Brian Harper

If you've followed my career (and why else would you have navigated to this page?), you know that I published six thrillers, from Shiver (1992) to Mortal Pursuit (1998). And you also know that after Mortal Pursuit, the rest is silence.

Did I retire? Did I peer too deeply into the abyss and lose my precarious hold on sanity? Did I attempt to conquer Everest and perish near the summit?

Actually, what happened is that the sales figures of my books dropped off pretty sharply, and after a certain point, my publisher (with my wholehearted approval) decided that the best way to revive my career was to "reinvent" me. So the long and short of it is: I'm still writing, but under a new name!

Now, if you've come this far, you probably want to know my new identity. But I'm not sure my publisher wants me to publicly spill the beans. Here's the solution I've come up with:

To learn my newly minted alias and the titles of my new books, simply click this mystery link.

It'll take you to my new Web site, where you can see what I call myself now, what I've been up to, and how to contact me via email.

Please note: If you've visited before, you may remember that I had an email address specifically for my Brian Harper identity. That address is no longer operative. But you can use my new identity's email to reach me.

Shiver, 1992

On a bad night in L.A., shy and timid Wendy Alden survives a terrifying encounter with a serial killer nicknamed the Gryphon. But the Gryphon isn't through with Wendy. His insane obsession drives him to strike at her again and again ... To survive, Wendy must discover an inner strength she never suspected she possessed.

Shudder, 1994

LAPD detective Robert Card is shaken by his latest case -- the murder of a small boy who reminds him of his own young son. What Card doesn't know is that the killer is a beautiful and seductive woman, Dominique, psychotically addicted to murder as performance art ... and she's chosen Card's son as her next victim.

Shatter, 1995

Donna Wildman, trained in profiling the criminal mind, assists the police force of a small California beach town in the investigation of a teenage runaway's brutal slaying. The trail of clues leads to the police department itself ... and perhaps to Detective Mark Logan, Donna's former fiancé, now a shattered man with secrets only Donna can learn.

Deadly Pursuit, 1996

Meet Jack Dance, ladies' man, a charming multiple murderer now on the run from the FBI. Jack seeks refuge on an isolated island in the Florida Keys, only to run into his childhood friend Steve Gardner, vacationing with his wife Kirstie. Over the next twenty-four hours the Gardners' marriage, already under strain, will be pushed to the breaking point ... because Jack and Steve share a secret, which Kirstie cannot be allowed to learn.

Blind Pursuit, 1997

Psychologist Erin Reilly is abducted from her Tucson home by a man with a bizarre problem. He's a serial killer who burns his victims alive -- and he needs Erin's help to find a cure for his obsession before he kills again. While Erin's sister Annie searches for her, Erin delves into her captor's psyche and his past, discovering a secret guilt ... and an unexpected connection between the killer and herself.

Mortal Pursuit, 1998

Rookie patrolwoman Trish Robinson has been on duty for less than a week in rural Santa Barbara County when she and her training officer answer a prowler call at a remote mountaintop estate. The two cops walk into an ambush laid by a crew of ruthless criminals who have invaded the estate and taken the residents hostage. Only Trish survives the attack. Disarmed, cut off from help, and outnumbered five to one, the young rookie must play a game of cat-and-mouse with hardened killers.

And I wrote an essay, "A Motive for Murder," which appeared in the collection The Fine Art of Murder, edited by Ed Gorman, Martin H. Greenberg, Larry Segriff, & Jon L. Breen (Carroll & Graf, 1993).

All my novels were paperback originals published by Signet Books, a division of Penguin Putnam. Paperbacks don't stay in print forever, and mine are no exception; they are all either out of print or on the verge of going out of print, and as a result, they are increasingly hard to find.

Mortal Pursuit and perhaps Blind Pursuit can still be found in well-stocked book stores or online at Amazon (www.amazon.com) and Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com). I'm told you can order these books from places like Books-A-Million and Waldenbooks.

For the other titles, you'll probably need to look for a "previously owned" copy. Some obvious places to look are local used book stores, thrift shops, and libraries. But I'd say the best way to obtain the books is to search the used-book databases on the Web.

Another, similar resource is TomFolio (www.tomfolio.com). I haven't tried it yet, but it looks promising.

Or you could try Half.com (www.half.com), a subsidiary of eBay (www.ebay.com). My books turn up on eBay sometimes, as well.

Barnesandnoble.com offers a reliable used-book service (click on the "Out of Print" tab on their homepage), and Amazon.com will try to track down an out-of-print title for you, though it takes time. And Amazon has an auction section and the ZShops Marketplace, both of which offer used books.

I worked (unsuccessfully) as a screenwriter and freelance journalist in Los Angeles a few years before publishing my first psychological thriller, Shiver, in 1992. Five more books followed. More than one million Brian Harper novels have appeared in print worldwide, including foreign-language editions in Europe and Asia.

You can reach me at the email address provided at the above-mentioned mystery link.

I thought it would be fun to post a sample of reader comments about my books, taken from the Amazon.com website. I've included both negative and positive comments, partly to give an honest sense of reader reaction, but mainly because I enjoy hearing all points of view.

The readers' screen names and other identifying info have been omitted, and I've edited the comments to avoid repetition.

My occasional responses are printed in bold italics. Hey, sometimes I have to get the last word.

THE BEST BOOK IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!! I just can't describe how wonderfully well written and thought out this book was. I have read thousands of mystery novels and Brian Harper is DEFINITELY in the top 3. I would suggest reading all of his books. PLEASE WRITE SOME MORE BOOKS, BRIAN, PLEASE I BEG YOU!!!!

I am, I am! I just hope the news reaches you before you do something drastic.

I have read this book twice and each time I have been held captive by the real scenes, the tension, and the gritty character, Trish Robinson. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held my attention, something many books fail to do. Keep up the great work, Brian.

DIE HARD WITH ESTROGEN. The blurb on the book's cover is sexist enough enough as it is- "For a female cop, the next six hours is all about staying alive." Why should it matter at all if the cop is a female? The blurb should read, instead, "For the reader, the next six hours is all about staying awake." ... This may do for a few empty hours at the beach or the laundromat but I'd recommend going to a second-hand bookstore to pick up this and "Harper's" other PURSUIT novels.

Exciting! Brian Harper writes the best thriller/murder books. Period. I've read all of Brian Harper's books and I rate this one second only to the great book Shiver. When I read thriller books, I expect excitement and heart-pounding action - this book has it and more! Nobody creates quality excitement like Brian Harper.

A New Twist On Every Page. This is the second Brian Harper book that I have read, and I must say, I AM IMPRESSED... He keeps you turning the page, and it's difficult to put his books down...

Outstanding!!! Took my breath away!!! Read it!!! I wanted to go out and read the other books that "Harper" wrote immediately. I locked my doors and held tight to my teddy bear after I read " Blind Pursuit".

One of the Best in the Pursuit series. When you read this story and most of Harper's, you never want to put it down. But when you do, you can't wait to read it later. It mixes mystery, murder, police action. I highly recommend it.

Horrible. Nothing like any of his other books, and a tremendous disappointment. The plot was choppy and hard to follow, and I became bored with it from about page 15 on.

Insane. This book is amazing. It's really strange though, and it could be the fact with the children... but I couldn't put this down, I even took it to school with me to read every chance I got. It keeps you turning the pages, especially late at night!

Creepy. I love all of Brian Harper's books, and constantly keep an eye out for a new one. Shudder was more creepy than the rest, however, maybe because little kids were the subject. I would read it again, though, because Harper keeps me glued to each page, and I always end his books with a sigh, wishing they would go on ... Harper deserves more credit than he receives, and I'd recommend any one of his books to anyone.

A great book, extremely well written, exciting! I've read many books by many popular authors but I believe Brian Harper is the best at his genre by far. From a technical standpoint, 'Shiver' is so well written. It has pace, plot, depth, style, building tension - you can't ask anything more from an author ... Every paragraph has a purpose, every word is thought out. Some authors write just for a paycheck - but not Harper.

Shhh. Keep quiet about that paycheck stuff. You want my publisher to see that?

This was the second Brian Harper book I read, and I was not disappointed. The story starts with a prologue in which the Gryphon kills his first victim ... What follows will keep even the most restless reader on the edge of his/her seat ... A realistic, thrilling novel with an accurate depiction of police life in the large city. It's a definite "don't miss" for suspense fans.

Thanks to everyone who's posted comments, favorable or unfavorable, on Amazon or anywhere else.

Sometimes readers write to me, care of my publisher. I always reply to letters, so if you wrote and didn't get a response, it means that your letter failed to arrive. Now that I'm online, email (available through the mystery link) is the most reliable means of getting in touch with me. Anyway, here are some of the more common questions I've gotten, and my scintillating answers.

A: Although all my books involve crime and suspense, I've tried to create a variety of moods and plots, making comparisons difficult. For sheer momentum, I like Mortal Pursuit the best. For plot structure, probably Blind Pursuit. My favorite character is Wendy in Shiver. She came alive in a way that some of the others did not.

A: Only Shiver has attracted serious interest. Two producers have optioned it. In the first case, the book came very close to being made into a TV movie for one of the broadcast networks, but the deal fell through. Currently, a feature film producer is hoping to film the book as a medium-budget theatrical release. I've read the script, which is remarkably faithful to the source. But there is no guarantee the movie will be made.

A: The most useful one I've read is How to Write Best-Selling Fiction, by Dean R. Koontz. It's out of print, I believe, but sometimes a copy can be found in a library or a used-book store. Stephen King's recent book On Writing contains a lot of good advice, although I can't say I agree with his opinion that an author should never outline his book in advance. I use outlines all the time and would be lost without them.

A: Weren't you listening? You gotta click on the mystery link for that info. Come on now, people, pay attention ...