Evan Hunter used the pseudonym “Ed McBain” for the 87th Precinct series.
Hunter was born Salvatore Albert Lombino in New York City in 1926 and wrote crime fiction under several names. “Ed McBain” first appeared on Cop Hater, published in 1956, the inaugural 87th Precinct novel. The series focuses on the detectives of a fictional urban police precinct rather than a single private investigator.
Hunter publicly revealed that he was McBain in 1958, but continued using the name for decades. The pseudonym became especially associated with police procedurals, while Hunter’s own name was used for other kinds of fiction, including novels and screenwriting. He also wrote as Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Richard Marsten, and others.
A common mix-up is treating Ed McBain and Evan Hunter as two different writers. They are the same author, and the 87th Precinct books are generally catalogued under McBain’s name. The series is recognized as a major influence on modern police-procedural mystery fiction.