Point Doom: A Dark L.A. Crime Thriller of a Sober Ex-PI's Quest for Truth and Vengeance

by Dan Fante

From Dan Fante, the son of novelist John Fante, comes a gritty detective novel featuring JD Fiorella, an ex-private investigator who's bent on avenging his friend's murder. Failed private investigator JD Fiorella was a pro at finding trouble. Mixing it up with the wrong people in New York, he escaped to L.A.—only to hit rock-bottom after too many nightmares and too much booze. Now forty-six and sober, JD is working hard to get it together. Living in Malibu at his mother's house in Point Dume, he's got a new job selling used cars with his friend Woody and a new girlfriend. But just as things are looking up, JD discovers a gruesome murder. Now the ex-private detective has to make a choice. Determined to exact vengeance, he follows a twisting trail of clues that leads him to unexpected truths about himself and his new life—and to a psychopathic killer with an eerie connection to his past. And, as JD soon learns, this time there's no easy way out.

Genres: Crime, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jon Cone · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, I thought, 'this is good', but as the book progressed, as it lumbered along, predictable, violent, the relentless tough-guy voice grew tiresome, and the plot harder to accept as it hauled itself around the next convenient turn. Eventually, I reached a point, not of doom but pure boredom. By then I'd spent so much time with the book, I was determined to finish it no matter what. The end came, and I dropped the book to the floor and that was that. Certainly, not the worst hard-boiled crime novel I've ever read, but not the best by a long shot. If you like Chandler, Hammett, and Caan, then this book will feel like an imitation in the tradition of the more outlandish Mickey Spillane novels. If you like Bukowski's prose, there'll be moments when you'll find the writing crisp and clean like a good punch. If you like intelligent use of violence -- is there such a thing? -- there'll be much that will be off-putting. I enjoyed Fante's memoir, the book he wrote prior to this one. And much of "Point Doom" feels like re-worked pages from that book. I would only recommend this title to committed Fante fans, or people who like the more savage examples of the hard-boiled writers. I know I'll never re-read this book. And I'm someone for whom the rereading of a book is the highest praise possible.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Point Doom" is a good detective story that's ALMOST great. J.D. is a retired New York private detective with a past. He's moved back in with his mother in Point Dume (pronounced Doom), in Malibu. He's a recovering alcoholic trying to get his life back together and he's doing a decent job. Until, that is, he runs into a femme fatale and (as the Fresh Prince would say) his life got flipped, turned upside down.

What follows is a gory and lurid tale of murder, nazis, gore, and revenge. I can safely say I've never read a book where a severed penis played such a prominent role. I think Fante wanted to create a series here but unfortunately, it looks like that won't be the case. That's too bad because J.D. is an interesting character with room to grow.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

JD Fiorella is a former private investigator. JD also was part owner in a high end car rental company among a few other jobs. JD has alcohol to thank for his life now. JD is currently living back home with his mother and just started a god as a used cars salesman for “Rhett Butler”.

JD’s life gets turned upside down quickly when he finds a body. His private investigator side kicks into full gear.

Another new author to me in Dan Fante. Mr. Fante really brings the grittiness and pure sinister evil in this book and the characters. If you are looking for a new author to read then you should check out Point Doom.

JD is a flawed character but this is what I liked the most about him. What I mean by this is what JD has a temper and been knocked down and is currently down on his luck. However this is all of the things that make him more personable and I can connect with him in this book.

Be warned if you are easily offended by language and gruesome dismemberment. There is a fair share of both of these elements in this book. Point Doom deserves a spot on your bookshelf or on any of your electronic reading devices.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an uncorrected proof of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Before I begin: If you can't sit through an episode of the television show "Criminal Minds," then this book is not for you. Also, if this novel were a movie it would be rated R.

"Point Doom" is the story of ex-New York City private investigator JD Fiorella trying to get back on his feet. He now lives in Malibu with his mother and attends AA meetings to keep himself sober. When his pal Woody is mysteriously murdered, JD, armed with only his gun and vengeance, tries to find out what happened.

JD's dark sarcasm and bad-assery immediately draw you in. His flaws are what define him. The alternating point of view makes this book pretty interesting and the descriptions of the gruesome scenes are highly disturbing.

This book was definitely worth the read and was a quick one for me. As it is a mystery, I'd recommend it to fans of that genre and fans of "Criminal Minds" or "Dexter"-esque books.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

JD Fiorella is a former private investigator, former owner of a rental car business and a recovering alcoholic. Now, he is unemployed, living with his mother and going to AA meetings and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He also has anger issues and when a car cuts him off, he begins a chase that snowballs into much more. When he discovers his only friend (from AA and got him a job selling used cars) horrifically murdered, he decides to seek revenge.

This story starts out disturbing and the brutality through could turn ones stomach, but I found the story to be exciting and face-paced. It wasn’t really a mystery but a revengeful thriller. I found JD to be a great character, not one that I would want to piss off. Not for the light-hearted but still a fascinating read.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually don't like to ask this question but sometimes a book makes me wonder: why this story?
"Point Doom" doesn't feel much different from any number of other middle-of-the-road crime/mystery novels when it comes to plot or characters - in fact, other than the few utterly shocking descriptions of violence, I couldn't really find anything to distinguish it at all. That's not to say that it's bad, not really - it's just that it's not really worth your time.

More at RB: http://wp.me/pGVzJ-Jo

[Hosho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fante's hard-knuckled prose--this time served up as noir fiction. Be warned--content in this book (and most of his others, come to think of it) isn't for the faint of heart. Noir meets snuff film meets grindhouse with a narrator who has nothing to lose. But it's clear that Fante follows the one true piece of writing wisdom: write books only you can write and have always wished you could read...he's clearly having fun with this one.

[Clashton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty violent revenge story.

Somewhat pornographic, imo, in its descriptions of violence and sexual sadism.
At a certain point there was nothing new happening, just rolling on through more of the same violence towards a conclusion.

I get the feeling that the book is partly an outlet for the authors own violent and/or sexual fantasies.

[Guy Salvidge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Fante's final novel opens in similar fashion to his earlier books - with a deadbeat, ex-drunk with a shady career path - but veers awkwardly into the terrain of cheap crime fiction about 100 pages in. And I'm taking the laziest, cheapest cliches of all: no-good Russkies with 10 year old sex slaves; sadistic 80 year-old film producers who turn out to have spent time in Nazi concentration camps; murderous vixens who cut off men's penises. It's all revolting drivel. Worse, our 'hero' turns out to be just as sadistic in his revenge, so there's no moral high ground of any sort to be found. This would be one star except that I do like Dan Fante even if he is a wannabe Bukowski, and the first 100 pages has some merit.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely disgusting. I was 75% through and committed to finishing but then there is a borderline rape scene and sadism and the main character is such a freaking creep it's unbelievable. The beginning of the book had promise, I almost added another star for that but no, I'm just grossed out by this whole thing. I will never read another book by Dan Fante after this.

[Nik Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Dan Fante's writing and this book didn't disappoint. Although I found the character quite similar to Bruno Dante (alcoholism etc) I enjoyed the fact he was more controlled and focused. It's a shame he never got to write more about JD.

[Bookcat88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In true Dan Fante style this story is a wild ride. The book is an mystery told in gritty detail and displaying the author’s unhinged imagination. Not for the faint of heart. Fante employs sex and violence as he’s known to do, and it is completely unreserved. And enjoyable read. Four stars.

[Francis Leclerc · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai bien aimé le personnage de J.D. Et l'ambiance L.A., de même que le ton typique irrévérencieux de Dan Fante. Par contre, j'ai trouvé que certaines scènes d'actions étaient un peu tirées par les cheveux et peu crédibles et ça m'a fait un peu décrocher.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another modern classic from Dan- he can write no wrong. highly entertaining for its style. warm recommendation

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Fante died right before the latest mass shooting rash, first the San Bernardino one, then the Planned Parenthood “baby parts’ thing in CO Springs, or maybe I have the order wrong. Everybody was so hair-triggered. There was nothing but bad news to base your life on. This reporter’s own late father had been on his mind especially this year, and my friend Tommy had four or five friends of his die in one week last summer. Another friend's sister died yesterday. Things come in streaks. But these vales of death we find ourselves in can have a propulsive effect, shoving us into the future with purpose.

Your reporter contacted Dan as a John Fante fan (whose hospitable work he discovered through Bukowski) several years ago and we became pen pals. I remain very grateful for Dan’s acceptance and encouragement over the years of their association. Dan’s two appearances at Mutiny Information Café in Denver stand as landmarks in the history of that bookstore and of this city’s creative underground. I never met his widow but sent her a fb condolence yesterday wishing best futures for her and his son, hope she gets it.

The day after Dan���s passing, this reporter went to a used book store and impulsively picked one called The Asphalt Warrior by Gary Reilly, which I would highly recommend as the most able pastiche of the senior Fante’s distinctive approach I’ve yet seen—but not merely that—w/ cab driving in Denver as the motive engine and main character Murph's Irish roots substituted for A Bandini's Italo-Catholic ones in similar form, as good as David Eddie’s Chump Change, another big winner. Denver-based Running Meter Press has published a total of eight books by Reilly, who died in 2011, and more to come. They have also published a book by your reporter’s pal Barry Wightman called Pepperland, previously reviewed in this reporter's Examiner column.

I ordered a copy of Point Doom by Dan Fante, his first attempt at a mystery novel, which I’d been meaning to check out, and Hating Olivia by Mark SaFranko, whose name he’d seen on one of Dan’s books. Point Doom was highly entertaining, a marriage of Dan’s usual manner, complete with overt references to his parents and the family home, but drawing heavily on Dan’s experience as a private detective, its plot concerning the interpersonal perversion of modern Los Angeles and a former concentration camp inmate turned torture-happy movie director, and more.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.examiner.com/article/danie...

[Lyanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting mystery novel, very much like the first hill of a roller coaster. The beginning was slow and very detailed, but once Woody is killed (not a spoiler since it is on the jacket back), about a third of the way into the book, the pace really does not slow. I enjoyed the character of JD, as he was unabashedly self-centered and very driven by his own desires for revenge and payback. JD felt very real to me, as someone with nothing left to lose would act very much like he did. The "twist" was easy to spot for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The graphic violence was a little shocking, as JD was literally willing to do *anything* to finish his goal and damn the consequences.

I think I would like to try more of Dan Fante's books to get a better feel for his work. I enjoyed the grittiness, but this would not be my style of choice for some light reading. But then I do tend to be moody with my genre choices.

I would recommend this for those that love "real" mysteries that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and show realistic consequences to actions. Lovers of crime dramas would like this book thoroughly. I would not recommend it for those faint of heart or stomach if the possibility of torture and death displeases you.


In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Nikki (nikkis.novel.ideas) · Rating 2 out of 5]

JD Fiorella, a reformed drunk and a former employee in many trades, is down on his luck and back at his mother’s house in Los Angeles, attending AA meetings and trying to get his life back on track. An AA connection helps him land a job but it doesn’t take long for his temper to lead him down a winding path of vandalism, murder and general mayhem. While JD is using his skills from his private eye days to track down a killer, someone else is doing their best to make his life difficult, to say the least.

The action in this book is fast-paced yet unrealistic and I found the violence to be gratuitous and the dialogue felt pretty choppy at times. I really wanted to like this story and I didn’t find it terrible, but I also would not recommend it to other readers unless you prefer vivid descriptions of violence over substance and character development.

(Note: I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads)

[Dewayne Stark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible reading unless you like torture and reading this was torture. I read Chump Change last week by same author and this story appears to follow that after the character gets sober. The AA meetings and driving around Santa Monica was interesting but the psycho bitch and father were a little hard to take. All the killings because his AA friend was killed didn't make much sense.

Saint Monica High School is mentioned and JD goes to the Broken Drum across the street and the waitress puts gin in his tonic water. He describes how teenagers when he was a kid could get served there if they would a twenty bill on the bar. That maybe true but it would really be hard to get a drink there for JD since the Broken Drum closed in 1986.

[Bob Binnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promotional copy of Point Doom received through a GoodReads giveaway.

As a LA resident the author captured a slice of SoCal in Point Doom. Santa Monica, Malibu and Canyon Country were all effectively captured.

The plot moves with pace, interspersed with flashbacks that provide context and support character development. The technique was used well and supported the narrative.

So why a 3 star rating? Perhaps it was the gratuitous use if violence for the sake of violence. Sure it is hard boiled but ...

I am interested in reading more from Dan Fante, hoping that he evolves as a story teller and does not find it necessary to be so over the top.

[Morgan C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took awhile for me to get into this book. However, after reading a little more than half way through, I was hooked. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to JD. I found the book to be intense and very graphic at some points which was definitely surprising and hard to get through, so I skimmed through that! I did enjoy JD's outlook on his surroundings and how he looked down on everyone in Malibu. I thought he was really vulgar and sometimes funny but I have never seen another character like him and maybe that was what motivated me to continue reading.

[Dale Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Focused and inspiring. D.Fante has escaped the rubble of Bruno Dante and out has emerged JD Fiorella; a means as to not only further capture and dwell upon mental anguish but to show a darker and physical violence not seen before within his writings. Point Doom is fast and gritty mystery and another evolution to Dan Fante's back catalogue.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bizarre and more disturbing than what I typically read, but I couldn't put it down. Another wild ride from Dan Fante. (And after a recent episode of trying to park in Santa Monica, I got a good laugh at some of the Santa Monica scenes. :-)

[Riku Kauhanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for everyone, but I liked the style. I also appreciated that the story didn't try to be too complicated. It's a good story and well told. If you like hard-boiled streetwise detective stories (with rather cliché-kinda-sadism), I recommend this.

Translation into Finnish is excellent.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great title, awful book. Yuck. Double yuck.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather gross at times and violent. While it is not high on my list of good mysteries, it was compelling enough for me to finish it.

[Joesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim-dirty-morbid-detective-story (If your into Bukowski, J. Fante, Carver. You will enjoy his simple style of prose)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint at heart! The main character is a badass! Very graphic details of killings.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry, witty humor. A gritty novel. I enjoyed it.

[Liz Cowgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy. Disturbing. Fun.