The Empty Hours

Cop Hater

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 31 minutes
Abridged: No

As a cop with the city’s famed 87th Precinct, Steve Carella has seen it all. Or so he thinks. Because nothing can prepare him for the sight that greets him on a sweltering July night: fellow detective Mike Reardon’s dead body splayed across the sidewalk, his face blown away by a .45.

Days later, Reardon’s partner is found dead, a .45-caliber... Read more »

The Mugger

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 1 minutes
Abridged: No

A beat cop winds up on the trail of a deadly mugger, but when it suddenly gets personal, his own life might be the next thing to be snatched….

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can... Read more »

The Pusher

By: Ed McBain
Length: 6 hours 34 minutes
Abridged: No

A bitterly cold night offers up a body turned blue—not frozen, but swinging from a rope in a dank basement. The dead teen seems like a clear case of suicide, but Detective Steve Carella and Lieutenant Peter Byrnes find a few facts out of place, and an autopsy confirms their suspicions. The boy hadn’t hung himself but OD’d on heroin before an... Read more »

The Con Man

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 7 minutes
Abridged: No

When a young woman’s body is fished out of the 87th Precinct’s river, a street-wise detective is on the clock to find the con man who killed her before he strikes again.

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought we already knew.” —New York Times Book Review

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast... Read more »

Killer's Choice

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 43 minutes
Abridged: No

A woman is murdered in a liquor store, hurtling the men from the 87th Precinct into an investigation of her secret lives and many possible enemies.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought... Read more »

Killer's Payoff

By: Ed McBain
Length: 6 hours 15 minutes
Abridged: No

It’s like an old-time gangster movie: a speeding car, a blazing gun… and suddenly a guy walking down the street without a care in the world is lying in the gutter without a head on his shoulders. But who pulled the high-powered trigger that turned Sy Kramer from a blackmailer into a chalk outline? Was it the politician’s wife with a pornographic... Read more »

Killer's Wedge

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 38 minutes
Abridged: No

A woman holds the entire 87th Precinct hostage with a homemade bomb and loaded handgun, but her only real target is none other than Detective Steve Carella.

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought we already knew.” —New York Times Book Review

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary... Read more »

Lady Killer

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 29 minutes
Abridged: No

“I will kill the Lady tonight at 8. What can you do about it?”

This is the message on a pasted-up letter handed to Desk Sergeant Dave Murchison at 8:00 a.m. The detectives at the 87th Precinct have gotten these types of threats before, but there’s something different about this one. Something ominous. Problem is, the city contains millions of... Read more »

'Til Death

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 40 minutes
Abridged: No

The wedding day of Detective Steve Carella’s sister Angela should be the most romantic, special day of her life. But it might turn out to be the worst if her brother can’t figure out which man on the guest list has come to murder the groom.

Carella and the men from the 87th Precinct find themselves on the clock as they desperately hunt amongst... Read more »

King's Ransom

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 40 minutes
Abridged: No

When a wealthy businessman is faced with a kidnapping, the ransom could ruin his biggest deal ever—unless Detective Steve Carella can find the culprits before the kidnapping turns to murder.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“McBain forces us to think twice about... Read more »

Give the Boys a Great Big Hand

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 59 minutes
Abridged: No

A killer in the 87th Precinct is leaving behind severed hands as calling cards, putting Detectives Carella and Hawes back on the streets to end this murderous, gruesome streak.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.”... Read more »

The Heckler

By: Ed McBain
Length: 7 hours 8 minutes
Abridged: No

With crooks to cuff and pimps to put behind bars, detectives Carella and Meyer of the 87th Precinct simply don’t have the time or patience to deal with a prank caller—even if he has phoned murder threats to two dozen local shop owners. What they fail to realize, however, is they aren’t dealing with a heckler who’s ringing round for kicks but... Read more »

See Them Die

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 24 minutes
Abridged: No

The eyes of the neighborhood are on the detectives of the 87th and the criminal who challenged them as the city simmers with escalating gang violence.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we... Read more »

Lady, Lady, I Did It!

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 41 minutes
Abridged: No

During the heat of an Indian summer, a quadruple homicide that includes among its victims the fiancée of an 87th Precinct detective sets off a desperate, vendetta-like hunt for the killer.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“McBain forces us to think twice about every... Read more »

The Empty Hours

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 7 hours 4 minutes
Abridged: No

Three nerve-racking stories from bestselling author Ed McBain put detectives from the 87th Precinct on the trail of different killers who take the lives of a rich woman, a rabbi, and a ski instructor.

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought we already knew.” —New York Times Book Review

“Imagine your... Read more »

Like Love

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 15 minutes
Abridged: No

Suspicious deaths signal the arrival of springtime for the men at the 87th Precinct as they work on solving a suspicious double-suicide…and the nuances of love.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few... Read more »

Ten Plus One

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 48 minutes
Abridged: No

When Anthony Forrest walked out of the office building, the only thoughts on his mind were of an impending birthday and a meeting with his wife for dinner. And a deadly bullet saw to it that they were the last thoughts on his mind.

The problem for Detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer of the 87th Precinct is that Forrest isn’t alone. An... Read more »

Ax

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 37 minutes
Abridged: No

An ax murderer has taken root in the 87th Precinct…. Will Detectives Hawes and Carella be able to stop him before he kills again?

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.” —Entertainment Weekly

“McBain forces us to think... Read more »

He Who Hesitates

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 17 minutes
Abridged: No

A craftsman visiting the city struggles to contact the 87th Precinct with details of a former lover’s sudden death when there’s another beauty distracting him.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few... Read more »

Eighty Million Eyes

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 57 minutes
Abridged: No

A comedian dies on national television in front of forty million viewers, and the detectives of the 87th Precinct must solve the puzzle of how he made someone mad enough to murder.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.”... Read more »

Shotgun

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 23 minutes
Abridged: No

A man armed with a shotgun is loose in the city, killing married couples; it’s up to Detectives Carella and Kling to find him before he ends the next marriage.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those... Read more »

Jigsaw

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 30 minutes
Abridged: No

A piece of a torn picture in the hand of a dead man puts the detectives of the 87th Precinct on the trail of $750,000 missing from a six-year-old bank heist.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.” —Entertainment... Read more »

Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 7 minutes
Abridged: No

Murders, muggings, and assaults…just a routine night and day in the 87th Precinct until one of their own is shot, sending every available detective on the hunt to bring down the gunman.

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought we already knew.” —New York Times Book Review

“Imagine your favorite Law &... Read more »

Sadie When She Died

By: Ed McBain
Length: 6 hours 3 minutes
Abridged: No

Christmas is coming. But erudite attorney Gerry Fletcher got his present early: his wife’s body with a knife buried in it. Though he shamelessly cops to being happy she’s dead, his alibi is airtight and all signs point to a burglary gone bad. But even when detectives Steve Carella and Bert Kling follow the clues to a junky punk and get a full... Read more »

Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 34 minutes
Abridged: No

“You’ll have to speak a little louder,” the voice said. “I’m a little hard of hearing.”

Between a highly successful cat burglar and a hippie crucifixion, the 87th Precinct definitely doesn’t need the Deaf Man showing up again—especially since his two previous appearances resulted in blackmail, murder, and general havoc. But at least they have him... Read more »

Hail to the Chief

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 29 minutes
Abridged: No

Six naked, murdered bodies on a cold January night put Detectives Carella and Kling in the middle of a full-on gang war and in a head-to-head battle with a mysterious criminal mastermind.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing... Read more »

Bread

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 43 minutes
Abridged: No

The dog days of August are making the 87th Precinct feel like the inside of an oven. But things can always get hotter. With nearly half the squadroom on vacation, Detectives Carella and Hawes look into what appears to be an ordinary warehouse fire—but Carella and Hawes rarely see anything ordinary, and this is no different. The trail from the... Read more »

Blood Relatives

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 6 hours 3 minutes
Abridged: No

A killer is out for blood, and it’s up to Detective Steve Carella to bring him in—but a shocking surprise awaits when a survivor fingers the suspect in a lineup.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even... Read more »

So Long As You Both Shall Live

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 5 hours 19 minutes
Abridged: No

When Detective Kling’s blushing bride is nabbed from their honeymoon suite, the men of the 87th Precinct are out to help one of their own.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.” —Entertainment Weekly

“McBain forces us to... Read more »

Long Time No See

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 9 hours 40 minutes
Abridged: No

When a blind couple is murdered, Steve Carella’s only clue is the ten-year-old dream one of the victims had, a dream that leads to a killer whose secret is worth murder.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary... Read more »

Calypso

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 8 hours 14 minutes
Abridged: No

When a calypso singer and a prostitute are murdered with the same gun, Detectives Carella and Meyer descend into the murky world of sex and sadism to find a killer on the loose.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.”... Read more »

Ghosts

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 7 hours 6 minutes
Abridged: No

It’s Christmastime and Detective Carella gets assigned three murders—including a bestselling author of ghost stories—and is soon after ghosts, mediums, and a crazed killer.

“McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet…even those we thought we already knew.” —New York Times Book Review

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast... Read more »

Heat

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 7 hours 54 minutes
Abridged: No

During a sweltering heat wave, Detectives Carella and Kling try to make sense of an artist who turned off his air conditioning to commit suicide—but Kling has an even deadlier problem on his hands.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing... Read more »

Ice

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 12 hours 11 minutes
Abridged: No

Murder is in season as a brutal winter grips the city, and the detectives of the 87th Precinct must fight the elements and turn up the heat to find a ruthless killer.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing accomplishment.”... Read more »

Lightning

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 10 hours 16 minutes
Abridged: No

Two perps—one a serial killer and the other a rapist who revisits his victims—test the limits of the 87th Precinct’s detectives as they race to catch these maniacs loose on the city’s streets.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“McBain forces us to think twice about... Read more »

Eight Black Horses

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 8 hours 17 minutes
Abridged: No

Finding a dead body was not unusual for an autumn night in the 87th Precinct. But this young woman’s body was naked—and potentially related to the series of odd missives received at the station house. All signs point to the Deaf Man’s return, this time with a plot more diabolical than even the jaded policemen could imagine. He’s been sending... Read more »

Poison

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 8 hours 30 minutes
Abridged: No

Her former lovers are dying one by one, and beautiful Marilyn Hollis is a top suspect. Smitten Detective Willis tries to believe in her innocence, until he begins to have his doubts.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain forces us to think twice about every... Read more »

Tricks

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 8 hours 12 minutes
Abridged: No

Everyone in the 87th Precinct gets in on the act in Tricks, a multicrime Halloween story full of murder, mayhem, and cops walking the line between decent society and the evil just beneath its surface.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“Imagine your favorite Law &... Read more »

Lullaby

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 10 hours 43 minutes
Abridged: No

A babysitter and the child she is watching are murdered on New Year’s Eve—just as a gang war over drug trafficking erupts and puts one of the detectives of the 87th Precinct in mortal danger.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great... Read more »

Vespers

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 12 hours 2 minutes
Abridged: No

The murder of a priest in one of the 87th Precinct’s parishes sends Detectives Carella and Hawes on a troubling investigation where everyone has a secret and the truth hides within the lies.

“Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain’s grand, ongoing... Read more »

Widows

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 11 hours 15 minutes
Abridged: No

The murder of a young mistress in a penthouse apartment has Detectives Carella and Brown investigating a family with many motives…even as an unrelated murder impacts Carella personally.

“McBain has the ability to make every character believable—which few writers these days can do.” —Associated Press

“McBain forces us to think twice about every... Read more »

Kiss

By: Ed McBain
Narrated by: Dick Hill
Length: 11 hours 2 minutes
Abridged: No

When a bodyguard is hired to protect a successful businessman’s wife, the detectives of the 87th Precinct are brought in to investigate why she has two near-fatal accidents on his watch.

“The 87th Precinct [is] one of the great literary accomplishments of the last half-century.” —Pete Hamill, Newsday

“McBain has the ability to make every character... Read more »