Grander novel produced by detective writer (7)
I believe the answer is:
gardner
'detective writer' is the definition.
(thriller writer John Gardner)
'grander novel' is the wordplay.
'novel' indicates anagramming the letters.
'grander' anagrammed gives 'GARDNER'.
'produced by' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for gardner that I've seen before include "Ava ..., glamorous old film star" , "US actress. wife of Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra, d. London, 1990" , "Writer of detective books" , "Ava --, US actress" , "Ava and Earl Stanley" .)