Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice (USA 2012)

From the Publisher:
When three Vietnamese immigrants are found murdered and savagely mutilated in Calusa, Florida, police finger wealthy landowner Stephen Leeds as the prime suspect. The now-deceased trio had recently been acquitted of raping Leeds's wife, Jessie. From his jail cell, Leeds insists that, while they may have gotten what they deserved, he didn't dispense the vigilante justice.

That's enough for attorney Matthew Hope to take on the case. But every piece of evidence ties his client to the grisly killings, from Leeds publicly vowing to avenge his wife's assault to the discovery of his wallet at the scene. And it doesn't help matters that Hope is going up against Assistant State Attorney Patricia Demming, who is dead-set on seeing Leeds fry for the crime.

Acclaimed author and fan favorite Ed McBain blends powerful suspense with master storytelling for a thrilling and charged tale of two men -- one whose life hangs in the balance and one who must follow a convoluted trail of secrets, seduction, and sabotage to get to the truth.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice. A Matthew Hope Mystery. Thomas & Mercer / Amazon Publ., ISBN: 9781612182629 (October, 2012), 316 p., $13.95.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice (UK 1991)

From the Publisher:
The city of Calusa, Florida, is wealthy and exclusive, but for the last ten or years, streams of immigrants have been changing the nature of the place, not for the better, in the view of the bluer bloods. It is a terrible shock to the community when Jessica Leeds, wife of a prestigious landowner, is brutally raped. The resulting investigation leads to the arrest of three recent immigrants, all Vietnamese. Surprisingly, the ensuing trial results in their acquittal - causing Jessica's irate husband, Stephen, to threaten to take justice into his own hands. When the three Vietnamese are found not only murdered but viciously mutilated, Stephen is arrested and held without bail. At which point Jessica turns to Matthew Hope to defend her husband. As he unravels the diverse and contradictory threads of the case, Hope realises that he is involved in a situation far more complex and explosive than he - or his client - had ever imagined.

Ed McBain has been called 'marvellous' by Stephen King, 'by far the best at what he does' by People magazine and 'terrific' by Elmore Leonard. A master of suspense, he has an uncanny sense of place, an unerring ear for dialogue and a rare ability to create strong, fast-paced plots. In Three Blind Mice, he combines his many talents to produce one of his finest works to date.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice. A Matthew Hope Mystery. Heinemann, ISBN: 0434441112 (August, 1991), 293 p., £13.99.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice (USA 1991)

From the Publisher:
The city of Calusa, on the west coast of Florida, is wealthy and exclusive -- but far less so now than in the past. For the last 10 years, streams of immigrants have changed the nature of the place -- not for the better, in the view of the bluer bloods.

The community is shocked when Jessica Leeds, wife of a |prestigious landowner, is brutally raped one night shortly before Christmas. The investigation leads to the arrest of three recent immigrants, all Vietnamese, but the ensuing trial results in their acquittal. After the verdict, Jessica's husband, Stephen, publicly threatens to take justice into hisown hands. When, some time later, the three Vietnamese are found not only murdered but viciously mutilated, Stephen, the obvious i suspect, is arrested and held without bail. Jessica turns to Matthew Hope to defend her husband. As he unravels the diverse and contradictory threads of the case, Hope begins to realize that the situativn is far more complex and explosive than he -- or his client -- had ever imagined.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice. A Matthew Hope Mystery. Mysterious Press, ISBN: 0446400351 (May, 1991), 293 p., $4.95.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice (USA 1990)

From the Publisher:
The long-awaited return of Matthew Hope!
"Matthew Hope, the suave Florida lawyer, is back in the latest of McBain's series of cynically titled nursery-rhyme and fairy-tale themed novels... McBain is an undisputed master of the genre - slick, wry, and satisfying." - Booklist

The city of Calusa, on the west coast of Florida, is wealthy and exclusive, but far less so now than in the past. For the last ten or fifteen years, streams of immigrants have changed the nature of the place, not for the better, in the view of the bluer bloods. Still, it is a terrible shock to the community when Jessica Leeds, wife of a prestigious landowner, is brutally raped one night shortly before Christmas. The resulting police investigation leads to the arrest of three recent immigrants, all Vietnamese. But surprisingly, the ensuing trial results in their acquittal. After the verdict, Jessica's irate husband, Stephen, publicly threatens to take justice into his own hands. When, some time later, the three Vietnamese are found not only murdered but viciously mutilated, Stephen, the obvious and logical suspect, is arrested and held without bail. At which point Jessica turns to Matthew Hope to defend her husband. As he unravels the many diverse and contradictory threads of the case, Matthew Hope begins to realize that he is involved in a situation far more complex and explosive than he - or his client - had ever imagined.

Ed McBain: Three Blind Mice. A Matthew Hope Mystery. Arcade Publ. / Little, Brown and Company, ISBN: 1559700807 (July, 1990), 293 p., $18.95.