Michael Z. Lewin

Michael Zinn Lewin (born 1942, Springfield, Massachusetts) is an American writer of mystery fiction primarily known for his series about Albert Samson, a distinctly non-hardboiled private detective who plies his trade from a modest walk-up apartment in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lewin himself grew up in Indianapolis, but after graduating from Harvard and living for a few years in New York City, has lived in England for the last 40 years. Most of his fiction, however, continues to be set in Indianapolis, including a secondary series featuring Leroy Powers, a black policeman who frequently appears in the Samson novels, generally in a semi-confrontational manner. The Samson stories are told in the breezy first-person narrative form typical of private-eye novels and are witty, off-beat for both their plotting and their somewhat unusual setting, as well as for the somewhat off-beat personal life that Samson leads with his mother and a long-time but nameless occasional girlfriend whom he refers to as "my woman". Although the stories start off in modest, understated fashion about seemingly trivial domestic matters, they eventually escalate to scenes of startling violence. Of major importance in the stories is the locale itself, the city of Indianapolis and its surrounding countryside, and Samson is certainly one of the most important of the regional detectives in mystery fiction, as well as being one of the very first.

Indianapolis novels.

These books feature a main character but also have characters who reoccur in other characters’ books.

Albert Samson ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION 1971 Putnam THE WAY WE DIE NOW 1973 Putnam THE ENEMIES WITHIN 1974 Knopf THE SILENT SALESMAN 1978 Knopf MISSING WOMAN 1981 Knopf OUT OF SEASON (OUT OF TIME, UK) 1984 Morrow CALLED BY A PANTHER 1991 Mysterious EYE OPENER 2004 Five Star

Leroy Powder NIGHT COVER 1976 Knopf HARD LINE 1982 Morrow LATE PAYMENTS 1986 Morrow

Adele Buffington AND BABY WILL FALL (CHILD PROOF, UK) 1988 Morrow

Jan Moro UNDERDOG 1993 Mysterious

Joe Prince OH JOE 2008 Five Star

Non-series OUTSIDE IN 1980 Knopf

Other novels

CUTTING LOOSE 1999 Holt This is a historical novel, published as a Young Adult book. It’s set in the US (including Indianapolis) and the UK.

Lunghi novels – set in Bath, England

FAMILY BUSINESS 1995 Foul Play FAMILY PLANNING 1999 St Martin’s

Story collections

TELLING TAILS 1994 PawPaw (UK) ROVER’S TALES 1998 St Martin’s Illustrations by Karen Wallis THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE and other stories 2001 Crippen & Landru The title story of this collection was nominated for an Edgar in 1984 but after publication a second story in the collection was also nominated for an Edgar in 2002.

Audio book:

ROVER’S TALES Unabridged, read by the author Blackstone Audio Books, 99

Novelization:

THE NEXT MAN 1976 Warner This book was based on was a movie starring Sean Connery. I included all the scenes and dialogue from the film script with many enhancements and embellishments of my own. The film's producers were pleased with the result and the book came out in at least two countries where the movie didn't. Sorry to say, the screen version was not a success. Part of the NY Times review read that it was “made by people whose talent for filmmaking and knowledge of international affairs would both fit comfortably into the left nostril of a small bee.” Ah well.

Non-fiction:

HOW TO BEAT COLLEGE TESTS: A Guide to Ease the Burden of Useless Courses 1970 Dial Press Even today college students find many tests to be a mystery – especially the badly written ones.

Non-book information

The extended list of my stories, plays, non-fiction and awards goes on a bit, but a few visitors to this site have asked that I post them. So here goes.

Short stories

The Loss Factor UK: “Penthouse”, 75 Students of Disaster First with the Swedish edition of THE ENEMIES WITHIN, 78 UK: MATCH ME SIDNEY, No Exit, 89, US: EQMM, Jan 94 Fast Lane "Woman" July 7, 79 Wrong Number CRIME WAVE, Swedish Academy of Detection, 81 Collins, London, 81 How in One Week I Achieved A Place in the Frome Basketball Hall of Fame "Basketball" 1981ish The Frome Fundraisers "Basketball" 1981ish How I Took Up Coaching and Got My First Whiff of Success "Basketball" 1981ish

Silent Testimony AHMM, March 82 The Reluctant Detective THE EYES HAVE IT, ed Robert J Randisi, Mysterious, 84 Family Business Lunghi story UK: WINTERS CRIMES 20,ed Hilary Hale, MacMillan, 88 US: AHMM March 94 At Home UK: NEW CRIMES, ed Maxim Jakubowski Robinson, 89 Wedding Bells Lunghi story UK: NEW CRIMES 2, ed Maxim Jakubowski Robinson, 90 Danny Gets It Right UK: CRIME WAVES 1,ed HRF Keating, Gollancz, 91 You Pay For Everything EQMM, Dec 92 The Truth EQMM, Mar 92 Danny Pulls His Weight UK: 1st CULPRIT, eds Liza Cody and Michael Z. Lewin, Chatto & Windus, 92 Rainey Shines EQMM, July 93 Gains And Losses Lunghi story UK: MIDWINTERS CRIMES, ed Hilary Hale, Scribners, 93 US: EQMM, July 94 The Stranger EQMM, Sept 93 ROYAL CRIMES, ed Maxim Jakubowski and Martin H. Greenberg, Signet, 94 Boss UK: 2nd CULPRIT, eds Liza Cody and Michael Z. Lewin Chatto & Windus, 93 US: EQMM, Feb 95 Kitty Kitty Japan: Hayakawa Mystery Magazine, 93 In Mitigation UK: NEW CRIMES ?, ? 93? Travel Plans Lunghi story AHMM, April 94 Suicide Note The Armchair Detective, Winter 94 What A Woman Wants MURDER FOR HALLOWEEN, ed Michele Slung and “Roland Hartman”, Mysterious, 94 Blood Blue EQMM, June 94 The Hit EQMM, Oct 94 Cormorants UK: LONDON NOIR, ed Maxim Jakubowski, Serpent’s Tail, 94 The Hand That Feeds Me Rover story UK: 3rd CULPRIT, eds Liza Cody, Peter Lovesey and Michael Z. Lewin, Chatto & Windus, 94 Dr. Bud, CA UK: CRIME YELLOW, ed Maxim Jakubowski, Gollancz, 94 Cross, Rems Of EQMM, April 95 Albert’s List Albert Samson story UK: NO ALIBI, ed Maxim Jakubowski, Ringpull, 95 Oil And Water EQMM, May 99 Backing UK: BLUE LIGHTNING, ed John Harvey, Slow Dancer, 99 Night Shift Leroy Powder story, Japan: Hayakawa Mystery Magazine, ? 99 US: EQMM July 01 Backwater DIAGNOSIS DEAD, Jonathan Kellerman and Martin H. Greenberg, pbk, 99 Gunpoint Lunghi story Japan: Hayakawa Mystery Magazine, Sept 00 US: EQMM, Dec 00 Pay Phone Lunghi story AHMM, Mar 01 If The Glove Fits EQMM Sept/​Oct 01 Rover - CSI Indy Men's Magazine Oct 03 Cigarettes EQMM Sept/​Oct 04 and Best British Mysteries 06, ed Maxim Jakubowski 911 Leroy Powder story EQMM Feb 05 The Jane Case Lunghi story AHMM May 05 Block AHMM Sept 05 And Maybe More Lunghi story EQMM Sept/​Oct 05 Friends of the Garrick in The Verdict of Us All, Crippen & Landru 2006 Wheeze in The Ideas Experiment 06 and EQMM Mar/​Ap 07 They Never Listen and D'Ya Hear Me Garth and Annette, EQMM May 07 Death Row AHMM Mar 08

Coming soon in EQMM Who Killed Frankie Almond?, The Wilt of Love, Password. Other stories with publication tba Powder Goes Hunting and a Rover story, Desperate Bitches

EQMM is Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine AHMM is Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

Competition mystery story:

Murder in the Library Indianapolis Star, 93

Poem

Whodunnit? EQMM July 2003

Drama

Crimey radio plays

"The Loss Factor" 74 45” BBC, adapted from my story of the same name "The Way We Die Now" 74 90” BBC, adapted from my novel "The Enemies Within" 76 90” BBC, adapted from my novel "Arrest Is As Good As A Change" 82 45” BBC, original play "Rainey Shines" 87 55” BBC, adapted from my story "Ask the Right Question" 88 60” Germany, BBC 9?, adapted from my novel "Missing Woman" 91 60” BBC, adapted from my novel "Cross, Rems Of" 9? 30” Belgium, adapted from my story of the same name "Rough Cider" 9? 90” BBC, adapted from Peter Lovesey novel "Keystone" 9? 90” BBC, adapted from Peter Lovesey novel "The Silent Salesman" 99 90” (in 2 parts) Germany, adapted from my novel

Competition radio play

"Who Killed Gnutley Almond?" Five 5” episodes of this original play were broadcast on consecutive days on the BBC for a week leading up to the 95 Bouchercon in Nottingham. Listeners were invited to provide a solution. All the episodes plus my solution were then broadcast as complete 30” play.

Vaguely mystery radio plays

"Place of Safety" 85 90” BBC, original play "The Interests of the Child" 87 90” BBC, original play "Jingle" 99 45” BBC, adapted from the story “Backing”

Crime Stage Plays

"Deadlock" Written on commission for and with Dr Fosters Travelling Theatre. British-set small-cast multi-role whodunnit. Toured in the UK for 8 weeks in Oct/​Nov 90

"Who Killed Frankie Almond?" Based on the competition radio play of similar name. This version was first staged in a radio format as a competition library event in the fall of 95 for the Indianapolis and Marion County Public Library.

"Whooodunnit?" Episodic play structured in a radio format, like Frankie Almond. First staged in Indianapolis and Marion County Public Library in fall of 98.

TV movies

MISSING WOMAN In Japan in the late ‘80s

AND BABY WILL FALL Japanese TV, 90” adaptation 2001

Non-fiction (not including book reviews)

"Now Is Now" Sport Magazine 1970 (on Roger Brown)

"Mr Inside Mr Outside" Sport Magazine 1970

“Soft-Boiled But Still An Egg” (how Albert Samson originated) MURDER INK, ed Dilys Wynn, Workman, 77

“Afternoon by the Pool” (about meeting Ross Macdonald) INWARD JOURNEY – Ross Macdonald, ed Ralph Sipper Cordelia Productions, 84

"The Calorie Bank Diet" - Syndicated in US early '80s

“Liza Cody’s Anna Lee” UK: 100 GREAT DETECTIVES, ed Maxim Jakubowski Xanadu, 91

“Foreword” to Marcia Muller’s EDWIN OF THE IRON SHOES UK: Chivers, 93

“Chandler from the Perspective of a Working Detective Writer” Germany: RAYMOND CHANDLER JARHBUCH 1. Ed William Adamson, Andreas-Haller-Verlag, 96 (Published in English…)