L'Ours de Californie

by Duane Swierczynski, Sophie Aslanides (translator)

L’Ours de Californie est un tueur en série à la retraite. Prudent et discret, il n’a jamais été arrêté en quarante ans d’exercice. Le problème, c’est que personne ne sait qu’il est l’auteur de tous ces meurtres et nous sommes à Hollywood où des producteurs s’intéressent à son cas. Sa route va croiser celle de Jack, fraîchement libéré de prison (mais a-t-il vraiment commis le crime dont on l’accuse ?), de Cato Hightower, ex-flic du LAPD qui ne compte pas passer sa retraite à boire des bières devant sa télé (il préfère les boire ailleurs et a de grands projets), de sa femme Jeanie Hightower, spécialiste de généalogie (le passé ne lui résiste jamais), et de « l’Apprentie Détective », une jeune collégienne qui, depuis la chambre où elle est hospitalisée, va mener un combat qui force l’admiration et une enquête bluffante.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 2024

About the author

Duane Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.

Reviews

[Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a Duane Swierczynski champion since I discovered The Wheelman or Expiration Date… and then I found the Charlie Hardie trilogy. He’s easily one of my 10 favorite 21st century writers of Crime/Suspense/Thrillers.

This latest novel like Canary and Revolver before it features a younger girl protagonist facing personal issues while dispensing justice or finding alternatives. Her father’s just been released from prison after being wrongly convicted of a vehicular homicide. She’s in a hospital and undergoing exhausting treatment. Her mom was killed years earlier by the man her father was wrongly convicted of murdering.
And no. This is not a claustrophobic one-setting thriller like “Sorry -Wrong Number”. It sports page after page full of fistfights, gunplay, good cops, bad cops, and your choice of maniacs.

This is a mainstream standalone thriller with perfect pacing between chills and the fascinating mystery behind the return of a horrific serial killer inactive/retired for forty years.

The writing was reminiscent of Thomas Perry with a touch of Elmore Leonard, the way Swierczynski’s writing in Canary reminded me of Donald Westlake’s standalones.

Recommended Read For All Thriller Fans!

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces.

The California Bear was a serial killer who roamed the Hollywood Hills forty years ago. His self restraint and sneaky ways saved him from capture, and he's been hibernating ever since. BUT murderers are a hot commodity in project hungry Tinsel Town, and some people are willing to perpetuate the Bear's legend . . . no matter the cost. Caught up in all the mayhem are an ex-cop, an ex-con, a genealogist, and a teenage girl who can outwit them all.

This fast paced, twisty read is packed with humor and snappy dialogue. It's a rare writer who can make you gasp and laugh at the same time. This book is a whole lotta fun, though the author's afterword will leave you in tears.

[Jason Bovberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

In CALIFORNIA BEAR, it’s the relationship between Jack and Matilda that resonates--and not simply because of its autobiographical elements, although those pack an emotional WALLOP. I dare you to read this novel and NOT come away with sympathetic tears in your eyes, resulting from the clearly-drawn-from life (and hilarious) banter between father and daughter, or the all-too-real intricacies and heart-rending realities of treating childhood leukemia, or simply your knowledge--as a loyal Swierczynski reader--that he is simply a still-grieving dad reconnecting with his lost girl in a stunning act of literary conjuring. But there’s even more to it than that: Beyond the true emotion from which Swierczynski has created his rich characters, he’s fashioned an extremely satisfying fictionalized father-daughter team-up in service of a very fun yarn. Theirs is a complicated, emotionally freighted, ultimately loving bond that serves the overarching mystery in ways that pay off in unexpected ways.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Interesting and fun characters. Fast moving plot. Great storylines. Excellent narrators. I loved spending time with this book.

[Ten Cats Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author Duane Swierczynski, publishers Mulholland Books and Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of CALIFORNIA BEAR. All views are mine.

I don't like multiple perspectives unless they're executed smoothly and don't cause clarity issues. Unfortunately, I found four perspectives to be too many here, especially when considered with the numerous secondary characters. Style also interfered with the read; way too much narrative detail delivered in dialog, and dash phrases slowed things down. The plot unfolds too slowly and the storyline is burdened with unnecessary activity.

Honestly, this one is mostly a "me" thing. I didn't get along with the author's approach. But this one is worth the try, if it's your bag. Check out tropes below.

Rating: 💊💊.5 chemo pills
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Dec 29 '23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🚔 true crime
🔍 amateur sleuth
🔪 serial killer stories
👥️ multiple POVs
🖋 experimental narrative form
🙃 satire

[Mike Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to make of 'California Bear' at first. I was a little dazed by how bizarre it was. The tone was somewhere between Don Winslow and early Carl Hiaasen. The story, told from the point of view of four characters, each of whom was going through a major change in their lives and none of whom are at the centre of the personality bell curve, was intriguing and original. I could see that the intent was to satirise the True Crime industry. There was definitely crime but very little interest in truth.

We followed an ex-cop who got a killer's conviction overturned on a technicality so that he could get a cut of the compensation payout, we have the California Bear, a 'retired' serial killer who was never caught but who, in his old age, wants to be given credit for his 'work' and we have a Hollywood documentary producer who wants to make a big sale to the streaming companies but who says all the right words about justice and truth and respecting the victims.

Moslty, I liked the dark humour but I was uncomfortable with being in the Bear's head. He wasn't one of Hiaassen's larger-than-life- but-not-as-nasty-as-they-seem villains. He was a sadistic misogynist who still hungered for the rush of the kill. That didn't seem very funny to me.

I kept reading the book because I wanted to hear more from The Girl Detective. She's the tween daughter of the man whose murder conviction has just been overturned. She's smart, organised and passionate about doing the research to find out the truth about the murder her father was jailed for. She's also in hospital undergoing chemotherapy for an aggressive form of leukaemia that is likely to kill her. She lifted the book for me. She was brave, bright and had a dry sense of humour.

Then the tone of the book changed. It became less of a satire and more of a love-letter to the bravery of The Girl Detective. The California Bear transformed in interesting and unexpected ways. The women in the story came to the fore and started to subvert the agendas of the men around them. The Girl Detective started to put together what had happened and what was going to happen and did what she could to bring order to the chaos.

I was able to settle into the humour then. I had no idea where the story was going but I was happy to be along for the ride. I liked the fast pace of the story, the convoluted twists in the plot that linked everyone together in unpredictable ways and the unabashed confidence of the larger-than-life characters.

I was sad to get to the end of the book because I started to like some of the characters by then. The ending was neat and tidy and perhaps just a little to happily-ever-after but it was done with style and heart and it made me smile.

I recommend the audiobook version of 'California Bear'. It's done with multiple narrators and delivered with energy. I also recommend listening to the author's afterword where he explains how his own daughter's illness affected the novel.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up for California Bear by Duane Swiercynski. This was my first exposure to the author, so I didn't know what to expect, other than he'd made a good impression on several GR readers.
The story is really pretty far fetched, with little interest in credulity or plausibility for that matter. Yet, despite this, I found myself willingly hopping on board for the entertaining ride provided and being glad that I did. The plot is filled with delicious twists and some humor to balance the tension inducing scenes, during which the story really takes off. Dealing with a serial killer's psyche, regardless of the age or state of disrepair said psychopath possesses, usually results in some nail-biting. This book delivers those types of chapters in spades, and any complaints I might have had prior to arriving there quickly dissolved as the pages seemed to fly by.
Short chapters keep the pot on the boil, and it's difficult not to root for wee Matilda, a fourteen year old who is, generally speaking, the central character and by far the most interesting one. Along with this very precocious and incredibly bright young lady, we have any number of colorful characters, all of whom help to carry the story's inertia right along to the curious yet pleasing ending.
All in all, this is a fun read and should please many readers of the murder-mystery genre.

[Dogsandbooksanddogsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

California Bear is a fun send up of the true crime dramas that showcases a savvy and critically ill nearly 15 year old girl- The Girl Detective, her father The Killer, The Bear (the real Killer), and the genealogist, Gene Jeanie. There is a madcap adventure quality about this very serious topic of serial killers and victims.
Snappy and sarcastic dialogue, quick chapters, and funny scenarios propels the reader along this journey to find the serial killer that appears to be active again after a 40 year hiatus. Why is The Bear active again? And who would profit from his activities? All reasonable questions but when living in California and near Hollywood, specifically, there is always money to be made from someone's pain.

Reading the author's Afterword brings the whole book into perspective and my hats off to his being able to bring this tale to completion. I can see California Bear being adapted as a series on Netflix or HULU, a modern take on Get Shorty, if you will.

Thank you to Novel Suspects and Mulholland Books for an early copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[John Schorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the two main characters - a man released from prison and his critically ill daughter who plays amateur detective - are worth rooting for, it must be said the story here goes substantially off the rails in the final third. Characters are pulled in out of left field to provide resolutions, and last-minute twists are thrown in that are hard to swallow. I sense these folks will be back for another story. I hope it's better than this one.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - “California Bear was meant to be my jab at the true crime industry, where huge profits are reaped from people’s worst nightmares”. The author did this artfully with stock, yet interesting characters, and compulsively readable and darkly humorous writing. This story made me chuckle throughout, and the author’s note brought tears. Not a literary event, but I loved the read.

[Jeanie ~ Fables.and.fur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing here is excellent and the characters are all so richly drawn. The story is original and the dialogue is clever and often witty. Be sure not to miss the afterword read by the author. The narration by James Urbaniak and Jesse Vilinsky is also very good.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duane Swierczynski made his name early on as a writer with inventive plots and memorable characters. His first couple novels featured a mute Irish getaway driver, a woman who would die if she didn't keep someone within ten feet of her, and time traveling via aspirin. His later works, like Canary and Revolver, were more grounded, but still displayed his creativity and writing talents. California Bear, his first novel in seven years, shows Swierczynski is still a master of his craft.

The cast list might seem pulled from a straight-by-numbers thriller (a drunk ex-cop, a serial killer, and an ex-con and his teenage daughter), but each character is well written and full of heart. They each have their own motivations, talents, and flaws, which are evident from their introductions through the final page. As with his other novels, Swierczynski's novel is full of twists and turns, but each one feels earned and the people are at the heart of the story. Matilda Finnerty comes across as a real teenager who brings a strong element of pathos to the narrative. Swierczynski's real-life daughter Evie faced a diagnosis of leukemia like Matilda does in this book, and you can feel him pour his own personal love and heartache into this character.

Swierczynski is a mouthful of a Polish name, but it should be a household name. His books are some of the best out there and he deserves a larger audience.

Highly Recommended.

[Michael J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I haven't read all of Duane Swierczynski's crime novels, I don't feel qualified to say this is his best novel yet. However, from what I have read by him, this is my absolute favorite. CALIFORNIA BEAR is a great blend of crime, hollywood excess, social media, family relationships, and detection/mystery that is suspenseful, funny, satirical, and heart-warming in so many places.
Matilda Finnerty, "the girl detective", is a great character and a tribute/homage to Swiercynski's daughter Evie, who sadly passed away in October 2018, "facing the unknown with incredible strength and humor and grace." That he was able to finish the novel is admirable, and he has immortalized his daughter in memorable fiction.
Told from four different points-of-view in short, fast-paced chapters CALIFORNIA BEAR is a delightful read, full of surprising and often amusing twists and turns. I recommend you check it out.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. What an excellent read! Fun. Fast. Suspenseful. Humorous. Real. Unreal. I docked half a star only for the confusion surrounding the Bear character, particularly toward the end. The acknowledgements just about did me in.

[Venus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! The humor and dialogue between the characters was so much fun. Very laid back serial killer thriller but well worth the read. The pool and donut scene will live in my memory forever. 🤣

READING VLOG✨reading 4 new thriller books
https://youtu.be/KQv9OTNjFFQ

[David C Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

An “LA novel” whose attempt at off beat wackiness gets actively irritating after a while. It’s a miscalculation to try and make a serial killer/abductor/torturer into a jocular figure. Dude…..

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four misfit vigilantes try to track down one of California’s most notorious serial killers, (loosely based on the Golden Gate Killer). Full of humor and suspense, with a fun fast-paced narrative. I have read and enjoyed at least seven of Swierczynski’s novels. If you have not read this author, give him a try.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the multiple points of view esp Girl Detective. She was awesome. I felt sorry for her dad, he didn’t seem to have a clue but he was a good dad. Every character was well written, good and bad they were all purposeful.

I had forgotten how much I liked Swierczynski’s humor and after reading the afterword, I appreciated it even more.

[Eric Kalenze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crime novel, but a *charming* crime novel. Neat trick. (Also: if the afterword, which provides a peek at what gives the novel its unique 'heart', doesn't get to you, I have no idea what would.)

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

My new favorite of Swierczynski’s books - this could easily have been a On Winslow novel (which is a compliment).

[Tom Wile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great story that I can see being a series. Make sure to read the afterword. It’s pretty touching. Would have been 5 stars but I felt like there were one too many red herrings and they were all pretty similar.

[Elizabeth Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is provided courtesy of NetGalley. It's been a privilege to read the latest crime fiction thriller by Duane Swierczynski. When I read the summary of this book, I wasn't sure my review would be necessary to put out there into the world (it probably isn't). I'm doing it anyway because I noticed that the larger media outlets weren't being specific about why they loved California Bear. Mulholland Books has blurbs from James Patterson and Michael Connolly. It's not like they're looking for mine, the average reader. You can expect this review to be more than five targeted keywords for SEO.

Is California Bear "fresh, exciting, and brilliantly unpredictable" as James Patterson said? Hell yes, it sure is.

In this story, Swierczynski takes his cast of characters and gives them reunions, introductions, estrangement,  and expected and unexpected teaming up time. The heart of the story is The Girl Detective and that's how her point of view is referenced. She's Matilda, a nearly fifteen-year-old high school who is more worried about completing her English assignment than her cancer diagnosis. It's all because her assignment, rather than a standard book report or essay, is to prove her father's innocence since he's just been released from prison for murder. This impassioned young sleuth distracts herself from all the chemotherapy, needles, constant interruptions by nurses, and wanting to reject the pity of others. She dives into this case about the serial killer known as the California Bear alongside the cold case of the real estate tycoon who had been run over and subsequently killed.

The Father is Jack "Killer" Queen, a former jazz musician who only wants to get the City of Los Angeles settlement money so he can focus on his only daughter. Throughout "Killer's" point of view, readers get to experience how long and complicated the grieving process is. Does Jack have Complex PTSD? I'm not a doctor, but he probably does. Prison alone will do that do a person; and Jack has been through the loss of his wife, his career, his freedom, and now the tragedy of Matilda's leukemia. Here's a man with the nickname Killer who had attorneys dictate to him how and when to show emotions, then incarcerated where you should not show "weakness," and now he's paying the piper as the saying goes. There's dark poetry in how confused this hardened man feels the mental and physical repercussions of grief.

Any reader would want what Jack "Killer" Queen wants—to be reunited with his daughter and work his ass off trying to get out of the past. He simply never gets a break. You feel for him every single time his friend, an ex-cop and present alcoholic named Cato Hightower, ropes Jack into yet another mission to pay him back for getting him out of prison on a technicality.

Everyone begins to wonder, where was the California Bear this whole time he's been dormant? Can the new advent of forensic genealogy prove this prolific serial killer's identity? The genealogist (named Jeanie) is Hightower's wife and she believes she can link DNA through the family tree.

In walks the "gift" of true crime mania which has swept the entertainment industry. A streaming show is in the works which plans to reveal the identity of the California Bear and tastelessly create reenactments at the actual locations of his murders in a Blair Witch Project way where the actors playing the victims don't know when it's coming. The producer has everything in place including a well-known action star to don the bear mask and clawing glove. The unethical, profit-driven producer who obviously knows the serial killer's identity, is shown for what he is. Even when the plans for the show seem to be at a loss, he comes up with a twist to keep it alive.

That's not the only twist. There are many in California Bear. With four main perspectives narrating the story, there are more twists than Lombard Street. Who keeps killing like the Bear after the real Bear is dead? Is this part of the show? Is it a rabid fan or a family member? Who is the next target?

Summary:

There are going to be a barrage of questions after each section of the book which are broken into brief chapters with the changing perspectives. Keep guessing. Then second guess yourself. Then realize you've never had anything right throughout the mystery of the serial killer known as the California Bear.

Rating: 5 stars

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quirky novel about a serial killer known as the California Bear. Jack, a convicted killer, is exonerated and freed from prison by a retired LAPD cop, Cato. Cato knows Jack was guilty (!) but has a job for him. Jack's daughter is being treated for leukemia, this relationship between father and daughter and how they deal with Jack trying to find the Bear was my favorite part of the story. Fast paced, great dialogue, and a unique story, loved it! FYI, please do not read the "afterword" (it is at the end of the book) until you have finished the book, but do read it. The author tells how the story evolved and the personal motivation. It brought me to tears.

[Pam Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all: a good mystery to the very end, VERY quirky characters that you will not forget, an LA setting, and humor sprinkled throughout. I cannot count the number of times I shook my head and thought, "What????". Such a great book - very worthy of all of the press it is receiving! Be sure to read the author's note at the end.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fast-paced L.A. thriller. It was told by four different main characters in alternating short chapters, which held my interest and made the pages zoom by.

The storyline is about a serial killer that was active in the 1970s but was never caught. There is also a true crime series in the works in Hollywood about the serial killer, a "wrongly" accused killer just released from prison, a retired cop and his ex-wife who does genealogy research, and a newly diagnosed young girl with leukemia.

All of these pieces fit together into a compelling story that was great fun to read. I highly recommend it. I enjoyed it so much that I downloaded two of the author's other books to read - Canary and Revolver. I hope I like them as much.

I received this book from Mulholland Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

[Mike Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to meet Duane when I was producing content for a pop culture website. We were both from Philly, of similar age and background. I’m a huge fan of his twisty caper novels. California Bear is a love letter to the daughter he lost way too early. A fantastic twist and turn til the end. Duane’s afterward is a fitting note. I’m glad he’s back.

[Larry Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

California Bear by Duane Sweirczynski, 2024.

The story starts as it should with the title character, a serial killer in the 80’s, big news back in the day. He’s been on an extended sabbatical, but now there’s the possibility for his return to prominence…

California Bear. “—a serial torturer-murderer who had eluded justice for close to four decades, wanted a cookie…the sweet, carb-laden motherlode -a family-size package of Nutter Butters — his wife’s favorite. —she hid the Nutter Butters there, behind cookbooks because — and this is a quote — “the day you boil an egg for yourself is the day they name me Queen of Mars.” The peanut-buttery scent was like mainlining his childhood… now the man was overcome with a great hunger inside him that couldn’t be satisfied by mere enriched flour and corn syrup solids… —One of these days I’m going to cut you into little pieces. —Remember who you fucking are... and opened his chest of treasures… rummaged through the trunk until he found what he was really looking for… The metal claws, still sharp enough to draw blood.”

Matilda: her final English paper was due in just two days —she’d settled on a topic that was both ambitious and probably impossible: She’d promised her English teacher she’d solve a murder… —she wanted to focus on the murder she had to solve. —technically a cold case, from just two years ago... local real estate tycoon run over and killed inside an underground Burbank garage…. —She had the case file in her bag, along with many articles about California hit-and-run laws as well as background pieces on Julian Church. To know the crime, you must first know the victim. Yes, she should have stopped the research and started the actual writing of the paper weeks ago… —a visit to the doc, who sent the Girl Detective to St. Joseph’s for bloodwork to see what was up with her being tired all the time… the dire news… blood transfusions, a slow drip of platelets, and the specter of chemotherapy looming… apparently two kinds of leukemia — the treatable kind, and the other kind. The Girl Detective had the other kind (naturally). — essentially a vampire now, requiring a constant stream of the red stuff (vintage: O positive) and the gross yellow stuff (platelets, which looked like chunky urine). —the Girl Detective knew she couldn’t cure her leukemia. So why waste brain power on that? Better to stick to something she could do. She needed to solve this case by Friday, when her father would be getting out of prison. This whole “fighting death” thing was seriously getting in the way of her real work… —the Girl Detective would have to discover the truth for herself.”

Jack Killer Queen, now out of prison. “What was he going to say to Matilda when he saw her? When Jack was sent away to prison, he prayed she wouldn’t ask him the Big Question directly, because he vowed to never lie to her. She had been only twelve at the time, —Could he possibly tell her the truth? Could he tell anyone? “Hightower, I gotta get something off my chest. You’re not going to like this. Like, at all.” “Try me.” “I’m serious.” “And I’m Roebuck.” Jack looked into the ex-cop’s eyes. “I did it. For fuck’s sake, Hightower… I actually killed the guy they say I killed. I got drunk and heard where he was, and I ran him over with my car.” —“Of course you did. What, do you think I’m an idiot?”

Hightower: “California Bear raped and murdered at least eight women between 1978 and 1984 and terrorized twenty-six others. He used his smart cop brain to case houses and target his victims and destroy all traces of forensic evidence…one day he stopped, no one knows why… “So how do you know he did it?” “I know,” Hightower said. “Just like I know you did it. —It’s kind of an open secret around the LAPD. —no, wiseass, I’m not basing this on gossip. I have solid physical evidence that the old dude on that lawn butchered eight women.” “What’s your evidence?” “We’ll get to that. I’ve given this a lot of thought. Like, years of planning. I’ve been looking into wrongful conviction cases for over a decade now. What nobody else even considers? For every poor bastard who’s sent up for a crime he didn’t commit, there’s some slick son of a bitch who gets away with it. And that’s when it hit me. I want us to nail those sons of bitches.” — now that Jack was out in the real world with him, he realized he’d missed something important: Hightower was clearly a very troubled man. “You owe a debt because — well, you killed a man. And me, because I was a shitty, ineffectual cop for my entire career. I squandered the opportunities I’d been given. The two of us owe humanity something in return.” This man was bonkers. Yes, he did help spring Jack from prison. But he also had a brain filled with insane schemes. “Okay,” Hightower said, If we play this right, we could make a fuck ton of money.” “I thought you were in this for the justice.”

So the tale continues in true California style, The main story, here, is the love, humor, and grace evoked throughout by daughter, Matilda/Girl Detective, and father, Jack Killer Queen. In the author’s afterwords, we learn those feelings are real, not fiction. Great credit to the author richly deserved, moreover to Evie, his muse, for somehow delivering to readers a tender and lighthearted, uplifting take on hardboiled reality

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I enjoyed every single bit of it. Characters are all perfectly imperfect, except for The Girl Detective who is absolutely perfect. This will almost assuredly be one of my favorite books of the year. Read it!