California author and bookstore owner Daniel Depp’s first professional writing credit was shared with his famous step-brother Johnny on the latter’s 1997 directing debut, The Brave, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Twelve years later, DP Depp (as his friends know him), has penned his first novel, Loser’s Town, a noirish tale set in Los Angeles that playfully plots the sleazy relationship between Hollywood and the criminal underworld.

‘I’ve always loved the noir/private eye genre, and wanted to try it myself,’ Depp says. ‘The crime genre is amazingly flexible. It crosses all kinds of barriers of class, money and geography. You can draw from all walks of life and it’s a great platform for social criticism, as well. But mainly it’s a lot of fun. I wrote Loser’s Town to be entertaining.’

Having been a part of Tinseltown, Depp was in a unique position to utilise his insider knowledge. ‘I couldn’t resist taking a few playful pokes at all the Hollywood foolishness. I think it accurately reflects the way the town can take itself too seriously, and it certainly tries to show how dangerous the whole ‘star’ phenomenon can be for all concerned, especially the actors.’ Speaking of which, has Johnny read the book? ‘He said some very nice things about it in USA Today when it was first published,’ Depp says. ‘In fact, he gave me the most encouragement when I was writing the thing. I dedicated the book to him and I meant it.’