"He Who Hesitates" for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone and here is a reading suggestion for you today, or a present suggestion for your loved one if he/she loves crime fiction too. It is He Who Hesitates by Ed McBain and it is one of his 87th Precinct novels. A rather unique entry, as the detectives of the 87th are peripheral to the narrative, the point of view character being country boy Roger, who came to the City for family business errands and ends up... Well, ends up doing something of a sinister and criminal nature, let's leave it at that. It may not be everyone's cup of tea and fans of the series might find it frustrating to barely see our beloved characters, but I found it to be an interesting study in the loneliness of monsters and their moral ambiguity. Roger is in itself quite an endearing protagonist. And it is set around Valentine's Day, hence my recommendation. There is even a bit of romance in the novel.