Ed McBain Books in Order

A sixteen-year-old and his companion use a time machine to visit the Yucatán more than a thousand years in the past. Searching for the origins of the Maya god Kukulcan turns historical curiosity into an adventure far from their own time.

A time-travel expedition becomes stranded among dinosaurs after its protective force field is destroyed. A reckless hunter keeps provoking the creatures, forcing the group to struggle back toward the area that offers their only route to the present.

Advertising executive Steve Richmond expects a relaxing vacation at Lake George, but encounters two intriguing sisters and a murder. Finding a local man stabbed in his cabin forces Steve to uncover the killer before his holiday becomes fatal.

Space Academy student Ted Baker boards a lunar rocket to report a crew member's injury, only to find the countdown cannot stop. Unexpectedly joining the first Moon expedition, he must face its dangers while others question his motives.

A literary agent discovers his unpopular business partner shot dead beside an open safe. With a contract worth millions missing and plenty of people holding grudges, he must investigate both the murder and the theft.

A teacher takes a stand against violence in a troubled school, confronting the darker side of American education. Trying to reach students amid hostility and fear forces him to test his convictions about what teaching can accomplish.

A visiting nurse is murdered aboard a Navy destroyer, and an apparent explanation satisfies the authorities. Communications officer Chuck Masters remains unconvinced, forcing him to search the ship for a killer who may be ready to strike again.

The murder of a nurse aboard the USS Sykes triggers an investigation that seems quickly resolved. Officer Chuck Masters doubts the official conclusion and pursues the truth, knowing a killer could still be hidden among the crew.

Someone is killing detectives from the 87th Precinct, turning police officers into targets. Steve Carella follows a scarce clue through the city's underworld, trying to discover the motive before another member of the squad is attacked.

A jazz musician struggling with drug addiction turns to an old friend for help through withdrawal. Their reunion brings back memories and a former love, testing both men as they confront the difficult space between hope and relapse.

A mugger attacks women across Isola while Detective Hal Willis takes charge of the case. Meanwhile, patrolman Bert Kling pursues a killer, drawing the precinct's work into parallel investigations where street violence leaves increasingly personal consequences.

A hanging appears to be suicide until an autopsy reveals a heroin overdose. As the detectives investigate the staged death, threatening calls implicate Lieutenant Byrnes's teenage son, making a narcotics case painfully personal for the precinct.

A future society embraces drug-fueled escape while the Vikes promote forbidden pleasures and retreat from reality. One man stands against their growing influence, struggling to hold together a world that seems determined to abandon its own responsibilities.

The murder of liquor-store employee Annie Boone presents the detectives with conflicting accounts of her life. As another killing strikes close to the precinct, Carella and his colleagues must discover who Annie was to understand who wanted her dead.

A woman's body washes up in the river with a mysterious tattoo on her hand. Steve Carella follows that clue while investigating a con artist whose schemes may extend beyond stealing money to taking his victims' lives.

Executives at a shoe company celebrate the dismissal of a tyrannical manager, only to face a takeover by a larger corporation. For cost-department head Griff Griffin, the new representative brings a struggle over power that proves even more threatening.

Detective Phil Colby's vacation is disrupted by hostile local police, then turns desperate when his fiancée disappears from their motel. Searching the apparently quiet town brings him into conflict with a human-trafficking operation hidden beneath its ordinary surface.

A year after his wife's apparent drowning, Zachary Blake returns to Martha's Vineyard with their daughter to investigate. A murdered correspondent strengthens his suspicions, but pursuing the truth puts the child he wants to protect in danger.

A blackmailer is killed in a drive-by shooting, leaving Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes to untangle his victims' secrets. People with reputations and fortunes at stake provide competing motives as the detectives search for the person who finally struck back.

A woman enters the 87th Precinct armed with explosives and determined to kill Steve Carella. Holding the squadroom hostage while she waits for him, Virginia Dodge forces the trapped detectives into a struggle to protect their colleague and themselves.

A letter promises to kill an unnamed woman at eight that evening. With only hours to act, the detectives of the 87th Precinct must work out whom the threat concerns and whether they are facing a crank or a murderer.

Architect Larry Cole enjoys a comfortable marriage and successful career until he becomes drawn to a married neighbor. Their secret affair brings desire into conflict with family loyalty, forcing both to live with the risks and lies their encounters require.

Former private detective Matt Cordell now lives on New York's streets after his marriage and career collapse. An old acquaintance's plea for help draws him back into a murder case, where damaged judgment and violent enemies threaten his survival.

A racially motivated killing threatens to ignite tensions across New York, and prosecutor Hank Bell takes responsibility for the case. As the proceedings begin to unravel, his sense of duty faces the possibility of violence spreading beyond the courtroom.

Two young men steal from parked cars until finding a loaded gun turns their casual burglary into a deadly confrontation with police. On the run, Frankie sees a chance to rise in the criminal world while the law closes in.

Kidnappers mistakenly seize a chauffeur's son while targeting the child of a wealthy businessman. The detectives must rescue the boy, while the ransom demand forces Douglas King to weigh another family's life against his own financial ambitions.

Steve Carella's sister is about to marry when threats turn her wedding party into a hunt for a killer. With the groom in danger and time running out, Carella and his colleagues must identify the attacker before the ceremony becomes a tragedy.

Severed hands appear around the city without enough identifying evidence to establish the victims. Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes investigate a possible grudge against the precinct, trying to find the killer before more people become unrecognizable remains.

Wanted criminal Pepe Miranda openly challenges the police during a sweltering July. A tip brings the 87th Precinct closer to him, but gang tensions threaten to turn the pursuit into a gunfight that could inflame the surrounding neighborhood.

Businesses across the city receive threatening calls and unwanted deliveries while the precinct investigates a puzzling death. The apparently petty harassment conceals a larger criminal design, forcing the detectives to look for connections beneath the accumulating confusion.

A bookstore massacre leaves Detective Bert Kling's fiancée among the victims. Grief drives him and his colleagues to uncover the connection between those killed, making the search for a murderer both a professional duty and a deeply personal struggle.

Harry's unusually long mustache becomes an unexpected set of wings after a barber waxes it. A windy day carries him above the trees toward the sun, turning an ordinary grooming choice into a comic and increasingly precarious adventure.

King Tinki-San believes his subjects value the jeweled button on his cape more than they value him. Leaving the palace for the forest brings an encounter with Ling, whose simpler outlook challenges the king's understanding of wealth and affection.

Two bodies found together suggest a lovers' suicide pact, but Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes suspect murder. As other violent deaths occupy the precinct, finding evidence behind the apparent suicide becomes harder than trusting their instincts.

Three novellas follow the 87th Precinct through contrasting investigations: a wealthy woman's death, a murdered rabbi and a body discovered during a ski vacation. Carella and Hawes must look beyond appearances as sparse clues lead into unexpected complications.

George Lasser's death leaves Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes certain of the method but unable to identify the attacker. When the killer strikes again, the detectives must connect the attacks before another victim falls to the ax.

An anonymous sniper kills people across Isola, leaving Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer without an obvious connection between victims. Public fear and mounting pressure make finding a pattern urgent as each new shooting threatens to extend the city's paralysis.

A man wakes in Central Park without knowing his identity, carrying only a few personal clues. Calling himself Buddwing, he searches Manhattan for his missing life, while fragmented memories raise the fear that the truth may be unbearable.

The murder of a woman draws Steve Carella and an increasingly troubled Bert Kling into a difficult case. When Carella goes missing, the precinct must pursue both the killer and the clues that could explain their colleague's disappearance.

Roger stands outside the 87th Precinct in the snow, unsure whether to report what happened after meeting a woman in a bar. His indecision carries him farther from help while an innocent woman's remaining time continues to run out.

As a hurricane approaches a small Florida island, a militant leader prepares a violent scheme with his private army. A few people must stop him while the gathering storm threatens to overwhelm their efforts and the surrounding community.

A popular comedian dies during a live television broadcast, leaving millions of witnesses but no simple explanation. Detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer investigate how a death seen by so many people could still conceal a murderer's methods.

Gambler Andrew Mullaney needs money to back a horse he believes cannot lose. His desperate search among New York hustlers ends with an armed stranger forcing him into a Cadillac, pulling him into an increasingly dangerous adventure.

A writer sues a successful novelist, claiming that a bestselling book stole characters and situations from his failed play. The courtroom battle examines both works and their creators' private lives, testing where inspiration ends and plagiarism begins.

The 87th Precinct dismisses a threat against a city official until the promised murder occurs. More warnings and deaths follow, forcing the detectives to catch an extortionist whose next target is the mayor before another deadline expires.

Four teenagers spend a summer together on a resort island, experimenting with sex, drugs, and power. Their search for excitement grows increasingly cruel, turning friendship and ordinary adolescent insecurity into a dangerous struggle for control within the group.

The shotgun murders of a young couple bring the 87th Precinct detectives after Walter Damascus, a man whose pursuit of wealthy women leaves bodies behind. Finding him before he strikes again means untangling his identities and relationships.

Bert Tyler, his son Will, and grandson Wat each face a different war, from the First World War to Vietnam. Their experiences reveal how military conflict changes family bonds, personal freedom, and the expectations passed between generations.

An oddly shaped photograph found in a murdered man's hand points toward a cache of stolen money. The 87th Precinct detectives must locate the remaining pieces of the image while discovering who is prepared to kill for the answer.

Across twenty-four hours, the detectives of the 87th Precinct handle a series of overlapping cases and complaints. Robberies, suspicious deaths, and missing people reveal the patient interviews and uncertain judgments that make up ordinary police work.

A father devastated by his son's death in war becomes an assassin seeking revenge. His response to grief turns personal loss into another cycle of violence, raising questions about the people who bear responsibility and those who pay for it.

When a Mafia boss's son is kidnapped during his father's holiday, the boy's nanny tries to conceal the disaster. She recruits enforcer Benny Napkins to raise the ransom before the boss returns, setting off a dangerous comic scramble.

A confession and fingerprints seem to solve Sarah Fletcher's murder, but Steve Carella cannot dismiss her husband's delight at her death. The husband's persistent interference and Sarah's hidden life turn an apparently routine burglary killing into a more complicated case.

Five years after a shared crime bound them together, Sandy, David, and Peter reunite at a ski resort. A newcomer named Mary Margaret challenges their closed relationship, turning the holiday into another dangerous contest of manipulation and control.

Six murdered bodies found in a ditch draw Carella and Kling into conflict among three teenage gangs. The detectives must uncover the plan behind the killings before a criminal mastermind turns existing rivalries into a wider war.

The Deaf Man returns while the 87th Precinct investigates a cat burglar and a violent killing. Cryptic pictures sent to Carella hint at a bank robbery, but deciphering them may mean playing directly into the criminal's hands.

A murdered warehouse watchman leads the 87th Precinct detectives toward an arson case and a redevelopment scheme. As another death enters the investigation, they must determine how money links the crimes and who benefits from the destruction.

Blind jazz pianist Iggie Di Palermo, later known as Dwight Jamison, looks back on his rise from a New York tenement. His family history and musical career explore the cost of success and his uneasy relationship with his origins.

Steve Carella investigates a brutal attack that leaves one young woman dead and another alive. The survivor's identification of a suspect complicates the case, forcing him to examine family connections and question the account on which the investigation depends.

New York burglar Alex Hardy prepares for the biggest jewelry theft of his career. Falling in love with an honest woman threatens the carefully managed criminal life he knows, making the planned heist a test of competing loyalties.

Former policeman Ben Smoke investigates bodies disappearing from a funeral home. What begins as an unusual theft case takes him toward a killer, occult beliefs, and ancient Egyptian rituals, testing his confidence that every mystery can be cracked.

Attorney Matthew Hope takes on a Florida triple murder after a mother and her two daughters are killed. The man confessing appears to lack a motive, forcing Hope to question an admission that everyone else is ready to accept.

Colley Donato kills a policeman during a liquor store robbery and goes on the run. Depending on a former stripper and an old friend for help, he struggles to escape a growing manhunt in a world shaped by guns.

An eleven-year-old girl faces changes at home when her mother remarries. As she gets to know her stepfather, she struggles with loyalty to her own father and discovers that caring for one need not mean rejecting the other.

Detective Bert Kling's wedding brings the 87th Precinct together for a celebration, until his bride disappears from their honeymoon suite. His colleagues must turn from guests into investigators, racing to locate Augusta and understand why she was taken.

The Chisholm family leaves its Virginia farm to seek a new life across the American continent. Their journey west tests their relationships and determination as unfamiliar country and constant dangers threaten the future they hope to build.

A blind man is murdered, then his widow is killed the following day. Carella and Meyer Meyer pursue connections through military records, police files, and massage parlors, trying to understand what made the couple a target.

College friends Amanda and Gillian follow different paths through marriage, ambition, and difficult love affairs. Alongside a mother-in-law burdened by wartime secrets and a teenage niece, their lives reveal the choices confronting successive generations of American women.

The murders of a calypso singer and a prostitute are linked by the same gun. Carella and Meyer Meyer investigate the city's criminal underworld, following connections among music, sex, and drugs to discover why both victims were killed.

An occult writer is stabbed to death shortly before Christmas, while another killing troubles the precinct. His psychic assistant blames ghosts, but Steve Carella must find evidence that can explain the deaths without relying on a supernatural accusation.

A painter found dead in a sweltering apartment appears to have killed himself. Steve Carella questions the missing note and switched-off air conditioning, pursuing the possibility of murder while oppressive summer heat settles over the city.

Photographer Jamie Croft struggles to understand his teenage daughter Lissie's growing independence during the Vietnam era. Her rejection of parental expectations and movement toward a dangerous new life expose the limits of his love and authority.

Attorney Matthew Hope's encounter with a former rock star becomes a murder investigation when she is killed and her daughter disappears. Searching for the missing girl draws him into the secrets behind the woman's attempted musical comeback.

A woman seeking a divorce comes to Matthew Hope's office badly beaten, then is murdered. Her husband is arrested, but Hope doubts his guilt and must investigate beyond the obvious suspect to find who wanted her dead.

Successful New Yorker David Weber confronts his father's approaching death and the distance between them. As Morris's illness brings their relationship into focus, David must consider the family connections and other people that have shaped both men's lives.

These twenty short crime stories follow people whose desires bring them into conflict with the law. A collector, a prostitute, a former fighter, and a car dealer face situations in which greed, desperation, or violence changes their lives.

This collection of twenty short crime stories explores people caught between private desires and the law. Among them are a porcelain collector, a prostitute, a former fighter, and a car dealer whose choices lead toward dangerous consequences.

A diamond dealer's death draws the 87th Precinct into a winter investigation involving valuable stones and a show-business scam. As violence spreads through the frozen city, the detectives must uncover the connections between money, ambition, and murder.

Christmas Eve brings a strange procession into the 87th Precinct, including a sheep thief, stolen gold, and a dispute over frankincense. Carella and his colleagues handle the night's troubles as a young couple prepares for an unexpected birth.

Lawyer Matthew Hope helps young Jack McKinney arrange to buy a Florida bean farm. When Jack is stabbed to death and cash disappears, Hope investigates a family whose guarded secrets turn the business transaction into a dangerous murder case.

A college runner is found murdered and hanging from a lamppost, while another woman reports repeated attacks by the same rapist. The 87th Precinct detectives pursue both cases, fearing the perpetrators will strike again before they can intervene.

Lizzie Borden's restrictive life in Massachusetts clashes with the passions awakened during a European journey. This fictional account alternates her private experiences with the inquest and trial surrounding the violent deaths of her father and stepmother.

The Deaf Man returns to Isola with cryptic messages and a trail of dead bodies. As Christmas approaches, Carella and the 87th Precinct detectives must decode his taunts before the criminal mastermind carries out a carefully prepared revenge.

Matthew Hope works to secure a woman's release from a Florida psychiatric facility while detective Morris Bloom investigates another woman's death. The cases raise troubling questions about hidden connections and whether Hope can trust his client's account.

New York detective Reardon investigates a restaurant owner's apparently motiveless murder. A second killing deepens the puzzle, leading him toward wealthy people whose profitable dealings may depend on silencing anyone who learns too much about their business.

When private investigator Otto Samalson is killed while working for him, lawyer Matthew Hope hunts for answers. His search leads to a woman called Cinderella, missing cocaine, and ruthless pursuers willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.

Three of Marilyn Hollis's former lovers die by poisoning, making her a prime suspect. Detective Hal Willis is now involved with her himself, forcing the 87th Precinct to confront an investigation tangled with his personal loyalties.

Matthew Hope defends a man accused of murdering his wife after she appeared in a pornographic film. Tracking the missing production and its mysterious star draws Hope toward a killer who is holding another woman captive.

Lawyer Matthew Hope defends Ralph Parrish, accused of killing his brother after a party at a Florida beach house. Hope's search for exonerating evidence brings him among secretive acquaintances whose concealed relationships make the case increasingly difficult.

Florida businessman Michael Barnes's New York trip unravels when strangers steal his belongings and take his rental car. A body found with his identification turns inconvenience into danger, sending him and a chauffeur searching for answers.

Teenager Emilio Mendez belongs to a violent Los Angeles street gang but wants a life beyond its rules. His relationship with Sarah offers another possibility, while leaving the gang threatens the identity and protection he has depended on.

A wealthy couple returns from New Year's celebrations to find their baby and teenage babysitter murdered. Carella and Meyer pursue the killer while growing gang violence threatens the city, making the opening days of the year especially grim.

Halloween brings multiple crises to the 87th Precinct: a dismembered magician, armed young robbers, and a serial killer. As detectives work across the city, undercover officer Eileen Burke poses as a sex worker to lure a dangerous predator.

Detectives Steve Carella and Cotton Hawes investigate a priest's murder, questioning people with conflicting stories about his life. Their search for a motive forces them to look beyond appearances as the possibilities surrounding his death grow increasingly disturbing.

After three Vietnamese men are acquitted of assaulting his wife, Stephen Leeds publicly threatens revenge. Their subsequent murders make him the obvious suspect, but lawyer Matthew Hope must look past public outrage to determine what actually happened.

Retired teacher Mary Barton is charged with murdering three girls whose bodies are found in her garden. Matthew Hope believes she is innocent, but defending her means challenging eyewitness accounts and other evidence that seems overwhelmingly persuasive.

The murders of a young woman and her married lover lead the 87th Precinct into a tangle of erotic letters and family resentments. Meanwhile, Steve Carella faces a personal investigation after violence strikes his own father.

Steve Carella investigates repeated attempts on a wealthy woman's life, despite protection arranged by her stockbroker husband. As the 87th Precinct examines the people surrounding her, the apparent victim's circumstances prove more complicated than they first seem.

Los Angeles doctor Sonny Hemkar conceals his true role as a Libyan sleeper agent assigned to assassinate the president. Activated at last, he travels toward New York while law enforcement prepares to stop an attack taking shape in secret.