Beall, Will

PERSONAL:

Education: Attended San Diego State University.

CAREER:

Police officer and writer. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles, CA, police officer, c. 1998—.

WRITINGS:

L.A. Rex, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including the Los Angeles Times. Contributor to the LAPD Blog.

ADAPTATIONS:

L.A. Rex is being adapted for film.

SIDELIGHTS:

Will Beall was an English major in college when a friend of his was murdered by her boyfriend. When he interviewed the murderer for his school paper, he became so involved in the case that he ended up as a witness for the prosecution. In the end, Beall decided journalism wasn't for him, and the local district attorney suggested he look into law enforcement. Beall joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the late 1990s but pursued his interest in writing during his spare time. His first novel, L.A. Rex, is set in the LAPD's 77th precinct, the same precinct where Beall has worked for several years. The story revolves around recent police academy graduate Ben Halloran, whose nervousness as he begins his new job is heightened when he is partnered with legendary officer Miguel Marquez. To further complicate matters, Ben has changed his last name to Halloran from Kahn, hiding the fact the he is the son of a successful and flamboyant defense attorney who has garnered the enmity of more than one policeman. The novel follows Ben and Miguel as they deal with the drug dealers, gang members, and murderers who populate the tough neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.

"Beall does well creating atmosphere, allowing telling details to accumulate," wrote Mark Kamine in the New York Times Book Review. Kamine went on to note that the author "also demonstrates an ability … to handle subtleties, as when Marquez remembers his beloved wife." A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Beall a "talented writer" but noted that the book "could use a warning label: Strong Stomach Mandatory." In a review for the Philadelphia Inquirer, David Hiltbrand noted that the author "has written a brutal and dynamic novel," adding that "Beall's background shows in keenly observed passages about the streets of South Central." Writing in the Sun-Sentinel Online, Oline H. Cogdill commented that "L.A. Rex's merits override its drawbacks and show that Beall may have a second career as an author of gritty police thrillers."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2006, review of L.A. Rex, p. 643.

Library Journal, September 1, 2006, Craig Shufelt, review of L.A. Rex, p. 132.

Los Angeles Times, December 13, 2006, Will Beall, "A Cop in Pursuit of Trust."

New York Times Book Review, September 24, 2006, Mark Kamine, review of L.A. Rex.

Philadelphia Inquirer, September 13, 2006, David Hiltbrand, review of L.A. Rex.

Publishers Weekly, July 10, 2006, review of L.A. Rex, p. 53.

ONLINE

Entertainment World,http://entertainmentworld.us/ (September 8, 2006), Walter Reichert, review of L.A. Rex.; (September 20, 2006), Walter Reichert, "10 Questions for Will Beall."

How to Furnish a Room Blog,http://howtofurnisharoom.blogspot.com/ (November 28, 2006), review of L.A. Rex.

LA Noir Blog,http://la-noir.blogspot.com/ (December 27, 2006), Stephen Blackmoore, review of L.A. Rex.

Penguin Group Web site,http://us.penguingroup.com/ (March 19, 2007), brief profile of author.

Police Writers,http://www.police-writers.com/ (March 19, 2007), brief profile of author.

Sun-Sentinel Online,http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ (December 31, 2006), Oline H. Cogdill, review of L.A. Rex.