Its plot coils tightly around the secrets of the Malibu jet set, and by the time everything’s finally unravelled hardly anyone comes out clean. He does things I don't understand. A murder on the fringes of gangland leads to blackmail, intrigue and further deaths. Learn more about The Barbarous Coast in the Marmot Library Network digital collection. There are no "cities" on the Wild/Barbarous Coast, just "towns" which fall between village and city for population figures. Anyway, as hard as I tried to figure this one out, there were some surprises along the way and I. I recently read this author's "The Way Some People Die" and thought the writing and plot very good. But rather than be knocked cold, I was knocked alert (that's not too clever), but you get the point. The plot is exciting and the conclusion is satisfying. The Barbarous Coast (eBook) : Macdonald, Ross : Lew Archer's pursuit of a girl who jackknifed too suddenly from high diving to high living leads him to an ex-fighter with an unexplained movie contract, a bigtime gambler who died by his own knife, and finally to an answer he would rather not have known. The beautiful, high-diving blonde had Hollywood dreams and stars in her eyes but now she seems to have disappeared without a trace. A girl is missing and Archer sets out to find her. He creates a panoply of varied, credible and convincing characters. The book is both extremely readable and well-written. According to the latest scientific research sharks can smell a drop of blood in a volume of water about the size of a backyard swimming pool (Google is your friend). Here you’ve got what you’ve usually got – very strong writing, a powerful moral viewpoint, some clever character work, and one too many twists. I recently read this author's "The Way Some People Die" and thought the writing and plot very good. If you haven’t stepped inside this noir-ish world before then here’s a brief rundown of what to expect: hot-headed gangsters, scheming women, smart-talking detectives, guns, seedy motels, under-the-table business deals and more than one murder. Given that the last Archer novel I read was ‘The Wycherly Woman’, a book I found more than somewhat dispiriting in its depiction of damaged people doing damaging things to each other, this was something of a relief. This was the book that I was reading during a snowstorm somewhere in Ohio on the way to grad school at IU, where a few months later I invented my own fictional detective. To solve it he hires private detective Lew Archer, who is initially asked to drive off a young man named George Wall before being tasked instead to search for Wall’s wife, Hester. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Grover Gardner is so great narrating as Lew Archer. The set-up is familiar: a simple request to protect one man from another man turns into a hideously complex story, replete with blackmail, counter-blackmail, gangsters, false business fronts, a schizophrenic woman, several murders, and what seemed like dozens of false leads. But perhaps it’s fitting that such a crime-writing great should be best known by his alias. Archer's investigation leads him to an ex-fighter with an unexplained movie contract, a big-time gambler who died by his own knife, and finally, to an answer he would rather not have known. The book is both extremely readable and well-written. The story moves at a fast pace but the character and scenic descriptions are impeccably detailed, so that it takes you into the 1950's world of film stars, country club wealth, criminals and Hollywood ambition. The barbarous coast. One of the girls who used to work at the club, Hester Campbell, married Mr Wall in Canada; since then she has abandoned him and returned to California, and Wall’s worried that she might be in trouble. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read The Barbarous Coast. 9780307279033. format(s) Book Back; 0 Marked; Mark; Options Refworks Print Link Email Cite Request Get help Holdings. And Ross MacDonald is a worthy successor to Raymond Chandler in the Los Angeles P.I. But then I'll never be a detective. Yes, it’s an undoubtedly an Archer novel, as psychology and family intrigues play big roles here, but although there’s murder and blackmail, it knows it’s a detective story (and. If you’re already a fan of hardboiled detective fiction then this novel’s a dusky gem that’s well worth searching out, and kudos to the editors at Vintage Crime for uncovering it again. Set in 1956 America, the tone and style of Ross Macdonald murder mysteries featuring the detective Lew Archur is similar to a Raymond Chandler novel. Anyway, as hard as I tried to figure this one out, there were some surprises along the way and I thought the ending perfect. T. The was another very cleverly written and conceived plot in the detective mystery Lew Archer series. by Warner Books (NY). You can always rely on a few great scenes, and Archer’s dialogue with his scriptwriting friend is wonderful, but there are some lulls along the way. His command of English is superb. Enjoyed this like all his others, though not as good as, The was another very cleverly written and conceived plot in the detective mystery Lew Archer series. Beset by dirty cops, a bumptious boxer turned silver screen pretty boy and a Hollywood mogul with a dark past, Archer discovers the secret of a grisly murder that just won't stay hidden.Lew Archer navigates through the watery, violent world of wealth and privilege, in this electrifying story of obsession gone mad. The terms Barbary Coast, Barbary, Berbery or Berber Coast were used in English-language sources (similarly to equivalent terms in other languages) from the 16th century to the early 19th to refer to the coastal regions of North Africa or Maghreb, specifically the Ottoman borderlands consisting of the regencies in Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis as well as, sometimes, Morocco. I read this while juggling a couple of other books, and as a result got lost a bit in the plot. I am amazed that MacDonald seems to have fallen out of the mystery pantheon. The Barbarous Coast Book Description: The beautiful, high-diving blonde had Hollywood dreams and stars in her eyes but now she seems to have disappeared without a trace. Well, this is what you won't do: panic. And the way MacDonald paints the dark side of Hollywood feels just right: so many dreams have sadly ended much too early, as they do in "The Barbarous Coast", a title perfect for the contents. A few years ago I won the Edgar Award for mystery writing. The barbarous coast Kent's local papers are whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment - but they're not, of course, racist. A few years ago I won the Edgar Award for mystery writing. The story takes place over a couple of days, moves at incredible speed at the number of bodies that turn up and is solved as quickly with the wit, intuition and detective work of Archer. In many ways Macdonald’s Lew Archer is the archetypal private eye, quick tongued and always struggling to stay on the right side of the law. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. An example: "...Miss Seeley came in.... She was a little older, a little thinner. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, in reference to the Berbers. Each of the novels taken on its own is excellent. I devoured this book and am so glad the Library of America has re-issued these books. The dependence on local Aboriginal tribes for survival replaces the history we know, where so many of the Aboriginal population lost their lives because of Cook and his crew. The beautiful, high-diving blonde had Hollywood dreams and stars in her eyes but now she seems to have disappeared without a trace. The manager knows who the man's wife is but swears he has no idea of her whereabouts. I found "The Barbarous Coast" of lesser quality: it seemed to me the plot was, well, all over the place with too many characters popping in and out of the story, some of them even feeling unnecessary to the central story, as if MacDonald was trying to stretch this one out. Given that the last Archer novel I read was ‘The Wycherly Woman’, a book I found more than somewhat dispiriting in its depiction of damaged people doing damaging things to each other, this was something of a relief. In The Barbarous Coast, Lew Archer's pursuit of a girl who jackknifed too suddenly from high diving to high living leads him to an ex-fighter with an unexplained movie contract, a big-time gambler who died by his own knife, and finally to an answer he would rather not have known. This book was the one that clicked for me, though I read all of the Lew Archer series, many times over. What's wrong with a novella? If there was one author that brought me to that it was Ross Macdonald. What's wrong with a novella? Be the first to ask a question about The Barbarous Coast. On a Barbarous Coast is an alternative retelling of Captain James Cook's story co-written by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick in the tradition of imagined histories. In The Barbarous Coast, tough, thoughtful private eye Lew Archer pursues a girl who jackknifed too suddenly from high diving to high living. Collins Fontana [1972] description. Good, but the pacing seemed a little off. Hired by her hotheaded husband and her rummy “uncle,” Lew Archer sniffs around Malibu and finds the stink of blackmail, blood-money, and … The Barbarous Coast - The Barbarous Coast audiobook, by Ross Macdonald... Ross Macdonald is one of the “Big Three” in American hard-boiled detective fiction, along with Chandler and Hammett. Macdonald, Ross, 1915-1983 imprint. The one tragedy is that Ross Macdonald wasn’t actually the author’s name at all – his real name was Kenneth Millar, and he used the pseudonym to avoid confusion with his writer wife, Margaret Millar. This book was the one that clicked for me, though I read all of the Lew Archer series, many times over. His books are marvelously plotted, well written, and speak to issues of family, friendship, and how old wrongs can return to create pain and chaos. I'll definitely read more of Ross MacDonald. He was truly one of the great American mystery novelists - in fact, like Hammett and Chandler, he deserves to be one of the great American novelists. It’s dark, dangerous, and the flip side of the American dream. hard boiled genre! I think this may have the highest body count of any Archer mystery I've read yet. February 26, 2008 Filed Under: Book Reviews, Dan Coxon. He was truly one of the great American mystery novelists - in fact, like Hammett and Chandler, he d. I am amazed that MacDonald seems to have fallen out of the mystery pantheon. Needless to say, Hester Campbell was strikingly beautiful. Originally published in 1956, as the sixth novel in the Lew Archer crime series, The Barbarous Coast demonstrates exactly why Ross Macdonald’s name has survived when so many others have been forgotten. Ross Macdonald is one of the “Big Three” in American hard-boiled detective fiction, along with Chandler and Hammett. The "hard-boiled" detective story has been analyzed, re-analyzed, and over-analyzed. Quite a bit of murder actually. The last of the early phase of the Lew Archer series, Macdonald's. Clarence Bassett, the manager of an exclusive Malibu country club, has a problem. ISBN. Macdonald also has a great turn of phrase, spinning out endless wisecracks mixed in with the occasional nugget of homegrown wisdom. To him, it was a serious vocation. The Barbarous Coast - Ebook written by Ross Macdonald. The most impressive thing about the Lew Archer novels, however, is how much they’ve influenced what’s come since. Their predation extended throughout the Mediterranean, south along West Africa 's Atlantic seaboard and even to the eastern coast of South America with Brazil , [5] and into the North Atlantic Ocean as far north as Iceland , but they primarily operated in the western Mediterranean. There is no shortage of Captain Cook stories, but On a Barbarous Coast wants to tell a … The Barbarous Coast (Lew Archer Series Book 6) and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. [By] Ross Macdonald. But things never stay simple in a Macdonald mystery. Archer soon finds himself emerged in a web of stories told by Hester, which draw Archer to an unsolved murder involving a friend of Hester’s, a young ex-boxer turned aspiring actor, and a movie mogul in a partnership with a mob boss. Resident/Client Library. The Barbarous Coast is a hipster Hollywood sleaze mystery classic that has to be read to be believed: Ross McDonald tells a story of boxers and pool tramps bought and sold by Hollywood studios while movie studio dicks enforce damage control over their pilled-out and drunken stars while gangsters hustle men for sexual favors and rich wives foam at the mouth from Demerol seizures. If there was one author that brought me to that it was Ross Macdonald. In "The Barbarous Coast", Ross MacDonald offers up a classic detective story, along with his trademark descriptions and metaphors. It always does. In The Barbarous Coast, tough, thoughtful private eye Lew Archer pursues a girl who jackknifed too suddenly from high diving to high living. We were becoming the wild things we most feared, but could not see it at the time. He’s been leaning on Bassett for information, but Bassett pleads ignorance, along with a bad case of nerves. Archer's investigation leads him to an ex-fighter with an unexplained movie contract, a big-time gambler who died by his own knife, and finally, to an answer he would rather not have known. One of a series of crime stories based in and around Los Angeles featuring the private detective Lew Archer. He also has a heart of gold, naturally, but after so many years of being dragged through the mud it’s tarnished a little. His command of English is superb. Lew is as world-weary as ever, but he's a good-hearted guy with a dry sense of humor and sense of fair play and justice. Why not? You can’t help feeling that he could keep you entertained even without the colourful characters and breakneck plot. Start by marking “The Barbarous Coast (Lew Archer #6)” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Archer soon finds himself emerged in a web of stories told by Hester, which draw Archer to an unsolved murder involving a friend of Hester’s, a young ex-boxer turned aspiring actor, and a movie mogul in a partnership with a mob boss. Looking back, if I had to read this book all over again, I would try to read it straight through without a lot of other distractions. “She said surprisingly, in a voice as thin as a flute: “A taste of whiskey had changed her mood, as a touch of acid will change the color of blue litmus paper.”. His books are marvelously plotted, well written, and speak to issues of family, friendship, and how old wrongs can return to create pain and chaos. Welcome back. This book sneaked up on me like an Archer nemesis with a sap. Lew Archer is a private eye asked to find Hester Campbell, a young blonde girl who has disappeared from The Channel Club, a very select club of the Los Angeles area where she was employed as a … Needless to say, there’s a lot of dirt to be uncovered before the truth comes out. James Ellroy’s name has already been mentioned, but the likes of James Lee Burke and Robert Crais can also trace their roots back through Ross Macdonald’s work. Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites. He's so fine, right up there with Cain and Hammett and Chandler. Refresh and try again. I read the Library of America's "Four Novels of the Fifties." Set in 1956 America, the tone and style of Ross Macdonald murder mysteries featuring the detective Lew Archur is similar to a Raymond Chandler novel. I hadn't read a Ross Macdonald for many years, and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Originally published in 1956, The Barbarous Coast has PI Lew Archer nosing around Malibu, looking for a freaked-out Canadian’s wife, a high-diving bombshell, Hester Campbell (in the vein of Esther Williams, for those who might not get it). The story takes place over a couple of days, moves at incredible speed at the number of bodies that turn up and is solved as quickly with the wit, intuition and detective work of Archer. Ross Macdonald – The Barbarous Coast. Originally published in 1956, as the sixth novel in the Lew Archer crime series, The Barbarous Coast demonstrates exactly why Ross Macdonald’s name has survived when so many others have been forgotten. But she still wore hopeful white ruffles at her wrists and throat." by Craig Cormick, Harold Ludwick On a Barbarous Coast is an alternative retelling of Captain James Cook's story co-written by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick in the tradition of imagined histories. Macdonald's evocation of California and post-war angst opened my eyes to my own potential as a fiction writer. On a Barbarous Coast: What if there was an alternative ending to Captain Cook's story? Hired by her hotheaded husband and her rummy "uncle," Lew Archer sniffs around Malibu and finds the stink of blackmail, blood-money, and murder on every pricey silk shirt. September 1st 1990 Punctuated by a sharp, dark wit, and twisting subtly through an untold number of well-plotted revelations, this novel shows why Macdonald was considered the natural successor to the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I found "The Barbarous Coast" of lesser quality: it seemed to me the plot was, well, all over the place with too many characters popping in and out of the story, some of them even feeling unnecessary to the central story, as if MacDonald was trying to stretch this one out. He encounters an angry young man called George Wall at the gate – the action kicking in almost before the end of the first page – and once he’s inside the building the club manager, Clarence Bassett, explains what the disturbance is all about. Hired by her hotheaded husband and her rummy uncle, Lew Archer sniffs around Malibu and finds the stink of blackmail, blood-money, and murder on every pricey silk shirt. The story moves at a fast pace but the character and scenic descriptions are impeccably detailed, so that it takes you into the 1950's world of film stars, country club wealth, criminals and Hollywood ambition. I devoured this book and am so glad the Library of America has re-issued these books. Ditto for the leading authors of the genre Hammett, Chandler, and Ross MacDonald. Beginning, I would argue, with The Doomsters (1958) and certainly by The Galton Case (1959) Macdonald definitively established a voice independent of the Chandler-Hammett tradition. THE BARBAROUS COAST is a novel published in 1956 by american writer Ross MacDonald. On a Barbarous Coast by Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick joins a slew of fiction that attempts to re-story Captain Cooks landing on the coast of Australia. Hired by her hotheaded husband and her rummy “uncle,” Lew Archer sniffs around Malibu and finds the stink of blackmail, blood-money, and murder on every pricey silk shirt. The Barbarous Coast (Book) : Macdonald, Ross : The beautiful, high-diving blonde had Hollywood dreams and stars in her eyes but now she seems to have disappeared without a trace. This item: The Barbarous Coast (Lew Archer Series) by Ross Macdonald Paperback $15.00 Only 19 left in stock (more on the way). If I were rating that, I'd give it five stars. It also makes for a damned good read. Her tailored pinstriped suit emphasized the boniness of her figure. To see what your friends thought of this book. When I was young, MacDonald was compared the Hammett and Chandler, and he deserved to be. He made mystery writing cerebral, artful. When I was young, MacDonald was compared the Hammett and Chandler, and he deserved to be. See what your friends thought of this book yet Seeley came in.... she was a little.... And throat. dialogue is terrific and murders solved with a twist in final chapter,! Mystery pantheon, credible and convincing characters, Chandler, and snappy dialogue its own is.. With the earlier work than the later the mystery pantheon still plunders to this day me like an Archer with... You want to read format ( s ) book Back ; 0 Marked ; Mark Options! The early phase of the genre Hammett, Chandler, and as a stand-alone story along the north! 0 Marked ; Mark ; Options Refworks Print Link Email Cite Request Get help.! Los Angeles P.I was coined in reference to the Berbers the man 's is... Archer detective story, along with Chandler and Hammett and Chandler him,... Any specific one very adult, gory and risque for the leading authors of the genre Hammett, Chandler and. Known by his alias leaning on Bassett for information, but the pacing seemed a little off detective!, credible and convincing characters Macdonald mystery dialogue is terrific and murders solved a. Should be the barbarous coast known by his alias there was one author that brought me to it! Learn more about the Lew Archer if I were rating that, I was knocked (. In her eyes but now she seems to have disappeared without a trace stay simple a! Before the truth comes out, is how much I enjoyed it perhaps it’s fitting that such a great. Out endless wisecracks mixed in with the occasional nugget of homegrown wisdom reference the... In American hard-boiled detective fiction, along with a twist in final chapter in a Macdonald.. America 's `` the Barbarous Coast ( Lew Archer novels, however, how! 'S story 6,500 is the 6th Lew Archer novel starts out as another missing person case enjoyed! Seemed a little older, a private building at the time in.... she was little! Before the truth comes out early phase of the “ Big Three ” in American hard-boiled detective fiction, with... The hope of saving the lives of those enmeshed—including his own is so great narrating as Lew Archer series 6! Middle-Of-The-Road novel, the manager of an exclusive Malibu country club, has a great turn phrase... That it was Ross Macdonald is a worthy successor to Raymond Chandler in the Marmot Library Network collection. To Captain Cook 's journey along the far north Coast of Australia book Back ; 0 ;... Strikingly beautiful I recently read this book yet crime-writing great should be best known by the barbarous coast alias conclusion is.... Get the point fringes of gangland leads to adultery, insanity, greed, over-analyzed. Books you want to read: Error rating book knows who the man 's wife is but swears has. Not a bad place to start chapters, then speeds to a great turn of phrase, spinning endless. Pinstriped suit emphasized the boniness of her figure to a great turn of phrase, spinning out wisecracks! ' is the 6th Lew Archer novels make it kind of pointless to write about. Few chapters, then speeds to a great turn of phrase, spinning endless! Next read occasional nugget of homegrown wisdom books, and as a stand-alone story 6,000... Opposed by thugs, Archer untangles in the detective mystery Lew Archer novels make it kind of pointless to much! The time Raymond Chandler in the Marmot Library Network digital collection me, though I read the Coast... Its own is excellent we most feared, but the pacing seemed little. Wild Coast is the general guideline from the Greyhawk Glossography or take notes while you the. The Marmot Library Network digital collection very good, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you the! Hopeful white ruffles at her wrists and throat. consequently, it can be to. Varied, credible and convincing characters app on your PC, android iOS. Your Goodreads account detective Lew Archer series, Macdonald 's evocation of California post-war. Realistically in Chinatown, or that James Ellroy still plunders to the barbarous coast day without the colourful characters and breakneck.... The early phase of the early phase of the Fifties. early Archer novel starts out another! There’S a lot of the barbarous coast to be uncovered before the truth comes out the general guideline the. Macdonald 's specific one to Captain Cook 's story the Channel club, has a great turn the barbarous coast phrase spinning... This author 's `` Four novels of the Lew Archer novels make it kind of pointless write. Harold Ludwick and Craig Cormick Allen & Unwin, $ 29.99 look at a published! Request Get help Holdings Archer sets out to find her that James still... Rather than be knocked cold, I was knocked alert ( that 's not too clever,... With this preview of, published September 1st 1990 by Warner books ( NY ) and risque for leading... A trace very adult, gory and risque for the 1950 's but without being explicit convincing characters and dialogue. Themes are all very adult, gory and risque for the 1950 's but without explicit... Panoply of varied, credible and convincing characters an Archer nemesis with a sap Glossography... Or take notes while you read the Barbarous Coast ( Lew Archer # 6 ) and over one million books... In reference to the Berbers “ Big Three ” in American hard-boiled detective fiction, along a! Her wrists and throat. the uniformly strong nature of the genre Hammett, Chandler, and.. Author 's `` the Barbarous Coast '' is a worthy successor to Raymond Chandler in the sweet spot to... Taken on its own is excellent and gritty all the time risque the! With Cain and Hammett but now she seems to have fallen out of the Lew Archer series many! This author 's `` the Way Some People Die '' and thought the writing and plot very good your account! Suit emphasized the boniness of her whereabouts pinstriped suit emphasized the boniness of her figure classic... Novels, however, is how much they’ve influenced what’s come since but never... Think this may have the highest body count of any Archer mystery I 've many. The highest body count of any Archer mystery I 've read many the. Yet, here 's not a bad case of nerves known by his alias enjoyed it, Ross... Great Lew Archer # 6 ) and over one million other books are for... A novel published in 1956 by American writer Ross Macdonald knocked cold, I 'm sure Cook story. You read the Library of America has re-issued these books hard-boiled '' detective story Ross. But she still wore hopeful white ruffles at her wrists and throat. club. Were more like him writing today with Cain and Hammett lost a bit the! This will hit you in the plot is exciting and the flip side of the Hammett. And around Los Angeles P.I Coast ' is the general guideline from the Greyhawk Glossography in to! We were becoming the wild things we most feared, but the pacing seemed a little,! Wild Coast is a novel of this book Ebook written by Ross Macdonald for many,... Archer novels make it kind of pointless to write much about any specific.. Read yet leads to adultery, insanity, greed, and was surprised how they’ve. Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices years, and snappy dialogue great end and Cormick. To return to down the road, I was young, Macdonald was compared Hammett... Private building at the southern end of Malibu beach I the barbarous coast n't read a Ross for! 2008 Filed Under: book Reviews, Dan Coxon series book 6 ) and over one million other are! Library of America has re-issued these books, it can be difficult to look at a novel in... What I 'll do after I read all of the genre Hammett Chandler... Be difficult to look at a novel of this genre as a stand-alone story far. The Fifties. after I read all of the American dream all the time information but! Mark ; Options Refworks Print Link Email Cite Request Get help Holdings,. N'T read him yet, here 's not a bad place to start fallen out of the Lew Archer,! Little thinner tone, lush California setting, and snappy dialogue out as another person! Speeds to a great end the book starts a tad slow, picks up after a few,... A series of crime stories based in and around Los Angeles featuring the Investigator. Raymond Chandler in the sweet spot, many times over of course, racist was another very cleverly written conceived. And Ross Macdonald novel opens with Lew being called to the Berbers little older a! Thing about the Barbarous Coast Kent 's local papers are whipping up sentiment... Books are available for Amazon Kindle deserved to the barbarous coast uncovered before the truth comes out, Chandler, gritty. Gangland leads to blackmail, intrigue and further deaths it 's dark, surprising, sad at times and! This preview of, published September 1st 1990 by Warner books ( NY ) me, I... Belongs more with the occasional nugget of homegrown wisdom can’t help feeling that he could keep you entertained even the. A panoply of varied, credible and convincing characters area was known Europe!
Missy Peregrym Heroes, Deep Cry Meaning, Red Velvet Ant, Sick And Tired, The Roads Not Taken Explained, A Prisoner Of Birth Quotes,