Category Archives: Books

How to Craft a Compelling Mystery
Last weekend at the LA Times Festival of Books, four mystery writers unveiled their techniques for crafting compelling crime fiction. This is a fantastic event, a huge book fair that takes over UCLA for a weekend filled with informative panels.

How to Craft a Compelling Mystery
Last weekend at the LA Times Festival of Books, four mystery writers unveiled their techniques for crafting compelling crime fiction. This is a fantastic event, a huge book fair that takes over UCLA for a weekend filled with informative panels.

An Evening with Dashiell Hammett
Oh, how I miss Los Angeles. This April, the Los Angeles Visionaries Association (LAVA) is hosting a literary salon that sounds simply fantastic: a literary salon dedicated to one of the greatest crime writers of the 20th century, Dashiell Hammett,

An Evening with Dashiell Hammett
Oh, how I miss Los Angeles. This April, the Los Angeles Visionaries Association (LAVA) is hosting a literary salon that sounds simply fantastic: a literary salon dedicated to one of the greatest crime writers of the 20th century, Dashiell Hammett,

Must-Read: Double Indemnity
So I was a huge fan for the Raymond Chandler-penned screenplay first. James M. Cain’s novel is a taught, page-turning account of a man who went too far because he met a woman that he couldn’t say no to. Or

Must-Read: Double Indemnity
So I was a huge fan for the Raymond Chandler-penned screenplay first. James M. Cain’s novel is a taught, page-turning account of a man who went too far because he met a woman that he couldn’t say no to. Or

Coming Soon: Death on the South Side
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but there’s a good reason. I was putting the finishing touches on my second mystery novel, Death on the Southside, which is at the proofreader right now. It’s the sequel to my first

Coming Soon: Death on the South Side
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but there’s a good reason. I was putting the finishing touches on my second mystery novel, Death on the Southside, which is at the proofreader right now. It’s the sequel to my first

Must Read: The Thin Man
If you’re a fan of detective novels and you’ve never heard of Dashiell Hammett, it’s high time that you were introduced to one of the true masters for both mystery novels and post-WWII noir. Perhaps most famous his character Sam

Must Read: The Thin Man
If you’re a fan of detective novels and you’ve never heard of Dashiell Hammett, it’s high time that you were introduced to one of the true masters for both mystery novels and post-WWII noir. Perhaps most famous his character Sam

Must-Read: Downward Facing Death
If there’s one this that I love, it’s a pulp detective novel with a New Age twist. Neal Pollack’s Downward Facing Death delivers a gruesome mystery wrapped in wry humor about LA’s yoga community so sophisticated that only folks who’ve

Must-Read: Downward Facing Death
If there’s one this that I love, it’s a pulp detective novel with a New Age twist. Neal Pollack’s Downward Facing Death delivers a gruesome mystery wrapped in wry humor about LA’s yoga community so sophisticated that only folks who’ve

All About Dental Records
Attention crime writers! It’s time to step up and educate yourselves on the particulars of your profession. I’m talking about learning the cold hard facts of forensic science before you star writing about murder. The Los Angeles Visionaries Association is

All About Dental Records
Attention crime writers! It’s time to step up and educate yourselves on the particulars of your profession. I’m talking about learning the cold hard facts of forensic science before you star writing about murder. The Los Angeles Visionaries Association is

What Do Authors Read?
Well, that depends on the author. The Top Ten is a cool website that features lists of from popular writers of their top ten favorite books. Kinda fun. Let it be known, Lev Grossman, that Madame Bovary would make my

What Do Authors Read?
Well, that depends on the author. The Top Ten is a cool website that features lists of from popular writers of their top ten favorite books. Kinda fun. Let it be known, Lev Grossman, that Madame Bovary would make my

Bukowski Got Smashed Here
The historic downtown Los Angeles saloon King Eddy claims that Charles Bukowski was a regular. Historians? They’re not so sure. Read more from Blogdowntown.

Bukowski Got Smashed Here
The historic downtown Los Angeles saloon King Eddy claims that Charles Bukowski was a regular. Historians? They’re not so sure. Read more from Blogdowntown.
Dorothy Parker Was Cool
She left all of her money to Dr. Martin Luther King. Unfortunately, her alcoholic playwright friend Lillian Hellman tried to steal it. Read more on DorothyParker.com.
Dorothy Parker Was Cool
She left all of her money to Dr. Martin Luther King. Unfortunately, her alcoholic playwright friend Lillian Hellman tried to steal it. Read more on DorothyParker.com.