Joseph Hansen

The Dave Brandstetter series should be read in publication order, starting with "Fadeout," followed by "Death Claims," and then "Troublemaker." Each novel features the openly gay insurance investigator solving mysteries in Los Angeles.

Joseph Hansen is widely recognized for pioneering the gay detective novel with his Dave Brandstetter series, which broke ground by featuring an openly gay protagonist in a mainstream mystery series. His work is also noted for its realistic portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

Joseph Hansen's novel "Fadeout" was adapted into a television movie titled "The Man Who Wouldn't Die" in 1995, starring Roger Moore as Dave Brandstetter.

Joseph Hansen also wrote several non-mystery novels and poetry collections under his own name, but he did not use a distinct pen name for his mystery work.