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Cold Desert Sky
Brilliant third novel from emerging young crime writer, whose Charlie Yates series explores the crime ridden landscape of post WWII America – perfect for fans of James Ellroy
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No one wanted to say it to me, that the girls were dead. But I knew…
Late 1946 and Charlie Yates and his wife Lizzie have returned to Los Angeles, trying to stay anonymous in the city of angels.
But when Yates, back in his old job at the Pacific Journal, becomes obsessed by the disappearance of two aspiring Hollywood starlets, Nancy Hill and Julie Desjardins, he finds it leads him right back to his worst fear: legendary Mob boss Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, a man he once crossed, and whose shadow he can’t shake.
As events move from LA to the burgeoning Palace of Sin in the desert, Las Vegas – where Siegel is preparing to open his new Hotel Casino, The Flamingo – Rod Reynolds once again shows his skill at evoking time and place. With Charlie caught between the FBI and the mob, can he possibly see who is playing who, and find out what really happened to the two girls?
Pitch perfect American noir.
The third Charlie Yates novel has our hero and his wife Lizzie in 1946 Los Angeles — and the reporter with a nose for trouble is up to his neck in it. The tarnish of Tinseltown shows through as Charlie investigates the case of two missing women, following a lead into the desert to the building site that is the nascent Las Vegas, and into yet more danger.
A thing of beauty... an extraordinarily compelling, genuinely absorbing and totally immersive piece of storytelling that will stay with you long after you turn the final page... Excellent.
‘Since his debut novel The Dark Inside, Rod Reynolds has
emerged as one of the UK’s most talented new crime authors. His retro-inspired crime fiction continues with Cold Desert Sky. Set in the 1940s it sees Charlie Yates return to
his job writing for the Pacific Journal where he becomes obsessed with the
disappearances of two Hollywood actresses. The famous real-life mobster Siegel has a few cards to play here, and if you’re a fan of James Ellroy this one would be worth checking out – it starts off right in his patch before heading East towards Vegas.’
‘Charlie Yates is back and it feels like it has been too long since we last spent any time together. Reuniting with characters I love to read about never grows old – picking up a book and slipping back into their world is such a treat. Charlie’s world is 1950’s America and once again I find myself marvelling at the way Rod Reynolds can make a time and place which I have never visited seem so realistic. So much of what I love about these stories is based in the way I feel I become part of the telling…brilliantly compelling.’
‘[Reynolds] has created another exquisitely authentic masterpiece, his 1940s America coming alive with its richly drawn setting, terse and believable dialogue, and powerful characterization, and it draws on the best elements of American noir... a first-class, evocative thriller… Its expert craftsmanship is underpinned by a raw and emotional core. This is page-turning, highly engaging entertainment, but also a study of corruption, guilt, relationships and a paper-thin industry peddling dreams. If you haven’t read Rod Reynolds yet, you are missing some of the best crime fiction you may ever read. Simply outstanding.’
After a successful career in advertising, working as a media buyer, Rod Reynolds took City University’s two-year MA in crime writing, where he started The Dark Inside, his first Charlie Yates mystery. This was followed by the second book in the series, Black Night Falling, in 2016. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.
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