Smith, Mitchell 1935-

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SMITH, Mitchell 1935-

(Roy LeBeau)

PERSONAL: Born August 2, 1935, in Oneonta, NY; son of Michael (a doctor) and Pauline (a nurse; maiden name, Cooke) Smith; married Linda (a teacher), August 31, 1984. Education: Attended Columbia College, 1954-58.


ADDRESSES: Agent—Anne Sibbald, 598 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022.


CAREER: Writer. Military service: U.S. Army, intelligence, 1958-60.


MEMBER: Authors Guild, Authors League of America.


WRITINGS:

Daydreams (novel), McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1987.

Stone City (novel), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1990.

Due North (novel), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1992.

Karma, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

Sacrifice, Dutton (New York, NY), 1997.

Reprisal, Dutton (New York, NY), 1999.

Snowfall (novel; first volume of "Snowfall" trilogy), Tom Doherty Associates (New York, NY), 2002.

Kingdom River (novel; second volume of "Snowfall" trilogy), TOR Books (New York, NY), 2003.


Also author of story "Popcorn."


"BUCKSKIN" SERIES; NOVELS UNDER PSEUDONYM ROY LEBEAU

Rifle River, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1984.

Gunstock, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1984.

Pistoltown, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1984.

Colt Creek, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1984.

Gunsight Gap, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1985.

Buckskin No. 6: Trigger Spring, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1985.

Buckskin No. 7: Cartridge Coast, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1985.

Buckskin No. 8: Hangfire Hill, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1985.

Buckskin No. 10: Bolt-Action (also see below), Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1986.

Buckskin No. 11: Trigger Guard (also see below), Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1986.

Recoil, Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1986.

Bolt Action-Trigger Guard ("Double Buckskin" series), Dorchester (Wayne, PA), 1989.


ADAPTATIONS: The story "Popcorn" was adapted in 1991 by Tod Hacket as a motion picture of the same title.


SIDELIGHTS: Novelist Mitchell Smith made his crime novel debut in 1987 with Daydreams. In the story, two police officers try to solve the murder of an expensive prostitute whose date book has been stolen. Newgate Callendar, in his regular appraisal of crime fiction in the New York Times Book Review, described Daydreams as "tough, big, [and] ambitious."


Smith followed Daydreams with Stone City, the story of a history professor's harrowing prison experience after he is convicted of hit-and-run homicide. Once consorting with hardened, frequently deranged criminals, the professor is pressured by officials into assisting their investigation of a series of murders occurring within the prison. The professor warily complies, and in the ensuing events he finds himself in increasing danger. John Katzenbach, writing in Chicago Tribune Books, deemed Stone City "original and . . . stylishly written." Katzenbach praised Smith as "a talented writer" and added that with Stone City Smith had fashioned a "fascinating" tale.


Using the pseudonym Roy LeBeau, Smith is also the author of the "Buckskin" Western novel series.


BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, May 15, 2003, review of Kingdom River, p. 132.

New York Times Book Review, August 16, 1987, Newgate Callendar, review of Daydreams, p. 4.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), June 3, 1990, John Katzenbach, review of Stone City, p. 6.

Washington Post, July 12, 1990.*

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