SEATTLE —The Seattle area is a rich location for natural beauty, atmospheric weather — and, as it turns out, plot inspiration for crime fiction. Robert Dugoni, the Kirkland, Washington-based author of nearly two dozen popular mystery novels, said he once asked a police officer why this area seemed to have more than its share of serial killers. "He said, think about it. Think about how many ways there are to get rid of bodies around here. You have the mountains, the marshes, the rivers, the oceans, the lakes ..."
Dugoni, originally from California, has disposed of multiple fictional bodies since moving here in 1999, many in his ongoing police procedural series centered on Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite (the 10th book in the series, "One Last Kill," will be out in October). He has also written a series featuring Seattle attorney David Sloane, a trilogy of spy novels featuring former CIA agent (and native Seattleite) Charles Jenkins, and several stand-alone novels.
Chris Jarmick, owner of the Kirkland independent bookstore BookTree, has long been a fan of Dugoni's work, recommending his books to countless readers. "I believe he is one of the very best writers of mystery-thrillers," Jarmick wrote in an email. "His books are page turners with literary elements. ... If you like writers like Louise Penny, Donna Leon and Martin Walker, Robert Dugoni books should be ones you'll really enjoy."
