From the internationally admired creator of the 87 th Precinct series come these tales featuring policemen and their work and displaying Ed McBain’s inimitable talents in shorter form. In this collection of short stories, bestselling author Ed McBain presents a varied and colorful cast of characters who run afoul of, then into, the arms of the law… a collector who loves his porcelain more than his daughter; a hooker who melts the heart of a tough cop; an ex-fighter who goes berserk at Christmas; an automobile dealer out for a funny business ride… Ed McBain’s bestselling works put him in the very top rank of crime writers. In The McBain Brief , he more than justifies his reputation as a master storyteller.