author
William P. McGivern
1921–1982
A sharp, hard-boiled storyteller, he turned years as a police reporter into fast, gritty crime novels that helped define mid-century noir. His work reached far beyond paperbacks, with several books adapted for film and a long career in television and screenwriting.
2 Audiobooks
Death Makes a Mistake
by William P. McGivern
The Chameleon Man
by William P. McGivern
About the author
Born in Chicago on December 6, 1918, and raised in Mobile, Alabama, William P. McGivern became known for crime novels, mysteries, and thrillers written with a reporter’s eye for detail. Early in his career he worked in Philadelphia journalism, including police reporting, and that real-world experience fed the tense, street-level feel of his fiction.
He published more than twenty novels, sometimes using the name Bill Peters. Among his best-known books is The Big Heat, which was adapted into the 1953 film noir of the same name, and several other novels also made the jump to the screen. He also wrote in other genres early on, including pulp and science fiction.
Later, McGivern moved deeper into screen and television work, building a second career as a scriptwriter. He wrote for film and for popular TV series, extending his reach well beyond crime paperbacks. He died in Palm Desert, California, on November 18, 1982.