Arthur Lyons (writer)

Arthur Lyons (1946-2008) was an American fiction writer. Many of his novels feature Jacob Asch, a reporter turned private detective who solves cases involving the rich and famous. His 1986 novel Castles Burning became the basis for the TV movie Slow Burn.^{[ citation needed ]} A former member of the Palms Spring City Council, ^[1] Lyons also authored nonfiction works.

Lyons was born in Los Angeles on January 5, 1946. ^[1] At age 11, he moved to Palm Springs, California. In 1967, he received a degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. ^[2] He died in Palm Springs on March 21, 2008, following a stroke. ^[1]

Palm Springs holds an annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Lyons' honor. ^[2]

Publications

Non-fiction books

• Unnatural Causes, with Thomas Noguchi (1988)
• The Second Coming: Satanism in America (1970) ^[3]
• Satan Wants You: The Cult of Devil Worship in America (1971) ^[4]
• The Blue Sense: Psychic Detectives and Crime, with Marcello Truzzi (1991)
• Death on the Cheap: The Lost B Movies of Film Noir (2000)
• Physical Evidence, with Thomas Noguchi

Novels

• The Dead Are Discreet (1974)
• All God’s Children (1975) ^[5]
• The Killing Floor (1976) ^[6]
• Dead Ringer (1977) ^[7]
• Castles Burning (1979) ^[8]
• Hard Trade (1981) ^[9]
• At the Hands of Another (1983) ^[10]
• Three With a Bullet (1984) ^[11]
• Fast Fade (1987) ^[12]
• Other People’s Money (1989)
• False Pretenses (1994) ^[13]

Short stories

• “Trouble in Paradise” (1985, The New Black Mask # 1)
• “Missing in Miami” (1986, Mean Streets)
• “Double Your Pleasure” (January 1989, AHMM)
• “Dead Copy” (1988, An Eye For Justice)
• “Twist Of Fate” (January 1990, AHMM)
• “The Tongan Nude” (October 1997, AHMM)

References

1. "Lyons, Arthur, Jr. 1946-2008 (Arthur Lyons)". Encyclopedia.com . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
2. Pierce, J. Kingston (April 3, 2012). "Remembering Arthur Lyons". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
3. "The Second Coming: Satanism in America". Kirkus Reviews . October 1, 1970. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
4. "Satan Wants You: The Cult of Devil Worship in America". Kirkus Reviews . May 15, 1988. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
5. "All God's Children". Kirkus Reviews . May 1, 1975. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
6. "The Killing Floor". Kirkus Reviews . December 1, 1976. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
7. "Dead Ringer". Kirkus Reviews . December 1, 1977. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
8. "Castles Burning". Kirkus Reviews . January 1, 1979. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
9. "Hard Trade". Kirkus Reviews . April 1, 1981. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
10. "At the Hands of Another". Kirkus Reviews . August 1, 1983. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
11. "Three with a Bullet". Kirkus Reviews . January 1, 1984. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
12. "Fast Fade". Kirkus Reviews . July 15, 1987. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
13. "False Pretenses". Kirkus Reviews . October 15, 1993. Retrieved March 15, 2025.

External links

• Arthur Lyons at IMDb
• Jacob Asch