John J. O'Hagan

I am an amateur historian with a particular interest in the California Missions. I have published a book on them "Lands Never Trodden- The Franciscans and the California Missions."

While researching this book I was struck by the tales of intrigue, romance and violence which suffuse the histories of these magnificent institutions. Given that I have decided to write a series of mysteries based in the California Missions. Each of these will be a fictionalized account of an actual historical happening at one of the missions.

The protagonist of these stories is a Franciscan Friar, who is also a physician. He is called upon to resolve questions of violent deaths which occur all to frequently in 18th Century California.

The first one of these "A Convenient Death at San Diego" will be released by Oak Tree Press in June of this year. I hope to very shortly follow it with "A Troubling Death at San Francisco," "A Mysterious Death at Monterey," and "A Puzzling Death at San Miguel."