Richard Lewis Boyer (194319 January 2021) was an American writer, best known for series of

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...

s featuring Charlie "Doc" Adams, a dental surgeon in New England. His

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

''Billingsgate Shoal'' received the

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

for best novel in 1983. In 1981, Boyer originated the Places Rated Almanac, a ranking of the country's 333 metropolitan areas according to the most important factors that influence the quality of life: climate, cost of living, jobs, arts, recreation, health care and environment, education, transportation, and crime. The Places Rated Almanac was updated with new editions throughout the 1990s. Boyer was born in Evanston,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. He majored in English at

Denison University Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...

and earned an MFA in creative writing at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

, studying under

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut ( ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his Satire, satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfict ...

. Boyer worked as a high school teacher, a sales representative for publishing company and taught English at

Western Carolina University Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU ...

until his retirement in 2008. Mr. Boyer died on January 19, 2021, after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Bibliography

Doc Adams novels

*'' Billingsgate Shoal'' (1982) *''The Penny Ferry'' (1984) *''The Daisy Ducks'' (1986) *''Moscow Metal'' (1987) *''The Whale's Footprints'' (1988) *''Gone to Earth'' (1990) *''Yellow Bird'' (1991) *''Pirate Trade'' (1994) *''The Man Who Whispered'' (1998)

Other works

*'' The Giant Rat of Sumatra'' (1976) *''A Sherlockian Quartet'' (1999); short story collection *''Mzungu Mjinga: Swahili for Crazy White Man'' (2004) *''Buck Gentry'' (2005) *'' The Quintessential Sherlock Holmes'' (2008) (His last published work)

References

1943 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American crime fiction writers American male novelists 21st-century American male writers Edgar Award winners Writers of Sherlock Holmes pastiches {{US-novelist-1940s-stub