Family of ‘Columbo’ Writer Howard Berk Continue His Writing Legacy (Exclusive)

One of the standout traits Peter Berk remembers about his late father, Howard, was his dedication to his writing.

Howard, who died in 2016 at age 91, built a career as a screenwriter on classic television series like Columbo and Mission Impossible. Peter spent his childhood living wherever his father’s job took them, like Spain and Connecticut, before the family moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the entertainment industry.

“My dad’s [television] episodes are on all the time,” Peter tells PEOPLE. “Those were really hard to write. I was in the house with him when he was working on those shows, and it was brutal, but satisfying.”

But Howard was also a prolific prose writer, who penned numerous books in addition to his on-screen projects.

“I loved his writing, and he was so literate, but his writing could be so relatable,” Peter says. “He moved easily between genres. He wrote World War II novels, and then science fiction.”

“I’m often asked, ‘Do you have a favorite writer?’” Peter adds. “And I say, ‘The answer is easy. It was my own dad.’”

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It seemed inevitable that Peter and Howard would collaborate one day. Before Howard’s death, the father and son wrote a series of screenplays together. Eventually, some of these scripts would be turned into Peter’s TimeLock book series.

“It’s really another way of honoring my dad, in a sense; keeping the tradition alive,” Peter says of his own writing career.

The first TimeLock novel stemmed from one particular screenplay Peter wrote with his dad about 20 years ago, about a near-future, crime-riddled society that uses an aging technology on prisoners.

“It was tough to get off the ground, even with my dad’s great credits, because [it would have needed] a big budget,” Peter explains. “But when COVID hit, I thought, what a great way to honor my dad’s memory and revitalize this whole project.”

Peter found a publisher in IngramElliott, who later released two other novels in the TimeLock series. The latest book, TimeLock 3: The Millennium Paradox, came out on July 24.

But the family tradition didn’t end there. Peter also shares a writing connection with his own son, Jordan. A software engineer by trade, Jordan (who was inspired by his own dad) had also spent the pandemic plotting out his own novel about a jury of time travelers who help bring a murderer to justice.

“I had a young child, who’s five now, but was napping a lot,” Jordan tells PEOPLE, of how the book began. “So, I had time, I had the idea, I had the motivation of knowing that there might be a goal at the end of the road … that publication was possible, having seen my dad achieve that.”

No one except Jordan’s wife knew that he was writing a novel, until he presented Peter with a 300-page manuscript as a Father’s Day gift in 2022.

“I was a little nervous, [thinking] ‘What if it’s not great? What do I say?’” Peter recalls. “And it turned out to be incredibly great.” Peter sent the manuscript to IngramElliott, and Jordan’s debut novel, The Timestream Verdict, was published in 2024.

Despite how different their books are, Peter and Jordan do note some similarities between their work.

“We both ended up injecting a lot of humor,” Peter says. “Our stories sound depressing — murder, trial, aging — and we both had the same take, which is, ‘Let’s keep this fun more than heavy.’”

“It’s just an incredible experience to get to explore a creative side that I didn’t really know I had, despite the genetics,” Jordan says. “Maybe I should have known it was there the whole time.”

But looking back on their author journeys, both Peter and Jordan recognize Howard as a large influence. Peter says that working with his dad was “one of the highlights of my life.”

“When we finally did have a chance to sit side-by-side, obviously, he was in charge,” Peter says. “He was the main writer, and I happily deferred … We were very close anyway, so there was no tension or competition.”

“I saw my dad and my grandfather collaborating throughout my life, and that was always a memory that stuck around,” Jordan says. “I had less of a connection to [Howard’s] television credits, but I always loved his novels. I think my dad would agree that, of the three of us, he is by far the best writer.”

As for their upcoming projects, Peter has more TimeLock books in the works, and is working on finally adapting the story for the screen. The timing feels like kismet too, as he notes the popularity of the Natasha Lyonne-led series Poker Face has led to a resurgence of interest in Columbo.

“I think he’d be thrilled to know that a whole new generation are probably watching,” Peter says of his father’s television work. “It still holds up.”

Jordan says his writing has “taken another step down in my priority rankings” for the moment.

“I have two kids now, and less time,” Jordan says. “My next book is maybe 20% done, but it could be 20 years until I finish it. But it’s a story that I’m pretty passionate about.”

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Meanwhile, the family hopes that Howard would be proud of the creative legacy he left behind.

“I’d like to think he’d be honored that we’re talking about him, which was the whole idea,” Peter says. “This wasn’t about selling books, or making money. This was about, ‘How do I honor my late dad? How do I write something that he was involved with? How do I collaborate with my dad again, even though he’s not here?’ And that’s what these books have enabled me to do.”