Which Ed McBain book should I buy?

[toadhall]

There's a Gold Box deal on Amazon today which has most of the 87th Precinct books by Ed McBain on sale for 99c each.

I've always been meaning to try out Ed McBain so this is a good chance for me to get into it. I wanted to get Cop Hater as that is the first in the series, but it seems that book isn't included in the sale.

So can anyone give me any recommendations for which book I should get as my first? Thanks a lot!

The link for the Gold Box deal is here. The deal is only valid for 13th January.

[ChadWilliamson]

Well, in a perfect world, ALL of them ... I've read the majority of the ones they have up and really picking just a few of 'em is d*mn near impossible; personally I'm tempted to get all of them just to read them again.

GHOSTS is pretty great, but it was the first of the 87th novels I read (when I was 14), and it's somewhat atypical because it does possess a very slight supernatural element. TRICKS is also excellent, as are ICE and LULLABY. HAIL HAIL THE GANG'S ALL HERE is a great mid-series read too.

Honestly, the only one I'd avoid is HE WHO HESITATES, and that's because it's completely atypical from the series, and you wouldn't appreciate it as greatly until you'd read some of the other novels. Otherwise, you'd be hard pressed to find a bad one in the whole bunch. He really was the writer who most inspired me to want to write.

[Harry Shannon]

What Chad said. I loved almost every one of those books. Try HAIL, HAIL THE GANG'S ALL HERE.

[toadhall]

Wow! Thanks for the recommendations, guys!

Now I feel like getting all the books Chad suggested...

[Betsy the Quilter]

Ed McBain wroter 54 87th Precinct novels as far as I can determine; 35 of them are available for .99 during this promotion.

The first one, Cop Hater, from 1956 is not available on Kindle at all, but the next one are.  The .99 ones seem to be primarily the earlier work, from a quick look...

I picked up about five early ones, including ones that Chad recommended.  There were a few that were available for very cheap in the early Kindle days that I alreday had.

Betsy

[toadhall]

I read the summaries of the books Chad suggested and eventually decided on Ghosts and Hail, Hail The Gang's All Here. Can't wait to dig into them.

[Betsy the Quilter]

My brother got me started on Ed McBain books, probably in the 70s.

I ordered my Kindle and immediately started buying books...I got
Fuzz for .60 on October 27, 2008
and on October 31, 2008
The Heckler for $1.25
Killer's Payoff for $0.95
and The Pusher for $0.95

Now I'm adding to the collection. 

Betsy

[DYB]

I've never read McBain, but he's always been on my list of people to try.  This is so tempting!  I really kind of want to get them all! 

[DYB]

BTW, which was the first 87th Precinct novel?

[toadhall]

At only 99 cents each, I don't see how you can go wrong!

Cop Hater is the first in the series but apparently it's not available as a Kindle ebook, so not included in the sale.

[Betsy the Quilter]

Note sale was one day only (Friday the 13th) and is now over

Perfect timing, DYB.  I mention the first one, Cop Hater, in an earlier post, and its lack of availability on Kindle, but I was just coming to post this list:

1.   Cop Hater (1956) not available on Kindle
2.   The Mugger (1956)
3.   The Pusher (1956) not available on Kindle
4.   The Con Man (1957)
5.   Killer's Choice (1957)
6.   Killer's Payoff (1958) not available on Kindle
7.   Killer's Wedge (1958)
8.   Lady Killer (1958)
9.   'Till Death (1959)
10.   King's Ransom (1959)
11.   Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (1960)
12.   The Heckler (1960) not available on Kindle
13.   See Them Die (1960)
14.   Lady, Lady, I Did It! (1961)
15.   Like Love (1962)
16.   The Empty Hours (1962)
17.   Ten Plus One (1963)
18.   Ax (1964)
19.   He Who Hesitates (1965)
20.   Doll (1965) not available on Kindle
21.   Eighty Million Eyes (1966)
22.   Fuzz (1968) $6.15 not part of sale
23.   Shotgun (1969)
24.   Jigsaw (1970)
25.   Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here (1971)
26.   Sadie When She Died (1972) not available on Kindle
27.   Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man (1973) not available on Kindle
28.   Hail to the Chief (1973)
29.   Bread (1974)
30.   Blood Relatives (1975)
31.   So Long as You Both Shall Live (1976)
32.   Long Time No See (1977)
33.   Calypso (1979)
34.   Ghosts (1980)
35.   Heat (1981)
36.   Ice (1983)
37.   Lightning (1984)
38.   Eight Black Horses (1985) not available on Kindle
39.   Poison (1987)
40.   Tricks (1987)
41.   Lullaby (1989)
42.   Vespers (1990)
43.   Widows (1991)
44.   Kiss (1992)
45.   Mischief (1993) not available on Kindle
46.   And All Through the House (1994) not available on Kindle
47.   Romance (1995) $12.99 not part of sale
48.   Nocturne (1997) $12.99 not part of sale
49.   The Big Bad City (1999)  $5.99 not part of sale
50.   The Last Dance (1999) $7.99 not part of sale
51.   Money, Money, Money (2001) $16.99 not part of sale
52.   Fat Ollie's Book (2003) $7.99 not part of sale
53.   The Frumious Bandersnatch (2004) $7.99 not part of sale
54.   Hark! (2004) $7.99 not part of sale
55.   Fiddlers (2005)  $9.39 not part of sale

(edited to add 55th book missing from list.  Oops. )

Betsy

[toadhall]

That's a very useful list there, Betsy! Thanks!

[DYB]

Betsy, perfect!  Thanks for doing that!  Are the novels stand-alone?  Does it matter if we're not reading "Cop Hater" first?

BTW, wasn't Kurosawa's "High and Low" based on a McBain novel?  What a great film!

[Sunshine22]

I just bought Ice, Lullaby, Ghosts and Hail, Hail the Gangs all Here.

Thanks for recommendations and great info, Everyone!

[Andra]

Too funny!  I was just coming over here to see if anyone had suggestions for the McBain books as well.  I'm really bad about wanting to read things in order, but I am going to try the recommendations from upthread and see how I like them.

[Brownskins]

I had to go through GoodReads reviews, and of course Chad's recommendations above, and I read through the synopsis of eachof the 35.  Making a selection of just 4 was tough.

For all that work, I settled with Hail, Ghosts, Ice and Tricks.  Apparently McBain shifts his writing style and approach every now and then, so I figured I better sample one of 4 styles represented by these books and then whatever I find myself enjoying the most, I will then buy more of the same kind.

I wish we had more Gold Deals like this one - I enjoy the "shopping" around (of course, with a limited budget in mind). 

Thanks for the recommendations which helped in my selection process!

[chilady1]

I picked up all 35 of the ones available for 99 cents.  I was surprised I had not heard of this author before and I love police procedural novels so was really happy to pick them all up.

I heard on another board that even though as Betsy list indicates it's a series, someone mentioned you didn't have to read them in order.  For anyone that has read these books, is that true?

[Ann in Arlington]

FWIW for lists of authors works in order -- especially useful for those who must do series in order -- try www.fantasticfiction.co.uk.  Great resource!

[Betsy the Quilter]

Yes, that's where I got that, but thought it would be handy to have the list here...

Betsy

[padowd]

I gor a sample of The Mugger and really enjoyed it. To me it reminded me of the gang of detectives on the tv series The Closer and I love that show. My husband said to buy all of them.

[Tony Rabig]

Kurosawa's High and Low was based on King's Ransom. 

Just bought all the 99 cent titles, and will get the rest by and by; the 87th Precinct books are the gold standard for police procedurals.  Haven't read most of these in a very long time but I can't remember reading a bad one.  Now if somebody will ebook more of the novels he wrote as Evan Hunter (Sons, Last Summer, Far from the Sea, Blackboard Jungle, Buddwing, and a whole bunch more) I will be one happy though bankrupt camper.

[Betsy the Quilter]

Betsy, perfect!  Thanks for doing that!  Are the novels stand-alone?  Does it matter if we're not reading "Cop Hater" first?

BTW, wasn't Kurosawa's "High and Low" based on a McBain novel?  What a great film!

According to Google results, High and Low was based on King's Ransom...

Betsy

[MariaESchneider]

FWIW, I read them out of order because I came across one and read it.  It's always *nice* to read in order, but the  books have a certain feel that I suspect is in all of them (I haven't actually Read them All.)   I don't think reading slightly out of order will hurt.  I certainly wasn't lost or anything.

[Krista D. Ball]

Some of those titles look familiar. I went through a detective/thriller reading splurge when I was 14.

[foreverjuly]

Perfect timing, DYB.  I mention the first one, Cop Hater, in an earlier post, and its lack of availability on Kindle, but I was just coming to post this list:

1.   Cop Hater (1956)
2.   The Mugger (1956)
3.   The Pusher (1956)
4.   The Con Man (1957)
5.   Killer's Choice (1957)
6.   Killer's Payoff (1958)
7.   Killer's Wedge (1958)
8.   Lady Killer (1958).
9.   'Till Death (1959)
10.   King's Ransom (1959)
11.   Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (1960)
12.   The Heckler (1960)
13.   See Them Die (1960)
14.   Lady, Lady, I Did It! (1961)
15.   Like Love (1962)
16.   The Empty Hours (1962)
17.   Ten Plus One (1963)
18.   Ax (1964)
19.   He Who Hesitates (1965)
20.   Doll (1965)..
21.   Eighty Million Eyes (1966)
22.   Fuzz (1968)
23.   Shotgun (1969)
24.   Jigsaw (1970)
25.   Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here (1971) $
26.   Sadie When She Died (1972)
27.   Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man (1973)
28.   Hail to the Chief (1973)..
29.   Bread (1974).
30.   Blood Relatives (1975)
31.   So Long as You Both Shall Live (1976)
32.   Long Time No See (1977)
33.   Calypso (1979)
34.   Ghosts (1980)
35.   Heat (1981)..
36.   Ice (1983)..
37.   Lightning (1984)
38.   Eight Black Horses (1985)
39.   Poison (1987)
40.   Tricks (1987)
41.   Lullaby (1989)
42.   Vespers (1990)
43.   Widows (1991)
44.   Kiss (1992)
45.   Mischief (1993).
46.   Romance (1995).
47.   Nocturne (1997).
48.   The Big Bad City (1999).
49.   The Last Dance (1999).
50.   Money, Money, Money (2001)
51.   Fat Ollie's Book (2003).
52.   The Frumious Bandersnatch (2004)
53.   Hark! (2004)...
54.   Fiddlers (2005

Betsy

That is a career right there!