Johnny Shaw was born and raised on the Calexico/Mexicali border, the setting for his award-winning Jimmy Veeder Fiasco series, which includes the novels DOVE SEASON, PLASTER CITY, and IMPERIAL VALLEY. He is also the author of the Anthony Award-winning adventure novel BIG MARIA, the heist novel THE UPPER HAND, and the crime extravaganza FLOODGATE.

His most recent novel THE SOUTHLAND is a departure from his usual comedic tone. It tells the story of three unauthorized immigrants in Los Angeles and the search for a missing boy.

His shorter work has appeared in Thuglit, Crime Factory, Shotgun Honey, Plots with Guns, and numerous anthologies. He was the creator and editor of the fiction magazine, BLOOD & TACOS, the former owner of the Los Angeles bookshop, Johnny's Used Books, and is currently the brainchild behind Johnny Shaw's Torn Pages.