Tue 31 Jul 2007
John P. Browner was the author of Death of a Punk (Pocket, pbo, 1980), a PI novel which as you may recall, was profiled here on the blog not so very long ago.
At stated then, and so credited in Al Hubin’s Crime Fiction IV, the other book that Browner is said to have written was Who Killed the Snowman? (Pocket, pbo, 1979).
While Death of a Punk is a book not easily found, it can be obtained if you’re willing to pay the price that’s currently being asked for it online. Or you can wait for it to show up while visiting used bookstores or library sales. It does exist.
On the other hand, there are no copies of Who Killed the Snowman? offered for sale online anywhere at all. The suspicion that there weren’t any to be found began to grow. And who was John P. Browner anyway?
To answer the second question first, Al Hubin, working under the assumption that that was Browner’s real name, reports his findings:
There are a number of John Browners with no middle initials given, who could, I suppose, be candidates.
There are 12 John Browners in the social security death benefit records; none is shown with middle initial P.
There’s nothing very conclusive here, but I agree with Al that the Florida-New York state Browner is the most likely candidate. Unfortunately, no address or telephone number has been obtained for him, and here is where the trail has temporarily ended.
As for Who Killed the Snowman? It doesn’t exist. Here, from Victor Berch, is the evidence:
Browner, John. Who Killed the Snowman? 1979. 2.25 (ISBN 0-671-82779-0) PB
Then, in the Spring 1981 volume were the following entries:
Browner, John. Death of a Punk. (Orig) 1980. Write for info (ISBN 0-671-82779-0). PB.
Browner, Who Killed the Snowman? 1979. 2.25 (ISBN 0-671-82779-0) PB
Note that the ISBN numbers are the same for each. I imagine that anyone writing for information would learn from the publisher (PB=Pocket Books), that the title Who Killed the Snowman? had been changed to Death of a Punk.
July 31st, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Steve, it’s a shame you wasted all those years as a Math professor. You should have been a private eye. Hardboiled of course.
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Just a note to let y’all know that John P. Browner, author “Death of a Punk” is not a pseudonym. He’s the 54 year old with ties to Sunapee and Claremont NH, as well as North Carolina. John, his wife Lisa and their daughter Greta live in Munich. John opened what is known as “the largest English-speaking second-hand bookstore in Germany” There’s a website but the name escapes me right now.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Brian
Thanks so much for the news about John Browner. With your assistance, I’ve found the website and some background info on John.
The website is http://www.readery.de/ .
I’ll send him an email and let him know that people were wondering about him.
Best
Steve
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
[…] Well, Death of a Punk seems never to actually die. I’m flattered that you went to such effort to track me down, although I liked the idea of being the 87 year old guy. […]
September 22nd, 2023 at 6:15 pm
And now this man’s single title will be published anew by Stark House press in October or November of this year.
Anybody ask him why he stopped with one book and didn’t write any others?