John McMahon

The New York Times called McMahon’s debut novel, "The Good Detective,"  “pretty much perfect” and listed it among their Top Ten Crime Novels of 2019. The book was a finalist for the 2020 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. John’s newest book, "Head Cases," was part of an auction in Hollywood and is in preproduction at HBO MAX as a TV series.

John lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids and his rescue dog Tessie. In his day job, he’s an advertising creative director and is in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.

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Awards: Finalist for EDGAR for THE GOOD DETECTIVE, but did not win; finalist for INTERNATIONAL THRILLER; did not win

Workshop: This Year You'll Write a Book

Want to write a novel this year? Today we will discuss the building blocks of a great book, covering ten things that will elevate your setting, conflict and characters. Bring a half-page sample of your own work. We will select a few and workshop with those!

Integrated Learning Center Room 119 (Seats 60)  
Sat, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  

Panelist: John McMahon

FBI Connection

How can we tell the good guys from the bad? Becky Masterman and John McMahon have written books that explore the human side of investigations in ways that make us gasp, hold our breath and--most importantly--keep turning the pages.

Integrated Learning Center Room 120 (Seats 300, Wheelchair accessible)  
Sat, Mar 15, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  

Panelists: Becky Masterman, John McMahon, Kyle Mills
Moderator: Dave Tedlock

Smarter Than the Bad Guys

From Sherlock Holmes on, we love a brilliant sleuth. Chasing clues and fitting the pieces together takes a lot of brain power. These authors have given us investigators to cheer for and think about.

Koffler Room 204 (Seats 300, Wheelchair accessible)  
Sun, Mar 16, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - UA Campus Store Tent (on Mall) (following presentation)  

Panelists: David McCloskey, Megan Miranda, Barbara Nickless
Moderator: John McMahon

Lawyers, Lawmen, and the Lawless

Good guys vs. bad guys. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is who. These mystery writers are masters at keeping you guessing.

UA Mall Tent (Seats 250)  
Sun, Mar 16, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Central Mall (following presentation)  

Panelists: William Kent Krueger, Phillip Margolin, John McMahon
Moderator: Robert Ronning

Books:

Head Cases

A Novel
Mystery / Thrillers
St. Martin's Publishing Group
January 2025
ISBN 9781250348296
352 pages