Learning to Kill: Stories - Paperback

by Ed McBain (Author)

Ed McBain made his debut in 1956. In 2004, more than a hundred books later, he personally collected twenty-five of his stories written before that time. All but five of them were first published in the detective magazine Manhunt and none of them appeared under the Ed McBain byline.

Front Jacket

Ed McBain made his debut in 1956. In 2004, more than a hundred books later, he personally collected twenty-five of his stories written before he was Ed McBain. All but five of them were first published in the detective magazine Manhunt and none of them appeared under the Ed McBain byline. They were written by Evan Hunter (McBain's legal name as of 1952), Richard Marsten (a pseudonym derived from the names of his three sons), or Hunt Collins (in honor of his alma mater, Hunter College).
Here are kids in trouble and women in jeopardy. Here are private eyes and gangs. Here are loose cannons and innocent bystanders. Here, too, are cops and robbers. These are the stories that prepared Evan Hunter to become Ed McBain, and that prepared Ed McBain to write the beloved 87th Precinct novels. In individual introductions, McBain tells how and why he wrote these stories that were the start of his legendary career.

Back Jacket

The amazing thing about these stories . . . is how strong and clear the voice is as if the man himself were still in the room. Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
DISCOVER THE STORIES THAT TAUGHT ED MCBAIN TO KILL
One of the most prolific and admired writers of crime fiction in the world . . . McBain could not write a bad line. New York Daily News
McBain was a master, and his tales of the city are timeless. The Washington Post
McBain dissects police procedures with the precision of a brain surgeon. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
McBain is the true king of American dialogue. The Atlantic Monthly
McBain . . . virtually invented the modern police procedural. Associated Press
McBain has a great approach, great attitude, terrific style, strong plots, excellent dialogue, sense of place, and sense of reality. Elmore Leonard
ED McBAIN (1926-2005) held the Mystery Writers of America s prestigious Grand Master Award and was the first American to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writers Association s highest award. "