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James L'Etoile

Goodreads Author

Born

in Napa, California, The United States

July 03

Website

http://jamesletoile.com

Twitter

jamesletoile

Genre

Crime, Thriller, Mystery

Influences

20 years in prison - working there

Member Since

June 2013

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James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California’s state parole system. He is a nationally recognized expert witness on prison and jail operations. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award nominee and shortlisted for the Bill Crider Award for short fiction. His published novels include: Dead Drop( Lefty Award nominee), Black Label (Silver Falchion winner), At What Cost, Bury the Past, and Little River -The Other Side of Paradise. You can find out more at www.jamesletoile.com ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

James L'Etoile I'm not certain if I can actually call this a mystery, but at one point in my law enforcement career, I served in a position appointed by the governor…moreI'm not certain if I can actually call this a mystery, but at one point in my law enforcement career, I served in a position appointed by the governor of California. In that role, I had to appear before dozens of legislative hearings and testify on prison and parole operation.

Imagine my surprise when I made my first appearance and the governor's cabinet secretary (pretty high ranking guy) didn't know that once you finish serving your 24 months in prison--you get out. There was no magic wand, or approval process. Since 1977, you do your time and out the door you go. It doesn't matter if you were an absolute non-compliant creep. The court sentenced you to X number of months and you aren't going to serve any more than that.

I was kinda blown away that a highly placed policy wonk didn't know the basic mechanics of the area he was responsible for. He wasn't the lone ranger here. Campaign contributions landed a few folks some cushy jobs in the administration and most really tried to learn their new responsibilities. Senators and State Assembly persons were a crapshoot, regardless of party lines. Some wanted to do the best for their constituents and make a difference, while others were in it to seek a higher, more lofty post.

I remember taking a senator on a prison tour in his home district. That prison's staff spent hours putting together a binder full of information about the prison, its mission and how much it cost to operate the aging facility. The senator spent less than a half hour at the prison (with his young-and later very pregnant staff assistant--and that is another bit of political scandal and drama) before they need to take care of "business" somewhere else. A few hours later I spotted them at an airport and watched them dump the informational binders in the trash.

Once you peek behind the curtain, you don't look at politics, legislation, or committees the same way--ever. It's like making sausage. Thankfully we have scores of career committee staffers who get the real work done and point their elected officials in the right direction.

I've played around with some political themes in my stories, but I find I have to pull back because, even though it's fiction--who would believe the dirty dealings under the capitol dome?

#MysteryWeek
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

James L'Etoile I was asked this very question on a panel at Bouchercon in New Orleans last year. Without giving too much away, AT WHAT COST came about, in large part…moreI was asked this very question on a panel at Bouchercon in New Orleans last year. Without giving too much away, AT WHAT COST came about, in large part, from my experience working in a maximum security prison. Two events converged.

A child of a co-worker became very ill and needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Dozens of us donated blood and went on the national marrow list. The good news was that the boy found a match quickly and got his marrow transplant. But the fear and uncertain future took a toll on the family and all of us who worked with him.

The second incident was a bit darker. I worked in a prison cell block called the Violence Control Unit, where a hundred or so of the most aggressive, assaultive and disruptive inmates were housed. One day, an Aryan Brotherhood gang member stabbed another inmate on the exercise yard and was shot by one of our officers. The gang member saved the stabbing victim, but the Aryan Brotherhood assailant later died in the hospital.

Within hours we heard that the inmate's organs were going to be harvested for transplant. My first thought was that this vile creature had nothing but hatred inside. Who would want any part of that? The I remembered how desperate the boy's family was when they were looking for a marrow donor.

When it comes down to it--how far would you go to save your child? And that--is the basic underpinning of AT WHAT COST.

#MysteryWeek(less)

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James L'Etoile’s books

Average rating: 4.11 · 842 ratings · 266 reviews · 16 distinct works • Similar authors

	Face of Greed really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 251 ratings — published 2023 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	At What Cost (Detective Penley, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 173 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bury the Past (Detective Penley Mystery, #2) 4.08 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dead Drop: A Detective Nathan Parker Novel 4.23 avg rating — 73 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Black Label 4.24 avg rating — 49 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Devil Within: A Detective Nathan Parker Novel 4.57 avg rating — 23 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little River 4.54 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Served Cold 4.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	River of Lies (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book 2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	River of Lies (2) (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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James L'Etoile's Blog

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Navigating True Crime: Distinguishing Between Sensationalism and Real Crime

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Series by James L'Etoile

Detective Penley (2 books)
by

James L'Etoile (Goodreads Author)

3.97 avg rating — 258 ratings

Detective Nathan Parker (3 books)
by

James L'Etoile (Goodreads Author)

4.37 avg rating — 107 ratings

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author game, Round 3	13653	550	Apr 03, 2017 09:53AM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2018 How Many Pages?	284	183	Feb 01, 2019 08:04PM
Crazy Challenge C...: June 2018 Spell Challenge	126	76	Jan 14, 2020 11:53AM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2017 Help Me Decide	1842	228	Jun 25, 2020 03:10AM
Crazy Challenge C...: April 2018 Spell Challenge : Eggcentric Expressions	143	81	Nov 03, 2020 01:49PM
Cozy Mysteries : Title and Author Game, Round 6	4084	206	Jan 11, 2021 12:15PM

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James’s Quotes

“The river in front of her was black. She thought it contained many things.”
― Gisele Prassinos

tags: river, unconscious

13 likes

“Life in us is like the water in a river.”
― Henry David Thoreau

tags: life, water

86 likes

“Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing

1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”
― Elmore Leonard

612 likes