What do you think?
Rate this book
Bad Actor
"Keith Edward Vaughn catches the feel of L.A. — he knows Hollywood's ragged fringes and spins out noir with a satirist's eye. Failed nepo baby PI Ellis Dunaway is the perfectly imperfect man to go down these mean freeways, and Vaughn had me right with him through every last wrong turn." - Howard Michael Gould, author of LAST LOOKS and other books in the Charlie Waldo series
"A fun, charming, quirky mystery featuring an unlikely detective navigating the seedy side of showbiz." - Kirkus Reviews
It's Christmastime in L.A., and private investigator Ellis Dunaway is California sober and hoping his days as a gumshoe are almost done. He's been given a chance to reclaim his once and future dream job as a television writer by scripting a woke Miami Vice reboot for cancelled actor Urs Schreiber. The show could mean a comeback for both of them, until Urs's agent, the notorious chauvinist Larry Price, is killed. It seems to be the work of the Southland Sniper, who's been terrorizing the city, picking off random targets. But when suspicion shifts to Urs, he hires Ellis to clear his name.
To save the show and keep his new life on track, Ellis has to face his demons—inner and folkloric—as he chases from strip malls to porn shoots to occult museums to new age therapy sessions and beyond. The actors, influencers, gurus, and wannabes he meets along the way all have their own agendas, and getting to the bottom of Larry Price's murder isn't one of them.
And Ellis better act fast because he's losing his apartment, dating a neurotic, and dodging a hit man's bullets. On the upside, Stevie Nicks can't stay out of his lap.
"A fun, charming, quirky mystery featuring an unlikely detective navigating the seedy side of showbiz." - Kirkus Reviews
It's Christmastime in L.A., and private investigator Ellis Dunaway is California sober and hoping his days as a gumshoe are almost done. He's been given a chance to reclaim his once and future dream job as a television writer by scripting a woke Miami Vice reboot for cancelled actor Urs Schreiber. The show could mean a comeback for both of them, until Urs's agent, the notorious chauvinist Larry Price, is killed. It seems to be the work of the Southland Sniper, who's been terrorizing the city, picking off random targets. But when suspicion shifts to Urs, he hires Ellis to clear his name.
To save the show and keep his new life on track, Ellis has to face his demons—inner and folkloric—as he chases from strip malls to porn shoots to occult museums to new age therapy sessions and beyond. The actors, influencers, gurus, and wannabes he meets along the way all have their own agendas, and getting to the bottom of Larry Price's murder isn't one of them.
And Ellis better act fast because he's losing his apartment, dating a neurotic, and dodging a hit man's bullets. On the upside, Stevie Nicks can't stay out of his lap.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2025
3 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 20, 2025
If you're tired of cookie-cutter crime novels, "Bad Actor" is exactly what you've been looking for! This isn't a typical P.I. mystery – it's a journey through LA, populated by sleazy Hollywood execs, possible cults, a roaming serial killer, and bizarre situations that feel completely real.
As the second book in the series (following "The Loneliest Places"), "Bad Actor" builds on classic L.A. Noir themes, but adds surreal elements that really sets it apart. You can feel the influences of Raymond Chandler's gritty detective work, but there's also something dreamlike here that reminds me of John Cheever's best short stories – that perfect blend of everyday reality with something just slightly off-kilter.
The author has a real gift for character development, making you care about Ellis even when he's not quite doing the right thing. It's funny without being silly, intriguing without being pretentious, and quirky in the best possible way. Think Elliott Gould's laid-back Philip Marlowe in "The Long Goodbye" but with even more personality and modern sensibility.
Whether you like crime fiction fan, inside baseball Hollywood stories, or character driven stories with magic realism elements you'll definitely love this book. The writing keeps you turning pages, and you'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you finish!
As the second book in the series (following "The Loneliest Places"), "Bad Actor" builds on classic L.A. Noir themes, but adds surreal elements that really sets it apart. You can feel the influences of Raymond Chandler's gritty detective work, but there's also something dreamlike here that reminds me of John Cheever's best short stories – that perfect blend of everyday reality with something just slightly off-kilter.
The author has a real gift for character development, making you care about Ellis even when he's not quite doing the right thing. It's funny without being silly, intriguing without being pretentious, and quirky in the best possible way. Think Elliott Gould's laid-back Philip Marlowe in "The Long Goodbye" but with even more personality and modern sensibility.
Whether you like crime fiction fan, inside baseball Hollywood stories, or character driven stories with magic realism elements you'll definitely love this book. The writing keeps you turning pages, and you'll find yourself thinking about these characters long after you finish!
October 24, 2025
Bad Actor by Keith Edward Vaughn is a razor-edged noir comedy that captures the absurd, hollow glamour of Hollywood with a mix of wit, grit, and cracked charm. Vaughn’s failed “nepo baby” PI, Ellis Dunaway, is the kind of flawed, self-aware protagonist who belongs in the same smoky lineage as Chandler’s Marlowe and Ellroy’s underdogs except he trades bourbon for adaptogens and reels off dialogue fit for a canceled pilot.
Set against a Los Angeles both self-mythologizing and spiritually bankrupt, Bad Actor skewers the industry’s hypocrisies while delivering a genuine mystery. The pacing is taut, the satire biting, and the dialogue so crisp it feels carved from irony itself. Vaughn’s prose radiates cinematic energy a blend of noir nostalgia and postmodern self-deprecation that makes Ellis Dunaway’s misadventures compulsively readable.
This isn’t just detective fiction; it’s Hollywood noir for the burnout generation funny, stylish, and unsettlingly perceptive about ambition, failure, and the illusions we curate. Vaughn understands that every crime in L.A. is, in some way, a story someone didn’t sell.
Fans of Howard Michael Gould, Megan Abbott, and Michael Connelly will find Bad Actor irresistible — a satirical neo-noir with both teeth and tenderness.
Set against a Los Angeles both self-mythologizing and spiritually bankrupt, Bad Actor skewers the industry’s hypocrisies while delivering a genuine mystery. The pacing is taut, the satire biting, and the dialogue so crisp it feels carved from irony itself. Vaughn’s prose radiates cinematic energy a blend of noir nostalgia and postmodern self-deprecation that makes Ellis Dunaway’s misadventures compulsively readable.
This isn’t just detective fiction; it’s Hollywood noir for the burnout generation funny, stylish, and unsettlingly perceptive about ambition, failure, and the illusions we curate. Vaughn understands that every crime in L.A. is, in some way, a story someone didn’t sell.
Fans of Howard Michael Gould, Megan Abbott, and Michael Connelly will find Bad Actor irresistible — a satirical neo-noir with both teeth and tenderness.
December 11, 2025
Bad Actor is a sharply funny and delightfully chaotic noir set against the glitzy, seedy backdrop of Hollywood. Vaughn’s Ellis Dunaway is a flawed, relatable detective whose missteps and moral compromises make every twist both suspenseful and darkly comedic. The story thrives on its eccentric cast wannabe actors, influencers, and occult-obsessed characters each adding layers of humor, tension, and unpredictability. With a perfect mix of mystery, satire, and heart, this book is a clever, fast paced romp through LA’s underbelly that keeps readers laughing while holding their breath.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews