Timothy Hallinan
Encyclopedia
Timothy Hallinan is an American thriller writer, based in Southern California
and Southeast Asia
. In the 1990s, Hallinan created the erudite private eye Simeon Grist, who appeared in a total of six novels, all set in Los Angeles
. The series was widely and well reviewed, with some titles appearing on critics "Ten Best" lists for the year in which they appeared, such as that of the Drood Review of Mystery, but did not achieve widespread popularity. Hallinan returned to publication in 2007 with a second series, set in Bangkok
, where he has lived off and on since the early 1980s. The new series features a rough-travel writer named Philip ("Poke") Rafferty, who has settled in the Thai
capital and is in the process of trying to cobble together a family comprising Rose, the former go-go dancer he loves, and a precocious street urchin named Miaow. The first book in the series is A Nail Through the Heart (William Morrow).
In his non-writing career, Hallinan served as a consultant to some of America's top corporations, advising on issues of television sponsorship and audience-building. He also created a firm, Hallinan Consulting, that created educators' websites on behalf of a number of public television programs, including "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow," "Slavery in America," and "The Supreme Court." He now writes full-time.
Hallinan lives six months a year in Santa Monica, California
, and six months a year in Southeast Asia
.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In the 1990s, Hallinan created the erudite private eye Simeon Grist, who appeared in a total of six novels, all set in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The series was widely and well reviewed, with some titles appearing on critics "Ten Best" lists for the year in which they appeared, such as that of the Drood Review of Mystery, but did not achieve widespread popularity. Hallinan returned to publication in 2007 with a second series, set in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, where he has lived off and on since the early 1980s. The new series features a rough-travel writer named Philip ("Poke") Rafferty, who has settled in the Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
capital and is in the process of trying to cobble together a family comprising Rose, the former go-go dancer he loves, and a precocious street urchin named Miaow. The first book in the series is A Nail Through the Heart (William Morrow).
In his non-writing career, Hallinan served as a consultant to some of America's top corporations, advising on issues of television sponsorship and audience-building. He also created a firm, Hallinan Consulting, that created educators' websites on behalf of a number of public television programs, including "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow," "Slavery in America," and "The Supreme Court." He now writes full-time.
Hallinan lives six months a year in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, and six months a year in Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Novels
NOTE: While "Skin Deep" was the third published novel, it was actually the first written and, according to the internal chronology of the series, takes place earlier than the other Simeon Grist books.- The Four Last Things (1989) (also: Kindle edition) ISBN 978-0453006507 LA private eye investigates a murder that leads to a new age religion
- Everything But the Squeal (1990) (also: Kindle edition) LA private eye investigates teenage runaway and a seamy aspect of LA
- Skin Deep (1991) (also: Kindle edition) ISBN 978-0525249788 LA private eye investigates television production industry players, murder and strip clubs in LA
- Incinerator (1992) LA private eye investigates pyromaniac with murderous bent
- The Bone Polisher (1993) LA private eye investigates serial killer focused on LA gay community
- The Man with No Time (1994) (also: Kindle edition) LA private eye investigates Asian crime syndicates preying on immigrant Asians
- A Nail Through The Heart: A Novel of Bangkok (2007) detective investigates two separate cases in seedy side of Bangkok, cases concern Khmer Rouge and child porn.
- The Fourth Watcher: A Novel of Bangkok (2008) ISBN 0061257257 - Bangkok thriller concerning couterfeiting and Asian criminal syndicates
- Breathing Water: A Bangkok Thriller (2009) ISBN 978-0061672255 - mystery about Thai politics and child brokerage business.
- The Queen of Patpong: A Poke Rafferty Thriller (2010) - thriller about former Bangkok bar-girl and her history with the Thai sex-trade businesses.
- Crashed: A Junior Bender Novel (Nov 2010) an eBook-only release about a thief's thief with a moral compass.