Collecting the 87th Precinct Part 1 of 2

by Peter Enfantino

Thanks to the popularity of Ed McBain, acquiring a collection of the author’s works is as easy as logging on to Amazon.com. Most of McBain’s books remain in print through different publishers, but if you have time, patience and access to used bookstores, abebooks.com, and eBay, you might find more attractive McBain packages waiting for you. While the content of the books themselves remain, for the most part, unaltered, the art on the covers has changed as many times as McBain switched publishers. 

In particular, the series of 87th Precinct novels has been graced with some of the most colorful and striking cover art ever produced for crime paperbacks.

For instance, the Perma editions of the first seventeen 87ths depict images just as stark and gripping as those found in the prose of the stories themselves. Perma (a division of Pocket) had the knack of latching onto some of the best cover artists in the business, including James Meese, Charles Binger, and Robert Schulz (all three artists also contributed cover art to many of the classic Gold Medal crime novels of the 1950s). The Perma books were also well constructed, as evidenced by the large number of copies to be found in good condition these days.

In the late 1960s, Dell released a series of eleven 87th reprints with mixed results. The illustrated covers evoke memories of the Permas and Manhunt Magazine (in particular, Dean Ellis’ gorgeous painting for He Who Hesitates), while the photo covers come off as cheesy knockoffs of the James Bond movie intros (the naked girl behind the handgun on See Them Die being the prime example).

Signet brought in the 1970s with an attractively packaged set of McBains, including most of the 87ths and a handful of the author’s novels under other pseudonyms. Again, these covers have the look of a 1950s crime novel and perfectly hint at the dreadful goings-on awaiting the reader inside. Unfortunately, someone at art direction got the bright idea of adding a window shade effect over the art in later printings.

The 1970s also saw a set of five paperbacks released by Ballantine, once again demonstrating that Ed McBain could draw out the best in nastiness from his cover artists. The Ballantines pushed the 87th line from neo-noir right into near-horror. Study the truck driver on He Who Hesitates or the battered Carella on Doll. Interestingly enough, when it came time to reprint these five books in the early 1980s, Ballantine, rather than simply reprinting the old covers, commissioned a set of sharp new paintings. The word “MCBAIN” set across the center of each cover perfectly complimented each grisly murder scene.

The best place to look for vintage McBains (besides the aforementioned sources) is a Paperback Collectors Show. Often held in large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, a well-run show will have plenty of dealers from across the United States, and it’s a good bet you’ll find those elusive Permas. Unfortunately, these shows seem to be a dying breed. Dealers find they can make vast amounts of money from their computer desks without hauling boxes of books to and from their mini-vans. Which brings us to...

The easiest way these days to fill in those blanks, of course, is that double-edged sword, the internet. Ed McBain was a best-selling novelist for quite a few years, so his print runs typically ran into the several hundred thousands. If you want McBain for his words and not the attractive packaging, Amazon.com can set you up with any of the current in-print titles published by Warner and Pocket, sporting unattractive and sometimes downright ugly covers. Take the case of Lady, Lady, I Did It for example. Signet’s first reprinting in 1976 is graced with a cover depicting the carnage of a double homicide in a bookshop. The victims are splashed with blood and 87th Precinct Detectives Carella and Kling are shown hovering above the bodies with grim looks on their faces. If you’re a crime fan, you know you’re going to read this book fast. Then there’s Signet’s later repackaging of the same title. A handgun resting on a book. That’s it. This could be Agatha Christie or Walter Mosely or Angela Lansbury maybe. The potential buyer has no clue as to the content of this novel, be it hardboiled, cozy, P.I., or whatever other offshoot of the crime genre. Big mistake. The one notable exception to this “happy meal” approach to the contemporary reprintings of the McBains is The Pusher, which includes an afterword by the author detailing the original climax to the novel. It’s a fascinating piece, and one that 87th fans can’t do without.

Whether you want to display that sharp Perma edition of The Con Man on your shelf or devour a dog-eared copy of the Dell Lady Killer you picked up at the flea market for two bits, the best thing about Ed McBain is that you can mix and match. Happy hunting!

The Collectible 87th Precinct Novels: The Perma Years

The following is a listing of the 87th Precinct novels published by Perma in the 1950s and 60s. Note that the five Permas that saw second editions all featured variant cover art.

1956 Cop Hater (M3037) (M4268, 2nd edition, 1962)

(cover art: 1st: photo; 2nd: Robert McGinnis)

1956 The Mugger (M3061) (M4266, 2nd edition, 1962)

(ca: 1st: Lou Marchetti; 2nd: McGinnis)

1956 The Pusher (M3062)

(ca: Charles Binger)

1957 The Con Man (M3055) (M4264, 2nd edition, 1962)

(ca: 1st: James Meese; 2nd: McGinnis)

1957 Killer’s Choice (M3108) (M4267, 2nd edition, 1962)

(ca: 1st: Robert Schulz; 2nd: McGinnis)

1958 Killer’s Payoff (M3113, 1958) (M4265, 2nd edition, 1962)

(ca: 1st: Robert Schulz; 2nd: McGinnis)

1958 Lady Killer (M3119)

(ca: Charles Binger)

1959 Killer’s Wedge (M4150)

(ca: Darcy (Ernest Chiriaka)

Note: Killer’s Wedge was the first 87th Precinct novel to appear initially in hardcover (from Simon and Schuster).

1960 ‘Til Death (M4166)

(ca: Charles)

1960 King’s Ransom (M4181)

(ca: Harry Bennett)

1960 Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (M4187)

(ca: Bennett)

1961 The Heckler (M4218)

(ca: Bennett)

1961 See Them Die (M4229)

(ca: photo)

1962 Lady, Lady, I Did It! (M4253)

(ca: McGinnis)

1963 The Empty Hours (M4271)

(ca: McGinnis)

Note: The Empty Hours is a collection of 3 short 87th Precinct novels ("The Empty Hours," "'J'", and "Storm.").

1963 Like Love (M4289)

(ca: McGinnis)

1964 Ten Plus One (M4304)

(ca: photo)

1965 Ax (Pocket 5001)

(ca: photo)

Note: While not a Perma, Ax sure looks like a Perma and Perma was a branch of Pocket, so…

TOMORROW: The Dells, The Signets, and The Ballantines!

The Complete Guide to Manhunt Part 1

Manhunt was the best crime digest ever published. I've been working on a book on the magazine for well over ten years. One of these days, I might just finish it. Bits of it have been published here and there but most of what you'll see here on this blog has never been published. It's a massive project, featuring a lot of words (the chapter on 1953, its first year, is 13,000 words alone), lots of graphics, and it's getting bigger every day. I'll present this project a bit at a time, beginning with a (revised) piece I wrote for Paperback Parade several years ago explaining my obsession with Manhunt.

FOR THE LOVE OF MANHUNT

by Peter Enfantino

First the numbers:

- 14 years (1953-1967)

- 114 issues

- over 500 authors

- over 1100 stories

- over 13,000 pages

- over 6,000,000 words

- countless writers influenced

Some of the guilty parties: Charles Williams, Donald E. Westlake (and Richard Stark), Ed McBain (and all his aliases), Gil Brewer, Craig Rice, Jonathon Craig, John D. MacDonald, Mickey Spillane, Richard Prather, Leslie Charteris, David Goodis, Robert Bloch, Harlan Ellison, Harry Whittington.

January 1953

April/May 1967

First published in January 1953, Manhunt’s rep was built on the contributions of Spillane, McBain, Whittington, and Goodis. That’s why these digests are so collectible. Most of the Manhunt elite never had their short stories collected. That’s why you’ll pay big dollars for key issues. But there are those of us who collect the digests for more than just the beautiful cover art of Dick Shelton or Ray Houlihan, or a rare Harlan Ellison appearance, or just the general musty odor of the pages. For those of us who actually read the gritty crime stories between the covers, Manhunt is a treasure trove of great writing.

What strikes you when you read Manhunt is the fact that there are so many good stories by so many writers that aren’t household names (well, at least hardboiled households). Norman Struber, whose “Badge of Dishonor” shows us an early example of the anti-hero; Stuart Friedman, author of the powderkeg “The Secret,” wherein an innocent man is murdered for a crime he didn’t commit. Then there’s Frank Kane, author of several stories featuring hardboiled PI Johnny Liddell. Kane is often overlooked when great authors of the 1950s are discussed, perhaps because so many of the Liddells seemed jokey. Kane’s “Key Witness,” a rare non-Liddell novella, is anything but comic. An innocent bystander turned good samaritan is terrorized by the punks he witnessed commit murder. His transformation from good citizen to victim is starkly portrayed. In “Seven Lousy Bucks” by C. L. Sweeney, Jr., Joe’s got it made: no job, drinks his life away and prostitutes his wife, Clare, for booze money. When his wife fails to bring home more than ten bucks after serving a john, Joe blows his top. Violent, harrowing look at two bottom-of-the-barrel individuals. These four stories appeared over the space of three issues! If I had the time and space, I’d extoll the virtues of “Deadly Beloved,” a Joe Puma novella by William Campbell Gault, or “Hunch” by Helen Nielsen, wherein a grizzled, pessimistic cop discovers that the chief suspect in a series of brutal murders is his own son, or dozens more well-written celebrations of con jobs, robbery, murder, and adultery.

My own personal Manhunt collecting odyssey began in 1993 after a conversation with author Ed Gorman. Ed was writing a piece on Gold Medal paperbacks for a magazine I was editing at the time (you can say it Pete — The Scream Factory! -JS), and Manhunt kept popping up in the conversation. Ed let on that Manhunt had been an important part of his formative years. That sparked an interest in me and when, while browsing through a vintage paperback catalog, I came across a cheap copy of the January 1956 issue (“Seven Brutal Shockers!”), I took the plunge. Seven years later, I had the high bid on the September 1955 issue (one of the pricier digests because of its Charles Williams novel) which completed my set. I’d estimate a total price at about $1200.00.

Aside from a few bumps in the road, assembling a set of Manhunt is not an impossible task for the collector with enough patience and funds. Most issues can be found for $15-20 apiece. If condition is not a factor (who are we fooling... of course it is), you can find them for half that amount. Before the advent of the internet and eBay several years ago, collectors depended on Black Ace Book catalogs or the annual Vintage Paperback shows like those held in New York by Gary Lovisi and California by Tom Lesser. Now, it’s not uncommon to find two dozen issues of Manhunt on eBay on any given day. Of course, there are the issues that will cost a lot more than fifteen or twenty bucks. In addition to the aforementioned Charles Williams (who contributed three novels to Manhunt), expect to pay more for issues with work by John D. MacDonald (4), David Goodis (4), or Mickey Spillane (3), to name just a few. I also had a hard time finding the last couple issues (this might have been due either to poor distribution or a decline in print run) and the less desirable Giant Manhunts (the publisher would bind three, sometimes four, recent back issues together and sell them for half-a-buck).

One of the scarcest: Bedsheet-sized Giant Manhunt

Then there’s the matter of those pesky bedsheets. Beginning in March 1957 and continuing through April 1958, Manhunt was published as a magazine (aka “bedsheet”), rather than a digest, in an effort to boost sales (MH’s publisher, Flying Eagle, was convinced that MH was lost behind the larger-sized magazines on the newsstand). Years later, this would cause innumerable problems for the collector. Because of its awkward size, the bedsheet wasn’t to be found with its digest brothers. Chances are, you’d find them in a box of old Saturday Evening Posts in an antique store. The scarcity drove the price up. Though not as scarce as the similar Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine bedsheets (which can fetch upwards of $100 each), you’re still going to shell out $50-75 each for the twelve MH bedsheets. But, when you consider the insane prices found in the comic book collecting world, it’s still a fairly cheap hobby.

After returning to digest size, Manhunt just wasn’t the same again. Though the classic authors would make an appearance now and then, most of the authors were new, untested writers. Writers not heard of before and, in several instances, never heard of again after Manhunt’s demise. Evan Hunter and Charles Williams gave way to Robert Page Jones and J. Simmons Scheb. Not exactly esteemed names in a crime aficionado’s book. The general look of the magazine began to suffer as well. The magazine’s frequency was dropped first to bi-monthly and eventually quarterly. Reprints (of both covers and the fiction inside) became a fact of life. The beautiful hardboiled paintings adorning the covers gave way to out of focus shots of women cringing against brick walls. If you’re looking for the quality, stick to the first six years.

You Gotta Read These: Fifteen Paperbacks You Might Have Missed by Bill Crider

Now and then, this blog will run highlights from the golden days of The Scream Factory and bare•bones. We'll also be running pieces that were written for bare•bones but never published. Today, we're proud to "reprint" Bill Crider's list of 15 crime paperbacks you may not know about. Good luck hunting them down.

1. Revenge by Jack Ehrlich. Ok, you've already read Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me and Dan Marlowe's The Vengeance Man. Is there anything out there that's remotely like them? Yes. Try Revenge.

2. One for Hell by Jada Davis. And if you don't want to read Revenge, read this one.

3. The Broker by Max Allan Collins. This book begins Collins' homage to Richard Stark's Parker series. It's dedicated to Westlake, and the protagonist is a killer-for-hire.

4. Baby Moll and Danger in My Blood by Steve Brackeen. Brackeen is really John Farris. These were written very early in his career.

6. Let Them Eat Bullets by Howard Schoenfeld. An amazing parody of the hardboiled p.i. genre. (This was reprinted by Hard Case Crime a few years ago -PE)

7. A Rage at Sea by Frederick Lorenz. No one talks about Lorenz these days, but he was good.

8. Four for the Money by Dan J. Marlowe. A nifty caper novel. Marlowe's an under-rated writer.

9. The Case of the Beautiful Body by Jonathon Craig. Craig started writing police procedurals about the same time ed McBain did, but with a slightly different approach. Any book in the Pete Selby series is worth picking up.

10. Ride the Gold Mare by Ovid DeMaris. Nearly any crime novel by DeMaris is worth reading. Try this one, The Slasher, or The Gold-Plated Sewer.

11. Drive East on 66 by Richard Wormser. Wormser's another sadly neglected writer.

12. Paperbag by Richard Russell. Great hit-man novel. Read Reunion and Point of Reference too. Series has to be read in order.

13. The Bloody Medallion by Richard Telfair. Part of a really over-the-top spy series that's generally lots of fun.

14. Kill the Boss Good-Bye by Peter Rabe. Everyone knows about Rabe. Don't miss this one or The Box.

15. Whom the Gods Destroy by Clifton Adams. Adams usually wrote westerns, but this is a dandy crime novel.

Allow me to add a baker's dozen of my favorites that you may not be hip to. -PE

1 April Evil by John D. MacDonald. Usually the JDMs cited are the Travis McGee series or The Executioners (Cape Fear), but I prefer this slow burn heist novel.

2 The Hot Shot by Fletcher Flora. College basketball tampering in the 1950s? Yep, just as relevant today as it was fifty years ago.

3 One is the Loneliest Number by Bruce Elliott. Before too long, an escaped convict is going to wish he was back in the pen.

4 A Touch of Death by Charles Williams. Embezzling and two-timing babes. Two essential nutrients for great crime fiction.

5 Key Witness by Frank Kane. Proves that being a good samaritan can be a bad idea.

6 Judas Cross by Jeffrey Wallmann. Bad cop investigates his partner's murder. This has one of the nastiest final scenes I've ever read.

7 Big Man by Richard Marsten (Ed McBain). I've read dozens of Ed McBain novels. This is his nastiest work, I think. It doesn't have the "New York woke up like a five dollar whore" brushstrokes of his 87th Precinct novels (which are a joy to read) and that may be a good thing.

8 He Rode Alone by Steve Frazee. The plotline's been done a thousand times in westerns: lone horseman comes into town looking for revenge. This one's got something different - a writer who can mold that cliche into a great read.

9 The Kidnapper by Robert Bloch. The man forever to be associated with...writing that novel the famous Hitchcock flick is based on... comes up with a fabulous crime novel. There's a kick in the gut midway that you won't see coming.

10 Murder Me for Nickels by Peter Rabe. So you thought the jukebox business was all fun and games?

11 The Lime Pit by Jonathon Valin. The first (and best) of the Harry Stoner novels. I'm not big on P.I. novels and their inherent cliches but Valin steers away from the same old thing in this tale of what befalls a pretty girl in the porn inductry.

12 Stolen Away by Max Allan Collins. Another P.I. novel that eschews all the old standbys. Collins plops his Nathan Heller character smack dab in the midst of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.

13 The Hook by Donald Westlake. The Ax got most of the praise (and it's warranted) but I think The Hook is the best of Westlake's contemporary thrillers (aside from the Parker novels). Deadly case of writer's block!