The Last Orchard in America

by Michael Peck

Sue Longtree is too young to be a matriarch, but when she moves to run down the story behind her brother’s suicide, she stands at the top looking down on a family in shambles. The suicide’s hardly a whodunit, as the private dick that Longtree hires, the hero of writer Michael Peck’s first novel, Harry Jome, sees it. Or is it? The answer may lie less in a wall’s bloodstains or the cheap framed prints that cover them than in the pages of a manuscript. The hardboiled meta-noir that is The Last Orchard in America channels both the noir genre’s suspense and seaminess, and at once offers an implicit critique of the culture that makes it possible.

Advance Praise:

"The black-hearted noir of our haunted country... Last Orchard unleashes a voice as wry, surprising and inventive as any in recent memory." —Peter Rock, author of The Shelter Cycle and My Abandonment

"Infectious, inescapable. This is noir on noir, cynical to the point of meta-reflection. You'll be itching through these pages for days after you're done." —Spencer Dew, author of Songs of Insurgency, among others

"It's the beautiful bastard child of The Long Goodbye, Pulp, and Confederacy of Dunces." —Andrew Armacost, author of The Poor Man'’s Guide to Suicide

"Hilariously deadpan noir parody and excellent noir at the same time." —Jamie Iredell, author of The Book of Freaks

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2014

About the author

Michael Peck's work has appeared in The Believer, Pank, Los Angeles Review of Books, Eclectica and elsewhere. His first novel, The Last Orchard in America is available from THE2NDHAND. He lives and deals in rare books in Oregon City.

Reviews

[IShita · Rating 4 out of 5]

And to think that this was the first book by the author!

The characters in the book were absolutely compelling. The plot was ingenious- a noir on a noir, indeed. It might seem like you finally know what happened but you don't. Sue Longtree is one twisted character but Harry Jome steals the show! The writing resembles a little like that of Megan Abbott's and anyone who's read her, knows that it's a good thing.
The only advantage Peck has over her is that it is a quick, fast-paced read (not always true for Abbott). In which respect it reminded me of Christie, whose books you could complete in a sitting or two. The book enthralls you. It makes you wanna pull all-nighters because you just can't help being intrigued about what's going to happen next. What I like more about it is that it is one of those no-bulls**t, no beating about the bush, straightforward narrations. The characters are all after one another and if anything, this is the one thing they are all aware of and know. And since they have nothing else to hide, mostly because they don't really know what they're after, they don't hide this either. The ease with which they face the confrontations, answer questions with questions because they don't have any answers themselves because of course they don't have any questions to answer in the first place, is amazing! You need some real confidence to pull off something like that! This is not one of those stereotyped thrillers where one is trying to hide from others, putting on facades and being pretentious. The quirkiness or characters is amusing. There'll be times when you know you shouldn't be laughing but you will!

All in all, I liked the book a lot. More so for its no-nonsense pace which doesn't bore you with unnecessary descriptions. A remarkable achievement for a first-time author. Congratulations, Mr. Peck!

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any fondness for Chandler, Megan Abbott, Barthelme you'll fall for Michael Peack's "The Last Orchard in America." Hysterical subversion turns classic noir on it's head. Highly recommend!

[Tara]

I found this book because my mother had recently mentioned, off-hand, that "cute tutor" I had in high school. I had wondered if he ever got around to writing all of those great stories he had mentioned in class, and The Last Orchard in America turned up, thanks be to Lord Google. This book has some beautiful turns of phrase ("window cried rain" was a favorite) and some charming(ly nihilistic?) life commentary that kept me reading. So, Mr. Authorman, if you are in fact that cute tutor I had in high school, let me know where I can read the rest of your work. I'm intrigued.

[Heather Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very noir, indeed. Reminiscent of Chandler, indeed. Wonderful language, absolutely. The turns of phrase, the metaphors, the way the writer set his scenes, all stellar. Witty repartee, check. But the plot meandered, and the dialogue, although snappy and interesting, led nowhere far too frequently. The denouement led me to wonder whether the narrator/protagonist had been dreaming the entire time, and if not, he should have been. 3.0 stars for the plot. 4.5 stars for the writing.