Established 2014 · London
Ravelstein
Rare Books, Signed First Editions & Letters
EM
❦ ❦ ❦
Biography
American

Ed McBain

1926 — 2005

Ed McBain — the pen name of Evan Hunter (born Salvatore Albert Lombino) — was an American crime novelist who wrote the 87th Precinct series over fifty-five novels from 1956 to 2005. The series, following detectives in a fictional city modeled on New York, essentially invented the police procedural as a literary form. As Evan Hunter, he also wrote The Blackboard Jungle (1954) and the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963).

Past sales0
PeriodModern
NationalityAmerican
1. Biography

A short life of the author

Ed McBain (1926–2005) was born Salvatore Albert Lombino on 15 October 1926 in New York City. He legally changed his name to Evan Hunter. He used the Ed McBain pseudonym for his crime fiction.

Life and Career

As Evan Hunter, he published The Blackboard Jungle (1954), a novel about teaching in an inner-city school. As Ed McBain, he launched the 87th Precinct series with Cop Hater (1956), creating the template for the modern police procedural: multiple detectives, overlapping cases, realistic procedure, and a fictional city (Isola) that is unmistakably New York.

Over fifty-five novels, the series followed Steve Carella, Meyer Meyer, and their colleagues through decades of crime in a changing city. McBain also wrote the Matthew Hope series.

Major Works and Themes

McBain wrote about police work, urban life, and the daily grind of crime and justice. His influence on television crime drama — from Hill Street Blues to Law & Order — is immeasurable.

Key Works

  • 87th Precinct series (1956–2005)
  • The Blackboard Jungle (1954, as Evan Hunter)

Collecting McBain

Cop Hater first edition (Permabooks, 1956) — a paperback original — brings $100–$300. Early 87th Precinct paperbacks in fine condition are actively collected. McBain died in 2005.