John Katzenbach is an American writer of psychological thrillers and popular fiction. He is best known for his novels In the Heat of the Summer (1982) and The Analyst (2002).
Born to Nicholas Katzenbach, a former US Attorney General, Katzenbach grew up in a household steeped in public service. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he gained a reputation as a rebellious student. He later graduated from Bard College, where he honed his writing under the tutelage of accomplished professors.
After college, Katzenbach began his career as a journalist, working as a court and crime reporter for the Miami Herald and Miami News. Reflecting on that time, he said, "Miami in the '70s and '80s was a place where anything bizarre could happen. His experience reporting on high-profile cases has dramatically influenced his fiction.
Katzenbach debuted as a novelist in 1982 with In the Heat of the Summer. The book was nominated for an Edgar Award and made into the 1985 film The Mean Season, starring Kurt Russell and Mariel Hemingway. His second book, First Born (1984), was his only nonfiction work, based on a crime he had reported.
In 1995, his novel Just Cause was made into a film starring Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne. In 2002, Hart's War was made into a movie starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell. Another novel, The Wrong Man (2006), was made into the French television film Faux Coupable (2011).
Katzenbach's work often explores themes of justice, morality and psychological tension. His best-selling novel The Analyst won international acclaim and remains one of his best-known works. Other notable books include The Madman's Tale (2004), which was shortlisted for the Hammett Prize, and The Shadow Man (1995), an Edgar Award finalist.
Katzenbach's most recent novel, Jack's Boys (2024), was published by Blackstone Publishers. He is scheduled to publish The Architect in 2025.
Katzenbach lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, journalist and professor Madeleine Blais.
Photo credit: johnkatzenbach.com
