Created by John M. Floyd In the Shamus Award-winning short story, "Mustang Sally," former cop turned private eye THOMAS LANGFORD (and his "long-time and infinitely patient girlfriend" Debra Jo Wells) get in way over their heads in what even the author agrees is a "lighthearted, its only crime being an off-screen jewelry-store heist." Maybe it is … Continue reading Thomas Langford
Tag: Shamus Winner
“The Gospel According to Gordon Black”
By Richard Helms Featuring Eamon Gold Fall 2007 Gordon Black was a short man with an intimidating stare. His hair and beard were completely white. He liked to accentuate his points by drawing circles in the air with his index fingers. “We are nothing but organic flotsam, bobbing in the infinite sea of life. Don't you … Continue reading “The Gospel According to Gordon Black”
Dino LaStanza
Created by O'Neil De Noux "I always get them. Always." Although this long-running series started out with him as a determined, no-nonsense New Orleans Homicide Detective, DINO LaSTANZA becomes a private investigator following the events in New Orleans Homicide (2013), and is a full-fledged private eye by the seventh novel, The Blue Nude (2013). In … Continue reading Dino LaStanza
Happy Doll
Created by Jonathan Ames There’s nobody in the world Jonathan Ames likes writing about more than… Jonathan Ames? "Jonathan Ames” has been his favourite subject in numerous semi-autobiographical articles and essays, collected in such books as What’s Not to Love?: The Adventures of a Mildly Perverted Young Writer and The Double Life is Twice as Good. "Jonathan … Continue reading Happy Doll
Dennis Lynds
Pseudonyms include Michael Collins, William Arden, John Crowe, Robert Hart Davis, Carl Dekker, Mark Sadler, Sheila Lynds, Sheila McErlean, John Douglas, Walter DallasHouse pseudonyms include Nick Carter, Brett Halliday, Don Pendleton, Maxwell Grant(1924-2005) "I just ask questions."September 29, 2002, Santa Barbara Book Festival "I write mysteries to say something, not just for entertainment."Santa Barbara News-Press, 1982. … Continue reading Dennis Lynds
The Lunghi Detective Agency
Created by Michael Z. Lewin(1942--) It's a family affair! In Bath, England, when you get in a jam, you could do worse than call in THE LUNGHI DETECTIVE AGENCY, run by three generations (and counting) of a loud and unruly, but affectionate Italian-Anglo family. Not exactly a hard-boiled series, but there's plenty of fun in … Continue reading The Lunghi Detective Agency
Maria Magdalena “Maggie” Morales
Created by Carolina García-Aguilera Cuban investigator MARIA MAGDALENA MORALES (call her "Maggie"--everyone else does) has been around, and seen it all. She's been married at least four times (number two was Cuban, number four a Venuzuelan), speaks Spanish fluently and has been working as a private eye (license #C8802651) for Bobby O'Meara, a Miami attorney, … Continue reading Maria Magdalena “Maggie” Morales
Ted Molloy
Created by Michael Sears Originally from Queens, TED MOLLOY was riding high as a big shot Manhattan lawyer, until his career crashed and burned. Now he's back in Queens, disgraced, disbarred and squeezing out a semi-legit living as a foreclosure profiteer--negotiating bailouts on behalf of folks whose properties are facing foreclosure--for a percentage. Nothing too big, … Continue reading Ted Molloy
Leo Haggerty
Created by Benjamin M. Schutz (1949-2008) One of the better post-Spenser P.I.'s out of the 1980s was LEO HAGGERTY, a Washington, D.C.-based private investigator with a mustache, a receding hairline à la Jack Nicholson, and enough little quirks to make him worth remembering. Like Spenser, he's a bit of a renaissance man, obsessed with the moral … Continue reading Leo Haggerty
Thorn
Created by James W. Hall (1947--) Arguably the greatest of Travis McGee's wayward literary children, THORN isn't really a P.I. (or even a "salvage consultant"), although he does occasionally take money to "look into" things. He's more of an "avenger," dark and brooding division. He makes his home in Key Largo, Florida, far from the … Continue reading Thorn