Ed McBain (October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter. Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952. While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956. Lombino served in the Navy in World War II, writing several short stories while serving aboard a destroyer in the Pacific. However, none of these stories was published until after he had established himself as an author in the 1950s. Lombino sold stories under the pen names Evan Hunter and Hunt Collins. As Evan Hunter, he gained notice with his 1954 novel Blackboard Jungle dealing with juvenile crime and the New York City public school system. Ed McBain, his best known pseudonym, was first used in 1956, with Cop Hater, the first novel in the 87th Precinct crime series. From 1958 until his death, McBain's "87th Precinct" novels appeared at a rate of approximately one or two novels a year.
My Opinion: Without question, he is one of the greatest writers of police fiction and I am presently re-reading all of his 87th Precinct Series. I strongly recommend him.