The McBain Brief free pdf book download from here. Ed McBain’s “The McBain Brief” is an anthology of short narratives. It highlights McBain’s distinctive narrative style, with a variety of characters interacting with the legal system. The narratives span from a tale of a collector who treasures his porcelain more than his own child, to a story of a prostitute who manages to touch a toughened policeman’s heart. The book can be purchased in several formats.