"The light-blue haze in the lower canyon was like a thin smoke from slowly burning money. Even the sea looked precious through it, a solid wedge held in the canyon's mouth, bright blue and polished like stone. Private property: guaranteed color fast: will not shrink egos. I had never seen the Pacific look so small."

It’s kind of amazing that a guy who reads as many mysteries as me has never read Ross MacDonald. I enjoyed this book. Even more surprising is how well it holds up. I have read other P.I. Books this old and they felt dated. I will definitely be reading the next Lew Archer adventure. ( )

Un viejo conocido reclama al detective Archer para que investigue el secuestro de un magnate del petróleo. En una América poseída por la codicia y la violencia, tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, las vidas han perdido valor y el dinero reemplaza cualquier creencia. Pero, como sabe Archer, a veces hay que mirar más cerca para darse cuenta de que la ambición no conoce ni a padres ni a esposos.

I listened to the audiobook version, read by Tom Parker, who did a good job.

I found this book to be fun to read, an interesting plot, and interesting characters. I like Lew Archer, who may be a model for another series I like, the Spencer series. Archer isn't as much of a wise guy as Spencer, but the dialog is still fast and witty.

I was surprised a little that the story didn't seem dated that much, although if you're familiar with LA, it probably would seem more so. There were a few memories from the past here and there, like landline phones with extensions that someone can listen in on, etc. But there were also references to things like marijuana in the glove compartment of a car, and it sounded normal and unsurprising even way back then. Also, cocaine was more common that I expected. But then, I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, so I didn't know much about the rest of the world.

I'm pretty sure I'll want to read more of this series - it seems promising. ( )

First of the Lew Archer books... Maybe too many plot twists, but plenty of stew in the pot. ( )