Search donherron.com
About DonHerron.com
In 1977 Don Herron began leading The Dashiell Hammett Tour, now the longest-running literary tour in the nation. On this site you’ll find information on current walks — dates, where to meet, arranging tours by appointment — plus a hard-boiled blog with news, reviews of books and film, and a dash of noir.
The latest and greatest edition to self-guide you up and down the mean streets.
Willeford: The Book
Includes the first “Mr. Hunt” story, “Knives in the Dark.”
Category Archives: Tour
Tour: Miles, Archer
On the walk last Sunday a guy rolled in from Phoenix, and at one point mentioned that he once met another guy and was kind of pleasantly surprised to discover that this guy had two sons — named Miles and Archer. “You must … Continue reading
Rediscovered: A James Ellroy John Hancock
How about allowing an Apprentice Autograph Hound loose on the Mean Streets to run with those battle-scarred gray wolves Brian Leno and Kevin Cook? Got a note in from Jeff Mariotte — obviously a lifelong book collector, like most people I … Continue reading
Posted in Lit, Tour
Tagged Autographs, Book Collecting, James Ellroy, Jeff Mariotte, Michael Connelly
Tour: Summer & Fall 2019
Shot above: leading the pack across the intersection of Post and Hyde Streets during the tour by appointment for Sisters in Crime, August 5, 2017. Let’s say you’ve had the Hammett Tour on your bucket list for awhile, or you … Continue reading
Hammett: The Passing of Fechheimer
Just heard from Terry Zobeck, who heard it from Larry Block, who must read the New York Times, that David Fechheimer died April 2 at the age of 76 — reportedly from complications after open heart surgery. Once again, ouch. … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Frisco, Tour
Tagged David Fechheimer, Hal Lipset, Ken Nordine, Lawrence Block, Mechanics' Library, Nathan Ward, New York Times, Terry Zobeck
Tour: Some Media No More
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon — and who knows?, maybe for the rest of your life — the Some Media clump in the banner above is going to disappear. Every few years I dink around with the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: More on Peter Corris
John Hocking adds — in re: his discovery of the Peter Corris detective story where I cameo as “Dan Swan” — “Yeah, I figured there was almost no way you could have missed the story, but the idea that you … Continue reading
Mort: Peter Corris
Got a note from John Hocking, reporting: “I’m reading The Big Drop, a collection of detective stories by the recently deceased Australian author Peter Corris. “It had been a while since I’d read any of his stuff, so it felt … Continue reading
Tour: The Worst-Air-Quality-on-the-Planet Walk
I would have thought the Age of Legendary Tours was over, but how was I to know that one day Frisco would be blanketed in smoke from Mike Humbert’s smoldering house in Paradise? Per all the news sources, the air quality … Continue reading
Tour: Photobombed!
In the pic above shot by Sue Montgomery I stand in front of the Flood Building, 870 Market, on October 28, waiting to see who’ll show up for the walk. And I’m not alone. Technically a true photobomb or by accident? You … Continue reading
