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Venice Beach: A Novel
A hard-drinking, cantankerous Irish writer and a homeless African American develop an unlikely friendship on the Venice Beach boardwalk when they discover a common link to the Jonestown massacre and are investigated for murder. After the death of his wife, a penniless Finn has to leave New York and move in with his daughter in Venice. He meets an eccentric cast of characters including a hoarder who was a Holocaust survivor, a pair of Jamaican acrobat dancers, a young hippie whose brother died in 9/11, a Samoan transgender bodybuilder, and Jed, a mysterious loner with a cat named "Mother."
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2015
5 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gallo
10 books14 followersI View My Life In 3 Acts
Emily Kaufman was the girl growing up in Manhattan in the fifties and sixties. In the sixties and seventies, I attended Clark University and lived in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Seattle doing the hippie/peace/love/protest thing.
In the eighties and nineties, Emily Saur lived in Northampton, MA and Davis, CA and was the more conventional wife, mother of two, and elementary school teacher.
In 2006, I retired from teaching and became Emily Gallo when I married David, a professor of economics, and moved to Chico, CA to continue our journey. I started writing screenplays and television and moved into novels. David, Gracie (our Schillerhound), Savali (our cat) and I now divide our time between two and a half acres of gardens, orchards in Chico and a 750 square foot condo on the beach in Carpinteria, CA.
Emily Kaufman was the girl growing up in Manhattan in the fifties and sixties. In the sixties and seventies, I attended Clark University and lived in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Seattle doing the hippie/peace/love/protest thing.
In the eighties and nineties, Emily Saur lived in Northampton, MA and Davis, CA and was the more conventional wife, mother of two, and elementary school teacher.
In 2006, I retired from teaching and became Emily Gallo when I married David, a professor of economics, and moved to Chico, CA to continue our journey. I started writing screenplays and television and moved into novels. David, Gracie (our Schillerhound), Savali (our cat) and I now divide our time between two and a half acres of gardens, orchards in Chico and a 750 square foot condo on the beach in Carpinteria, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 28, 2020
I have a soft spot for new authors. Seeing that Venice Beach was a debut novel for the author I was looking forward to reading it. Emily Gallo did a nice job of portraying the vibe and quirkiness of Venice. The characters were bold and numerous. Perhaps a bit too numerous. The book focused on two main characters, Finn, a down-and-out author; and Jed, a homeless man with a bit of a mysterious background. Other characters are introduced throughout the book, mainly to delve into the plight of the homeless and forgotten. This works, to some extent, as we get to know many of them, but I felt that there were too many characters with only a bit of depth.
The book description describes that Finn and Jed, “…discover a common link to the Jonestown massacre and are investigated for murder.” This intrigued me, and was one of the main reasons I was interested in the book, however it was almost halfway through the novel until this point plot was introduced. My main complaint would be that the book takes too long to develop, to really get to anything happening. After this point, Venice Beach begins a long unwinding to the end.
Overall it was a good book. 3.5 stars. I was just hoping for a bit more. I am interested in the sequel where we find out a bit more about Jed.
Thanks Emily!
The book description describes that Finn and Jed, “…discover a common link to the Jonestown massacre and are investigated for murder.” This intrigued me, and was one of the main reasons I was interested in the book, however it was almost halfway through the novel until this point plot was introduced. My main complaint would be that the book takes too long to develop, to really get to anything happening. After this point, Venice Beach begins a long unwinding to the end.
Overall it was a good book. 3.5 stars. I was just hoping for a bit more. I am interested in the sequel where we find out a bit more about Jed.
Thanks Emily!
March 15, 2015
Venice Beach introduces the reader to a wonderful, if sometimes dark, world through the eyes of an outsider named Finn. His conversations and relationships with the people who inhabit this community make Venice Beach the main character of this book with all its wonderful erratic and idiosyncratic tendencies. The idea that you can get a fresh start by heading West and that it can happen at any age is one that I am personally very enamored with and this book does a good job of showing that transformation even when the person being transformed is unwilling to be open to change. Finn feels like a very real person and through him, the world of Venice Beach becomes very real too.
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January 6, 2026Review:
Venice Beach by Emily Gallo is a brilliantly layered novel that blends grit, humor, and humanity. The story explores an unlikely friendship between a hard-drinking Irish writer and a homeless African American, brought together by a shared, haunting connection to the Jonestown massacre.
Gallo’s characters are vividly drawn, eccentric, flawed, and unforgettable, from a Holocaust survivor hoarder to a Samoan transgender bodybuilder, each adding depth and color to Venice Beach’s eclectic backdrop. The narrative weaves tragedy, resilience, and dark comedy seamlessly, keeping the reader both intrigued and emotionally invested.
This is a novel that celebrates unconventional bonds and the messy beauty of life on the edge of society. A compelling, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Venice Beach by Emily Gallo is a brilliantly layered novel that blends grit, humor, and humanity. The story explores an unlikely friendship between a hard-drinking Irish writer and a homeless African American, brought together by a shared, haunting connection to the Jonestown massacre.
Gallo’s characters are vividly drawn, eccentric, flawed, and unforgettable, from a Holocaust survivor hoarder to a Samoan transgender bodybuilder, each adding depth and color to Venice Beach’s eclectic backdrop. The narrative weaves tragedy, resilience, and dark comedy seamlessly, keeping the reader both intrigued and emotionally invested.
This is a novel that celebrates unconventional bonds and the messy beauty of life on the edge of society. A compelling, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page.
Rating: ★★★★☆
March 22, 2019
Well-written slice of life in Venice Beach, CA. The main character, Finn, is a writer trying to come to grips with his past, present, and future with a top off of whiskey to help it along. A great study of the homeless of Venice Beach, the people there to help support them, and a wonderful cat who lives among them. Highly recommend!
May 21, 2017
Great characters and a gripping story.
Emily Gallo's first novel is a hit! I loved the people, the setting, the twists and turns of the plot and how it was all woven together seamlessly. A must read.
Emily Gallo's first novel is a hit! I loved the people, the setting, the twists and turns of the plot and how it was all woven together seamlessly. A must read.
July 21, 2018
Very easy read with interesting and well developed characters and interesting plot/plot twists. Good first novel.
February 7, 2019
Emily Gallo transports the reader into her book. Filled with well defined characters and an intriguing storyline, the book is hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
June 4, 2016
Venice Beach, by Emily Gallo
Having spent many sun-drenched hours enjoying the Human Parade along Ocean Front Walk in Venice Beach, California, I had to read Emily Gallo’s novel of that name. In brief, she tells the story of Finn, a booze-guzzling writer whose best-seller lies decades behind him, whose second wife has just died of cancer in New York. He comes to Venice to live with his daughter Kate because, frankly, he can’t afford not to. He’s already drunk up the advance on a new book for which he has not written word one, and his agent is pressing.
In Venice he gets to know some of the locals, mostly homeless and down-and-out, who supply him with company, drugs and booze, and escape from his self-inflicted troubles. He meets Jed, a resourceful homeless fiftyish African American whose cat keeps him company; Davion and Ty, a pair of young Jamaican men whose energetic dancing earns them a living on Ocean Front Walk; Charlie, who works the homeless services table, providing coffee and donuts, advice, and a spare sleeping bag; and others.
The locales are familiar to anyone who’s spent more than a day down on that stretch of beach: Muscle Beach, where weightlifters and body builders work out for an audience; the skate park, territory of young skaters demonstrating ease, skill and grace; vendors and ranters and proselytizers. Gallo also points up the gentrification that has pushed artists and poor people to the margins, and forced out home-grown businesses in favor of boutiques and restaurants catering to a new wealthy clientele.
Finn finds a subject for his book, and the coincidences that drive Gallo’s plot are the sorts that actually do happen in some places, where people cross paths with those connected to their destinies. She whisks us along at a brisk pace with short chapters, dropping into whichever character’s head serves her story. If she were a painter, I’d describe her as wielding an airbrush, softening some edges, simplifying images – but airbrush artistry is well-established in Venice, so why not?
If you’ve spent much time in Venice, you’d probably enjoy this book.
Having spent many sun-drenched hours enjoying the Human Parade along Ocean Front Walk in Venice Beach, California, I had to read Emily Gallo’s novel of that name. In brief, she tells the story of Finn, a booze-guzzling writer whose best-seller lies decades behind him, whose second wife has just died of cancer in New York. He comes to Venice to live with his daughter Kate because, frankly, he can’t afford not to. He’s already drunk up the advance on a new book for which he has not written word one, and his agent is pressing.
In Venice he gets to know some of the locals, mostly homeless and down-and-out, who supply him with company, drugs and booze, and escape from his self-inflicted troubles. He meets Jed, a resourceful homeless fiftyish African American whose cat keeps him company; Davion and Ty, a pair of young Jamaican men whose energetic dancing earns them a living on Ocean Front Walk; Charlie, who works the homeless services table, providing coffee and donuts, advice, and a spare sleeping bag; and others.
The locales are familiar to anyone who’s spent more than a day down on that stretch of beach: Muscle Beach, where weightlifters and body builders work out for an audience; the skate park, territory of young skaters demonstrating ease, skill and grace; vendors and ranters and proselytizers. Gallo also points up the gentrification that has pushed artists and poor people to the margins, and forced out home-grown businesses in favor of boutiques and restaurants catering to a new wealthy clientele.
Finn finds a subject for his book, and the coincidences that drive Gallo’s plot are the sorts that actually do happen in some places, where people cross paths with those connected to their destinies. She whisks us along at a brisk pace with short chapters, dropping into whichever character’s head serves her story. If she were a painter, I’d describe her as wielding an airbrush, softening some edges, simplifying images – but airbrush artistry is well-established in Venice, so why not?
If you’ve spent much time in Venice, you’d probably enjoy this book.
March 3, 2015
Venice Beach is an engrossing story with many facets-unusual characters, a strong plot about a relocated Irish American writer, and a secret that threatens to wreak havoc on his life and his closest friend's. There is also an intriguing cat named Mother! I can't wait to read Emily Gsllo's next book.
May 4, 2015
Intriguing tale.
July 21, 2018
It was an interesting story, and I liked the dialog driven style. This made for very quick and easy reading.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews