The Barbarous Coast (1956)

This is a Lew Archer mystery that was written in the 50's, number six in the series. In this book MacDonald"s writing style goes beyond the hard-boiled detective almost to the classic noir of the thirties and forties. The influence of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet is noticeable throughout the book. I was glad to see that another author writing in that style. On the surface Archer is a lone wolf detective who is just doing a job. Given time he shows a depth of character and a surprising talent for what he does. In this book he gets knocked out a lot. But then he wakes up and it's so what you knocked me out, I've done that before.
The story starts with Archer trying to find the missing wife of a semi-hysterical young man. He is always getting into trouble breaking in on people and threatening them. He scares one man so bad he hires Archer to find the wife. The middle of the plot goes in many different directions. There are movie mobsters and an old boxer and as I said Archer gets knocked out a lot. The characters were well written, most were unpleasant but they were individuals and not stereotypes. They left me with distinct memories, like they were people I met. The action slowed in spots but generally the plot moved well. There is some hitting but no real violence. I thought the ending was very good. I didn't see it coming and it gave a nice twist to finish off the story.
I have a number of other books by this author and I will be starting another one soon. I feel like I have found another really good author. MacDonald writes with a very distinctive style that I enjoy very much. I have read Hammett's five novels at least twice. There are thirteen in this series which gives me something to look forward to. ( )

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Originally published in 1956, as the sixth novel in the Lew Archer crime series, The Barbarous Coast demonstrates exactly why Ross Macdonald’s name has survived when so many others have been forgotten. Punctuated by a sharp, dark wit, and twisting subtly through an untold number of well-plotted revelations, this novel shows why Macdonald was considered the natural successor to the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. It also makes for a damned good read.

If you haven’t stepped inside this noir-ish world before then here’s a brief rundown of what to expect: hot-headed gangsters, scheming women, smart-talking detectives, guns, seedy motels, under-the-table business deals and more than one murder. It’s the world that Roman Polanski portrayed so realistically in Chinatown, or that James Ellroy still plunders to this day. It’s dark, dangerous, and the flip side of the American dream.

In many ways Macdonald’s Lew Archer is the archetypal private eye, quick tongued and always struggling to stay on the right side of the law. He also has a heart of gold, naturally, but after so many years of being dragged through the mud it’s tarnished a little. Actually, it’s tarnished a lot. The novel opens with Lew being called to The Channel Club, a private building at the southern end of Malibu beach. He encounters an angry young man called George Wall at the gate – the action kicking in almost before the end of the first page – and once he’s inside the building the club manager, Clarence Bassett, explains what the disturbance is all about.

One of the girls who used to work at the club, Hester Campbell, married Mr Wall in Canada; since then she has abandoned him and returned to California, and Wall’s worried that she might be in trouble. He’s been leaning on Bassett for information, but Bassett pleads ignorance, along with a bad case of nerves. Needless to say, Hester Campbell was strikingly beautiful. Needless to say, there’s a lot of dirt to be uncovered before the truth comes out.

Audiobook. Fine muscular prose. Love a book from CA and the 50s. Just damned good crime fiction. About to begin a Ross MacDonald jag. ( )