Part of Lew Archer, book 12
First published 1980
Private investigator Lew Archer takes on what seems like a routine missing person case when a wealthy family hires him to find their teenage son. The boy has disappeared from his exclusive boarding school, leaving behind only cryptic clues and worried parents. Archer follows a trail that leads him through California's social strata, from privileged enclaves to seedy motels. What begins as a simple runaway case grows complicated when Archer uncovers family secrets, old grudges, and connections to past crimes. The detective must navigate lies and half-truths from everyone involved, including the boy's parents, school officials, and various characters from the teenager's hidden life. As Archer digs deeper, he realizes the missing boy may be running from something far more dangerous than teenage rebellion. The case forces Archer to confront how family dysfunction and buried trauma can poison multiple generations.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: California
Period: 20th-century
538 pages · Hardcover · J. Curley & Associates
Content warnings: mental-illness