Created by J.R. Sanders It’s 1938, and if he had his druthers, Los Angeles-based gumshoe NATE ROSS would rather stay on his side of Vermont Avenue, and avoid Hollywood altogether. “As a rule, I avoided all dealings with movie studios. I preferred more reputable business, like pool halls and whorehouses." But a chance encounter with … Continue reading Nate Ross
Tag: Los Angeles
Eli Donovan
Created by James L. Rubel Pseudonyms include Mason Macrae, Timothy Hayes (1894-1960) "Meet Miss Donovan, the only private eye who wears mascara. She's easily the most beautiful shamus living.” — the original cover blurb One of the first attempts at writing a more down-to-earth woman detective in book form was James L Rubel's surprisingly decent … Continue reading Eli Donovan
Marty Burns
Created by J.S. Russell Former television child star MARTY BURNS (you remember that classic oldie hit sitcom Salt and Pepper, right?) is now just another LA private dickcracking wise and trying to walk in Marlowe's shoes, who gets sucked into the usual mess of pimps, disemboweled hookers, snuff films, samurais from Hell, and nefarious supernatural … Continue reading Marty Burns
Frank Armstrong (Tumor)
Created by Joshua Hale Fialkov & Noel Tuazon The former Governator of the Great State of California was wrong, after all. It IS a tumor. Not to get too ecclesiastical on you or anything, but it sure seems like some private eyes are born to suffer as the sparks fly upward... A good case in … Continue reading Frank Armstrong (Tumor)
Kitty Pangborn & Dex Theroux
Created by Linda L. Richards "Dex is tall and dreamy… Oh. Sure, he's a mook, but he's the kind of a mook that can heat a girl's socks, if you follow my drift.” —Kitty just might have a thing for her boss. Once upon a time, a secretary was pretty much standard equipment for fictional private … Continue reading Kitty Pangborn & Dex Theroux
Morris Baker
Created by Josh Weiss When MORRIS BAKER first appeared, in 2022’s Beat the Devils, he wasn’t a private eye. Or was he? With alternate history novels, it’s hard to keep track, sometimes, as history is folded, bent and mutilated to fit the author’s vision. In Beat the Devils (2022), set in a hellish version of the post-WWII … Continue reading Morris Baker
Art for Art’s Sake
Artists Inspired by Noir Noir is everywhere these days, used to flog everything from over-priced coffee and cheap lingerie to high-end make-up and mediocre crime films that mistake ill-fitting fedoras and second-hand cigarette smoke for style. But real fans know that noir is more than just a few visual effects and a cool marketing tool. … Continue reading Art for Art’s Sake
Roger & Suzanne Bowman
Created by Jerold Last A globe-trotting married couple who find trouble wherever they go? If you were expecting Frances Crane’s Pat and Jean Abbott, you’d be wrong. This is a more modern itineration. Plus dogs! Former patent attorney and police officer ROGER BOWMAN and UCLA biochemist SUZANNE FOSTER are boyfriend/girlfriend visiting Montevideo, Uruguay, when we first … Continue reading Roger & Suzanne Bowman
Doc Holiday
Created by Kirk Alex You’ve heard the expression “too on the nose”? Like, when some writer thinks he’s being clever, offering a simple hint or allusion to something, a shout-out meant to be subtle or disguised, but in fact is about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face? This series may qualify. Naming your … Continue reading Doc Holiday
Mr. T (Trouble Man)
Created by John D.F. Black(1932-2018) “I come up hard baby, but now I’m cool,I didn’t make it sugar, playin’ by the rulesI come up hard baby, but now I’m fineI’m checkin’ trouble sugar, movin’ down the line.”— from Trouble Man by Marvin Gaye No, I’m not talking about that jewelery-bedecked buffoon with the mohawk from the … Continue reading Mr. T (Trouble Man)