Mysteries

ARLIS/NA 29th Annual Conference
Thursday March 29 to Wednesday April 4, 2001

Los Angeles & Southern California Mystery Writers

the webmaster's LA list
an annotated list from Linda Duychak
a list of specific titles from Jill Cogen
the webmaster's Southern California list (new books by two of the best on this list now out)
mystery bookstores
the mystery lunch

NEWS: new as a semi-LA-locale writer: Thomas Perry. His latest is not in the Jane series, but it is an incredible suspense story. I couldn't go to sleep till I read the whole thing.

Webmaster's LA list

note: this is not a complete list, just authors the web master and conference planning group have read. Starred (*) authors are ones the webmaster wouldn't miss (I buy their hardbacks when they come out).
Alex Abella (Cuban-American detective) Paul Bishop Robert Campbell Raymond Chandler Elizabeth Cosin * Michael Connolly* (new book out) Robert Crais* James Ellroy Terrence Faherty Katherine V. Forrest (lesbian detective) Dale Furitani (Japanese American) Joseph Hansen (gay detective) Wendy Hornsby Faye Kellerman (orthodox Jewish detective)	Jonathan Kellerman Rochelle Majer Krich Robert S. Levinson Arthur Lyons Walter Mosley (African-American detective) Judy Mercer* Michael Nava (gay Latino detective) Phillip Reed Barbara Seranella* April Smith Jim Thompson Joseph Wambaugh John Morgan Wilson (gay detective)* (back to top)

Annotated list of California mysteries from Linda Duychak

George Baxt
He has written a number of mysteries involving Hollywood celebrities.
The Dorothy Parker Murder Case (1984)
The Alfred Hitchcock Murder Case (1986)
John Breen
(Author is a former librarian, current college professor.)
One of his mystery series involves an L.A. bookstore owner, Rachel Henning.
The Gathering Place (1984)
Touch of the Past (1988)
Jerrilyn Farmer
(Author is a television writer, including staff writing for Jeopardy!, as well as a novelist.)
Her mysteries feature an L.A./Hollywood party planner.
Sympathy for the Devil (1998)
Immaculate Reception (1999)
Earlene Fowler
Her books are set in San Celina, California (a ranching community), and her protagonist is the curator of a folk art museum. The books feature quilt-pattern titles.
Fool's Puzzle (1994)
Irish Chain (1995)
Wendy Hornsby
(Author is a California native college professor with degrees in ancient and medieval history.)
One series features a Southern California college professor, Kate Teague.
No Harm (1987)
The other series involves a California investigative filmmaker, Maggie MacGowen.
Telling Lies (1992)
Midnight Baby (1993)
Melodie Johnson Howe
(Author is an L.A. native who studied writing at UCLA while working in TV.)
"The Mother Shadow" (1989)
Stuart Kaminsky
(Author is a professor of film who also wrote screenplays,
books on film theory and detective novels.)
His Tony Peters series involves a 1940's Hollywood private investigator.
Bullet for a Star (1977)
Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (1978)
Richard A. Lupoff
(Author writes in many genres and has worked in radio, TV and film.)
Mysteries feature a Berkeley detective and insurance claims investigator. Titles often end in "killer."
The Comic Book Killer (1988)
The Classic Car Killer (1992)
Lindsay Maracotta
(Author is also an L.A. screenwriter and television producer.) Her mysteries involve an L.A. children's film animator, Lucy Freers.
The Dead Hollywood Moms Society (1996)
The Dead Celeb (1997)
Marcia Muller
Although the author is probably best known for her series involving the San Francisco private investigator Sharon McCone, she has also written about the curator of a Mexican arts museum in Santa Barbara in:
The Tree of Death (1983)
The Legend of the Slain Soldiers (1985)
and about an international art investigator (Napa Valley setting):
The Cavalier in White (1986)
There Hangs the Knife (1988)
Denise Osborne
She writes about a struggling Hollywood screenwriter
with a "day-job" doing security checks in the film
community.
Murder Offscreen (1994)
Cut to: Murder (1995)
Jim Stinson
His protagonist is an L.A. low-budget film maker.
Double Exposure (1985)
Low Angles (1986)
Deborah Valentine
The series features a Lake Tahoe sculptor.
Unorthodox Methods (1989)
A Collector of Photographs (1989)
Wayne Warga
(Author is an L.A. reporter and TV writer also.)
Series character Jeffrey Dean is a rare book dealer,formerly a CIA courier.
Hardcover (1985)
Fatal Impressions (1989) (back to top)

Specific titles from Jill Cogen

There are hundreds of murder mystery and detective novels which employ Los Angeles and its immediate environs as the primary locale. Below are listed a sampling of the genre, including tales about sleuths who reflect the multi-cultural texture of the city. Some of the books may be out of print but ARLIS librarians should be able to track them down at their local libraries.

Baxt, George, The Greta Garbo murder case.
Bradbury, Ray, Death is a lonely business.
Chandler, Raymond, The Big sleep.
Chandler, Raymond, Farewell, my lovely.
Chandler, Raymond, Lady in the lake.
Chandler, Raymond, The Little sister.
Chandler, Raymond, The Long goodbye.
Chandler, Raymond, Trouble is my business.
Connelly, Michael, Angels flight.
Connelly, Michael, Blood work.
Connelly, Michael, Last coyote.
Corpi, Lucha, Eulogy for a brown angel.
Cosin, Elizabeth M., Zen and the city of angels.
Cosin, Elizabeth M., Zen and the art of murder.
Crais, Robert, Demolition angel.
Crais, Robert, Free fall.
Crais, Robert, Indigo slam.
Crais, Robert, L.A. requiem.
Crais, Robert, The Monkey’s raincoat.
Crais, Robert, Stalking the angel.
Crais, Robert, Sunset express.
Cunningham, E. V., The Case of the one penny orange.
Cunningham, E. V., The Case of the sliding pool.
Cutler, Stan, The Face on the cutting room floor.
Ellroy, James, Big nowhere.
Ellroy, James, Brown’s requiem.
Ellroy, James, Clandestine.
Ellroy, James, L.A. noir.
Forrest, Katherine V., Amateur City.
Forrest, Katherine V., Apparition alley.
Forrest, Katherine V., Beverly Malibu.
Forrest, Katherine V., Murder at the Nightwood Bar.

Haywood, Gar Anthony, It’s not a pretty sight.
Kaminsky, Stuart M., Dancing in the dark.
Kaminsky, Stuart M., He done her wrong.
Kellerman, Faye, Justice.
Kellerman, Faye, The Ritual bath.
Kellerman, Jonathan, Over the edge.
Kellerman, Jonathan, Silent partner.
Lyons, Arthur, All God’s children.
Macdonald, Ross, Archer in Hollywood.
Macdonald, Ross, The drowning pool.
Macdonald, Ross, The Ivory grin.
Millhister, Marlys, Death of the office witch.
Mosley, Walter, Black Betty.
Mosley, Walter, Devil in a blue dress.
Mosley, Walter, A Little yellow dog.
Mosley, Walter, Walkin’ the dog.
Mosley, Walter, White butterfly.
Nava, Michael, The Burning plain.
Nava, Michael, The Death of friends.
Nava, Michael, The Hidden law.
Phillips, Gary, Bad night is falling.
Phillips, Gary, Only the wicked.
Phillips, Gary, Perdition, U.S.A.
Phillips, Gary, Violent spring.
Pugh, Dianne G., Cold call.
Pugh, Dianne G., Fast friends.
Pugh, Dianne G., Foolproof.
Queen, Ellery, The Hollywood murders.
Shah, Diane K., High-heel blue.
Smith, April, North of Montana.
Wambaugh, Joseph, The Secrets of Harry Bright.

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Southern California (non-LA) Mystery Writers:

Jan Burke (Orange County)* new book out -- it's great, maybe her best
Sue Grafton (Santa "Theresa" (Santa Barbara))*
Carroll Lachnit
Martha Lawrence (San Diego County)
A.E. Maxwell (Orange County)
G. A. McKevett
Ross McDonald (Santa "Theresa" (Santa Barbara))
Abigail Padgett (San Diego)* new book out -- will read it today & let you guys know
T. Jefferson Parker (Orange County)
William, Jr. Relling
Alan Russell (San Diego)
Corinne Holt Sawyer
Janice Steinberg (San Diego)
Jack Trolley
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Mystery Book Stores:

Mystery Bookstore, Westwood	Mystery Annex, Venice
Book'Em, South Pasadena ( closest to hotel)	Coffee, Tea, & Mystery, Garden Grove
Crime Time Books 1393 E. Washington Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91104 626-798-2013	Mysteries to Die For, Thousand Oaks
	and if you are down in San Diego: Mysterious Galaxy

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Mystery Lunch

Mystery lovers will be getting together on Tuesday, April 3, for lunch from noon to 1 PM. Meet at the hotel registration desk shortly before noon. Email Lynda Duychak at lduychak@library.wisc.edu to rsvp so she can know how many people to find a restaurant for.

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last revised 3.22.01