Return of the Deaf Man

It's always fun when the Deaf Man returns to taunt the detectives of the 87th Precinct. The twenty-seventh book in the series marks his third appearance, and thus far he's managed to escape unscathed even though the detectives have thwarted his plans, at least to some extent.

The Deaf Man has an especial affinity with Detective Steve Carella, given that they've each shot the other and lived to tell the tale. The Deaf Man now ruins a perfectly good day at the 87th by announcing that he's going to rob a bank and that, like it or not, Carella will be assisting him in the job. The Deaf Man begins mailing clues regarding his intentions as a means of daring the detectives to stop him. One of the clues involves a picture of Martin Van Buren, but none of the detectives can figure out what in the hell the Deaf Man is up to.

Meanwhile, a cat burglar is also causing the detectives grief. The burglar is hitting apartments while their well-to-do owners are away on vacation. He's entering, but not breaking, and the detectives cannot figure out how he's managing that or how to stop him.

Finally, a particularly brutal murder in which a man has been left crucified rounds out the action in this book. As the three investigations continue, the clock is winding down to the Deaf Man's planned robbery and thus far, the detectives haven't been able to decipher the clues he is sending them. All in all, it's a lot of fun and adds up to one of the better books in the series.