Remembering Joe Hartlaub [Sept 11 1951 - May 29 2025]

 

Shots Magazine’s editors Mike Stotter and I were devastated to hear the sad news of the passing of Joe Hartlaub, as were so many of us in the crime, mystery and thriller genre.

Apart from one of our Greatest Book Reviewers, specialising in Thriller Fiction, and a writer in his own right - he was a renowned attorney specialising in the Music Industry.

I was first aware of Joe’s reputation in the world of Thriller Fiction from Carol Fitzgerald’s Book Reporter. I enjoyed her weekly emails each and every Saturday Morning in my inbox; always seeking out Joe Hartlaub’s Thriller Picks and his reviews of newly published work.

Click Here, for Bookreporter.com  

I finally got to meet Carol and Joe in the summer of 2006, at International Thrillers’ [ITW] first convention, held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix in 2006. We were jurors at an event entitled “The Jack Reacher Trial” which featured two attorneys on opposite sides of the mock courtroom, one for the prosecution, and one for the defence of Lee Child’s character [played by the author himself]. The attorneys were played by legal thriller writers who were actually lawyers in their day jobs. I recall one being Paul Levine but sadly my memory fails to recall the second legal thriller writer.  

From that time onwards a friendship blossomed based on our love of all things bibliophilic.

Both Mike Stotter and I would enjoy meeting up with Carol and Joe on our annual excursions across the Atlantic at future Thrillerfests and Bouchercon conventions.

One of the most memorable times being Hat Shopping with Kelli Stanley and Joe in Cleveland Ohio, during Bouchercon 2012, as well as bumping into each other  several times during Bouchercon Indianapolis in 2009.

And the impromptu meeting on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in 2016  

Joe would send me a text message audio recording of himself singing me Happy Birthday. Shortly after learning of his passing, I learned he was sending these little audio clips to many of his friends and colleagues.

They always raised a smile.

Both Mike and I had been in touch with Joe just last month, discussing meeting up during the 2025 Bouchercon in New Orleans this coming September. This city on the Louisiana Bayou was one of Joe’s favourite cities in North America – probably due to its rich music heritage, especially of the Blues. Joe had explained that though excited at the prospect – especially as we’d not seen each other since 2016 – however he said he was a tad ‘under the weather’, but hoped to get better in time for September’s Bouchercon.

Sadly, we heard via Carol Fitzgerald that Joe passed away last week.

Joe’s Obituary is HERE fittingly hosted at The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.

“Joe graduated from the University of Akron in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science (Accounting) and obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron [School of Law] in 1977, when he began a legal career spanning five decades. The majority of his 48 years in practice were devoted to entertainment law, thanks in no small part to Joe's lifelong love of music and the written word. He took great pleasure in helping his clients and worked tirelessly on their behalf. “

Signing off, the obituary closed with Chuck Berry line >

"'C'est la vie,' say the old folks, 'It goes to show you never can tell.'"

The Complete Obituary is HERE

Apart from the memories Joe leaves behind, his blogposts at Kill Zone remain archived and can be accessed HERE and when Joe retired from book reviewing at Bookreporter, in the summer of 2021, Carol Fitzgerald organised a special feature entitled “Hats Off to Joe Hartlaub” in which she asked many writers and colleagues of Joe to write a little about what Joe Hartlaub’s work meant to them – and it’s a fitting tribute to this dear friend and colleague of the world of Thriller Fiction.

It can be accessed HERE

And finally let’s conclude with a song