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

'' Billingsgate Shoal'' received the Edgar Award for best novel in 1983. Boyer was born in Evanston,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. He majored in English at

Denison University Denison University is a private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. The college was first called the Granville Literary and ...

and earned an MFA in creative writing at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a 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 into 12 col ...

, studying under

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

. 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. 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 was founded ...

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)

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 {{US-novelist-1940s-stub