Lawrence Jeffrey Epstein (born 1946) is an American author who writes and lectures about American culture and society, Jewish life, and mystery fiction.
He is best known for his book The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America and his Danny Ryle Mysteries series.
He writes intermittently about Bob Dylan and popular culture for The Best American Poetry blog.
I also interviewed more than 70 people…I wanted to include the struggles Jewish comedians had, and the weight of their past.” [2] Filmmaker Michael J. Epstein is his son.
The books in the series include: The Dead Don’t Talk, A Darker Shade of Blood, The Starry Night of Death, and The Hunted Girl.