Murder on 34th Street

In his spare time, with collaborative assistance, former New York City mayor Edward I. Koch writes mystery stories. Curiously, his protagonist is a character named Edward Koch who is...the Mayor of the City of New York. Basically, the books in his series are cute, nothing more, nothing less. Yet since these stories are told in the Mayor's own highly distinctive voice, and filled with detail about the back office workings of City Hall, the mysteries nonetheless make for interesting reading. Though the plots here are thin, a reader still will come away with new insights about the Koch administration and the governing of the City of New York.In the end, Mayor Koch is not much competition for Rex Stout or Agatha Christie, but reading his New York City murder mystery series was fun. As a New Yorker born and bred--and a full-time resident there during his entire term--I enjoyed all of these mysteries.

I love Christmas, like Ed Koch, New York, and mysteries, this is a wonderful blend. Read it, I wish he would make more.

I'm not sure exactly how much contribution Ed Koch makes to these mystery novels, but they definitely capture his "style"... I could almost hear his voice. I thought this one (Murder on 34th St.) was the best of the batch of (so far) 4 books. Nicely written and plays fair with the reader (I even managed to figure out who the murderer was from the clues!)

Ed Koch knows that being the mayor of New York City is one of the toughest jobs in the world. However, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Ed knows that there's no place, especially that Joisey mall that can compete with the excitement of the "Big Apple". However, this holiday season has had a poor start for hiz honor. Ed suffers from a cold he caught during the Thanksgiving Day parade and, worst yet for the city, someone is killing the famous Santas at the Ramsey Department Store on thirty-fourth street. No one messes with Ed's city as long as he is in charge. With his bodyguards in tow, Ed begins to investigate the killings even as he deals with the myriad of problems confronting the largest city in the United States and the interference of his "chicken soup" mother. By doing this inquiry, Ed has placed his own life in jeopardy. MURDER ON 34th STREET is the third Ed Koch mystery and like the previous two (MURDER AT CITY HALL and MURDER ON BROADWAY), the star is the city itself, especially the neighborhoods being trampled by Mr. Koch as he seeks to uncover the identity of a killer. The Koch persona is identical to when he was the actual mayor (this reviewer resided there at the time). However, the mystery is relatively simple and is overwhelmed by the characters, including the city. This novel is for fans of Mr. Koch, New York City, and those who enjoy a bit of holiday fluff. Readers who are exhilarated by complex who-done-its should not take a bite out of the apple. Harriet Klausner