The story is tried but true: Fred Underhill, a detective for LAPD, investigates a serial murder case off and on for months, while having a nervous breakdown, getting kicked back to uniform duty, and faling in love.




One of the reasons I love James Ellroy is his unflinching, honest portrayal of what all humans are: flawed, to different degrees. CLANDESTINE, to me, is what begins the L.A. saga (BLACK DAHLIA, THE BIG NOWHERE and L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) and it is the only way to be introduced to one of Ellroy's best characters: The monster that is Dudley Smith.




Many, it seems, felt the ending wrapped up too neatly or improbably, but it worked for me entirely. It's more than a warm-up for his best, BLACK DAHLIA, and stands on its own as noir. Ellroy shows us yet another facet of self-destruction redeemed in the nick of time so that at least SOME good can come from life's horrid injustices.




On a final note, I must confess, I am an animal lover, and the addition of the dog named Night-Train was comically wonderful (read it, and you will know what I'm talking about).




James, you've done it again!

Ellroy has an ability to treat stories so honest and brutal, you can't help but keep turning the pages.

Some characters could have been fleshed out more, but that's nitpicking on my part... his primary characters were a delight.

Pray that I could write only 1/3 this good.

That telling a noirish story without the filter of censoring or mainstreaming will make it virtually immortal.

Is the reason I love mysteries, a genre I used to avoid like the plague years ago.

You will not only enjoy the story, you will learn some important lessons in fiction writing.

Play some Diana Krall, Stacy Kent and old Miles Davis while reading this...

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Clandestine   from Amazon.Com!

Created Jan 04, 2002 at 11:00pm • Submit your own review...