Harlan Coben
An author we’ve followed over past 25 years, now more than somewhat famous. Well deserved. Early work includes the Myron Bolitar series which is great to read in order. Coben’s stand-alones have garnered bestseller attention. Check him out.
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T. Jefferson Parker
Location – San Diego/Southern California
T. Jefferson Parker
T. Jefferson Parker was born in Los Angeles and has lived all his life in Southern California. He was educated in public schools in Orange County, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, in 1976.
His writing career began in 1978, with a job as a cub reporter on the weekly newspaper, The Newport Ensign. After covering police, city hall and cultural stories for the Ensign, Parker moved on to the Daily Pilot newspaper, where he won three Orange County Press Club awards for his articles. All the while he was tucking away stories and information that he would use in his first book.
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George Pelecanos
George Pelecanos is a powerhouse of contemporary noir, celebrated for his gritty, empathetic portrayals of the urban underworld. Born in 1957 in Washington, D.C., his early years working as a line cook and shoe salesman deeply informed his focus on the daily grind of working-class life.He has authored over 20 novels, most famously his D.C. Quartet, which explores the “invisible” city beyond the monuments. Unlike typical political thrillers, his stories—such as Hard Revolution and The Night Gardener—delve into racial tension, social divides, and the lives of those on the margins. His prose is noted for its authentic dialogue, rich period detail, and a deep-seated love for soul music and pop culture.Beyond his books, Pelecanos is a legendary television writer and producer. He was a primary architect of HBO’s The Wire, bringing his expertise in urban realism to the screen. His television credits also include Treme, The Deuce, and We Own This City. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including the Hammett Prize, cementing his legacy as one of America’s premier chroniclers of crime and the human condition. -
Timothy Hallinan
Locations-Bangkok & Los Angeles
Timothy Hallinan
Latest in the Poke Rafferty Series —
Edgar, Shamus, Macavity and Lefty nominee Timothy Hallinan has written twenty-one published novels, all thrillers and mysteries, all critically praised. He currently writes two series, one set in Los Angeles and the other in Bangkok, and in 2017 he also revived his earlier series, written in the 1990s about the overeducated slacker private eye Simeon Grist. The new book, the first since 1995, is “Pulped.”
His 2014 Junior Bender novel, “Herbie’s Game,” won the Lefty Award for Best Comic Crime Novel of the year. His 2010 Poke Rafferty Bangkok novel, “The Queen of Patpong,” was nominated for the Edgar as Best Mystery of the Year.
The Junior Bender mysteries chronicle the adventures of a burglar who moonlights as a private eye for crooks. Six titles have been published to date, and “Herbie’s Game” (2015) won the Lefty Award for Best Comic Crime Novel. The other titles in the series are “Crashed,” “Little Elvises,” “The Fame Thief,” “King Maybe,” and “Fields Where They Lay,” which was on many “Best Books of 2016” lists. Coming in 2018 is “Nighttown.”
The Junior Bender books are presently in development as a primetime television series.
In 2007, the first of his Edgar-nominated Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers, “A Nail Through the Heart”, was published. “Hallinan scores big-time,” said Kirkus Reviews, which went on to call the book “dark, often funny, and ultimately enthralling.” “Nail” was named one of the top mysteries of the year by The Japan Times.
Rafferty’s Bangkok adventures have continued with “The Fourth Watcher,” “Breathing Water,” “The Queen of Patpong,” “The Fear Artist,” “For the Dead,” and “The Hot Countries.” Coming in 2017 is “Fools’ River.”
In the 1990s he wrote six mysteries featuring the erudite private eye Simeon Grist, beginning with “The Four Last Things,” which made several Ten Best lists, including that of The Drood Review. The other books in the series were well reviewed, and several of them were optioned for motion pictures. The series is now regarded as a cult favorite and is being revived, in one sense of the word, with “Pulped.”
He has also edited two books. “Shaken: Stories for Japan” contained original stories by top mystery writers and raised more then $100,000 for tsunami relief efforts, with every penny going straight to Japan. “Making Story: 21 Writers and How They Plot” contained practical ideas on plotting by well-known mystery and thriller writers.
Hallinan divides his time between Los Angeles and Southeast Asia, the setting for his Poke Rafferty novels. (Amazon)In addition to the Lefty, the Edgar, and the Macavity, Hallinan’s books have been nominated for the Shamus and Nero award.
