Order of 87th Precinct Books

Ed McBain (writing under the pseudonym for Evan Hunter) created the acclaimed 87th Precinct series, a cornerstone of police procedural fiction. This extensive crime series unfolds in the fictional city district of Isola, McBain's imaginative reimagining of Manhattan. The author crafted an entire alternate New York landscape, renaming the boroughs as Calm's Point (Brooklyn), Majesta (Queens), Riverhead (Bronx), and Bethtown (Staten Island).

Launching in 1956 with "Cop Hater," the series became a publishing phenomenon that spanned nearly five decades until Hunter's passing in 2005. The prolific author maintained remarkable consistency, typically releasing one title annually, though some years saw multiple publications. This dedication resulted in an impressive collection of 54 novels that defined the crime fiction and police procedural genres for generations of readers.