With a writing career that spanned five decades, Ed McBain (1926-2005), the nom de plume of Evan Hunter, was the author of over 100 books, including his 87th Precinct series set in a fictional borough of New York City. He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. He was the first American writer to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writer Association’s most prestigious award, and he was also the recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master award.