Alan Orloff

Before Alan stepped off the corporate merry-go-round, he had an eclectic (some might say disjointed) career. As an engineer, he worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, facilitated technology transfer from the Star Wars program, and learned to stack washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He even started his own recycling and waste reduction newsletter business. Now he writes fiction. Alan Orloff’s debut mystery, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD (Midnight Ink), was a 2010 Agatha Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He’s written two books in the Last Laff mystery series, KILLER ROUTINE and DEADLY CAMPAIGN (also from Midnight Ink), and writing as his darker half Zak Allen, he’s published three books: THE TASTE, FIRST TIME KILLER, and RIDE-ALONG. His novel, RUNNING FROM THE PAST, was one of the initial Kindle Scout selections. His novel, PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT, won the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original. His novel, I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP, was a Shamus Award Finalist for Best First PI Novel. HIs YA thriller, I PLAY ONE ON TV, won both the Agatha Award and Anthony Award for Best Children's/YA Mystery. His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including JEWISH NOIR, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING, Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, WINDWARD, SNOWBOUND, LANDFALL, SEASCAPE, and MASTHEAD (BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES 2016 - 2020), THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, MYSTERY MOST GEOGRAPHICAL, GUNS + TACOS, and MICKEY FINN: 21st Century Noir, Volumes 1 and 3. His flash fiction story, "Happy Birthday," was nominated for a 2018 Derringer Award, and his story, "Dying in Dokesville," won a 2019 Derringer Award. His story, "Rent Due," won the 2021 ITW Thriller Award for Best Short Story, and “Rule Number One” (SNOWBOUND, Level Best Books) was selected for the 2018 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology, edited by Louise Penny. He loves arugula and cake, but not together. Never together. Alan can be followed/stalked on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alanorloff) and Twitter (@alanorloff). For more info, visit www.alanorloff.com