No, Hurwitz hasn't turned into a criminal--these shady activities were all part of the research for his sixth novel, Troubleshooter, due to hit bookstores on Aug. 30.

Since leaving Saratoga, where he grew up and attended Argonaut Elementary, Redwood Middle and Bellarmine College Preparatory schools, Hurwitz has made a name for himself in the literary world. A critically-acclaimed, No. 1 Los Angeles Times best-selling author, these days Hurwitz is negotiating the movie rights to many of his novels with Paramount Pictures and preparing for his upcoming book tour for Troubleshooter, which will bring him to the Bay Area on Sept. 10 and 11.

Hurwitz has been known to participate in some dark stuff whenever he's gearing up for another one of his trademark thrillers. For his fifth book, The Program, he joined a mind-control cult to gain firsthand knowledge of its recruitment tactics.

Hurwitz says the plot of Troubleshooter involves violent, criminal biker gangs. Therefore, he enlisted the help of a friend with a motorcycle license to teach him how to ride.

"Then we hit a few biker hangouts and I started to get a feel for the slang and the swagger," Hurwitz says.

More research involved spending a few days with an undercover FBI special agent who had ridden with biker gangs for seven years, watching autopsies and doing some light reading--mortician textbooks. With the help of his father and sister, who are both gastroenterologists, Hurwitz also got the low-down on "body packing"--the act of smuggling drugs inside the body.

All of this research culminates in Hurwitz's third novel featuring U.S. Marshall Tim Rackley.

Publisher's Weekly has already given Troubleshooter a glowing review, calling Hurwitz a "rock-solid writer, researcher and plotter, and readers will find him in top form."

Fans of Hurwitz's thrillers may be excited to know that he is conducting a contest--whoever refers the most people to his mailing list through his official website can appear as a character in his next book. The winner can choose to have a victim, criminalist, detective, cop or witness named after them.

But don't worry--the winner won't have to participate in any of the "research."

"Troubleshooter" goes on sale Aug. 30. Gregg Hurwitz will appear at the Barnes & Noble, 3600 Stevens Creek Blvd. in San Jose, on Sept. 10 at 2 p.m., and Borders Books, 456 University Ave. in Palo Alto, on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. Visit www.gregghurwitz.net.