Hunter, aka Ed McBain, is most famous for his 87th Precinct police procedurals. Those novels set the table for a whole series of successors on both sides of the ocean, from William Caunitz to Joseph Wambaugh to John Harvey to Ian Rankin. McBain, whose noncrime novels have usually appear under the Evan Hunter banner, here gathers a mixed bag of short fiction. There are a couple of crime tales, but most of the stories examine a broader spectrum of the human condition. Among the most memorable are "The Fallen Angel," in which an unusually adept trapeze artist disrupts the lives in a one-ring circus. McBain takes a brief foray into Twilight Zonestyle science fiction in "But You Know Us," and in "The Couple Next Door," a sedate, seemingly content married couple is awarded a glimpse back to their more passionate past. McBain has more literary awards than McGwire has home runs, and each of these gems provides an example of his excellence. Wes Lukowsky
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Review
'A consummate craftsman' Publishers Weekly 'A master' Time 'He is, by far, the best at what he does. Case closed.' People
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