Part of Lew Archer, book 17
First published 2000
Private detective Lew Archer becomes entangled with a rich and dangerous family whose troubles multiply by the day. An environmental disaster has struck their coastal property, leaving oil coating the shoreline. A young woman has vanished without explanation. Someone has administered a fatal amount of sleeping pills. The family faces demands for a substantial ransom payment. A dead body washes up on their private stretch of beach. Archer must navigate the family's web of violence and wealth while uncovering connections between these seemingly separate crises. The investigation forces him to confront how parents and children wound each other across generations. Long-buried memories surface as Archer peels back layers of family arrogance and its devastating consequences. The detective serves as both investigator and moral compass in a world where criminal acts blend into deeper human failures.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-drama, moral-compass
Setting: Coastal Property
Period: 20th-Century
271 pages · Paperback · Vintage Crime/Black Lizard