News

Party Girls in December Issue of Ellery Queen

I originally wrote this story in connection to Rockstar’s LA Noire video game, then decided to write another, which is the one Rockstar ran a couple of years ago in conjunction with the video games premier. Recently, I looked at the story again and decided I liked it, updated it a bit and here it is, published in the most recent issue (December 2013) of Ellery Queen Magazine. Here’s an excerpt (hope you can pick up an issue today!): PARTY GIRLS by Jonathan Santlofer I been collecting the souvenirs for almost a year now, a lipstick that belonged to Jeanne French, a butterfly brooch worn by Dorothy Montgomery when she was last seen that I pinned to my sweater the minute I could and almost never take off, and just this morning a compact, Max Factor Dark Ecru, that was in Rosenda Mondragon’s purse the night she was killed, along with the steno pad I … Read more

I’m Back! The Marijuana Chronicles, Inherit the Dead and more…

I’m back. Not that I was ever away, not from my life that is. (Though I sometimes dream of escaping, buying some secluded island like Marlon Brando did, but would I have to ruin my career and gain 200 pounds? First, I’d have to get a career like Brando’s, then make enough money to buy an island, two things that are highly unlikely, so… never mind.). What I meant was that I was away from my website, but now that it’s been rebuilt I’m going to stay current and I hope you’ll follow me. I’ll be updating my activities as a writer and artist, things I believe you will find interesting as opposed to what I’m having for breakfast or my afternoon snack (though you can ask if you really want to know). So, this past year, where to start? Maybe with the books I recently put together. The first, for Akashic Books, “The Marijuana … Read more

The Release of New Jersey Noir

I was honored when Joyce Carol Oates invited me to contribute a story for this collection of noir tales. The first thing she asked was, “Do you have a connection to New Jersey?” and I do. For one, I am married to a Jersey girl. And two, after graduate school I rented a studio in Hoboken (Frank Sinatra’s home town) and lived there for many years. That studio plays a part in the story that I wrote for this anthology, “Lola,” which is one of my favorite stories.

Dark End of the Street Release

I haven’t blogged or written on my website in a very long time and I apologize. It just got away from me. But I’m back and I’m going to try and keep this going. So, first off, TONIGHT is the launch party for “THE DARK END OF THE STREET,” the anthology SJ Rozan & I put together for Bloomsbury Publishing. It seems like yesterday that SJ and I were sitting in Grand Central Station talking about why crime fiction is considered 2nd rate, what we were going to do about it, and what we did: Invited crime fiction and literary writers to share a book, to write original stories on the twin subjects of crime and sex. At first we weren’t sure if the writers would agree, but just about everyone we asked not only said yes, but did so with enthusiasm, and they all turned in amazing stories. It took a year to put … Read more

The Murder Notebook Trade Paperback Is Here!

When NYPD forensic artist Nate Rodriguez is called in to identify the skull of a “John Doe” burned beyond recognition it is just the beginning. As more bodies turn up he is the only one who sees a common thread among them, but Nate has no idea that he has stumbled into something bigger and more evil than he ever imagined. “The Murder Notebook blends the striking visual impact of a graphic novel with the gritty realism of a crime-fiction thriller… Santlofer’s fluid, almost poetic writing, coupled with its extraordinary artwork, places him at the forefront of cutting-edge crime fiction.” Chicago Tribune The second Nate Rodriguez novel takes off from the Nero Award Winning “Anatomy of Fear,” and ratchets up the emotion, the intensity, and the fear. “Santlofer keeps the pace going at a rapid clip and fools the reader right up to the end.” Baltimore Sun

Catching Up

I don’t know how it happened, how it ever happens, how the time speeds by and you barely notice. It’s winter in New York. Last I looked it was summer. Next it will be spring and I will have a new book out, THE MURDER NOTEBOOK. It’s the second Nate Rodriguez book. When I wrote ANATOMY OF FEAR I wasn’t sure I would write another, but there was more to say about Nate. Now I’m thinking there could be many Nate books. He’s a man who cares about humanity, and he leads me into unexpected places. THE MURDER NOTEBOOK was a challenging book to write. The research intense. It’s a big, complex, thrilling murder mystery. But it also deals with the tragedy of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which plagues many returning soldiers. It used to be referred to as shell shock or battle fatigue, but it’s the same thing: soldiers who are psychologically and emotionally … Read more