The Bell

Recent deaths in the mystery, suspense, and thriller communities

Leo McKern
Leon Uris
Peter Ustinov
Terry Sheils

Evan Hunter
Died: July 7, 2005

By Rob Holden

As I have stated every time I have been compelled to write The Bell, this is the most unpleasant job that I have here at ReadersRoom. This time, however, is far more unpleasant than the other times, because over the last two years both Natalie and I have come to know and love Evan Hunter, through the Murder With McBain series that we did together.

Evan Hunter, better known to many readers as the Ed McBain who authored the 87th Precinct novels, died of cancer at the age of 78 on July 7th, 2005.

Author of over 100 novels during a career that spanned over 50 years, Evan Hunter was acknowledged as a giant in the world of crime fiction – but he was much more than that. Both in the 87th Precinct novels he wrote as Ed McBain and the other novels he wrote under his own name, Evan Hunter was an adept and insightful chronicler of the human condition, peopling his novels with flawed, fragile and completely believable men and women that his readers came to know and care about. Winner of the Mystery Writer’s of America Grand Master award, as well as the only American ever to win the British Crime Writer’s Association’s Diamond Dagger award, screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, as well as dozens of other screenplays and author of the just published non-fiction book about his battle with cancer Let’s Talk, – there are over 100 million copies of his novels in print. Through his novels, movies and television screenplays, the odds are that if you haven’t spent the last fifty years living under a rock, Evan Hunter has touched you in some way.

Over two years ago, when ReadersRoom.com was still in its infancy, we approached Evan to do one of our Coffee chats. For me, it was like approaching royalty – a writer I had been reading since I was about 12, and who I had loved for over 30 years – and when he said “sure, let’s do it”, I damn near danced on the ceiling. We did the chat (which we have re-run this issue as our lead chat) and when it was finished Evan said: “That was fun! Let’s do it every week!” I, of course, thought he was kidding. But a few days later, when I sent the edited chat to him for his approval, he wrote back to me: “You know, I wasn’t kidding about doing something on a regular basis ...” and so, Murder with McBain was born.

Over the course of almost two dozen monthly chats, Natalie and I talked to Evan about just about everything imaginable concerning the writing business – from the craft, to the economics, to the sales and, in one very memorable chat, even talked to his lovely wife Deena about what it was liking being married to a living legend. Thoughout the chats, Evan was always candid, insightful, and funny as hell. His sense of humor, even as he was failing, is what I will always treasure most about him. He was consistently fun and friendly, and it wasn’t long before Natalie and I realized how he could make his characters as real as they were: he was so very real himself. When I talked with Evan, it wasn’t like talking to a legend, it was like talking to a pal. That is how he made me feel.

And with his passing, I feel that I have lost a pal.

And so, as I toll this particularly difficult bell, all I can say is, sleep well Evan. You meant a lot to me for years before I met you, and knowing you was one of the true honors of my life. You will be missed.

Copyright 2005 by ReadersRoom, LLC. All rights reserved.