“The silent nights got to you.”

It’s Christmas Eve in the 87th Precinct, and it’s Christmas Eve 2022 as I read this!
This is a (very) short story from the 87th. Complete with illustrations!
A bag of marijuana, a sheep, and a valise of silver and gold end up in their squad room as one-by-one the different detectives enter it, and the story. And then a young couple enter, with the woman in active labor! It's the story of Christmas, McBain style! ( )

Charming illustrated 87th Precinct short story, with various characters turning up at the precinct house on Christmas Eve. It’s festively cheesy, but left a big grin on my face. ( )

This was an impulse borrow from the library, a teeny 40-page story about Christmas Eve at the 87th Precinct. For those who like McBain, this showcases his ability to paint characters quickly and choose details well. The only thing that might not age well is Parker being an ass toward the people he's brought in -- his comments are uncomfortable to read. Fortunately, Carella, Hawes, Meyer and Kling are there to squash him. This is a book that would be more suited to someone who has already been introduced to the 87th Precinct gang, just because it's such a short book and a new reader might feel shortchanged. ( )

A Christmas Nativity as only the boys from the 87th could pull off, And All Through the House manages to celebrate the birth of Christ with a crime-oriented yuletide tale that almost rivals the Dragnet Christmas episode with the stolen Baby Jesus. Everyone is on hand for this bull-pen nativity, including the expecting couple for whom there was no room at the inn, three not-so-wise men, and a stolen sheep. Merry Christmas. ( )