Written by Ed McBain - Audio book performed by Len Cariou - Abridged Fiction - 2 CASSETTES - 3 hours

Publisher, Harper Audio (April 1994)

Father Michael Birney lies dead in the garden behind the church recto with multiple stab and slash wounds, surrounded by his beloved roses.

Four blocks away a Satanic black mass is being performed over a naked female altar.

And teenage crack barons are fighting in the streets, looking for drugs which may be hidden in the church.

Even for Steve Carella and his fellow detectives at the 87th Precinct, this is an unusual murder with a very unusual cast of characters.

Who killed Father Birney? And why? Listen. You won't believe your ears.

About the Author: Ed McBain has been the recipient of the Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America. His more than 40 87th Street Precinct novels are international bestsellers. He lives in Connecticut.

Ed McBain has written over eighty novels, including the classic 87th Precinct series, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. A recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award, he is also a successful writer for television and cinema whose credits include the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Writing under his real name, Evan Hunter, Mr. McBain has published dozens of books, including the classic bestsellers The Blackboard Jungle, Strangers When We Meet, and Criminal Conversation.