BCMystery

Biography

Bill Cameron is the critically-acclaimed author of the dark, gritty mysteries County Line, Day One, Chasing Smoke and Lost Dog—featuring irascible Portland homicide cop Skin Kadash. His first young adult mystery Property of the State, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016: Teen.

In a starred review, Kirkus described Property of the State as, “An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action.” Booklist said, “Joey’s intense, gripping narration of his heartbreaking life will haunt readers.”

Of County Line, Publishers Weekly said, “Contemporary sharp-edged noir doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s mournful novel featuring ex-cop Skin Kadash.” And New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain described Day One as “an utterly engrossing page-turner.” In the Vancouver Voice, Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun said, “The body count is positively Shakespearean, but in Cameron’s vision of P-town’s dark underbelly, love really is strong as death. Maybe stronger.” Chasing Smoke received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist declared, “it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”

In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. Lost Dog was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. His short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. Bill’s short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year, and First Thrills.

Bill raises chickens in his back yard in Oregon, and coaxes unruly words into mellifluous sentences in his writing room. He is currently at work on several stories and the first novel in the Melisende Dulac Series. Published under the name WJ Cameron, Melisende with make her print debut in the story "Hey Nineteen" in Fall 2019.