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A Creative Kind of Killer
First edition of the author's first book.Edgar Nominee.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Sandra Scoppettone
55 books79 followersAlso wrote as Jack Early.
Sandra Scoppettone first emerged as one of the best hard-boiled mystery writers using the name Jack Early for her first three novels that included A Creative Kind of Killer (1984) that won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for best first novel. She had started writing seriously since the age of 18 when she moved to New York from South Orange, New Jersey. Scoppettone in the 1960s collaborated with Louise Fitzhuh and in the 1970s wrote important young adult novels. The Late Great Me depicting teenage alcoholism won an Emmy Award in 1976. Her real name was revealed in the 1990s with the start of a series featuring PI Lauren Laurano. Scoppettone shares her life with writer Linda Crawford.
Sandra Scoppettone first emerged as one of the best hard-boiled mystery writers using the name Jack Early for her first three novels that included A Creative Kind of Killer (1984) that won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for best first novel. She had started writing seriously since the age of 18 when she moved to New York from South Orange, New Jersey. Scoppettone in the 1960s collaborated with Louise Fitzhuh and in the 1970s wrote important young adult novels. The Late Great Me depicting teenage alcoholism won an Emmy Award in 1976. Her real name was revealed in the 1990s with the start of a series featuring PI Lauren Laurano. Scoppettone shares her life with writer Linda Crawford.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 12, 2026
Long-time residents of early 80s Soho (this was published in 1984) don't approve of the transformation the art crowd has brought to the area. But Fortune
Fanelli, ex-cop turned private investigator and single parent of two, likes his old neighbourhood in its chic and glitzy guise. He also likes to work, and accepts the job of solving the murder of a young girl, whose trail snakes along the underbelly of SoHo where drug smuggling, runaway children, pornography and legions of hustlers crowd.
I bought this without knowing anything about it - other than it was a crime novel published in the 80s which is a genre and timeline I love – and I’m glad I did. Fortune is an ex-cop, who’s come into a little money and left the force, with a strong empathetic streak and a desire to do the right thing (he feels very guilty when he doesn’t). After getting pulled into the case, he meets a neighbour who looks a lot like Meryl Streep and their careful, touching relationship is very well handled. Equally, the neighbourhood is lovingly conveyed, with the buildings, streets and characters all adding to the colour, and his feelings about the changes in the area are clearly laid out (which is ironic, since I imagine gentrification would have changed everything completely with ten years of this being published). The story is nicely played out (though it does take some very dark turns) and resolves well, though it’s a shame this is the only fortune novel - Early is a pseudonym of Sandra Scoppettone, a crime writer whose last few books hadn’t sold well and decided on a new direction, but then she went on to create a new series character - Lauren Laurano. Well worth a read, I’d recommend this.
Fanelli, ex-cop turned private investigator and single parent of two, likes his old neighbourhood in its chic and glitzy guise. He also likes to work, and accepts the job of solving the murder of a young girl, whose trail snakes along the underbelly of SoHo where drug smuggling, runaway children, pornography and legions of hustlers crowd.
I bought this without knowing anything about it - other than it was a crime novel published in the 80s which is a genre and timeline I love – and I’m glad I did. Fortune is an ex-cop, who’s come into a little money and left the force, with a strong empathetic streak and a desire to do the right thing (he feels very guilty when he doesn’t). After getting pulled into the case, he meets a neighbour who looks a lot like Meryl Streep and their careful, touching relationship is very well handled. Equally, the neighbourhood is lovingly conveyed, with the buildings, streets and characters all adding to the colour, and his feelings about the changes in the area are clearly laid out (which is ironic, since I imagine gentrification would have changed everything completely with ten years of this being published). The story is nicely played out (though it does take some very dark turns) and resolves well, though it’s a shame this is the only fortune novel - Early is a pseudonym of Sandra Scoppettone, a crime writer whose last few books hadn’t sold well and decided on a new direction, but then she went on to create a new series character - Lauren Laurano. Well worth a read, I’d recommend this.
March 7, 2012
got A CREATIVE KIND OF KILLER in ebook form that was free.The plot of the book was very interesting, it's about a girl that was killed ,and Fortune Fanelli a former detective,and the main character had to figure out who had killed this girl,and why?For me there were entirely to many typos, and a few spelling errors in the story line.Like the number 1 in place of the the letter I.Also another thing Fortune who was a little bit unsure of him self at times( would use the word maybe) as though what he was thinking or saying wasn't factual. Also what got me was Fortune was being(to me) a little bit to descriptive about certain things.For example: the person who he meet or came into contact with, he would describe what they were wearing in which it took(I think) away from the main purpose of ther story.As I was read on in the book Fortune would every now ,and then reminisce on certain things,or place,and people as if we(the reader) would know who, what,and where he was talking about. It was an OK read.
September 24, 2018
One, if not my most favorite book. The first time I read this it was in 8th grade, I haven't been able to stop rereading it since! Extremely well written and keeps you on the edge with each turn of the page.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews