Special Sub-Topic: The 87th Squadroom Click Here To Play: The 87th Squadroom

Which is not a section of the 87th's fictional city?

Avonmore. McBain's Isola is obviously New York, thinly disguised.

What happens to Special Forces decoy Eileen Burke in "Lightning" (1984)?

She is raped. Eileen was raped by a man on a bizarre mission to impregnate as many women as possible.

What job does Eileen take after leaving Special Forces?

Hostage Negotiator. Eileen joins the Hostage team in 1991's "Widows".

In which book does Carella meet Teddy, his deaf wife?

Cop Hater. They meet while he is investigating a burglary in her workplace. "Cop Hater" (1956) was the first 87th Precinct novel.

What is Teddy's tattoo?

Butterfly. Teddy received her black butterfly in "The Con Man" (1957), long before tattooed ladies were common.

Who is not a 'snitch' for the 87th?

Danny Boy Bell. Danny Boy Bell sells information to Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder.

Who is, through most of the series, the youngest member of the squad?

Kling. Blond, blue-eyed Bert Kling is often described as having a 'cornfed' look. Later in the series, Genero is promoted to Detective, and he is possibly younger than Kling.

Who is the seemingly unbeatable, recurring antagonist of the boys of the 87th?

The Deaf Man. He uses the aliases 'L. Sordo', 'Taubman', and 'Dennis Dove'; 'el sordo', 'taube mann' and 'den dove' all mean 'Deaf Man' in Spanish, German, and Swedish, respectively.

In which book does the recurring adversary of the 87th squad make his first appearance?

The Heckler. "The Heckler" was published in 1960.

Over the years, Bert Kling's personal life has had many highs and lows. What happened to Claire Townsend, his first girlfriend?

She was murdered. Claire was killed in 1961's "Lady, Lady, I Did It".

Who makes the coffee in the squadroom?

Miscolo. Miscolo is always trying new ways to improve the coffee, but with little success.

There's something unusual about "He Who Hesitates". What is it?

It is told entirely from the criminal's point of view. The 87th's detectives play an almost peripheral role in this book from 1965.

Who is Sam Grossman?

He is in charge of the Police Lab. Grossman typically has a joke to tell along with his lab reports.

What is 'the Stem'?

A street. This is the thoroughfare of neon and honky-tonks that runs through part of the precinct.

Which detective has twice found severed body parts in garbage cans?

Genero. The first was in 1960's "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand", and he did it again in "Tricks" in 1987.

Who is the ex-hooker Hal Willis becomes involved with in "Poison"?

Marilyn Hollis. Cindy Forrest was one of Kling's girlfriends, Karin Lefkowitz was a police psychologist, and Miss O'Shaughnessy, of course, is from Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon".

What is Augusta Blair's profession?

Fashion model. She is kidnapped on the day of her and Bert Kling's marriage in "So Long as You Both Shall Live".

Which detective is considered a 'jinxed cop'?

Bob O'Brien. O'Brien was involved in an unusual amount of gunplay.

Who are Monoghan and Munroe?

Detectives from Homicide. M and M typically show up at the homicide scene, crack a few jokes, and are never heard from again.

Which less-than-shining detective is often referred to as a 'slob'?

Andy Parker. Although Weeks might also be considered a slob (among other things), he's a very good detective. Ed McBain aka Evan Hunter aka Salvatore Lombino, died July 6, 2005. He will be sorely missed.