In Isola, the hours between midnight and dawn are usually a quiet time. But for the 87th Precinct detectives Carella and Hawes, the murder of an old woman makes the wee hours anything but peaceful—especially when they learn she was one of the greatest concert pianists of the century long vanished. Meanwhile 88th Precinct cop Fat Ollie Weeks has his own early morning nightmare: he's on the trail of three prep school boys and a crack dealer who spent the evening carving up a hooker.
With a writing career that spanned five decades, Ed McBain (1926-2005), the nom de plume of Evan Hunter, was the author of over 100 books, including his 87th Precinct series set in a fictional borough of New York City. He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. He was the first American writer to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writer Association’s most prestigious award, and he was also the recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master award.
Interviews
Q:
As someone who makes his home at least part of the time in New York City, where are places that you might go to people-watch? Do characteristics of passersby on the streets often make it into your books?
A:
The subway is a great people-watching place, but actually all of New York City is an outdoor spectator sport. I watch people everywhere, and I listen to them, and I'm sure they all end up in my books sooner or later, in one guise or another.
Q:
Do you use a computer to write? If so, what kind? What programs do you run on it?
A:
I do use a computer, the Macintosh IIsi. I run three programs for it: Microsoft Word for the writing, FileMaker Pro for the contracts, and Quicken for the accounting.
