Ed McBain, a/k/a Evan Hunter, né Salvatore Lombino, has succumbed to cancer at the age of 78. McBain was one of the old masters of the crime novel, having virtually invented the police procedural and penned at least 100 novels under various names. A teacher and P.G. Wodehouse's literary agent, among other things, he also wrote The Blackboard Jungle and the screenplay for The Birds.
As usual, the Telegraph remains the nonpareil for obituaries. Read McBain's. It's worth the registration.
Requiescat in pace.
