HOMELESS PEOPLE IN MYSTERIES BIBLIOGRAPHY (97 so far)

Author Title, publication date Homeless character(s)role
ALBOW, KEITH Denial (1998) Accused
ARNOLD, CATHERINE Class Action (1996) Dead
ATHERTON, NANCY Aunt Dimity’s Christmas (1999) In trouble
AUBERT, ROSEMARY Free Reign (1997) Investigating
  The Feast of St Stephen (1999)

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BAKER, JOHN Poet in the Gutter (1996) Investigating
BARRY, DAVE Big Trouble (1999) As Atmosphere
BELSKY, DICK Summertime News (1995) Accused
BLACK, VERONICA A Vow of Adoration (1998) Dead
BLOCK, LAWRENCE A Walk Among the Tombstones (1996) Investigating
  A Long Line of Dead Men (1999)

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BOWEN, GAIL The Wandering Soul Murders (1992) Dead
BURKE, JAN Remember Me, Irene (1996) In trouble
CAMPBELL, ROBERT W Malloy’s Subway (1981) Perp
  Sweet La-La Land (1990) As Atmosphere
CHITTENDEN, MARGARET Dying to Sing (1996) As Atmosphere
  Dead Beat and Deadly (1998) As atmosphere
CLEARY, MELISSA And Your Little Dog, Too (1998) Dead
CLEGG, DOUGLAS Naomi (2000) Atmosphere
DAHEIM, MARY Wed and Buried (1998) As Atmosphere
DAWSON, JANET Take a Number (1994) Witness
  Nobody’s Child (1995) Informants
DERESKE, JO Miss Zukas in Death’s Shadow (1999) Dead
DONALD, ANABEL The Glass Ceiling (1994) Investigating
EMERSON, EARL The Million Dollar Tattoo (1997) ?
FOLSOM, ALLEN Day of Confession (1999) Assists investigator
FORD, G.M. Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca (1995) Investigating (Ops)
  Cast in Stone (1996)

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  The Bum’s Rush (1997)

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Slow Burn (1998)

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  Last Ditch (1999)

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  The Deader the Better (2000)

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GILLESPIE, EMER Blow Down (1999) Dead
GORDON, ALLISON Striking Out (1995) Dead
GRANGER, ANN Asking for Trouble (1997) Investigating
  Keeping Bad Company (1997)

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  Running Scared (1998)

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GREGORY, JACK Black Out (1993) Dead
GREEN, GEORGE DAWES The Caveman’s Valentine (1994) Investigating
GRISHAM, JOHN The Street Lawyer (1998) Dead, Accused
HAILEY, J.P. The Underground Man (1990)

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HALL, LINDA Island of Refuge (1999)

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HALLINAN, TIMOTHY Incinerator (1992) Dead
HORNSBY, WENDY A Hard Light (1998) Documentary theme
HUNT, DAVID (William Bayer) The Magician's Tale (1997 reprint) Dead
JOHN, KATHERINE Murder of a Dead Man (1997 reprint) Dead
JOHNSON, DELORES Wash, Fold and Die (1999) Reformed baglady detective
  Taken to the Cleaners (1997) Clue provider
KELLERMAN, JONATHAN Billy Straight (1999) Witness
KELLERMAN, FAYE Sacred and Profane (1999) Dead, informant
KELLY, MAGGIE Burning Issues (1995) As Atmosphere
KELLY, VIVIEN Dirty Work (1996) Dead homeless lesbian
KING, LAURIE R. To Play the Fool (1995) Accused
  With Child (1996) Disappeared
KLEMPNER, JOSEPH Felony Murder (1995) Accused
LACHNIT, CARROLL Blessed Death (1996) Dead social worker
LANGTON. JANE Divine Inspiration (1994 reprint) Church organist
LEWIN, MICHAEL Underdog (1993) Investigating
MACDONALD, MARIANNE Ghost Walk (1998) Dead
MARCUSE, IRENE Death of an Amiable Child (June 2000) Dead
O’CONNELL, CAROL Mallory’s Oracle (1995) Ex-homeless-youth
O’MARIE, SR CAROL ANNE Novena for Murder (1984) As atmosphere
  Requiem at the Refuge (2000) As atmosphere
PARETSKY, SARA Burn Marks (1989) Dead
  Tunnel Vision (1994) Dead, As Atmosphere
  Ghost Country (1998) Main characters; mainstream novel
PRESTON, DOUGLAS and CHILD, LINCOLN Reliquary (1997) Dead, assisting investigation
RENDELL, RUTH Keys to the Street (1998) Dead park residents
REYNOLDS, FR. BRAD Cruel Sanctuary (1999) Dead
ROBERTS, GILLIAN How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1995) As Atmosphere
ROBERTS, LORA Murder in a Nice Neighborhood (1994) Accused, Investigating
  Murder in the Marketplace (1995) Investigating
  Murder Mile High (1996) "
  Murder Bone By Bone (1997) "
  Murder Crops Up (1998) "
  Murder Follows Money (May 2000) "
ST. PETER, SARAH Murder.com (1999) Investigative assistants
SCHMIDT, CAROL Sweet Cherry Wine (1994) In trouble
SCOTTOLINE, LISA Rough Justice (1997) Dead
SCHULTZ, MONTE Down by the River (out of print) Accused
SIBLEY, CELESTINE Spider in the Sink (1997) As Atmosphere
SOLOMITA, STEPHEN Last Chance for Glory (1994) Accused
STEWART, EDWARD Mortal Grace (1995) Dead
WALKER, MARY WILLIS All the Dead Lie Down (1998) Clue Provider
WALTERS, MINETTE The Echo (1997) Dead
WILLARD, FRED Down On Ponce (1997) the whole cast (?)
WHITNEY, POLLY Until the End of Time (1995) Dead & Investigating
WILSON, BARBARA Sisters of the Road (1986) Disappeared
  Gaudi Afternoon and Trouble in Transylvania feature a "vagabond," but not impoverished, investigator

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These role categories do overlap, and the element of "atmospere" is much more complex in some novels than in others. The links lead to reviews at Amazon, whi cch will give you more information about each book. If you do buy the book at Amazon, 15% of the price goes to the Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project.

Thanks to the members of DorothyL and to Bill Farley, founder-owner of the Seattle Mystery Bookshop, for their invaluable help.

Juvenile mysteries with homeless characters:
     Dew Drop Dead: a Sebastian Barth mystery by James Howe (pub 1990) (Reprint 2000)
     A Boy and a Box by Mrs. Frank Lee (pub 1909)
     Addie McCormick and the Chicago Surprise by Leanne Lucas (1993)
     Never hit a ghost with a baseball bat by Eth Clifford (1993)
     Cry of Shadows by Ed Gorman (1990)
     Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy by Wendelin Van Draanen (1999)
     Holes by Louis Sachar (Reprint 2000)

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Homeless Mystery Reviews 4/1/2000
Interview with G.M. Ford
Mystery Readers Ring & Book Discussion List
Active Books — Activist Book Reviews
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