First published 2021
Rick Dalton once starred in his own television series, but now he plays forgettable villains while drowning his career disappointments in whiskey sours. A mysterious phone call from Rome might rescue his failing prospects or destroy them completely. His loyal stunt double Cliff Booth carries a dangerous reputation as the only man on movie sets who possibly committed murder and escaped justice. Meanwhile, Sharon Tate has achieved her Hollywood dreams after leaving Texas, spending her golden days in a house on Cielo Drive high in the Hills. Nearby, ex-convict Charles Manson leads a group of drugged hippies who worship him as their spiritual guide, though he secretly yearns for rock and roll stardom instead. Set against the backdrop of 1969 Hollywood, Tarantino weaves together the lives of these characters in his first novel, adapted from his Academy Award winning film. The story captures a pivotal moment when old Hollywood collides with a changing world, exploring how dreams and violence intersect in the entertainment capital.
Genres: drama, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Cielo Drive, Hollywood, Rome, Texas
Period: 1969
400 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: violence