Joseph Hansen Detective writer Date of Birth: 19.07.1923 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joseph Hansen
2. Early Life and Career
3. The Dave Brandstetter Series
4. The Hake Bohannon Novellas
5. Other Works
6. Later Life and Death

Biography of Joseph Hansen

Joseph Hansen, an American writer and poet, is best known as the author of the popular series of detective novels featuring private detective Dave Brandstetter.

Early Life and Career

Joseph Hansen was born on July 19, 1923, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He began his creative career with poetry, with his first publications dating back to 1952. Hansen also participated in a folk group on a California radio station and worked in bookstores. In the 1960s, he conducted educational seminars on the basics of poetry. However, he soon shifted his focus to sexual themes as he was an openly gay man.

Hansen was married to Jane Bankroft, an artist with lesbian tendencies. Journalists often joked that their relationship was like that of a man and a woman who refused to love each other. Despite this, they lived together from 1943 until his death in 1994 and had a daughter.

The Dave Brandstetter Series

In 1970, Hansen published his first detective novel, "Fadeout," which introduced private detective Dave Brandstetter. The novel stood out for its gritty style and classical tough detective character. It was well-received by critics and popular among readers, prompting Hansen to write 11 more novels featuring the investigations of this detective over the next 20 years. One of the standout books in the series is the fifth installment, "Skinflick," which was praised by critics as one of the best novels of the series and included in lists of the best novels of the 20th century.

The Hake Bohannon Novellas

Hansen also wrote about another private detective, Hake Bohannon, a former deputy sheriff. He dedicated five novellas to this character, which were published together under one cover.

Other Works

Hansen also wrote two novels in a neo-gothic style. At the beginning of his career, he published his works under the pen names James Colton and James Coulton.

Later Life and Death

Joseph Hansen passed away on November 24, 2004, due to heart failure at his mansion in Laguna Beach, California.

Selected Bibliography:
- "Fadeout" (1970)
- "Death Claims" (1973)
- "Troublemaker" (1975)
- "The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of" (1978)
- "Skinflick" (1979)
- "Gravedigger" (1982)
- "Nightwork" (1984)
- "The Little Dog Laughed" (1986)
- "Early Graves" (1987)
- "Obedience" (1988)
- "The Boy Who Was Buried This Morning" (1990)
- "A Country of Old Men" (1991)