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When Claire DeWitt's ex-boyfriend Paul Casablancas, a musician, is found dead in his Mission District house, Claire is on the case. Paul's wife and the police are sure Paul was killed for his valuable collection of vintage guitars. But Claire, the best detective in the world, has other ideas. Even as her other cases offer hints to Paul's fate—a missing girl in the grim East Village of the 1980s and an epidemic of missing miniature horses in Marin County-–Claire knows: the truth is never where you expect it, and love is the greatest mystery of all.
The follow-up to the Macavity Award winner Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, this intense and unusual crime novel comes from "a distinctive new voice in mystery fiction" (NPR's Fresh Air).
"Drug-taking, tarot-reading San Francisco detective Claire DeWitt is back . . . Claire is terrific at getting to the bottom of other people's problems but not so good at dealing with her own. But that's the peculiar charm of this punky sleuth and her offbeat entourage." —Booklist
"[A] mesmerizing character." —New Orleans Times-Picayune
"The Claire DeWitt novels are not so much noir mysteries as stories about the nature of mysteries themselves. The stories are wise, chilling, insightful and reeking with despair—and yet so beautifully written in an original, quirky style that it is difficult to resist them." —Associated Press
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
March 19, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780547840642
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780547840642
- File size: 2689 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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April 15, 2013
Gran succumbs to sophomore slump in her second Claire DeWitt mystery (after 2011’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead). An atypical PI who would be at home in a Hunter Thompson story, the sarcastic Claire relies on her dreams, mind-enhancing drugs, a computer-hacker assistant, and her professional bible, Détection by French detective Jacques Silette, to solve crimes. Claire has moved to San Francisco, where she’s caught up in the murder of her old boyfriend, Paul Casablancas, in what appears to be a botched robbery. She follows clues about Paul’s murder and comforts his rock-musician widow, Lydia Nunez, while investigating miniature horse thefts and while looking into the disappearance of an old friend who vanished during the 1980s in Manhattan’s East Village. Rehashed plot points, wearisome characters (Claire’s manic personality can grate), and a rushed denouement make this a lesser effort from a talented author. Agent: Barney Karpfinger, the Karpfinger Agency. -
April 1, 2013
Claire's old love, Paul Casablancas, is murdered in an apparent robbery gone bad, opening a floodgate of emotions for her. She finds a clue ("trust only the clues," says her detective mentor, Jacques Silette) that helps her trace Paul's final steps that ultimately led to his death. Two cases separated by 25 years--the old one in Claire's native Brooklyn and the current in San Francisco--define Gran's second series entry. Through Claire's flashbacks and dreams, readers are transported into her intuitive detecting methods--an exhausting process unique to this fine detective. Claire's increasing reliance on cocaine as the case escalates worries both her friends and the readers, but she never loses track of her cases, leading to a stunning conclusion. VERDICT Gran's (Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead) detective searches for truth, not necessarily justice, and philosophical tidbits scattered throughout give the storyline an otherworldly tone. Remarkably, Gran keeps her tortured detective focused throughout, ensuring a satisfying read. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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September 2, 2013
Tattooed private investigator Dewitt is at it again in this sequel to Granâs Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead. This time, sheâs determined to get answers about the death of an ex-boyfriend that police think was the result of a botched home invasion. Dewitt knows otherwise, and puts her quirky methods to the test in solving the mystery. While pursuing hints revealed in dreams, taking cocaine, and connecting clues, Dewitt draws closer to the killer and discovers more about herself in the process. Carol Monda narrates with a classic noir delivery, a syrupy tone, and plenty of attitude. With a slightly raspy voice, Monda is provocative in her emphasis and infuses the story with dramatic flair. Dewitt fans will be delighted. A Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover.
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