Synopses & Reviews
In Hollywood, you're not made until you've made a movie.First-time author Daniel Depp introduces private investigator David Spandau, an ex-stuntman familiar with the ins and outs of Hollywood -- a smart, tough, and wickedly funny observer of la vie L.A. -- whose patience is almost sapped when he's hired to protect actor Bobby Dye from a blackmailing scheme gone wrong. Dye -- young, brash, and on the verge of becoming a major star -- has been set up by gangster Richie Stella, a nightclub owner and drug dealer with dreams of becoming a Hollywood producer. And he has a movie perfect for Bobby; problem is, it's the worst script anyone's ever read. But Richie is not easy to say no to, and when he retaliates, the game gets a little more deadly for more than a few of its players.
A Hollywood insider himself, Depp is no stranger to the temptations and illusions of the City of Angels and its ambitious, cutthroat denizens. Loser's Town is charged with the elements of all great L.A. noir -- crackling dialogue, fast-paced plot, and seedy, jaded characters -- and Depp brings a few new tricks to the genre with sadistic talent agents, washed-up actors looking for their second coming, and small-time hustlers just trying to make a modest living outside the limelight. Loser's Town is a deftly written thriller -- a gruesomely hilarious, occasionally wistful depiction of what goes on beneath those white letters on the mountainside.
Review
"[Depp] demonstrates a wicked behind-the-scenes awareness of Hollywood's inherent absurdity.... Depp also turns the rare trick of creating supporting characters as charismatic as his lead....Sharp-tongued debut that obviously knows the City of Angels well."-- Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[A] promising series debut...the novel sparkles...L.A. and the movies have long been fer tile ground for crime fiction. If the author continues to create such vivid characters, this series will draw a loyal following."-- Booklist
Synopsis
This darkly comic debut thriller introduces David Spandau, a Hollywood private eye whose laconic wit and keen insider's sensibility are put to the test when he is hired by a young actor at the center of a filmmaking--and blackmailing--scheme gone wrong.
About the Author
Daniel Depp has been a journalist, bookseller, and teacher. His first screenplay, The Brave, was nominated for a Palme d'Or at Cannes. Depp divides his time between California and France. Loser's Town is his first novel.