For me, fiction writing is a means to explore the human spirit, so I create characters as real as you or I and observe them in dire conflicts with one another—the action that follows requires these ordinary men and women to do extraordinary things.
My third novel, Girl Out Of Darkness, is now available in both 6 X 9 paperback and digital formats. Kirkus Reviews had this to say about the novel: "A crime drama sustained by gimlet-eyed, sometimes-poetic psychological insight . . . Drawing deeply from a rich tradition of hard-boiled detective fiction, Christ's novel is unsentimentally realistic as it bravely tours the dark corridors of the human soul. A gripping story told with verve and intelligence."
I have also written non-fiction books, published by Prentice-Hall and Sterling, and I have penned several pedagogical articles and political opinion pieces. I hold a degree in Literature and Writing from the University of Arizona, as well as two masters’ degrees. I taught writing, literature and history in Arizona secondary schools for twenty-five years. I live with my wife Mary in Tucson, and my fiction is grounded vividly in the Arizona borderlands.
We don’t have any products to show here right now.
In Right There in Black and White, Jim Christ weaves a compelling tale of tension,
identity, and societal conflict. Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles, the story follows
Kendi Liston, a young Black sound engineer whose world upends after a chilling
discovery during a routine walk with his dog. Confronted by suspicion and stereotypes,
Kendi's decision to report a potential crime draws him into a maze of police scrutiny and
community whispers.
As past encounters and unspoken connections come to light, Kendi must navigate the
delicate balance between seeking justice and protecting himself. This gripping narrative
delves deep into systemic biases and personal resilience, offering a poignant
exploration of race, morality, and courage in a divided world.
Christ's sharp storytelling and vivid characters make Right There in Black and White
both a compelling mystery and a profound social commentary—a must-read for those
who dare to question and confront societal norms.
In this daring novel, Jim Christ takes his readers on another tumultuous ride through the wild country along the Arizona-Mexico border.
When 15-year-old Rosa Martinez is trafficked into prostitution by her own brother, high school principal Enrique Tavish feels compelled to rescue her from her captors in Sonora. But Tavish’s motivation goes much deeper than humanitarian duty, and his mission becomes a threat to his marriage, his career, his family and his own code of honor. At the same time, Rosa’s compelling story almost supersedes his own as she rises above the role of victim, surprising everyone by taking control of her own fate in a series of shocking reversals.
From the author of prize-winning novel Girl Out of Darkness comes this page-turner that reminded one Kirkus reviewer of Cormac McCarthy.
Set in the Arizona/Sonora borderlands of 1970, The Day Hal Quit is a psychological crime drama that reads like a fast-paced tale of Western frontier confrontation and survival.
Hal leads a peaceful life with his girlfriend, tending bar and taking the occasional hunting trip with his pal Johnny. But when he befriends a seductive, rebellious teen named Tara, his world is turned upside down. Her risky, sometimes illegal behavior, puts her at odds with the law and, worse, in grave danger at the hands of a psychopathic killer.
Hal grew into manhood on a rugged Arizona ranch, and his fighting skills were honed in combat, but he may be overmatched in his quest to protect Tara.
This stunning thriller of temptation, loyalty and honor holds readers with its intense narrative as the thoughtful antihero tries to protect those he loves and avenge the crimes of extraordinarily evil men.
An ambitious 17-year-old, Usaré García, slips away from her high school dance only to be found murdered across campus. The ensuing spicy mystery unfolds in an urban high school’s diverse milieu against a backdrop of street gangs, race relations, and an offbeat investigation by a multiracial school administrator, Enrique Tavish, who becomes entangled in an intricate web of deception and debauchery.
Tavish grew up learning the hard ways of the south side where he also discovered the advantages of “living white.” The two influences strive for dominance within him as he pursues justice, even as he tries to bury his own dark longings. He targets Los Levantes, a street gang, as suspects in the García girl’s death, but the Levantes and their cartel allies respond by moving against Tavish’s family in this fast-paced story.
Tavish’s interactions with investigating police do not always sync with protocol, and his
determination to solve Usaré’s murder puts him and his family in circumstances every bit as dangerous as the victim’s.
The intertwining of conscience and retribution push Tavish toward an inevitable reckoning with a killer. He’ll be put to the test, with his family in the crosshairs.