87th Precinct Books in Order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cop Hater | 1956 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 2 | The Mugger | 1956 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 3 | The Pusher | 1956 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 4 | The Con Man | 1957 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 5 | Killer’s Choice | 1957 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 6 | Lady Killer | 1958 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 7 | Killer’s Wedge | 1958 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 8 | Killer’s Payoff | 1958 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 9 | King’s Ransom | 1959 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 10 | ‘Til Death | 1959 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 11 | Give the Boys a Great Big Hand | 1960 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 12 | The Heckler | 1960 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 13 | See Them Die | 1960 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 14 | Lady, Lady, I Did It! | 1961 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 15 | The Empty Hours | 1962 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 16 | Like Love | 1962 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 17 | Ten Plus One | 1963 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 18 | Ax | 1963 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 19 | He Who Hesitates | 1965 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 20 | Doll | 1965 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 21 | Eighty Million Eyes | 1966 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 22 | Fuzz | 1968 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 23 | Shotgun | 1968 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 24 | Jigsaw | 1970 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 25 | Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here! | 1971 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 26 | Sadie When She Died | 1972 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 27 | Let’s Hear It for the Deaf Man | 1973 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 28 | Hail to the Chief | 1973 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 29 | Bread | 1974 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 30 | Blood Relatives | 1975 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 31 | So Long as You Both Shall Live | 1976 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 32 | Long Time No See | 1977 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 33 | Calypso | 1979 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 34 | Ghosts | 1980 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 35 | Heat | 1981 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 36 | Ice | 1983 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 37 | Lightning | 1984 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 38 | And All Through The House | 1984 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 39 | Eight Black Horses | 1985 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 40 | Poison | 1987 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 41 | Lullaby | 1989 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 42 | Vespers | 1989 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 43 | Tricks | 1989 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 44 | Widows | 1991 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 45 | Kiss | 1992 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 46 | Mischief | 1993 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 47 | Romance | 1995 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 48 | Nocturne | 1997 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 49 | The Big Bad City | 1998 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 50 | The Last Dance | 1999 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 51 | Money, Money, Money | 2001 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 52 | Fat Ollie’s Book | 2002 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 53 | The Frumious Bandersnatch | 2003 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 54 | Hark! | 2004 | Ed McBain | Buy |
| 55 | Fiddlers | 2005 | Ed McBain | Buy |
The 87th Precinct series by Ed McBain is a foundational work in the police procedural genre. Set in the gritty, fictional city of Isola—a thinly veiled version of New York—the books follow the detectives of the 87th Precinct as they handle various crimes. Unlike many mysteries of its time that focused on a single brilliant sleuth, this series highlights the teamwork, routine, and often messy reality of police work.
The series is known for its realism, sharp dialogue, and the way it handles the personal lives of its detectives, particularly Steve Carella. It influenced countless television shows and books that followed.