After being turned down by publishers numerous times, in 1991 he received a tip from friend and anthropologist Richard Nelson that New York City-based Soho Press was interested in detective fiction novels.
Upon submitting his manuscript for The Woman Who Married a Bear, Soho Press expressed interest in his work.
After a successful run of mysteries that has garnered critical acclaim, he is now looking outside of his trademark Cecil Younger series for future books.
[3] In 2014, SOHO Press published Straley's latest book, Cold Storage, Alaska.
Straley will return to the Cecil Younger series, with the first book since 2001, with the release of Baby's First Felony, in July 2018 (Soho Press).