“Discover the stories that taught Ed McBain to kill.”

This quote from the back cover pretty much sums up this book! 25 short stories by the author (under several pseudonyms), written between 1952-1957. All crime stories. They are divided into 7 categories - Kids, Women in Jeopardy, Private Eyes, Cops and Robbers, Innocent Bystanders, Loose Cannons, and Gangs.

“Runaway” is a standout story. “Downpour” too!
And the ending of “The Innocent One” is awesome! Poor Pablo! “Maria..”! The first paragraph of “Chalk” amused me, but the rest of the story disturbed me. Heck, all of the stories in the “Loose Cannons” section are disturbing! And that sad tenderness in "On the Sidewalk, Bleeding" really got to me. And "The Last Spin", the last story in this book, well, that was just sad.

A very entertaining book from a very good author! ( )

This collection chronicles the development of Ed McBain's writing. All of them are interesting. ( )

Available for the Kindle. For those who care, McBain's real name was Salvatore Lombino which he then changed to Evan Hunter, writing The Blackboard Jungle, his most famous work, later made into a movie. This collection, each proceeded by a short note, is an excellent way to see how his characters and writing developed before the 87th Precinct became a staple of readers everywhere.