Porno Valley

by Philip Elliott

Overview

FINALIST: Best First PI Novel, Shamus Awards

It's the year 2000 and 78-year-old Mickey O'Rourke has been a Los Angeles PI for a very long time. He'd thought he'd seen it all until the disappearance of porn star Jeffrey Strokes sends him from the sex-filled studios of the San Fernando Valley to the desperate streets of Compton where Mickey's final case becomes his biggest test.

Flash back to 1998 and struggling hair salon employee Jemeka Johnson, suspecting boyfriend Ray-Ray of infidelity, follows him one night from their East Compton home to what turns out to be a drug deal gone sour where a twist of fate finds Jemeka tossed onto a dark and dangerous path -- one that offers huge reward for someone bold enough to seize it.

Meanwhile, in 1999, tired of robbing small-town diners and shooting bad dope in filthy motel rooms, newlyweds Richie and Alabama return to LA in search of the perfect score.

Paths cross and past meets present as bad decisions hurtle toward worse consequences -- and no one will ever be the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781999086831
Publisher:	Into the Void
Publication date:	08/24/2021
Series:	Angel City , #2
Pages:	316
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Twice-optioned screenwriter and award-winning novelist Philip Elliott is on a mission to bring noir back. He writes neo-noir rooted in character and enjoys blending these sensibilities into other genres, particularly drama, thriller and horror. His debut novel, Nobody Move, won Best First Novel in the CWC Awards for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing, and follow-up Porno Valley is a Shamus Awards finalist. As a teenager fueled by the fires of rebellion, Philip played drums in bad punk bands. Based in Vancouver, BC.

Editorial Reviews

"Elliott has a real feel for comedic noir in the Elmore Leonard vein." --Booklist

"A consistently gripping tale . . . suffused with meticulous details and characters at the mercy of the druggy Southern California underbelly. . . . An infectious sense of humor . . . enthusiastic plot and a swift pace combine with gritty characters in a satisfying thriller." --Kirkus Reviews

"A blisteringly brilliant ride in the best tradition of comedic-noir crime fiction straight into the sordid twisted underbelly of Los Angeles. . . . Absolutely nails the genre; sublimely descriptive, slightly stylized and . . . told with a veneer of brutal, black humor." --IndieReader (starred review)

"A crime fiction delight, with wonderful momentum, intriguing characters, and a satisfyingly solved whodunnit. . . . A complicated picture of desperation, greed, love, and the mistakes that even decent people can make." --US Review of Books (starred review)

"Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. . . . Working toward a brutal, bloody denouement, this hard-boiled mystery hurtles from one violent episode to another [which] resolve into a single tale of betrayal, bad decisions, and greed as an aging detective cracks the last, most perplexing case of his career." --Foreword Reviews

"Elliott's similes are beautiful, dialogue brisk and true, and exposition lightweight and similar to screenplay action. . . . If you're looking for a fun and fast read with fully formed characters scheming in a heart-pounding plot, you can't do any better than this marvel of a crime novel." --Scott Semegran, author of The Benevolent Lords of Sometimes Island

"Masterfully plotted, suspenseful, and populated with uniformly complex characters . . . with a strong sense of atmosphere and a healthy dose of social commentary. A must-read." --Mike Thorn, author of Shelter for the Damned

"A nonlinear mystery set in a Y2K LA so rich and character-driven that to call it noir betrays the literary aspects of the story. . . . Rather than a whodunnit, Porno Valley is a why- or howdunnit inside a slick page-turning noir where the sun's always at high noon." --Tex Gresham, Humanitas Prize winner and author of Sunflower

"In this gripping, pulpy noir Elliott showcases his knack for crafting intricately layered stories with resonance. This hellish triptych takes us on a collision course with a cast of tragic characters who, even in their darkest moments, are relatable and sympathetic." --Niall Howell, author of Only Pretty Damned

"A fast-moving and ever-changing PI novel. . . . It recalls the best of Michael Connelly as the characters and their problems are spread out on the velvet background of Los Angeles 20 years ago." --Steve Aberle, Great Mysteries and Thrillers

From the Publisher