The Pictures

July 3, 2017
The execution of British screenwriter Bolton’s first novel, set in Los Angeles in 1939, falls short of the nifty noir premise. Det. Jonathan Craine is the LAPD’s fixer for the movie studios that make the local economy hum. His history of supplying tidy resolutions to messy problems, rather than actual justice, begins to weigh heavily on him after a young woman’s murder links back to a blackmail racket out of MGM Studios, just as its chief, Louis B. Mayer, prepares for the premiere of The Wizard of Oz. Bolton has clearly done his homework on pre-WWII Hollywood, but his efforts to evoke the setting are marred by leaden explanations of Craine’s motivations, Briticisms, and otherwise sloppy prose. A hard-boiled American detective, for example, is unlikely to eat a meal “with a bottle of claret.” Still, Bolton has imagination to spare, and hopefully he’ll do better next time. Agent: Anna Power, Johnson & Alcock (U.K.).

August 1, 2017

The year is 1939, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios is celebrating its 15th anniversary, studio head Louis B. Mayer is at the top of his game, and The Wizard of Oz is about to premiere to eager fans. Not far from this glamorous setting a young woman is savagely murdered in West Hollywood, calling LAPD detective Jonathan Craine to the scene. Known to be Hollywood's inside man, Craine successfully pins the murder on a convenient ex-con. Within hours, a second tragedy strikes, introducing Craine to Patrick O'Neill, a young detective who is as straight as Craine is crooked. O'Neill's persistence in the investigation forces Craine to confront his corruption and question the road he has chosen. Craine's feelings are further complicated by the producer's widow, Gale Godwin, a beautiful and beguiling film star. As the body count climbs, there is mounting evidence that something very sinister is unfolding and Craine might be the only one who can stop it. VERDICT This debut novel by a British screenwriter takes its time drawing readers into the glitzy, deadly world of Old Hollywood. A solid read for fans of the silver screen and intelligent detective novels.--Amy Nolan, St. Joseph, MI

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
Set in 1939, this debut novel from a British screenwriter concerns the apparent suicide of MGM executive Herbert Stanley, whose latest project had been overseeing the making of The Wizard of Oz. With Dorothy and Toto awaiting their premiere, why would this veteran Hollywood figure choose to hang himself? Patrick O'Neill, a new detective with the LAPD homicide squad, wants to find the answer to that question, but he's pretty much on his own. Louis B. Mayer needs Stanley's death to become old news quickly, and to that end, he calls on Jonathan Craine, also an LAPD detective, to do what he does best: fix stuff for studios worried about scandals. But Craine, only recently returned to the job after the suicide of his actress wife, is sick of being a fixer. Drawing heavily on early James Ellroy, especially LA Confidential, Bolton spins a lurid tale of Hollywood after dark, complete with drugs, prostitution, and pornography. A subplot involving Craine's troubled son belongs in an MGM melodrama, but otherwise, this one works fine, nicely mixing Hollywood glamour with backroom sleaze.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)