AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE: CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE 87TH PRECINCT

New York: Warner Books, 1994. First Edition Thus. . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Victor Juhasz. It's 10:30 on Christmas Eve at the 87th Precinct where Detective Steve Carella is typing a report when fellow detective, Cotton Hawes arrives with two men and a shopping bag full of pot, derisively described by one of the two as "frankincense" and by the other as "myrrh." Shortly thereafter Detective Meyer Meyer herds in a teenaged boy and a sheep, the boy claiming he isn't a shepherd but the sheep is a gift for his sister. And the reader is off on a rollicking tale with at least a few parallels to the original Christmas, including a young Puerto Rican and his even younger, pregnant wife, who gives birth just after midnight. Published originally as a short story in "Playboy" magazine in 1984 before Warner Books dressed it up in 1994 in a slipcase instead of a dustjacket, the slipcase having a diecut window displaying the Christmas tree on the book's front cover. First Printing, First Edition Thus with a complete numberline. About 5 3/4 x 7 inches, 41 pages illustrated with several black & white drawings, glossy blue paper-covered boards with pictorial front cover showing x-mass tree and newborn. Boards and text show no significant flaws, no soiling, no tearing, creasing or bumping, not remaindered. Text is clean, complete and unmarked. The slipcase shows a black & white drawing of the 87th precinct window, which you can look through to see the x-mas tree on the book's front cover. Back cover of slipcase has series of blurbs about McBain's top ranking as writer of police procedurals. All lettering is white on blue background. Upper corners of slipcase show some light wear, o/w clean and unmarked. This lighthearted little book makes a good gift for a McBain fan or any mystery collector, especially at Christmas.