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 Dimitys Christmas (1999) | In trouble |
AUBERT, ROSEMARY | Free Reign (1997) | Investigating |
The Feast of St Stephen (1999) |
" |
|
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) |
" |
|
BOWEN, GAIL | The Wandering Soul Murders (1992) | Dead |
BURKE, JAN | Remember Me, Irene (1996) | In trouble |
CAMPBELL, ROBERT W | Malloys 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 |
Nobodys Child (1995) | Informants | |
DERESKE, JO | Miss Zukas in Deaths 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) |
" |
|
The Bums Rush (1997) |
" |
|
Slow Burn (1998) |
" |
|
Last Ditch (1999) |
" |
|
The Deader the Better (2000) |
" |
|
GILLESPIE, EMER | Blow Down (1999) | Dead |
GORDON, ALLISON | Striking Out (1995) | Dead |
GRANGER, ANN | Asking for Trouble (1997) | Investigating |
Keeping Bad Company (1997) |
" |
|
Running Scared (1998) |
" |
|
GREGORY, JACK | Black Out (1993) | Dead |
GREEN, GEORGE DAWES | The Cavemans Valentine (1994) | Investigating |
GRISHAM, JOHN | The Street Lawyer (1998) | Dead, Accused |
HAILEY, J.P. | The Underground Man (1990) |
? |
HALL, LINDA | Island of Refuge (1999) |
? |
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 |
OCONNELL, CAROL | Mallorys Oracle (1995) | Ex-homeless-youth |
OMARIE, 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 |
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)
Homeless Mystery Reviews 4/1/2000
Interview with G.M. Ford
Mystery Readers Ring & Book Discussion List
Active Books Activist Book Reviews
Anitra's Meta-Page