Steve Hamilton (author)
Encyclopedia
Steve Hamilton is an American writer of detective fiction
. He was born January 10, 1961 and raised in Detroit, Michigan
. He graduated in 1983 from the University of Michigan
where he won the Hopwood Award
for fiction.
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 (2000), 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 is the Sky (which won the 2004 Gumshoe Award). As of 2011 there are eight books in the Alex McKnight series. and they have been translated into 12 languages.
Night Work is a departure from the Alex McKnight series, featuring instead a probation officer in upstate New York
, although Hamilton has indicated that he will return to McKnight at some point.
Night Work was nominated for the Crime Writers' Association
top award, The Duncan Lawrie Dagger
.
In 2006, Hamilton won the Michigan Author Award
for his body of work.
His 2010 novel The Lock Artist won him a second Edgar Award
, this time for Best Novel. With this second win, Hamilton joins only 4 other authors who have won the award twice.
and does his writing in the evenings after his family has all gone to bed.
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
. He was born January 10, 1961 and raised in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He graduated in 1983 from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he won the Hopwood Award
Hopwood Award
The Hopwood Awards are a major scholarship program at the University of Michigan, founded by Avery Hopwood.Under the terms of the will of Avery Hopwood, a prominent American dramatist and member of the Class of 1905 of The University of Michigan, one-fifth of Mr. Hopwood's estate was given to the...
for fiction.
Works
Hamilton's novels have won numerous awards. His 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 AmericaMystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best First Novel and the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award
Shamus Award
The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America for the best detective fiction genre novels and short stories of the year....
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
Paradise, Michigan
Paradise is an unincorporated community in Whitefish Township, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan.Paradise is on the northeastern portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the western side of Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior, about by road from Sault Ste. Marie and about north of the...
in Michigan's isolated Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
, who becomes a reluctant private detective.
Hamilton's second Alex McKnight novel, Winter of the Wolf Moon (2000), was named one of the year's Notable Books by The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, as did his next three novels, The Hunting Wind, North of Nowhere and Blood is the Sky (which won the 2004 Gumshoe Award). As of 2011 there are eight books in the Alex McKnight series. and they have been translated into 12 languages.
Night Work is a departure from the Alex McKnight series, featuring instead a probation officer in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, although Hamilton has indicated that he will return to McKnight at some point.
Night Work was nominated for the Crime Writers' Association
Crime Writers' Association
The Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
top award, The Duncan Lawrie Dagger
Gold Dagger
The Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
.
In 2006, Hamilton won the Michigan Author Award
Michigan Author Award
The Michigan Author Award is awarded annually by the Michigan Library Association to recognize an outstanding published body of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or play script....
for his body of work.
His 2010 novel The Lock Artist won him a second Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, this time for Best Novel. With this second win, Hamilton joins only 4 other authors who have won the award twice.
Personal
Hamilton lives in upstate New York with his wife Julia and their two children Nicholas G. and Antonia. He currently works full-time for IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
and does his writing in the evenings after his family has all gone to bed.
Alex McKnight series
- A Cold Day in Paradise (1998)
- Winter of the Wolf Moon (2000)
- The Hunting Wind
- North of Nowhere
- Blood is the Sky
- Ice Run
- A Stolen Season (2006)
- Misery Bay (2011)