William Diehl (; December 4, 1924 – November 24, 2006) was an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

and photojournalist.

Biography

Diehl was a successful photographer and journalist, when he began his novel-writing career at 50. His first novel, ''Sharky's Machine'', was made into the 1981 film of the same name, directed and starred Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw it being shot on location in and around his hometown of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia. Its cast included

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, and

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. It was the most successful box-office release of a film directed by Reynolds. Diehl relocated to St. Simons Island, Georgia, in the early 1980s, and lived there for the next 15 years before returning to Atlanta. While living on St. Simons, he completed eight other novels, including '' Primal Fear'', which was adapted into a 1996 film.

Death

Diehl died of an aortic aneurysm at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006, while working on his 10th novel. He was survived by five children, four (Cathy, Bill, Stan, and Melissa) from his first marriage, and one (Temple) from his second marriage.

Bibliography

* ''Sharky's Machine'' (1978) * ''Chameleon'' (1981) * ''Hooligans'' (1984) * ''Thai Horse'' (1987) * ''The Hunt (27)'' (1990) * '' Primal Fear'' (1993)† * '' Show of Evil'' (1995)† * '' Reign in Hell'' (1997)† * ''Eureka'' (2002) * ''Seven Ways to Die'' (2012) with Kenneth John AtchityStevenson, Luanne (2012-04-23).
Book Review: ''Seven Ways to Die'' by William Diehl with Kenneth John Atchity
. Retrieved on 2012-10-10. : †''Primal Fear'', ''Show of Evil'', and ''Reign in Hell'' are all part of a series featuring lawyer Martin Vail and killer Aaron Stampler.

References

External links

*
Primal Fear' author Diehl dies at 81"
Associated Press, 26 November 2006 1924 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American novelists United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces soldiers 21st-century American novelists People from Woodstock, Georgia People from St. Simons, Georgia American male novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal {{US-novelist-1920s-stub