John Lutz

Alo Nudger Books
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John Lutz is another versatile pro who moves from one type of story to another with barely a pause. He began as a short story writer, selling several dozen in the late 60s and early 70s. In the middle 70s he turned to novels, turning out thrillers such as Bonegrinder and Lazarus Man. After a few years he turned to series fiction and created his best-known characters, private eyes Alo Nudger and Fred Carver.

Nudger, who calls St. Louis home, is a former cop whose flinchy stomach drove him to retire to less stressful private work. As a result he spends much of each book munching antacids. Carver, on the other hand, was a cop in Florida who had to leave the force after a leg wound limited his mobility. Although he now walks with a cane, it would be a mistake to underestimate him, as he has formidable strength and courage.

Lutz also ranks high on the "That was him?" scale. His short stories are so ubiquitous that you've probably read several without even realizing it. My own favorite Lutz is "The Real Shape of the Coast", which I read many years ago in a horror anthology. I didn't realize who wrote it until I saw it in A Century Of Noir. These stories range from the hilarious ("What You Don't Know Can Hurt You", a Shamus-winning Nudger story) to extremely dark suspense ("Games For Adults").