Hark! The 87th Precinct Podcast

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode. Of course, we begin as usual with our look at the original US and UK book covers - and an international edition! Then we get stuck into a pretty self-indulgent look at 1992. We reach a watershed moment in the podcast, which Paul almost misses and then we talk about 'Gamesmaster' for too long. Join us again soon for Ed McBain's Mischief (book 45) a...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. We've reached book 44 and the year 1992 and McBain's offering for the year is KISS. Courtroom drama, a triangle of distrust and betrayal and a few digs at the real world. Is McBain back to his best with Kiss? Find out what we think in this episode! We also look at a whole bunch of other Hunter/McBain/Pseudonymous projects that emerge in 1992 and make fun of Dan...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode. Following on from our look at 1991's Widows, we explore 1991 in general. Eyes on music, cinema and TV as usual. We also spoil the ending of 'The Brittas Empire', so you've been warned. Of course we have our usual look at the original designs of the book covers and check out the editions we're reading from too. Thanks for listening and see you soon...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. Happy new year everyone. Join us on our January adventure through the 43rd book in McBain's series - the multi-crimed Widows. Bodies are piling up all over the city and Carella's family life is changed forever. We take our usual look through some significant events of 1991 and then pick apart this somewhat schizophrenic novel. Spoilers ahoy, as always. Thanks f...

Ho Ho Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Christmas party episode! Whilst we're counting it as an official entry in the 87th Precinct books canon (book number 46), the Christmas miniature story And All Through The House is offered here out of sequence as our Christmas treat to you. We take a moment away from stuffing our faces with Turkey, Pigs in Blankets, Potatoes and Pudding to tell you all about the p...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast bonus episode. Following on from our main episode's examination of the satantic tale, Vespers, we explore the covers of the editions as they were originally issued in the US and UK - worthy of note now editions on both sides of the pond are coming from new publishers. Then, of course, we dig into 1990. A new decade and a year we remember all too clearly. Music,...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. We enter a new decade and McBain begins it in dark, despairing mode, with the story of a murdered priest, drugs, hitmen and recollections of confessions. We learn all about the folk to whom the book is dedicated, explore what was going on in McBain/Hunter's life in 1990 and look at some contemporary reviews of the book as well. Keep your eyes open for our bonus...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode. This is the accompanying thingy for our main episode all about 1989's Lullaby - murder, guns and therapy. Such larks. We begin by looking at the original releases of the book in the US and the UK, which is of interest as we see new publishers arrive and old publishers producing their last editions, plus a bonus edition of The Mugger as well. Then,...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. 1988 was untroubled by any McBain 87th Precinct books, so we're now in 1989 with the 41st entry into the series with Lullaby. Domestic murders, burglaries, city-wide drugs and gang warfare and therapists. It's all here.  As usual, we mention a few key 1989 landmark moments and there's plenty going on in the life and near-death of the author as well. Then we get...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode. Seen as we looked at 1986 in the last episode, we're catching back up to 1987 this time with a look at the TV, Music and Films that were around - including our personal picks from the year. Paul also reveals a family story about Dudley Moore! We open with our usual look at the book covers from the original US and UK editions and those that we've g...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. It's the second of the books in the series to come out in 1987 and this time McBain has firmly targeted the Halloween market with the 40th entry in the series. We try and unpack this bumper book of Halloween horrors - which is a new read for two of us. Also, listen out for a cameo appearance from Stevo's cats. Paul also fills us in on some interesting info disc...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast Bonus Episode. So, here's to Golden Days and Purple Nights! In this bonus we explore the origins of this phrase (let us know if you know anything about it) before we get into our usual book cover exploration, book-huffing and general tomfoolery. Although Poison came out in early 1987, we're still focusing on 1986 in the episode (mainly so Paul can talk about his...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. We've arrived into 1987 - a year in which two 87th Precinct books appear - so we spend some of this episode explore McBain/Hunter's activities in 1986 to get us up to date. Then it's time to get stuck into Poison - a remarkable and quite harrowing character study - but is it genuine 87th Precinct material? Paul also fills everyone in on the hidden true story in...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast bonus episode. Following our run-down of the Deaf Man's schemes in our main episode, we turn our attention to the designs of the original UK/US releases and Paul introduces a new fifth design into the scheme! Then prepare yourself for some epic book-huffing before settling into the 1985 nostalgia fest of music, movies, television and our personal picks from the...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast. We're in 1985 and who better to come along to mark the halfway point of the decade but the 87th Precinct's nemesis, The Deaf Man? Making his fourth appearance in the series, he returns full of schemes and anger. How will the boys from Grover Avenue cope this time?   Along the way we discuss some key cultural, political and technological points from 1985. Paul o...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Bonus Episode. Following on from our discussion of the dark and difficult book 'Lightning' we take our usual gander at the original book cover designs and then get stuck straight into as much 1984 ephemera as you can shake a stick at. We've reached a point in the series publication year where we actually remember a lot of things coming out, so apologies for the ongoing...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. This episode is all about the 37th book in the series - a brutal and dark tale of serial criminals. We discuss if this is McBain at his most difficult - violence against women, issues of race and much more. Along the way, we also discuss where Evan Hunter was in his career, including some of his notable failures (published and otherwise) and look again at his d...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast special edition. Joining Paul for this interview is author and professor of English, Erin MacDonald. Erin wrote the essential guide to Evan Hunter's many works, "Ed McBain/Evan Hunter - A Literary Companion", which was published in 2012, and has just completed her new companion piece to the works of Ian Rankin, "Ian Rankin - A Companion to the Mystery Fiction",...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode. Join us as we dip nose-deep into our varying copies of McBain's 1983 epic, ICE as well as exploring the original book cover designs for the UK and US releases. Then we drift into our usual look at music, movies and TV and proffer some personal picks from the year. Apologies for minimal McBain content in these current Bonus episodes, but they're in...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. So McBain took a year off in 1982, but in 1983 he returned to the precinct with Ice - a longer novel and one that is usually considered in the top tier of the series. Will we agree? It's a tale of murder, murder, murder, drugs and fraud (and murder). We catch up with the newly divorced Bert Kling and meet an old friend in Eileen Burke. Find out what we think in...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast bonus episode. 1981. An alcoholic cop steps out of his car. He's reached the island. The place he could make a difference. He pulls his brown leather jacket close about him. Jim Bergerac has arrived. In this episode we revel in our usual book cover review and huffing, the music, films and TV of 1981 and offer up our own personal choices of records and movies fro...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast! And we begin with an apology - no backup recording means Paul's mic is terribly distorted. Sorry, but you're going to have to suffer the Dalek delivery in this episode. We're back in 1981 and what we posit is the start of a new 'season' of 87th Precinct adventures. It's hot. There's a corpse. There's betrayal. There's lust for revenge. There's a drugs bust. Eve...

Hark! It's a remote-recorded 87th Precinct Bonus Episode. Are you ready for the world's first ever round of remote-recorded book-huffing? Will Morgan's schnozz rise to the challenge? Will Paul manage to get through his intro without saying the word 'Ghoosts'? Will Stevo ever remember the name of that Roxy Music album? All these questions - and more - are answered in our bonus episode to our podcas...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. This is the podcast all about 1980's spooktacular story, Ghosts. Has McBain gone mad or is he just showing off to Stephen King? Find out as we follow along as Carella hooks up with a Medium whilst investigating two deaths at an apartment block. Poor old Steve is about to have one of the weirdest Christmases ever. This is our first podcast recording done 'remote...

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode! Firstly - sorry, this goes on a bit and it also gets quite silly and pretty self-indulgent. What, a podcast self indulgent? Who'd have thought it, eh? However, we do explore the covers of the UK/US original editions of the 1979 novel CALYPSO and Stevo achieves a new world-huffing-speed record. There's lots and lots of chat about 1979 in music, fil...