‘Superbly realised.’
The Pictures
Shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award
Guy Bolton*Shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2017*
World-weary Jonathan Craine is a detective at the LAPD who has spent his entire career as a studio ‘fixer’, covering up crimes of the studio players to protect the billion-dollar industry that built Los Angeles. When one of the producers of The Wizard of Oz is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Craine must make sure the incident passes without scandal and that the deceased’s widow, the beautiful starlet Gale Goodwin, comes through the ordeal with her reputation unscathed.
But against his better instincts, Craine finds himself increasingly drawn to Gale. And when a series of unsavoury truths begin to surface, Craine finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy involving a Chicago crime syndicate, a prostitution racket and a set of stolen pictures that could hold the key to unravelling the mystery.
Reviews
Telegraph, Books of the Year
‘Three more debuts introduced splendid anti-heroes…. The Pictures follows a morally dubious studio fixer in a superbly realised Thirties Hollywood.’
The Telegraph
‘The Pictures is a compelling and dazzling debut for fans of Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy. Bolton's tightly paced mystery vividly re-creates 1930s Hollywood and is enriched with complicated, fascinating and flawed characters.’
Shelf Awareness
'Star-studded, deliciously dark noir.'
Express
'If Bolton manages to combine his natural talent for place with Black's guidance on character, mystery lovers will have a great deal to anticipate.'
NPR Books
'An astonishingly accomplished debut.'
Daily Mail
‘A splendid read…handled with great skill…[Bolton] paints a portrait of the period with a confidence usually reserved for old survivors.’
The Times
'A solid read for fans of the silver screen and intelligent detective novels.'
Library Journal
'Bolton spins a lurid tale of Hollywood after dark, complete with drugs, prostitution, and pornography...nicely mixing Hollywood glamour with backroom sleaze.'
Booklist
'A laser-sharp noir thriller.'
Financial Times
‘Brilliantly atmospheric and compelling.’
Mail on Sunday
‘Craine is not the usual maverick cop and his ambiguous nature makes this novel tick… Place and period are lovingly described.’
Spectator
