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Lee Goldberg

Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter, publisher and producer known for his bestselling novels Lost Hills and True Fiction and his work on a wide variety of TV crime series, including Diagnosis: Murder, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Martial Law, She-Wolf of London, SeaQuest, 1-800-Missing, The Glades and Monk.

Career

Goldberg began his career as a journalist, covering local news and the police beat for the Contra Costa Times (later renamed the East Bay Times) and UPI, and writing feature articles, interviews and reviews for various national publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and American Film among others.

He attended UCLA, where he was a reporter and feature writer for the Daily Bruin student newspaper, in addition to his aforementioned journalism work. There he befriended Lewis Perdue, the paper's journalism advisor from 1979 to 1982, who got Goldberg his first writing assignment for Pinnacle Books. The novel, .357 Vigilante, was published under the pseudonym "Ian Ludlow" in 1985.[1] The novel spawned three more sequels and the series' movie rights were optioned by New World Pictures. Although the movie was never made, his script for the movie, co-written with fellow UCLA classmate William Rabkin, led to a long career in television and film. Their first television credit was on the "If You Knew Sammy" episode of Spenser: For Hire about an author of vigilante novels.[2]

Film and television

His subsequent writing and producing credits include Murphy's Law, SeaQuest DSV, The Cosby Mysteries, and Monk, among others. He is perhaps best known for his stint as supervising producer and executive producer of the long-running series Diagnosis Murder starring Dick Van Dyke as a doctor who solves crimes.

In 2007, Goldberg wrote and produced the pilot for a German television program, Fast Track: No Limits.[3][4] which aired on television in some countries and was released as a theatrical film in others.

In 2010, he wrote and directed the short film Remaindered, based on his short story for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, on location in Kentucky. He wrote and directed the sequel, Bumsicle, in 2012.

In 2019, he co-wrote and co-created with Robin Bernheim the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries telefilm series Mystery 101 starring Jill Wagner and Kristofer Polaha.

In April 2021, Constantin Films announced that they will be producing a feature film version his novel The Walk based on his screenplay adaptation. [5]

In April 2024, ID8 Media and producers Shelby Stone and Derek Dudley announced that they will be producing a TV series based upon Malibu Burning [6]

Writing

In conjunction with his work on Monk and Diagnosis Murder, Goldberg wrote several original tie-in novels based on those series.[7][8] He has also penned several original crime novels, two featuring ex-cop-turned-Hollywood troubleshooter Charlie Willis and the aforementioned .357 Vigilante series, which he wrote under the pseudonym Ian Ludlow, while still a student.[9]

His novel, The Man with the Iron-On Badge (titled Watch Me Die for its re-release), was nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America and was produced in 2007 as the stage play, Mapes For Hire, in Owensboro, Kentucky at the International Mystery Writers Festival.

Goldberg has also written non-fiction books about the entertainment industry, including Unsold Television Pilots and Successful Television Writing. His book, Unsold Television Pilots, was turned into two TV specials – The Greatest Shows You Never Saw on CBS and The Best TV Shows That Never Were on ABC, both written and produced by William Rabkin and Goldberg. They also co-created The Dead Man an original, monthly series of horror novels that rolled-out in October 2011[10] as the premiere titles of Amazon's new 47North sci-fi/horror/fantasy imprint.[11] Amazon initially ordered 12 books and, in February 2012, extended the series by 12 more. The 24th title, the Kindle Serial Reborn, was published in January 2014 and is the final book in the series to date.

In June 2013, his novel The Heist, the first in a five-book series written with Janet Evanovich, was released by Random House.[12] A prequel short story, "Pros and Cons," was published in May 2013 and became the #1 bestselling Kindle Single for seven straight weeks...and hit both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.[13] The Heist debuted at #2 on the USA Today bestseller list and #5 on the New York Times bestseller list. The sequel, The Chase, debuted at #1 on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list[14] and #2 on The New York Times bestseller list[15] in March 2014. The fifth book in the series, The Pursuit, was published in June 2016 and hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.[16]

His novel True Fiction, published by Amazon/Thomas & Mercer in April 2018.[17] It was followed by Killer Thriller in February 2019 and Fake Truth in April 2020. All three books are "Ian Ludlow" thrillers, the novelist hero sharing the same name as the pseudonym that Goldberg used to write his .357 Vigilante paperbacks when he was in college in the 1980s.

His series about Detective Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department history, kicked off with Lost Hills in January 2020 and was followed by Bone Canyon (January 2021) Gated Prey (Oct 2021), Movieland (June 2022).[18][19][20] Dream Town (January 2024), and Fallen Star (coming October 2025).

Malibu Burning,[21] the first novel in a new series about two LASD arson investigators, was released in September 2023, and will be followed by a sequel Ashes Never Lie, a cross-over with his Eve Ronin series, in September 2024.[22] A third novel, Hidden in Smoke, is coming in April 2025.

His standalone thriller Calico was released in November 2023.[23][24] and was a finalist for the Western Writers of America's 2024 Spur Award for Best Contemporary Western.[25]

Publishing

In September 2014, Goldberg launched the publishing company Brash Books with novelist Joel Goldman.[26] The company publishes new crime fiction as well as award-winning, highly acclaimed crime, thriller and suspense novels that have fallen out of print.[27]

In 2018, Goldberg acquired the copyright to the published and unpublished books by the late author Ralph Dennis,[28] who is best known for his Hardman series of crime novels, which were a major influence on the work of novelist Joe R. Lansdale[29] and screenwriter Shane Black.[30] The Hardman series, with introductions by Joe R. Lansdale, Ben Jones and Robert J. Randisi, among others, as well as Dennis' thriller The War Heist (Goldberg's edited down and revised version of Dennis' 1976 novel MacTaggart's War[31]) were released by Brash Books in 2019. In February 2020, Brash Books released "All Kinds of Ugly," a long-lost, final Hardman novel, which Goldberg discovered and revised.[32]

In December 2020, he launched another publishing imprint, Cutting Edge Books, to release vintage crime novels, thrillers, westerns, and literary fiction from the 40s, 50s, and early 60s that had fallen out-of-print, including the work of authors Robert Dietrich (E. Howard Hunt), James Howard, March Hastings (Sally Singer), Stuart James, Bud Clifton (David Derek Stacton), and Richard Himmel.[33]

Awards

Goldberg has been nominated twice for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America and twice for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America. He was the 2012 recipient of the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic.

He has served as a board member for the Mystery Writers of America and also founded, alongside novelist Max Allan Collins, the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.[34]

In July 2021, he was selected by the City of Agoura, California as their 2021 One City One Book honoree for his novel Lost Hills.[35]

In March 2024, his novel Calico was honored by the Western Writers of America as a finalist for their Spur Award for Best Contemporary Western.[25]

Personal life

Goldberg has three younger siblings – Tod Goldberg, Linda Woods and Karen Dinino—all of whom are writers. His uncle is true crime author Burl Barer.

He lives with his wife and daughter in Calabasas.

Bibliography

Eve Ronin

The Ian Ludlow Thrillers

Diagnosis Murder Book Series

Monk Book Series

Charlie Willis

The Dead Man Series

The Jury Series

Non-fiction

Standalones

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Pulp Fiction". UCLA Magazine. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  2. ^ "Writer Lee Goldberg: 'Almost all the work comes from personal relationships' – MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises". creative.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  3. ^ Meza, Ed (2007-05-31). "Joha steers 'Fast Track'". Variety.com. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  4. ^ "Internationales Action-Movie "Fast Track – No Limits" auf ProSieben (official ProSieben press release)" (in German). Presseportal.de. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  5. ^ "Constantin to Make Lee Goldberg's 'The Walk'". deadline.com. 2021-04-20.
  6. ^ "Maria Menounos to Launch New Talk Series and Game Show on ReachTV (TV News Roundup)". variety.com. 2024-04-25.
  7. ^ Goldberg, Lee (2009). Amazon Listing for Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop. Obsidian. ISBN 978-0451226983.
  8. ^ "Lee Goldberg's Diagnosis Murder Website". Diagnosis-murder.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  9. ^ Solomon, Richie (2007-01-02). "A Storyteller's Journey: Lee Goldberg". Storylink.com. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  10. ^ "Lee Goldberg Signs 12-Book Deal". galleycat.com. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  11. ^ "Amazon Launches Sci Fi/Fantasy Imprint 47North". publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  12. ^ "Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg Ink Deal For New Series". galleycat.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  13. ^ "USA Today's Best-Selling Books list". USA Today.
  14. ^ "Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lists". PublishersWeekly.com.
  15. ^ Sehgal, Parul. "New York Times Bestseller list". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "New York Times Bestseller list". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Simms, Dave. "The Opposite of Jack Reacher: PW Talks with Lee Goldberg". PublishersWeekly.com.
  18. ^ "Lost Hills Finds Home at Thomas & Mercer". Publishers Weekly.
  19. ^ "Five new thrillers offer guilt-free distraction". Washington Post.
  20. ^ "Review:Lee Goldberg Scores Again with Vivid 'Movieland'". ABC News.
  21. ^ "Review:'Malibu Burning'". Publishers Weekly.
  22. ^ "Review:'Ashes Never Lie'". Publishers Weekly.
  23. ^ "'How Brothers Lee and Tod Goldberg Turned Crime Fiction into a Family Business'". Orange County Register.
  24. ^ "Review:'Calico'". Kirkus Reviews.
  25. ^ a b "Western Writers of America Announce 2024 Spur Awards". Western Writers of America.
  26. ^ Reid, Calvin (September 3, 2014). "Two Novelists Launch Brash Books". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  27. ^ Cowsert, Derek (September 19, 2014). "Kansas City-based Brash Books gives life to old mysteries". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  28. ^ "RALPH DENNIS: THE LOST 'HARDMAN' CLASSICS – On Rescuing a Classic Crime Series from Paperback Obscurity". crimereads.com. 12 February 2019.
  29. ^ Dennis, Ralph (August 2018). "Atlanta Deathwatch Review". Publishers Weekly.
  30. ^ "'Nice Guys' director worked his way up from two other nice gigs". inquirer.com.
  31. ^ "The War Heist". Mystery Scene magazine.
  32. ^ "Brash Books Releases Lost Hardman Novel". Publishers Weekly magazine.
  33. ^ "Richard Himmel's Pulp Noir Books Are Back In Print". Chicago Tribune. 20 January 2021.
  34. ^ "The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers". Iamtw.org. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  35. ^ "Agoura Book Program Taps Lee Goldberg as 2021 Featured Author". The Acorn Newspaper. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  36. ^ "Evanovich.com".

External links