A modern-day detective novel featuring a reimagined version of Raymond Chandler’s iconic character Philip Marlowe forms the basis for The Goodbye Coast. Protagonist Marlowe is tasked with finding the daughter of an actress whose husband has just been murdered – just the start of a complicated plot in which the private detective must dig deeper into the criminal world. Here, Marlowe uncovers links to Russia and money laundering, during a case that features many unlikeable characters as you would expect from the genre. This, combined with family and relationship complications, sets the scene for a fascinating thriller.
Though not personally a Chandler buff, so indisposed to cross-reference elements from both novels, the modern-day Los Angeles setting feels far enough removed to enable the story to work as its own separate entity. Occasionally the dialogue feels a little predictable – heavy-handed with the amount of contemporary cultural references – yet the overall effect provides a typically thrilling, cleverly woven plot, culminating in an unexpected reveal.
An entertaining and enjoyable read, particularly as the story progresses, The Goodbye Coast unearths many different strands which have left me curious to read the work Joe Ide based his character on.
The Goodbye Coast, Joe Ide (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Price: £16.99. Info: here
words RHIANON HOLLEY