Created by L.J. Washburn
(1957 –)
Shucks.
LUCAS HALLAM is an ex-Texas Ranger and honest-to-god cowboy trying to make a living as a stuntman in the Hollywood of the 1920’s. But times are tough and business practices can get a mite rough in the fledgling movie industry, so ol’ Luke ends up tossing his Stetson in the P.I. ring every now and then, if you know what I mean.
There’s some truly great period colour and detail — you can almost taste the leather and dust — and Lucas is a truly compelling character. Why this series never caught on is beyond me. Then again, maybe the author was just having too much dang fun — in the course of his adventures, Hallam tangles with romance, a very special Christmas story, a flashback to his Texas past and… zombies.
Besides the Hallan books and stories, Livia J. Washburn has written romances, westerns and even cozy mysteries. She’s also the wife of fellow crime writer James M. Reasoner, creator of contemporary Texan gumshoe Cody, and between the two of them, they wrote or co-wrote thirty-seven Mike Shayne stories under the pseudonym of “Brett Halliday” for Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine at one time, and they’ve also collaborated on Tie a Black Ribbon, a novel featuring bouncer/P.I. Skeeter Barlow, who just happens to work for The Hallam Agency in Dallas/Fort Worth.
UNDER OATH
- “True-to-life characters with a dash of 1920s seasoning contribute to a satisfying read.”
— Publishers Weekly on Dead Stick
NOVELS
- Wild Night (1987) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- Dead-Stick (1989) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- Dog Heavies (1990) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
SHORT STORIES
- “Hallam” (1984, The Eyes Have It) | Kindle it!
- “On the Prod” (1987, A Matter of Crime)
- “Hollywood Guns” (1988, An Eye for Justice)
- “Double Take” (December 1995, EQMM)
- “Lynching in Mixville” (1996, Lethal Ladies)
- “The Wireless Bluff” (January 1998, EQMM)
- “Hollywood Flesh” (2001, The Book of All Flesh)
- “Ladysmith” (2002, Guns of the West)
- “The Blue Burro” (2005, Lone Star)
- “Blue Norther” (2012, Christmas Campfire Companion) | Kindle it!
- “Panhandle Freight” (May 2016, digital) | Kindle it!
COLLECTIONS
- Hallam (2011) | Kindle it!
Contains four Hallam stories.
RELATED LINKS
- My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Cowboy Eyes
