Candyland is a unique crime novel, first published in 2001, blending two distinct storytelling styles. The first half, written as Evan Hunter, follows Benjamin Thorpe, a successful architect whose obsessive search for female companionship leads to a dangerous encounter. The second half, written as Ed McBain, shifts into a police procedural, where Detective Emma Boyle investigates the brutal murder of a young prostitute, uncovering dark secrets and psychological tension.