Myron Vale

Created by Scott William Carter A shot to the head leaves Portland, Oregon private detective MYRON VALE with a .38 slug lodged in his brain, one hell of a headache... and the ability to see dead people. A lot of dead people. Which turns out to be a great way for him to increase his … Continue reading Myron Vale

Conan Flagg

Created by M.K. Wren Pseudonym of Martha Kay Renfroe (1938-2016) CONAN FLAGG is the owner proprietor of the Holliday Beach Bookshop and Rental Library, and a sometime-private investigator (he likes to keep that on the down low) who lives in Holliday Beach, Oregon, a peaceful town on the coast. Life is good for Conan. He drives … Continue reading Conan Flagg

An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down

Eyes of the Northwest OREGON Cal Claxon by Warren C. Easley (Portland) Lennox Cooper by Lily Gardner (Portland) Conan Flagg by M.K. Wren (Oregon) Garrison Gage by Jack Nolte (Barnacle Bluffs) Dex Parios by Greg Rucka (Portland, aka "Stumptown") Myron Vale by Scott William Carter (Portland) WASHINGTON Thomas Black by Earl Emerson (Seattle) Frank Corso … Continue reading An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down

Larry Palmer

Created by Rene Denfeld Although retired cop and widower LARRY PALMER isn't a private eye per se,  and he isn't even the main character, he  makes for a dandy potential series character in Rene Denfeld's 2024 novel Sleeping Giants. Still mourning the death of his wife Marjorie and looking for something/anything to keep himself keeping … Continue reading Larry Palmer

Todd Wright (So Help Me Todd)

Created by Scott Pendergast A disappointingly underwhelming TV show that—so far--smothers its own potential cleverness with a thick, warm blanket of comfy family drama that never quite pays off, at least until the seventh episode—coincidentally a Thanksgiving-themed episode. Your enjoyment of So Help Me Todd (2022, CBS/Paramount) will depend on your tolerance for having your heart … Continue reading Todd Wright (So Help Me Todd)

Zachariah Smith

Created by L.L. (Linda) Thrasher "That's me, Arrow Investigations. I wanted to change the name to Cat's-Paw, Incorporated, but my sister said no one would get it. It's from an old fable about a cat sleeping by a fire where a monkey was roasting some chestnuts. When the nuts were done, the monkey used the … Continue reading Zachariah Smith

Mackenzie “Mac” Laughlin (River Glen)

Created by Nancy Bush Although it's billed as the “River Glen” series, which began with The Baysitter (2020), subsequent books in the series have detailed not just the lives and loves of the residents of the allegedly sleepy Portland, Oregon suburb, but also the adventures of local MACKENZIE “MAC” LAUGHLIN. A ex-cop, formerly with the River Glen PD, (she … Continue reading Mackenzie “Mac” Laughlin (River Glen)

John Denson

Created by Richard Hoyt "I'm a gentleman and a scholar; would you care for some screw-top?" -- Denson greets a client in Decoys Consider him Gonzo-lite. Or maybe a New Age Northwest reincarnation of Shell Scott. Or just a hippy-dippy eye who has certainly inhaled. But there's no denying that Pacific Northwest private eye JOHN … Continue reading John Denson

Lennox Cooper

Created by Lily Gardner Evidently, Portland, Oregon police detective LENNOX COOPER didn't get the memo: You don't shit where you eat. And you don't fuck where you work. When we meet her in A Bitch Called Hope (2013), it's been a year since an affair with a married fellow officer got her turfed from the Portland … Continue reading Lennox Cooper

Kelly Pruett

Created by Mary Keliikoa "Portland, Oregon has as many parts as the human anatomy. Like the  body, some are more attractive than others." Add Portland, Oregon's KELLY PRUETT to the small but ever-growing pool of Mom P.I.s. In a genre where so many protagonists are apparently incapable of reproduction, despite active (or even hyper-active) sex … Continue reading Kelly Pruett