I am proud to say that i am a true mcbain,hunter, marsten,collins,hannon,cannon fan;i am reading this/those authors from 1963 on. Almost everything he wrote is in my posession,be it in dutch,englisch,french or german:the first edition i can get my hands on. With only a few exeptions every book he writes is at least as good or better-or much better-than the previous ones.And please try the audio's.Nocturne is even read-and well done by the author. Please contact me if interested in changing idees or goods.I still miss some oldies.thanks.

I have been a great fan of Ed Mcbain's 87th Precinct novels since I was 14years old and accidentally picked one up in a hurry at my local library. I have never yet regretted that day, 14 years ago. I collect every new novel and would like to congratulate Ed McBain on finding such a great collection of characters and making them work together. I will never stop re-reading and enjoying the novels. So keep writing them Ed, we love 'em!

I try to read all of McBain's books. I was really disappointed in The Last Best Hope. It was interesting that McBain had Carella and Hope make a connection, but the story was not up to his usual. I was not happy with the conclusion of his relationship and the ending was abrupt and confusing.

I'll continue to read his books, because I've always enjoyed them. Anyone's entitled to an occasional "turkey".

There's a strong probability that it was Ed McBain's practice of inserting police reports in his stories that resulted in my using the same technique in my suspence thriller, "Official Secrets."

Now that I've said that, I'd better add that even though the reviewers were quite generous to that book, I am not putting myself in McBain's class. For my money, nobody's in Ed McBain's class! He's the best ever.

Can anyone provide the 87th Precient book in order of publication?

I learned about Ed McBain in a Ruth Rendell novel. It was suggested by one character to another in the book. About the time I read that in Rendell's book, Poison had just come out in hardback. That's all it took to get hooked on the 87th books. I hunted down all the books I could and even found a paperback printed in the 40's! I can't recall the name of it now, but I remember it was in a plastic bag, and it's still in there, somewhere in my boxes and boxes of books.

I was dissapointed with Last Best Hope and Nocturne. Gladly, the Cross Eyed Bear was okay. Perhaps he will start a new character now that it seems that was the "Last Best Hope."

I buy McBain's books automatically. I just gotta have my McBain whether it's Matthew Hope or Steve Carella.

I really appreciate the research that is so evident in McBain's books. I loved "Mary, Mary," andI recommended it to my court reporting students at Houston Community College. However, I was greatly disappointed is his "Nocturne." It is not like McBain to leave "loose ends" in a novel. The 3 students who killed all of those people were never really "handled" by the author in the book. It was like they were just "handing out" somewhere in space. McBain should have dealt with these characters at the end of the book.

McBain has not left any loose ends in "Nocturne". I think he leaves us when the cop reaches the auditorium where the 3 students are present.

Also even I'd like a chronological list of his novels

McBain has not left any loose ends in "Nocturne". I think he leaves us when the cop reaches the auditorium where the 3 students are present.

Also even I'd like a chronological list of his novels

I read my first Ed McBain novel when I was 15. I was so engrossed in the Isola mystique that from then on my prime source of reading was Mysteries, with Ed McBain well above others including Joseph Wambaugh, William Caunitz and James Elroy. To my wife I even discuss the hapless love life of Bert Kling as if he is a real person! Ed McBain has illuminated my life for the last twelve years and I would like to extend a warm thank you to him. Also, I believe he left us in Nocturne in excellent fashion - Solved.