The Mugger is a novel by Ed McBain, the second in his 87th Precinct

87th Precinct

The 87th Precinct is a series of police procedural novels and stories written by Ed McBain. McBain's 87th Precinct works have been adapted, sometimes loosely, into movies and television on several occasions.-Setting:...

 series. It was adapted for a film of the same name

The Mugger

The Mugger is a 1958 American film about a police psychiatrist, Dr. Pete Graham, who is attempting to catch a mysterious mugger that has been attacking women in his city. The film's screenplay, written by Henry Kane, is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter. William Berke directed the...

 in 1958. In 2002 the author wrote an introduction to this and to his earlier novel Cop Hater

Cop Hater

Cop Hater is the first 87th Precinct police procedural novel by Ed McBain. The murder of three detectives in quick succession in the 87th Precinct leads Detective Steve Carella on a search that takes him into the city's underworld and ultimately to a .45 automatic aimed straight at his...

when both were published in an omnibus edition.

Plot

A mugger is attacking women in Isola. Carella is on his honeymoon, and the case is being handled by Detective Hal Willis. A second plot involves Bert Kling, a patrolman hunting a killer.

Characters

This novel introduces the character of Claire Townsend, Bert Kling's girlfriend. Bert gets a promotion to Detective 3rd Grade. Also introduced in this novel is the character of Detective 2nd Grade Eileen Burke.