Criminal Conversation

McBain (born Salvatore Lombino, adopted "Evan Hunter" as his legal name) set the standard and became the greatest writer of the police procedural. The 87th Precinct series put the squad room front and center as the hero of gritty, police drama. Enormous influence on television. His fingerprints are all over Hill Street Blues and the CSI series. The 87th Precinct ran as a series in 1961; films of The Blackbird Jungle, Fuzz and others hit the big screen over the years. McBain wrote the screenplays for Strangers When We Meet and Hitchcock's The Birds. Invented the police phrase 24/24. His conceit--the 24 hours before a crime and the 24 hours after a crime are the most important-has become a central concept of crime writing and television, and actual policing. Honored with the most prestigious lifetime achievement awards in mystery writing. Evan Hunter was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1986; in 1998 he was the first American writer to receive the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers Association.