Ed McBain wrote 54 87th Precinct novels and I’ve read 40 of them. I’m slowly working my way through the last handful. Eighty Million Eyes was first published in 1966, the 21st book in the series. Some of the early 87th Precinct novels are dated, but Eighty Million Eyes only has a few jarring dated references. A comedian collapses during his show on prime-time TV. Forty million viewers (with 80 million eyes) witness what is later discovered to be a murder. The comedian was poisoned. And, as readers of this series know, a second case about a psycho stalker intersects the primary case. McBain slyly includes a producer talking to a director about changing a script. There’s plenty of mocking of writers in cynical Hollywood fashion. Very funny and very true based on McBain’s own dealings with movie and TV producers. If you haven’t read any 87th Precinct books, Eighty Million Eyes is a good place to jump in. No previous knowledge of the series is necessary to follow the action in this fine police procedural.
Damn! I haven’t read Ed McBain in thutty year or more. This might just get me back that way….
After reading a couple of not-so-great books, I wanted to read a book I knew would be good, Dan. So I picked up the first Ed McBain in my READ REAL SOON stack. It was EIGHTY MILLION EYES and it satisfied my need for a good book. McBain seldom disappoints.
I’ve read them all, sadly, as there are none left out there. I might have to reread them.
I just and this one was in the early group I read, back in 1974. The only caveat to what you said above was Bert Kling’s shaky love life. If you read a later one you might discover what happened to one of his many women in an earlier book, if that makes sense.
This is definitely one of my favorite series.
The 87th Precinct series is one of my favorites, too, Jeff. I’m going to be as sad as you when I finally read them all. I’m trying to ration the last dozen or so I haven’t read so they last a few more years. Yes, I know about Bert Kling’s shaky love life.
Loved that series-and the one based on nursery figures.
It’s amazing McBain could keep the quality high over the 54 books in the series, Patti. The nursery titled books were the Matthew Hope series. I liked those books, too.
A great series, and it’s sad to think of McBain as already forgotten.
Sadly, EIGHTY MILLION EYES is out-of-print, Bill. In my book, that qualifies as “forgotten.” I wonder how many of the 87th Precinct novels are still in print…
I liked the Hope series too, for the most part, with one exception:
MARY MARY was surely the worst book McBain wrote under any name. I won’t give away the “surprise” end, but it won’t be much of a surprise to anyone, just a disappointment. If there was ever a book worthy of being thrown across a room, this is it.
I know this will make some people want to check it out, but trust me – don’t.
I agree with you on MARY, MARY, Jeff. But McBain did write a worse book: CRIMINAL CONVERSATION.
I’m down to ten of the 87th Precinct. The Matthew Hope books I haven’t tried yet.
Most of the Matthew Hope books are very good, Randy. Just stay away from MARY, MARY.
I got hooked on Ed McBain as a teenager in the 60’s and have read every one of the 87th precint books. Recently I have started to reread one or two a month. Some of the early ones do date pretty badly-The Pusher for example. I always found it amusing that over a 50 year period the characters never aged more than a few years.
Last year I reread KING’S RANSOM, Steve. I had the same experience you had with THE PUSHER. Dated references, awkward social interactions. But all in all, the 87th Precinct series holds up pretty well.
I’ve never been fully satisfed by any Hunter/Lombino/McBain/Marsten/etc. I’ve read…there’s always something a bit off, usually a pot aspect I just couldn’t buy or characterization that struck a false note…I’ve never been tempted, like Jeff, to throw a book of his, but I can see why he might.
I sometimes have problems with McBain’s characterizations, Todd. Carella’s wife is a little too saintly, for example.
These days, out of print can mean only two or three years, so I’m not sure it is a synonym for forgotten, and I don’t think the 87th Precinct books are forgotten, but that’s no reason not to do one for FFB.
I’ve intended to read one of these but have never gotten there. Maybe if one bit e on the ankle. Was it Hill Street Blues that was based on this series?
You stopped me cold when you said the book was “funny”. I’ve learned when a mystery is intended to be funny it is usually not to my liking, even when others rave about it or the author in general. Dortmunder comes to mind.
According to the B&N web site, the last time EIGHTY MILLION EYES was reprinted was 1997, DK. Being out-of-print for 13 years qualifies a novel being “forgotten” in my book. McBain is a sly writer and injects humor in almost all of his books. The phone conversation between the producer and director had me in stitches!
I read a couple of the 87th Precinct novels back in high school, and making my way slowly (about three a year) through the series in order. I haven’t minded the dated aspect of the early books and find the idea that I get to the changes in the crime world through the 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond in popular fiction fascinating. When I was reading the pusher I was thinking, wait til you get to the 70s and then into the crack filled streets of the 80s.
You’re right, Iren, reading the 87th Precinct books in order shows the evolution of crime and police procedure. Some of my favorite 87th Precinct books were published in the 1980s and 1990s.
True, CRIMINAL CONVERSATION wasn’t great either.
A non mystery some of you might want to look out for is STREETS OF GOLD, published as by Evan Hunter.
I have STREETS OF GOLD around here somewhere, Jeff. I’ll have to find it and read it.
I have it on good authority that one of the people watching that show wore and eye patch, so the title should have been 79,999,999 EYES. And I like McBain’s books, especially the earlier 87th series.
I enjoyed the early 87th Precinct books, too, Bob. McBain really captured “cop culture” with ensemble cast.