The author I was trying to think of (who taught some writing classes that my sister took) is John Morgan Wilson. He's written a series of novels set in Los Angeles featuring Benjamin Justice, who starts out in the books as a gay crime reporter. The books in the series are:
Simple Justice (1996)
Revision of Justice (1997)
Justice at Risk (1999)
The Limits of Justice (2000)
Blind Eye (2003)
Moth and Flame (2004)
Rhapsody in Blood (2006)
This website: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/john-morgan-wilson/ gives you brief summaries of the Justice novels and shows what else he's written.
He's a good writer. I don't know if his books are available in the big chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble or Borders, but you could probably get them on Amazon, and I'm sure a bookstore like A Different Light in West Hollywood would keep them in stock. If you want me to check and pick any of them up for you, just let me know.