MY BOOK King’s ransom Ed McBain Ondřej Chromečka 2.A

About author Evan Hunter (who is also known as Ed McBain) was born in New York, 1926. During Word War II he served in the US Navy, then he took a university degree; he also taught on a high school His first success (published under the name Evan Hunter) was The Blackboard Jungle (1954) – novel of NY life, about idealistic teacher in a slum high school. He has written more than eighty novels, he has also written many screenplays. He is author of the 87th Precinct stories (more than 40) – possibly the most popular crime series in the world. In 1998 he received the Diamond Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers Association (as a first American writer).

Main characters Douglas King – rich and successful man, he works hard all his live and now he has chance to be president in Granger Shoe company, but his close friends are also his enemies who want to destroy him. Steve Carella – policeman, he hate criminals – especially kidnappers Charles Reynolds – King’s chauffeur, his son is in great danger, but he couldn’t afford to save him. Sy Barnard – criminal, he has plan how to earn a lot of money Eddie Folsom – he’s criminal too, but more sensitive than Sy, his wife is: Kathy Folsom – she doesn’t like their criminal life

Story One day, when two eight years old boys were playing outside the house, came back home only one of them. When was Mrs. King asking Bobby where he lost Jeff the phone became ringing. Mr. King answered it. They kidnapped Jeff. They wanted five hundred thousand dollars as ransom till the next morning. They kidnapped wrong boy, Bobby and Jeff were very quite similar, fair hair, same height, … But Mr. King didn’t have enough money, becouse he had to invest to business and Reynolds like a chauffeur of course neither. Next day morning Mr. King went to place where they had to exchange boy and money. He received informations about place meeting by telephone by Eddie. (He didn’t have the money.) Steve Carella was hidden in the back of the car.

Story Mr. King was on a road when suddenly Kathy shouted into the microphone where the boy is hidden. She was already from the beginning against the kidnapping and she wasn’t very happy that her husband (Eddie) could done this thing. But he was manipulated by Sy and he must done it. When Mr. King and Carella heard it, he got there as fast as they could. When they reached the farmhouse (where was boy hidden) Sy started to fire at their, missing their both times. Then he fired several more times till the gun was empty and he started running into a wood. Mr. King caught him and started fighting with Sy (Sy has knife). Mr. King beated him, then Carela came to help him, and then it was all over.

Story The two policemen found the boy sitting on a bed in the farmhouse. Jeff said nothing about people who were keeping him there. Sy’s story was the same as Jeff’s, so Eddie with Kathy might be somewhere in Mexico what was their big dream, who knows?  Anyway Sy was locked and Jeff was happy to come home.

Likes I like the storyline, this detective story was very interesting and I completely like it. I like that it wasn’t only about the kidnapping the boy, there was the business problems too, then a fake friends what are in fact enemies, love between thieves and so on. There wasn’t too many unknown words. Everything has a good end.

Dislikes Sometimes I had to read some parts more than once to understand the point of the story. I quite didn’t like the sudden end, it was too fast. Suddenly was boy safe and it was end.