Novelist · Screenwriter · Documentary Filmmaker

DanKowalski

Stories from the darker edges of human nature

Crime fiction. True crime documentary. Nonfiction.

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Novels

Fiction

Suicide Bridge

Mystery Thriller · 2023

Suicide Bridge

→ Buy on Amazon
Family Feud

Crime Thriller · 2024

Family Feud

→ Buy on Amazon
Death by Misadventure

Crime Thriller · 2025

Death by Misadventure

→ Buy on Amazon
Our Thing

Crime Thriller · 2025

Our Thing

→ Buy on Amazon

Scripts

Screenplays

These are just a sample from my portfolio of work.

001

The Devil's Disciple

Supernatural Thriller

A small-town deputy disgraced by a case that went wrong is thrown into an epic battle between good and evil when a suspected serial killer and his brother return with supernatural powers after disappearing sixty years ago.

002

Morning Star

Occult Thriller

A down-on-his-luck special forces veteran turned construction worker uncovers a conspiracy where his hometown's building boom is really a front for a highly organized secret society whose mission is to free an evil spirit locked away for centuries.

003

Repeat Offender

Crime Drama

After more than a decade behind bars covering for a murder his childhood friend committed, a small-time crook is released only to discover his former friend is now a powerful crime boss who views him as a liability — with deadly consequences for everyone.

Dan's Docs · YouTube

Documentaries

"Investigative storytelling told with a filmmaker's eye — real cases, hidden histories, and the forces that shape criminal behavior."

Dan's Docs has been running since 2006, producing long-form documentary content on organized crime. Every episode is researched, scripted, narrated, and edited by Dan — drawing on primary sources including FBI memoirs, declassified documents, and landmark works like Selwyn Raab's Five Families.

20+

Years Running

100%

Solo Produced

The Aftermath of Donnie Brasco

The Aftermath of Donnie Brasco

Dan's Docs

Mafia Cold War: Galante vs. Rastelli

Mafia Cold War: Galante vs. Rastelli

Dan's Docs

The Power War that Made Joe Colombo

The Power War that Made Joe Colombo

Dan's Docs

View All Episodes on YouTube →

Research & Writing

Nonfiction

Alongside fiction and documentary work, Dan writes nonfiction — bringing the same research discipline and narrative clarity that drives his documentaries to the page.


Primary sources. Long timelines. A willingness to follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Quillette · True Crime

A Murder in Namibia

→ Read at Quillette

History on the Net · Aviation

The Mystery Explosion of United Airlines Trip 23

→ Read at History on the Net

Foundation for Economic Education · Policy

How Government Guaranteed Student Loans Killed the American Dream for Millions

→ Read at FEE

Background

About

Dan Kowalski

Daniel Kowalski is a novelist, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker whose work explores crime, history, and the moral weight of human decisions under pressure.

He has been producing long-form documentary content on organized crime since 2006, researching, scripting, narrating, and editing every episode himself. His sources run deep: FBI memoirs, declassified vault documents, seminal works like Selwyn Raab's Five Families.

His fiction — lean, character-driven modern noir — asks the same question his documentaries do: what happens to ordinary people when they are pulled into extraordinary darkness, and who do they become on the other side?

He also writes nonfiction, bringing the same research rigor to the page.

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Reviews & Coverage

Press

"

The characters are desperate, determined and questionable as Mike is pulled into the seedy underbelly of the New York crime world.

The Reading Cafe · Review of Our Thing

"

This book kept me riveted to my seat, and I couldn't wait to discover the "who" and "what" behind all that was going on!

Teri M Brown · Review of Death by Misadventure

"

Peak indie noir — raw, unpolished, and dripping with atmosphere. Detective Jennifer is about as real as they come.

Leggere Loft · Review of Death by Misadventure

Press Inquiries →

Get in Touch

For press, collaboration, or speaking inquiries.