The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 54 books · 1956 to 2005 · Set in the fictional Isola, New York

Ed McBain

Crime and mysteryPolice procedural

Ed McBain, the pen name of Evan Hunter, wrote more than fifty 87th Precinct novels, set in an invented city called Isola. Detective Steve Carella and his colleagues share the cases, and the books helped define the police procedural.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Ed McBain and Evan Hunter are the same writer; Hunter's own novels are on a separate page. More than fifty novels are charted.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Ed McBain books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

87th Precinct

54 books · Set in the fictional Isola, New YorkPolice procedural
  1. 1Cop Hater1956With Steve CarellaBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Mugger1956With Bert KlingBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Pusher1956Buy on Amazon
  4. 4The Con Man1957Buy on Amazon
  5. 5Killer's Choice1958Buy on Amazon
  6. 6Killer's Payoff1958Buy on Amazon
  7. 7Lady Killer1958Buy on Amazon
  8. 8Killer's Wedge1959Buy on Amazon
  9. 9'Til Death1959Buy on Amazon
  10. 10King's Ransom1959Buy on Amazon
  11. 11Give the Boys a Great Big Hand1960Buy on Amazon
  12. 12The Heckler1960Buy on Amazon
  13. 13See Them Die1960Buy on Amazon
  14. 14Lady, Lady, I Did It!1961Buy on Amazon
  15. 15Like Love1962Buy on Amazon
  16. 16The Empty Hours1962Buy on Amazon
  17. 17Ten Plus One1963Buy on Amazon
  18. 18Ax1964Buy on Amazon
  19. 19He Who Hesitates1964Buy on Amazon
  20. 20Doll1965Buy on Amazon
  21. 21Eighty Million Eyes1966Buy on Amazon
  22. 22Fuzz1968Buy on Amazon
  23. 23Shotgun1969Buy on Amazon
  24. 24Jigsaw1970Buy on Amazon
  25. 25Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here!1971Buy on Amazon
  26. 26Sadie When She Died1972Buy on Amazon
  27. 27Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man1973Buy on Amazon
  28. 28Hail to the Chief1973Buy on Amazon
  29. 29Bread1974Buy on Amazon
  30. 30Blood Relatives1975Buy on Amazon
  31. 31So Long as You Both Shall Live1976Buy on Amazon
  32. 32Long Time No See1977Buy on Amazon
  33. 33Calypso1979Buy on Amazon
  34. 34Ghosts1980Buy on Amazon
  35. 35Heat1981Buy on Amazon
  36. 36Ice1983Buy on Amazon
  37. 37Lightning1984Buy on Amazon
  38. 38Eight Black Horses1985Buy on Amazon
  39. 39Poison1987Buy on Amazon
  40. 40Tricks1987Buy on Amazon
  41. 41Lullaby1989Buy on Amazon
  42. 42Vespers1990Buy on Amazon
  43. 43Widows1991Buy on Amazon
  44. 44Kiss1992Buy on Amazon
  45. 45Mischief1993Buy on Amazon
  46. 46Romance1995Buy on Amazon
  47. 47Nocturne1997Buy on Amazon
  48. 48The Big Bad City1999Buy on Amazon
  49. 49The Last Dance2000Buy on Amazon
  50. 50Money, Money, Money2001Buy on Amazon
  51. 51Fat Ollie's Book2002With Oliver "Fat Ollie" WeeksBuy on Amazon
  52. 52The Frumious Bandersnatch2004Buy on Amazon
  53. 53Hark!2004Buy on Amazon
  54. 54Fiddlers2005Buy on Amazon

Characters

8 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The 87th Precinct