Bio
The short version:
Formerly a private investigator in Chicago and New Orleans, Sean Chercover now writes full-time.
His debut novel, BIG CITY BAD BLOOD, won the 2008 Shamus, Gumshoe, Crimespree, and Lovey awards for best first novel, and was shortlisted for the ITW Thriller, Arthur Ellis, Barry, and Anthony awards. His second novel, TRIGGER CITY, won the 2009 Dilys and Crimespree awards for best novel, and was shortlisted for the Anthony, Macavity and Barry awards. His short fiction has been awarded with the CWC Dagger and the Anthony, and has been shortlisted for the Edgar and Macavity.
The long version:
Sean Chercover grew up in Toronto. He spent summers in Georgia, with his grandmother in Louisville (pronounced, Lewis-ville, not like that city in Kentucky) and with cousins in Atlanta.
During his teens, Sean worked in the television industry in Toronto and Montreal. After high school, he worked on the underwater documentary series, The Last Frontier.
Sean lived in South Carolina for a spell, then moved to the Windy City, where he earned a BA in Indecision at Columbia College Chicago. He attended the American Security Training Institute, qualifying to work as a Private Detective, Security Consultant and Bodyguard. With Illinois Blue Card in hand, he went to work as a private detective in Chicago. He later moved to New Orleans, where he continued to work as a PI.
In the mid '90s, Sean returned to Toronto and the television industry, where he worked as a writer and video editor on about a gazillion documentaries and industrial videos, a few "reality" shows, infomercials, and so on. He also wrote for children's television, including the award-winning Once Upon A Hamster.
And then there's the glamorous stuff: over the years, Sean has worked as a truck driver, waiter, nightclub magician, car-jockey and encyclopedia salesman.
Sean's first novel, BIG CITY BAD BLOOD, won the Shamus, Gumshoe, Crimespree, and Lovey awards, and was shortlisted for the ITW Thriller, Arthur Ellis, Barry and Anthony awards. TRIGGER CITY won the 2009 Dilys Award and the Crimespree Award for best novel, and was shortlisted for the Anthony, Barry, and Macavity awards. Both are published in hardcover by William Morrow and in paperback by Harper Fiction, and are also available as audiobooks and e-books.
Sean's short story, "One Serving Of Bad Luck" won the CWC Dagger award in the UK. "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" won the Anthony Award, and was shortlisted for the Edgar and Macavity awards. "A Calculated Risk" was nominated for the CWC Dagger.
Sean lives in Toronto with his wife and son and their loyal mutt, Edgar. They get back to Chicago as often as they can.
