Dark Echoes

by Bruce Crowther

Hollywood homicide detective, Toshiko Tanaka, investigating the sadistic killing of a bit-part player in old-time movies finds similarities with killings at Rialto Pictures a half century ago. Harry Kenning, who retired from making Western movies fifty years ago, returns to Hollywood with his old movie sidekick, Billy Ross, to visit some of the people they knew back then. More murders happen, and Toshiko and Harry team up in an unlikely partnership to try to solve today’s murders. Along the way, they encounter Lee Castle, Harry’s old rival, now internationally famous, Raoul Hernandez, one-time screen lover, Crusher Maguire, former screen villain, and Jane Carson, now a massively successful concert and recording star. Unexpectedly, Toshiko and Harry learn that the long-ago murder investigation was flawed and as they strive to solve the new murders they also discover the truth about the Rialto killings back in the 1950s.

222 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2012

About the author

Bruce Crowther began writing fiction in the 1970s with novels such as "Island of Gold" and "The Rose Medallion," the latter of which was was serialized by the BBC in 1981. His work includes some 25 crime novels, often using the pseudonym James Grant but he has also published one novel as Michael Ansara.

Writing under his real name, Bruce Crowther, he has written 16 non-fiction books, mainly focusing on cinema and popular music; his 1989 book, "Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark Mirror", was nominated for an Edgar Award. He is also a frequent contributor to the magazine "Jazz Journal."

A few years ago, he returned to crime fiction, and have published several new novels including "Dead Man Running", "Dark Echoes", "Penitence", "Harlem Nocturne", "All Cut Up", "Harlem Madness", "Shadows Of The Night", "Harlem Blues", "The Girl in the Green Hat", "Lies Kill", "The Cave".

Reviews

[Marina Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting contrast between the Hollywood of the 1950s and the present-day, and a feisty third-generation Japanese American female detective that I would like to see more of. However, the storyline became too complicated for its own good and there were far too many characters and names to keep in mind.