do will be more McBain based, but I'm not promising anything...

Listen to this bonus episode herex

Ed McBain's Give The Boys A Great Big Hand - Episode 11, Bonus: The Incredible Malcolm Hulke

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Bonus Episode!

And what a bonus episode it is! After discussing our copies of the 87th Precinct book, with Paul demonstrating his inability to grasp the relative costs of pre-decimal currency, we get down to some important business.

Imagine a world where Roger Moore appears as himself in a children's crime-fighting story-book written by Doctor Who writer Malcolm Hulke, all set in or around an African Embassy and the BBC in 1977... now, STOP IMAGINING and listen to our reactions as we discuss "The Siege" - the first entry in the Roger Moore and The Crimefighters series! A book that almost defies description!

Listen out in the background for mysterious Mic-stand-spring noises (sorry) and contemplate why George Lazenby never organised children into an impromptu militia.

See you in the New Year for probably more discussion back on the topic of Ed McBain and "The Heckler". Merry Christmas!