An Unusual DC Novel Turns Out to Have an Interesting Explanation

Books, movies, and TV shows set in DC often get basic things wrong. (Remember Jack Ryan’s impossible bike commute to the Pentagon?) But we recently came across a novel that has a different issue: It’s bizarrely accurate. “The map on the giant screen in the center of the dashboard showed the route we’d be taking, following Tilden across Connecticut Avenue, where it merged into Reno Road and wound its way up to Nebraska Avenue,” reads one typical passage. “From there, the car would be really put to the test by going through a convoluted traffic circle to turn onto Wisconsin Avenue, headed down toward the National Cathedral.”

What is going on with this odd book? It turns out that the mystery novel—which comes out in April and is titled How to Have a Killer Time in D.C.—is the first installment in a crime series set in various locations that follows the exploits of a travel journalist named Oliver Popp. The author is former Mount Pleasant resident Sam Lumley, who now lives in Oakland, California.

We recently called him to learn more about why he’s so interested in the details of DC geography. “Honestly, the specificity . . . I was like, this is probably too granular,” he said. “It was mostly for my own benefit, just so I can keep track of where we are right now.” Lumley also uses such precise directions to illustrate how the main character thinks about his surroundings. Both Lumley and his protagonist are autistic, and he imagined Oliver being drawn to the planning aspect of travel journalism, from creating itineraries to studying maps.

Other specifics in the book come directly from Lumley’s former Washington life. A character’s English basement in Mount Pleasant is a nod to his own onetime accommodations, and Lumley sets a scene at the National Building Museum because he once had an internship there. Sometimes, current events created complications. A reference to the zoo’s pandas became outdated due to their departure—then ended up remaining in the book after pandas returned.

In addition to accurately capturing aspects of DC life, Lumley hopes the book will provide a positive depiction of people with autism, who don’t often get to see themselves reflected in these kinds of stories. “I wanted to show that character being successful, having fun, being adventurous, falling in love—which are things that don’t really get associated a lot with autism,” says Lumley. “I would love to see other neurodiverse folks read this book and feel seen.”

So where will Oliver travel next? In a departure from the first book’s urban setting, Lumley plans to send his protagonist off to the coast of Oregon for an Agatha Christie–style mystery at an inn. Eventually, he wants to take Oliver overseas—somewhere Lumley himself hasn’t been. “Continuing it as a series gives me an excuse to travel, to go to different places and expand my own horizons,” he explains. “It’s a little bit of a kick in my own pants.”

This article appears in the April 2025 issue of Washingtonian.

Daniella Byck

Lifestyle Editor

Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.