From facts to fiction

Bestselling crime writer T. Jefferson Parker got his start as a reporter, writing about everything from crime to the art scene in Newport Beach.

He wrote his first published novel, “Laguna Heat,” while working as a feature writer for the Daily Pilot in the early 1980s. As a reporter, Parker used to ride along with the Newport Beach police officers out on patrol. It was research for his future career as a prolific crime writer.

“I always wanted to be a writer, so I thought I would work my way in by working at a newspaper would be the best training I could get,” Parker said. “I could teach myself the basics of writing all with an eye for writing fiction later.”

“Laguna Heat” eventually landed on the New York Times bestseller list and was made into a movie for HBO in 1987. Since then, Parker has penned 16 more novels.

The author will return to the Scape Gallery in Corona del Mar this month to sign copies of his latest novel, “Iron River,” part of which is set in Costa Mesa.

“It’s a story about a federal agent who spends too much time undercover with tragic results,” Parker said.

The title of the book is law enforcement slang for the stream of weapons that flows across the U.S.-Mexico border, fueling the Mexican drug cartel wars.

“Iron River” follows Deputy Sheriff Charlie Hood as he joins the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to try and stop the cross-border flow of weapons and money. The son of a drug cartel ringleader ends up dead when a law enforcement stakeout goes bad, leaving Hood and his team to deal with the aftermath.

The book also details the problems that the illegal weapons trade causes for law enforcement in Southern California.

For the novel, Parker did extensive research on the weapons trade across the border, visiting gun stores and talking with ATF officials.

During his research, Parker was surprised to learn about how easy it is to obtain ammunition and weapons in some cases. He incorporated what he learned into the book.

“I was flabbergasted you could pick up a telephone and/or go online and have 50,000 rounds of ammunition in your garage in two days,” Parker said.

One of the main characters in “Iron River” lives in Costa Mesa, near South Coast Plaza, the last of a dying breed of Southern California gun makers, who provide cheap weapons for Mexican drug lords.

“[Parker is] probably my favorite suspense writer,” said fellow author Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, who will host the author at the Scape Gallery as part of her Pen on Fire speakers series. The salon-style events feature appearances by published authors.

“A lot of suspense, you can’t really tell who wrote it — it can be well written, but not necessarily a singular voice. Parker has the voice with the story. He has characters that have depth and flaws that are believable,” DeMarco-Barrett said.

If You Go

What: Crime writer T. Jefferson Parker will speak and sign copies of his new novel “Iron River” as part of writer Barbara DeMarco-Barrett’s Pen on Fire speaker series.

When: 7 p.m. Jan. 26

Where: Scape Gallery, 2859 E. Coast Hwy.

Ticket Information: Advanced tickets are required. Tickets cost $20 and include refreshments and cake. To buy tickets, visit www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/speaker-series.html or sent checks made out to BD Barrett to Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, 503 Larkspur Ave., Corona del Mar, 92625