Wendy Werris, bookseller, publisher, rep, author, among other gigs, offers this tribute:

Larry Todd, a profoundly important member of the Southern California bookselling community in the 1970s and '80s, died of kidney failure on April 9 in Joshua Tree, Calif. He was 70.

Larry, a life-long book lover, moved to Los Angeles from Texas in 1972 and went to work at Hunter's Bookshop in Beverly Hills. Because of his extraordinary intuition about what made a book stand out and become a bestseller, he was quickly promoted to the position of book buyer for the entire Hunter's Bookshop chain. Like the legendary Pickwick Bookshops, Hunter's was long regarded as one of the finest examples of quality independent bookselling in the entire country. In addition to his book buying responsibilities, as general manager of Hunter's, Larry opened several new locations in Southern California and Arizona. Eventually, Hunter's expanded to 14 stores.

Working out of the luxurious Beverly Hills store on Rodeo Drive, Larry regularly met and bought books from every publisher's sales representative in the area at that time. His commitment to books, and his delight in turning his favorites into bestsellers, made Larry one of the most powerful and respected bookmen in the  realm of independent bookselling.

Hunter's Books closed in 1986. Larry then moved to Palm Desert, where he and his long-time companion opened the Bookstore of Palm Desert. They ran the store together for many years. Upon retirement Larry became a devoted volunteer at the Palm Desert Public Library and wrote a column for the local newspaper. His legacy in the book business will be lovingly remembered.