Passage of the Hurricane

James Lawrence is a pseudonym for the writing team of James O’Reilly and Larry Habegger, who have worked together on literary projects since the 1980s. An earlier version of Passage of the Hurricane appeared in the San Francisco Examiner as a daily serial in 1982, followed over the next few years by three reader-participation mysteries. James and Larry have also written dozens of stories for magazines and newspapers and co-authored a syndicated newspaper column that appeared in five countries over thirty-two years.In 1993 they launched the award-winning Travelers’ Tales publishing company, which has published more than 170 books of travel literature, memoir, and the occasional work of fiction. James and Larry have worked together on all of these books.James was born in Oxford, England, grew up in San Francisco, and now lives with his wife Wenda on the banks of the Icicle River in Central Washington. Larry lives with his wife Paula Mc Cabe on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, where he looks down at the waterfront and ponders the mysteries concealed beneath the piers.

“A thriller of high verve and wit, teeming with misfits, fizzing with greed and desire." —Scott Dominic Carpenter, author of Theory of Remainders“After reading just a few pages of Passage of the Hurricane, I was hooked and couldn't stop! With its richly drawn characters, lively dialogue, and evocative descriptions of San Francisco, it’s a fantastic, riveting tale.” —Don George, author of The Way of Wanderlust“Themysteries keep evolving and shifting. From drugs to prostitution to smuggling to murder. Could there be more? Yes, of course. And you never want it to end.” —Tania Romanov, author of One Hundred Years of Exile“Passage of the Hurricane is more than just a terrific mystery novel—James Lawrence draws you almost magically into historical times and places. It is as much a gripping detective story as it is a mesmerizing dive into the past. Pure gold.” —Gary Buslik, author of A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean“Passage of the Hurricane is the most riveting and propulsive thriller I have read in years, and a remarkable literary achievement from James Lawrence. Seamlessly plotted, brilliantly researched, the novel is packed with crackling, chewy dialogue delivered by unforgettable and instantly iconic characters. Chief among them is Private Investigator George Krishna Walker, a Sam Spade for our time, whose crime-solving adventure gripped me unrelentingly from the first page and did not let me go until the last. Along the way, the reader is swept back into the history of clipper ships, Spanish missionaries, and the Gold Rush that helped create the great City by the Bay. The book is also a kind of love letter to San Francisco itself—its fog, Chinatown dives, secret gardens, and Golden Gate Bridge that crowns it all—which provides perfect romantic backdrop for the twists and turns of this meticulously crafted yarn. Sequel, please!” —Marcia DeSanctis, author of A Hard Place to Leave

• Part OneGold MountainPart TwoChild of the SunPart ThreeCity of Saint Francis