The Long Silence
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Introducing Irish-born cop turned private investigator Tom Collins in the first of a brand-new historical mystery series.
February, 1922. Hollywood is young but already mired in scandal. When a leading movie director is murdered, Irish-American investigator Tom Collins is called in by studio boss Mack Sennett, whose troubled star, Mabel Normand, is rumoured to be involved.
But Normand has gone missing. And, as Collins discovers, there’s a growing list of suspects. His quest leads him through the brutal heart of Prohibition-era Los Angeles, from speakeasies and dope dens to the studios and salons of Hollywood’s fabulously wealthy movie elite, and to a secret so explosive it must be kept silent at any cost …
Inspired by the unsolved real-life murder of movie director William Desmond Taylor, The Long Silence is the first in a richly evocative, instantly compelling series of new noir mysteries set in Hollywood’s early days.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in Hollywood in 1922, this outstanding series launch from O'Donovan (Dublin Dead) puts a fictional spin on the real-life murder of film director William Desmond Taylor. Querulous movie producer Mack Sennett (of Keystone Cops fame) hires transplanted Irishman Tom Collins, a former New York City cop, to prove that Mabel Normand, Mack's star and former paramour, is innocent of shooting Taylor. But Mack is not the only one putting pressure on Tom; the death of a mid-level dope dealer brings him to the attention of a burgeoning gangster. Tom visits glamorous nightclubs and opulent restaurants, as well as dives and dope dens all depicted with an acute eye for detail along the way to the breathtaking and satisfying conclusion. O'Donovan skillfully portrays an evolving city that is shaped and indeed ruled by the movie industry. The characters, too, are drawn with precision, be they society dames, hop heads, movie stars, or studio executives. Readers will hope this marks the start of a long-running series.
