Steve hamilton author biography example

Steve Hamilton is one of the most acclaimed mystery writers in the world, and one of only two authors (along with Ross Thomas) to win Edgars for both Best First Novel and Best Novel. His Alex McKnight series includes two New York Times notable books, and he’s put two recent titles on the New York Times bestseller list. He’s either won or received multiple nominations for virtually every other crime fiction award in the business, from the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award to the Anthony to the Barry to the Gumshoe. But it was his standalone The Lock Artist that made publishing history, his first book to win an Edgar for Best Novel, a CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller in the UK, and an Alex Award – which is given out by the American Library Association to those books that successfully cross over from the adult market and appeal to young adult readers. The Lock Artist has been translated into seventeen different languages, and was an especially strong seller in Japan, where it was voted the number one translated crime novel of 2012 by both the annual Kono Mystery Ga Sugoi guide and by Weekly Bunshun magazine.

Hamilton’s very first book, A Cold Day in Paradise, won the Private Eye Writers of America/St. Martin’s Press Award for Best First Mystery by an Unpublished Writer. After it was published, the novel went on to win the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award for Best First Novel, the only first novel to win both awards. That book introduced Alex McKnight, an ex-cop now making a living renting cabins in the small town of Paradise in Michigan’s isolated Upper Peninsula, who becomes a reluctant private detective.

Hamilton’s second Alex McKnight novel, Winter of the Wolf Moon, was named one of the year’s Notable Books by The New York Times Book Review and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, as did his next three novels, The Hunting Wind, North of Nowhere and Blood

By BILL CASTANIER

When I heard Steve Hamilton had a new book coming out, I thought it would be another entry in the long-running Alex McKnight series, about a former Detroit cop turned private eye. Hamilton has written 11 books and two short stories in the series.

However, fans of McKnight will have to wait a bit longer because Hamilton’s new book is the third installment of another series following Nick Mason, a reluctant assassin — or, as the book’s title proclaims, “An Honorable Assassin.” He was forced into the line of work by a Chicago crime lord upon his release from prison.

Hamilton’s dedicated followers will not be disappointed. The new book is like a ride with an Uber driver in Chicago: a thrill per minute.

When we reconnect with Mason, he’s on a plane to Jakarta, Indonesia, with the hope that he’s put his life as an assassin behind him, but that’s not to be. He soon gets in over his head when he learns he must kill a dangerous, well-protected criminal, or his family back in the United States will be eliminated.

The last Mason book, “Exit Strategy,” was published in 2017, which the author admits is a long time between releases. His last full-length McKnight book, “Dead Man Running,” was published in 2018.

In an interview from upstate New York, the author said he’s been working on several collaborations in the interim, including co-authoring “The Bounty” with New York Times bestselling mystery writer Janet Evanovich in 2021.

“I then decided it was time to get back to old stuff,” he said. After all, his “old stuff” was quite successful: He’s sold more than 1 million books in the McKnight series and won Edgar, Shamus and Barry awards for a standalone novel, “The Lock Artist.” Two of his novels were named notable books of the year by The New Yo

PERSONAL:

Born January 10, 1961, in Detroit, MI; son of Robert G. (a small-business owner) and Nonna L. (a graduate studies coordinator) Hamilton; married Julia L. Antonietta, June 8, 1991; children: Nicholas G., Antonia. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education:University of Michigan, B.A., 1983. Politics: Independent. Religion: Reformed Church of America. Hobbies and other interests: Golf.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Cotlekill, NY. Agent—Jane Chelius, 548 2nd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

International Business Machines, Poughkeepsie, NY, information developer, beginning 1983; writer.

MEMBER:

Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, Sisters in Crime.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Hopwood Award, University of Michigan, 1983; Best First Private-Eye Novel, St. Martin's Press/Private-Eye Writers of America, 1997, Edgar Allan Poe Award for best first novel, Mystery Writers of America, 1999, and Shamus Award for best first private-eye novel, 1999, all for A Cold Day in Paradise; Michigan Author Award for his outstanding body of work, 2006.

WRITINGS:

"ALEX MCKNIGHT" SERIES; DETECTIVE NOVELS

A Cold Day in Paradise, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Winter of the Wolf Moon, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2000.

The Hunting Wind, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2001.

North of Nowhere, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

Blood Is the Sky, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Ice Run, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2004.

A Stolen Season, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2006.

OTHER

Night Work, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Pirate Writings.

ADAPTATIONS:

Several of Hamilton's books have been adapted to audio, including A Stolen Season, Brilliance Audio, 2006, A Cold Day in Paradise, and North of Nowhere.

SIDELIGHTS:

Steve Hamilton's mystery novels center on the character Alex

American novelist

Steve Hamilton is an American mystery writer who is known for the series of novels featuring private investigator Alex McKnight . Apart from his Alex McKnight books, Hamilton has written Night Work (2007) and The Lock Artist (2010). His works have won the Edgar Award, Shamus Award Award and Barry Award.

Books

His first book, A Cold Day in Paradise, won multiple awards and introduced Alex McKnight, a private detective.

In 2000, Hamilton's released his second Alex McKnight novel, Winter of the Wolf Moon, which was featured in The New York Times Book Review as a "Notable Book of the Year". To date, ten books and one short story in the Alex McKnight series have been published and they have been translated into 12 languages.

His standalone novel The Lock Artist won an Edgar Award for best novel, a CWA Steel Dagger for best thriller in the UK, and an Alex Award from the American Library Association.

His 2016 novel, The Second Life of Nick Mason, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list in both Hardcover Fiction and Combined Print and E-Book Fiction, and also appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and National Independent bestseller lists. It was also selected as one of five finalists for the prestigious Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime fiction, and was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Novel of the Year.

Personal

Hamilton is married and has two children. They live in Upstate New Yor