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The Last Good Kiss

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Meet Private Detective C. W. Sughrue, whose job is to find missing persons and solve crimes, though often he himself is the perpetrator of misdemeanours ranging from grand theft auto to downright criminal folly. After a three-week search for a runaway bestselling author, Sughrue finds himself in a shabby bar, drinking alongside an alcoholic bulldog, when the landlady asks him to find her daughter who vanished ten years ago. His investigation plunges him into the darkest corners of San Francisco's underworldβ€”a realm as flawed and fascinating as Sughrue himself.

Welcome to James Crumley’s gritty, hard-boiled America.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty, noir-inspired crime thrillers rich in atmosphere and complex characters. Fans of Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, and Dennis Lehane will find much to admire in Crumley's evocative and unflinching storytelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

'As sweetly profane a poet as American noir could have asked for' Ian Rankin

'A friggin' masterpiece' Dennis Lehane

'The stunner that reinvigorated the genre and jacked up a generation of future crime novelists' George Pelecanos

Meet Private Detective C.

'The last good mystery' Rolling Stone

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The last good mystery - Rolling Stone

As sweetly profane a poet as American noir could have asked for - Ian Rankin

A friggin' masterpiece - Dennis Lehane

The stunner that reinvigorated the genre and jacked up a generation of future crime novelists - George Pelecanos

Meet Private Detective C. W. Sughrue.

Private detectives are supposed to find missing persons and solve crimes. But more often than not, Sughrue is the one committing the crimesβ€”everything from grand theft auto to criminal stupidity. All washed down with a hearty dose of whiskey and regret.

At the end of a three-week hunt for a runaway bestselling author, Sughrue winds up in a ramshackle bar with an alcoholic bulldog. The landlady's daughter vanished a decade ago, and now she wants Sughrue to find her. His search will take him to the deepest, darkest depths of San Francisco's underbelly, a place as fascinating, frightening, and flawed as he is.

Welcome to James Crumley's America.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Acclaimed as 'the poet laureate of American hard-boiled literature' by The Guardian, James Crumley masterfully evokes melancholy, violence, and vivid landscapes. Time Out praises his prose as writing 'like an angel on speed,' while the Literary Review celebrates the book's blend of humour and brutal ruthlessness. The Independent compares Crumley to James Ellroy, highlighting his skill in transforming tough-guy slang into poetry. The New York Times notes his influence in modernising the detective genre into a darker, profanity-laden, post-Vietnam era experience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784161583

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 April 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Black Swan

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Ian Rankin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 267g

Pages: 384

About the Author

James Crumley was born in Three Rivers, Texas and spent most of his childhood in South Texas. He served three years in the US Army before teaching at University of Texas at El Paso, University of Montana and University of Arkansas. He passed away in 2008. His private eye novels featuring Milo Milodragovitch and C. W. Sughrue are regarded as masterpieces of contemporary crime fiction, praised by Dennis Lehane, Ian Rankin and George Pelecanos. He was awarded the Dashiell Hammett Award for Best Literary Crime Novel and the CWA Silver Dagger Award.

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