The Goodbye Coast

'A Philip Marlowe who wears our twenty-first century like a well-cut suit'

IAN RANKIN

'A total gobsmacking original'

JAMES PATTERSON

'A blast from start to finish'

DENNIS LEHANE

Los Angeles - a city of scheming Malibu actresses, ruthless gang members, virulent inequality and washed-out police.

Roaming the city streets is Philip Marlowe: a quiet, lonely, remarkably capable private detective, living beneath the shadow of his father - a once-decorated LAPD homicide detective now drinking his life away.

Marlowe's latest client is tyrannical starlet Kendra James. Kendra's husband was fatally shot near their Malibu home, but even though that murder remains unresolved, the actress is more interested in tracking down her 17-year-old stepdaughter. But things get complicated after Marlowe lands a second missing person search from British academic Ren Stewart, whose ex-husband has kidnapped their seven-year-old son.

Private eye Philip Marlowe is transplanted into 21st-century Los Angeles in this tongue-in-cheek tribute to the classic works of Raymond Chandler... The wisecracking dialogue, outlandish characters and vicious slapstick make The Goodbye Coast a joy to read from the very first page. The Times
A terrific read - pacy, with tension, pathos, wonderful descriptions of LA and some lovely one-liners. Guardian
The laugh-out-loud dialogue, the vivid similes, the complicated story and the set-piece subplots are all vintage Chandler. The gripping flashbacks, the adrenaline-pumping action and the heart-piercing poignance show Mr. Ide at his best. The Goodbye Coast delivers the distilled essence of both authors for the price of one. Wall Street Journal
How the hell do you write a mystery about Philip Marlowe, set it in Los Angeles, and still make it a total gobsmacking original? That's the miracle of Joe Ide's The Goodbye Coast. Ide has created a Philip Marlowe for the 2020s. And an L.A. that he clearly loves and hates James Patterson
Not so much a reimagining of Chandler's world as a reinvigoration. By transplanting Philip Marlowe to 2021 LA, Joe Ide has chiseled off the rust while keeping the soul of one of American fiction's icons. The Goodbye Coast is a blast from start to finish Dennis Lehane
Sunshine and skullduggery, movie stars and mayhem - Joe Ide brings us a Philip Marlowe who wears our twenty-first century like a well-cut suit Ian Rankin
There is tension, violence, humor, and a bit of sadness, with romance just out of the hero's reach. This one's witty, clever, and fun, and it's worthy of the great Raymond Chandler. Kirkus (starred review)

Joe Ide grew up in South Central Los Angeles. His favourite books were the Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. The idea that a person could face the world and vanquish his enemies with just his intelligence fascinated him. Joe went on to earn a graduate degree and had several careers before writing IQ, his debut novel, inspired by his early experiences and love of Sherlock. Joe lives in Santa Monica, California.

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