John Lutz

John Thomas Lutz (September 11, 1939 – January 9, 2021) was an American author of mystery, crime and suspense fiction. During a career spanning more than fifty years, he published at least fifty books and approximately 250 short stories. His fiction ranged from private-eye and police-procedural stories to psychological thrillers and espionage novels.

Lutz was best known for SWF Seeks Same, adapted as the 1992 film Single White Female, and for series featuring the private investigators Alo Nudger, Fred Carver and Frank Quinn. He served as president of both the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA). His honors included an Edgar Award, two competitive Shamus Awards, the PWA's lifetime-achievement award and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer for lifetime achievement.

Early life Lutz was born in Dallas to photographer John Peter Lutz and his wife, Jane. His family moved to St. Louis when he was four. He graduated from Southwest High School in 1957 and later attended Meramec Community College.

At age thirteen, Lutz read Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder" and became interested in how fiction could convey more than information. As a young adult, he worked as a theater usher, construction laborer, warehouseman, truck driver and civilian switchboard operator for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. He later said that listening to police officers call in reports helped him understand how they thought.

Series and adaptations Lutz introduced the St. Louis private investigator Alo Nudger in Buyer Beware (1976). He later created the disabled former police officer Fred Carver, whose cases were set in Florida, and the former New York homicide detective Frank Quinn. His final series followed intelligence operative Thomas Laker. Lutz continued writing stand-alone suspense novels alongside the series; his final novel, The Havana Game, was published in 2019.

He also invented the mystery board game Double Cross. By 1991, it had sold 40,000 copies.

Friends and colleagues described Lutz as unpretentious, generous and fond of understated humor.

Selected awards and nominations The following list includes Lutz's major competitive awards and selected nominations.

Year Work Award Result 1981 "Until You Are Dead" Edgar Award for Best Short Story Finalist 1983 "What You Don't Know Can Hurt You" Shamus Award for Best P.I. Short Story Won 1985 Nightlines Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel Finalist 1986 "Ride the Lightning" Edgar Award for Best Short Story Won 1987 Tropical Heat Anthony Award for Best Novel Finalist 1988 Ride the Lightning Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel Finalist 1989 Kiss Shamus Award for Best P.I. Hardcover Novel Won 1989 Better Mousetraps Trophée 813 for best translated mystery-story collection Won 1995 Career achievement PWA Eye lifetime-achievement award Honoree 2001 Career achievement Golden Derringer lifetime-achievement award Honoree 2003 The Night Watcher Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original Finalist 2010 Urge to Kill International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback Original Finalist 2011 Mister X Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original Finalist 2012 Serial Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original Finalist 2013 Pulse Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original Finalist