Killer's Payoff Signed by Ed McBain First Edition (first thus) Hamish Hamilton 1978. No inscriptions, covers unblemished. A VG+ copy. SIGNED by Ed McBain directly to title page.

Carella and newcomer Cotton Hawes into a gritty New York noir. Blackmailer Sy Kramer falls victim to a vintage 1937 drive-by shooting—machine-gun bursts from a fleeing car—leaving a trail of desperate marks: a politician's elegant wife hiding a scandalous past, an ex-con with a grudge, a soda tycoon dodging extortion, and a shadowy figure funneling thousands into Kramer's coffers. As the duo sifts through alibis, hidden tapes, and seedy underworld lairs, tensions simmer in the precinct's bullpen, where personal lives collide with the case's lethal stakes. McBain's street-smart prose crackles with terse dialogue, procedural authenticity, and a twisty unraveling that exposes the killer's ironic payoff, blending hardboiled grit with ensemble-driven suspense.

As an early milestone in the groundbreaking 87th Precinct saga—pioneering the police procedural with vivid urban ensemble casts—it appeals to fans of Wambaugh or Hammett. Scarce in signed state due to the format's fragility and modest print run, it's a cornerstone for enthusiasts of 1950s noir, offering a tangible link to McBain's prolific legacy amid rising demand for his foundational works.