Stewart Hoag & Lulu Books In Order

Publication Order of Stewart Hoag & Lulu Books

The American writer David Handler is an author of thriller and mystery novels, creating suspense fueled narratives with both wit and intelligence. Lauded by both the critics and the general public alike, he has managed to make a name for himself writing character driven stories that keep the readers on the edges of their seats. Producing bestsellers that have been read worldwide, he’s effectively created a global brand, that is appreciated by audiences of all varieties. He is also well known for producing crime fiction that’s known for its gritty hard-boiled style, as it keeps its readers continually hooked throughout. Knowing exactly what it is that what he wants to say, he writes in a clear and direct manner, speaking straight to the reader. Writing about his time spent growing up in Los Angeles too, he uses a lot of his own experiences in much of his work as well, giving it an extra layer of authenticity. Previously working in New York as a journalist too, he has managed to create a brand for himself that resonates on a definitively realistic level. He has also written alongside the writer Peter Gethers under the pen-name of Russell Andrews, whilst creating a number of well loved series under both names. One major series is that of his much loved and widely acclaimed ‘Stewart Hoag and Lulu’ collection of mystery suspense novels. Essentially working as ‘cozy mysteries’ they work as fun and engaging stories that work to keep the reader guessing throughout, whilst using humor along the way. Following the character of Stewart Hoag, it sees him as he works as a celebrity ghostwriter, whilst also solving cases alongside his basset hound Lulu. A witty, suave and somewhat debonair character, the leading protagonist of Stewart Hoag always has a classic punchline ready, whilst Lulu has a love of cat food. Targeted mainly at readers looking for a casual read, these are fun and compelling novels that provide an entertaining sense of escapism for the reader.

The series itself started in 1988 with the title ‘The Man Who Died Laughing’, a novel which would introduce the core characters and premise of the overall franchise. This would then continue throughout the following years for over nine books until 2017, with the novel ‘The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes’. There would also be an omnibus edition collating the first two novels, as the series would gain a lot of traction gaining fans worldwide. With room to continue expanding on this series indefinitely, there’s a lot of potential to carry on into the foreseeable future for quite some time to come.

The Man Who Died Laughing

Originally brought out in 1988 through the Crimeline publishing label, this would be the book that begun the entire ‘Stewart Hoag and Lulu’ series. Setting up the franchise, this would establish the main characters, along with the basic format and central premise as well. Foreshadowing a lot of what was to come too, it manages to provide a number of exciting twists and turns along the way too.

Finding himself in Hollywood, this story starts out with Stewart Hoag, or ‘Hoagy’ for short, along with his basset hound Lulu, ghosting the memoirs of one ex-funnyman Sonny Day. Looking to get back into the limelight, Day is hoping to make a resurgence after his glory days in the fifties as one half of the comedy double act ‘Knight and Day’. It is his hope that this book will get him what he wants, as he aims to ‘tell all’, and reinvent his name with the help of Hoagy’s witty prose. That’s when a killer a strikes, as someone clearly doesn’t want the book being published, with all signs pointing to Hoagy after a corpse is discovered. Will he be able to clear his name and tell the story that needs telling? Can he find out who the real killer is before they strike again? What really became of the man who died laughing?

The Man Who Lived by Night

Initially released in 1989, this was first brought out on the 1st of March just over one year after the release of the first title, as it makes up the second title in the ongoing ‘Stewart Hoag and Lulu’ series of novels. Developing the characters and premise from before, this takes everything in a new and interesting direction, whilst simultaneously remaining true to the original throughout. Keeping the reader guessing right until the very last page, it holds a murder mystery that is intricately woven combining a number of exciting elements.

This time Stewart Hoag heads to England in order to meet the famous rock star Tristram Scarr on his huge estate there. It is here that he finds that Tristram is nocturnal, whilst also confining himself to the estate having never left it over the past ten years. After not getting much from Scarr himself, Hoagy goes on to interview the other band members, soon discovering that Scarr actually believes that their bassist was killed on-stage. This then leads Hoagy to undertake research for the book in order to find out what actually happened there, with plenty of suspects to interview. Will he be able to find the real killer and the truth behind what actually happened? Can he find out why the bassist was killed and the what the motivations were? What is the real truth behind the man who lived by night?

The Stewart Hoag & Lulu Series

As a series, this works because it really knows what it wants to do with the format right from the very beginning, taking it in new and interesting directions. Using a lot of tropes that are atypical to the cozy mystery genre, it definitely manages to make them unique, Handler creates something that is entirely distinctive to him. Creating characters that resonate with their audience, this manages to build a genuine sense of rapport with the reader as the series progresses too. Not showing signs of stopping any time soon either, this is definitely a series that will grow from strength-to-strength for many years to follow yet.