Ray Bradbury, the undisputed Dean of American storytelling, dips his accomplished pen into the cryptic inkwell of noir and creates a stylish and slightly fantastical tale of mayhem and murder set among the shadows and the murky canals of Venice, California, in the early 1950s. Toiling away amid the looming palm trees and decaying bungalows, a struggling young writer (who bears a resemblance to the author) spins fantastic stories from his fertile imagination upon his clacking typewriter. Trying not to miss his girlfriend (away studying in Mexico), the nameless writer steadily crafts his literary effort--until strange things begin happening around him. Starting with a series of peculiar phone calls, the writer then finds clumps of seaweed on his doorstep. But as the incidents escalate, his friends fall victim to a series of mysterious "accidents"--some of them fatal. Aided by Elmo Crumley, a savvy, street-smart detective, and a reclusive actress of yesteryear with an intense hunger for life, the wordsmith sets out to find the connection between the bizarre events, and in doing so, uncovers the truth about his own creative abilities.
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"I've read this book twice. It is written in a noire style, but with a feel of the fantastical running through it. The main character is a struggling writer (Bradbury himself) who is trying keep his art flowing but is lonely. His girlfriend is an ocean away and he seems so detached from everyone around him. But then a murder mystery unfolds and the writer must solve it. As the novel moves forward you find that Bradbury has many friends, some existing, some new, the relationships brought about through the events in the novel. He also loves each one's uniqueness. The weirder they are the more they are loved because they are themselves. The old, the discarded, the friendless are especially dear to him. They mystery is just the method for us to learn about Bradbury's heart."
— Ellen (5 out of 5 stars)
" Bradbury was the author who shaped my mind during my adolescence. Unfortunately, he seems to have swallowed the "I'm so important" pill and it's showing up in his writing. Stick to the old stuff that rings with clarity and that special Bradbury word craft. "
— April, 2/18/2014" ray bradbury is an interesting author. With somewhat of a morbid theme to his ideas he sometimes makes me wonder where he is going with one idea. However, by the end I was able to look back and see how most of the pieces fit together. A little more strong language than I normally like, but lots of interesting characters and mystery. "
— Stephanie, 2/10/2014" I had to reread Fahrenheit 451 to help my granddaughter write a paper, and I enjoyed it again; so I decided to try this newer Bradbury. Knowing that science fiction, horror, and supernatural are my very least favorite literature genres, I still gave it a shot. I gave up on it after about 4 chapters. All fluff - no substance. There seemed to be no plotline - just a lot of well-written scary language. I couldn't help comparing it to a sermon I heard the day before I tried reading the book. The preacher in question wanted to convey some important lessons, but one had to struggle to stay interested to pick the great truths from the boring presentation. Bradbury was right the opposite, but somehow the same,in this book. The language was enthralling, but one had to work too hard to find an actual story hidden inside the exaggerated prose. "
— Joan, 2/3/2014" Listened to this. didn't love it. Had a hard time finishing it. kind of dark. but again Bradbury paints a wonderful pictures with words. He is a master. "
— Ruth, 1/30/2014" A fun little detective story from Ray Bradbury. It is not his best, nor can it compare the the genre fiction it is imitating, like example Raymond Chandler. However, there is some great dialog and interesting characters, altogether 'fun' is the most appropriate description. "
— Selby, 1/29/2014" A treat of a murder mystery. "
— Brendan, 1/20/2014" I read this a long time ago, but I think it may be worth a second look... "
— Abigail, 12/12/2013" Bradbury's sort-of biopic of himself in the form of a murder mystery. It's good stuff, and very nostalgic for an earlier age. "
— Luke, 11/24/2013" This one will stay with you. A move away from sci-fi/fantasy, this suspenseful mystery will be hard to put down. "
— Deb, 10/2/2013" I forgot how great Bradbury's writing is. I loved this! "
— Neil, 6/25/2013" Took me so long to get through this story - never really grabbed me until the last 30-40 pages. "
— Jonathan, 3/29/2013" Ray Bradbury novels are always disturbing and creepy - and this one did not disappoint. Full of colorful characters and an imaginative story line, this book is a great start to the fall/Halloween season. "
— Mary, 3/6/2013" Not Bradbury's finest, but definitely ten steps above most books. A murder mystery, noir type story introducing the characters used in his other books "A Graveyard for Lunatics" and "Let's All Kill Constance." "
— Andrew, 1/13/2013" This book lowered my spirits greatly. It pressed on my mind and emotional condition imperceptibly. That's why it is dangerous, and that's why I've given it a three. "
— Anna, 4/8/2012" I so enjoyed this wonderful homage to hard-boiled detective stories. It's a grand romp through Venice Beach, California, in 1949. I'm now listening to more of his stories on audible and thoroughly enjoying Bradbury's use of language. They help me with m treadmill resolution. "
— Dee, 2/25/2012" A hauntingly beautiful mystery by one of the Great Ones. I would recommend that Bradbury fans read it, for the protagonist is a young Bradbury into whom we gain great insight throughout the story. "
— Tina, 1/4/2012" First half of the book is pretentious. After that Bradbury starts to forget to write "pretty" and it becomes much more enjoyable. Either that or I got used to the descriptive verbal-diarrhea. "
— Thiago, 12/25/2011" The plot line is slender as a gossamer thread but his lyrical lines cast a spell that keep you reading. "
— H, 7/11/2011" Good and creepy. "
— Margot, 6/16/2011" A writer keeps finding lonely people that have died and searches for the reasons to their loneliness. "
— Fredrick, 5/19/2011" Ray's murder mystery! Murder with a metaphor "
— Charlie, 4/8/2011" Some new experience from Maestro "
— Nikita, 3/31/2011" This book lowered my spirits greatly. It pressed on my mind and emotional condition imperceptibly. That's why it is dangerous, and that's why I've given it a three. "
— Anna, 3/11/2011" Bradbury was the author who shaped my mind during my adolescence. Unfortunately, he seems to have swallowed the "I'm so important" pill and it's showing up in his writing. Stick to the old stuff that rings with clarity and that special Bradbury word craft. "
— April, 1/7/2011" Detective story is not Bradbury's best theme, but nevertheless I like the strange atmosphere full of memories and details,that brings you in that stagy world. "
— Tanya, 12/22/2010" Fun noir though the narrator is a bit grating. "
— Liam/Lew, 12/14/2010" Fantastic, loved it. [My narrator (Michael Pritchard) alongside the author himself] gets my thanks and my congratulation. Wonderfully written, wonderfully (semi) autobiographical, wonderfully achieved: Sweetly strange, humorously creative, wonderfully fun. "
— Sadako, 10/5/2009" entertaining and always enjoy Bradbury's writing, but it seemed to have less of a great underlying intellectual argument than some of his other works. "
— Shibbie, 5/26/2009Ray Bradbury (1920–2012), one of the most popular science fiction writers in the world, wrote more than five hundred short stories, novels, plays, and poems. He won many awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the PEN Center USA West Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, he was the recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Andrew Garman is a television, film, and voice actor. His acting credits include the film Julie & Julia and appearances the television series Law & Order, Mercy, and Conviction. Among his audiobook narrations are Arcadia by Lauren Groff, Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette, and Love Is a Canoe by Ben Schrank, among others.