Are you a very recent addict to Ed McBain’s books and looking for what to read next? Never fear, we are here to help you with a complete list of Ed McBain books in order!
Ed McBain was one of the many pen names of the successful and prolific crime fiction author Evan Hunter. Born Salvatore Lambino in New York, McBain served aboard a destroyer in the US Navy during World War II and then earned a degree from Hunter College in English and Psychology.
After a short stint teaching in a high school, McBain went to work for a literary agency in New York, working with authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and P.G.
Perhaps his most popular work, the 87th Precinct series is one of the longest running crime series ever published, debuting in 1956 with Cop Hater and featuring over fifty novels.
The series is set in a fictional locale called Isola and features a wide cast of detectives including the prevalent Detective Steve Carella.
McBain was also known as a screenwriter. Most famously he adapted a short story from Daphne Du Maurier into the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
McBain was awarded the Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement in 1986 by the Mystery Writers of America and was the first American to receive the Cartier Diamond Dagger award from the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain.
He passed away in 2005 in his home in Connecticut after a battle with larynx cancer.
We looked at all of the books authored by Ed McBain and bring a list of Ed McBain’s books in order for you to minimize your hassle at the time of choosing the best reading order.
Hope this article about Ed McBain books in order will help you when choosing the reading order for his books and make your book selection process easier and faster.
Happy reading!
Ed McBain Books In Order
You have four options when choosing the reading order for Ed McBain’s books:
- 87th Precinct Books
- Matthew Hope Books
- Standalone Novels
- Children’s Books
Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct Books In Order
We propose the following publication order when reading Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct books:
- Cop Hater (1956)
- The Mugger (1956)
- The Pusher (1956)
- The Con Man (1957)
- Killer’s Choice (1957)
- Killer’s Payoff (1957)
- Lady Killer (1958)
- Killer’s Wedge (1959)
- ‘Til Death (1959)
- King’s Ransom (1959)
- Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (1960)
- The Heckler (1960)
- See Them Die (1960)
- Lady, Lady, I Did It! (1961)
- Empty Hours (1962)
- Like Love (1962)
- Ten Plus One (1963)
- Ax (1964)
- He Who Hesitates (1964)
- Doll (1965)
- Eighty Million Eyes (1966)
- Fuzz (1968)
- Shotgun (1969)
- Jigsaw (1970)
- Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here (1971)
- Sadie When She Died (1972)
- Let’s Hear It for the Deaf Man (1972)
- Hail to the Chief (1973)
- Bread (1974)
- Blood Relatives (1975)
- So Long As You Both Shall Live (1976)
- Long Time No See (1977)
- Calypso (1979)
- Ghosts (1980)
- Heat (1981)
- Ice (1983)
- Lightning (1984)
- And All Through the House (1984)
- Eight Black Horses (1985)
- Poison (1987)
- Tricks (1987)
- Lullaby (1989)
- Vespers (1990)
- Widows (1991)
- Kiss (1992)
- Mischief (1993)
- Romance (1995)
- Nocturne (1997)
- The Big Bad City (1999)
- The Last Dance (2000)
- Money, Money, Money (2001)
- Fat Ollie’s Book (2002)
- The Frumious Bandersnatch (2003)
- Hark! (2004)
- Fiddlers (2005)
Ed McBain’s Matthew Hope Books In Order
We propose the following publication order when reading Ed McBain’s Matthew Hope books:
- Goldilocks (1978)
- Rumpelstiltskin (1981)
- Beauty & The Beast (1981)
- Jack & The Beanstalk (1984)
- Snow White & Rose Red (1985)
- Cinderella (1986)
- Puss in Boots (1987)
- The House that Jack Built (1988)
- Three Blind Mice (1990)
- Mary, Mary (1992)
- There Was A Little Girl (1994)
- Gladly The Cross-Eyed Bear (1996)
- The Last Best Hope (1998)
Ed McBain’s Standalone Novels In Order
We propose the following publication order when reading Ed McBain’s Standalone Novels:
- Don’t Crowd Me (1953)
- Danger: Dinosaurs! (1953)
- Rocket To Luna (1953)
- The Blackboard Jungle (1954)
- Runaway Black (1954)
- Cut Me In (1954)
- Murder in the Navy (1955)
- Second Ending (1956)
- Tomorrow’s World (1956)
- Vanishing Ladies (1957)
- The Spiked Heel (1957)
- Strangers When We Meet (1958)
- The April Robin Murders (1958)
- Even The Wicked (1958)
- I’m Cannon – For Hire (1958)
- A Matter of Conviction (1959)
- Big Man (1959)
- Mothers And Daughters (1961)
- Buddwing (1964)
- The Sentries (1965)
- The Paper Dragon (1966)
- A Horse’s Head (1967)
- Last Summer (1968)
- Sons (1969)
- Nobody Knew They Were There (1971)
- Every Little Crook And Nanny (1972)
- Seven (1972)
- Come Winter (1973)
- Streets Of Gold (1974)
- Where There’s Smoke (1975)
- Doors (1975)
- The Chisholms (1976)
- Guns (1976)
- Walk Proud (1979)
- Love, Dad (1981)
- Far From The Sea (1983)
- Lizzie (1984)
- Another Part of the City (1986)
- Downtown (1991)
- Scimitar (1992)
- Criminal Conversation (1994)
- Privileged Conversation (1996)
- Candyland (2000)
- Driving Lessons (2000)
- The Moment She Was Gone (2002)
- Alice in Jeopardy (2005)
- The Gutter and the Grave (2005)
- So Nude, So Dead (2015)
Ed McBain’s Children’s Books In Order
We propose the following publication order when reading Ed McBain’s Children’s books:
- Find the Feathered Serpent (1952)
- The Remarkable Harry (1959)
- The Wonderful Button (1961)
- Me and Mr. Stenner (1965)
Your Thoughts About Ed McBain Books In Order
Are you a huge fan of Ed McBain’s books like us?
Do you disagree with this list about Ed McBain books in order?
Have you just begun reading the books?
What’s your plan for the reading order?
Do we miss any books to add to our list?
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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