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Charlie Waldo #1
Last Looks
A razor-sharp, exquisitely paced, madly fun debut thriller that gleefully lampoons Hollywood culture and introduces the highly eccentric yet brilliant ex-detective gone rogue: Charlie Waldo.
There are run-of-the-mill eccentric Californians, and then there's former detective Charlie Waldo.
Waldo, a onetime LAPD superstar, now lives in solitude deep in the woods, pathologically committed to owning no more than one hundred possessions. He has left behind his career and his girlfriend, Lorena, to pay self-imposed penance for an awful misstep on an old murder case. But the old ghosts are about to come roaring back.
There are plenty of difficult actors in Hollywood, and then there's Alastair Pinch.
Alastair is a onetime Royal Shakespeare Company thespian who now slums it as the "wise" Southern judge on a tacky network show. He's absurdly rich, often belligerent, and typically drunk--a damning combination when Alastair's wife is found dead on their living room floor and he can't remember what happened.
Waldo's old flame Lorena, hiding peril of her own, draws him toward the case, and Alastair's greedy network convinces Waldo to take it on. But after such a long time away from both civilization and sleuthing--and plagued by a confounding array of assailants who want him gone--Waldo must navigate complicated webs of ego and deceit to clear Alastair's name . . . or confirm his guilt.
There are run-of-the-mill eccentric Californians, and then there's former detective Charlie Waldo.
Waldo, a onetime LAPD superstar, now lives in solitude deep in the woods, pathologically committed to owning no more than one hundred possessions. He has left behind his career and his girlfriend, Lorena, to pay self-imposed penance for an awful misstep on an old murder case. But the old ghosts are about to come roaring back.
There are plenty of difficult actors in Hollywood, and then there's Alastair Pinch.
Alastair is a onetime Royal Shakespeare Company thespian who now slums it as the "wise" Southern judge on a tacky network show. He's absurdly rich, often belligerent, and typically drunk--a damning combination when Alastair's wife is found dead on their living room floor and he can't remember what happened.
Waldo's old flame Lorena, hiding peril of her own, draws him toward the case, and Alastair's greedy network convinces Waldo to take it on. But after such a long time away from both civilization and sleuthing--and plagued by a confounding array of assailants who want him gone--Waldo must navigate complicated webs of ego and deceit to clear Alastair's name . . . or confirm his guilt.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 14, 2018
251 people are currently reading
3541 people want to read
About the author
Howard Michael Gould
6 books104 followersHoward Michael Gould is a screenwriter and playwright and has been head writer and executive producer of several network television series. He is the author of three mystery novels featuring the tortured, eco-maniacal detective Charlie Waldo: LAST LOOKS, BELOW THE LINE and the upcoming PAY OR PLAY. The film version of LAST LOOKS, starring Charlie Hunnam and Mel Gibson and directed by Tim Kirkby, will be released in early 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
November 4, 2022
Note: I received a free copy of this book. In exchange here is my honest review.
Okay, this one just didn’t jive with me. 🙁 I found myself just kinda skimming and not real interested in the story. 🥱Charlie was just… weird… but not in a way that left me curious. I truly think this is just my personal ‘ick’ with the character type, that had my walls up. 😬 So, while this book may not have been my cup of tea, I’d encourage you to still give it a try.
Thank you @goodreads @howardmgould and @penguinrandomhouse #goodreadsgiveaway
Okay, this one just didn’t jive with me. 🙁 I found myself just kinda skimming and not real interested in the story. 🥱Charlie was just… weird… but not in a way that left me curious. I truly think this is just my personal ‘ick’ with the character type, that had my walls up. 😬 So, while this book may not have been my cup of tea, I’d encourage you to still give it a try.
Thank you @goodreads @howardmgould and @penguinrandomhouse #goodreadsgiveaway
June 30, 2018
Last Looks is set in modern day Hollywood, but it's really Gould's homage to novels about down on their luck detectives who are somehow swept up in a maelstrom of hoods and movie stars. Waldo, who is kind of like Thoreau camping out on Walden Pond - (note the name similarity) lives on a retreat in the San Jacinto Mountains near Idylwild. His days as a fast-rising LAPD star are behind him. His career in tatters. These days, he's a hermit and a minimalist who has decided to limit his possessions to 100 things, although a pair of socks counts as one thing -a pair- not two- like a pair of pants, you see. Cut off from his past, on his own, Waldo is suddenly - and very much against his will - brought back into civilization as a private eye to save the studio's number one asset from a murder rap. But, being the minimalist he is, Waldo sets off on bicycle with three years beard growth and a change of clothes to make sense of what happened before a set of goons right out of central casting permanently put his lights out. Waldo is the classic down-on-his-luck detective taken to the extreme. It's madly irreverent, and somehow some way Gould has made this crazy novel hard to put down.
Many thanks to Penguin Publishing for providing a copy for review.
Many thanks to Penguin Publishing for providing a copy for review.
December 28, 2018
Because I read so many mysteries, I try to read ones that are a little different to add some variety into the usual plots.
It seems the recent trend in mysteries is for detectives w/quirks.
Charlie Waldo has quirks. He’s been intractably forced into becoming a temporary PI to help an ex-girlfriend. He’s a minimalist which means he has 100 possessions total, lives off the land, leaving as small of a carbon footprint as possible.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I liked the character or not. It’s hard to relate to him.
In theory it’s a great philosophy but in practice not so much.
For example, he stresses about owning a gun & having to throw out one of his other items, and then the bullets are another item which force him to get rid of his wallet. Not to mention, trying to find organic, local food that doesn’t have plastic wrapping, etc.
After a while, I did think, “ dude, get over it!” as it becomes annoying.
But I was most curious to see how he would to solve a murder while trying to maintain his minimalist lifestyle.
That’s really what kept me interested in the story.
The plot does move along at a fast speed. And there's some humor.
To be honest, this is a tough one to say "yeah or nay" to . It's not so much an unusual story as much as it was one w/a eccentric,offbeat character.
I liked the ending which made me chuckle so i probably would read the next one in this series.
I gave it the rating i did based on the uniqueness of the lead character and the fact that i was intrigued by the mystery in the story.
It seems the recent trend in mysteries is for detectives w/quirks.
Charlie Waldo has quirks. He’s been intractably forced into becoming a temporary PI to help an ex-girlfriend. He’s a minimalist which means he has 100 possessions total, lives off the land, leaving as small of a carbon footprint as possible.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I liked the character or not. It’s hard to relate to him.
In theory it’s a great philosophy but in practice not so much.
For example, he stresses about owning a gun & having to throw out one of his other items, and then the bullets are another item which force him to get rid of his wallet. Not to mention, trying to find organic, local food that doesn’t have plastic wrapping, etc.
After a while, I did think, “ dude, get over it!” as it becomes annoying.
But I was most curious to see how he would to solve a murder while trying to maintain his minimalist lifestyle.
That’s really what kept me interested in the story.
The plot does move along at a fast speed. And there's some humor.
To be honest, this is a tough one to say "yeah or nay" to . It's not so much an unusual story as much as it was one w/a eccentric,offbeat character.
I liked the ending which made me chuckle so i probably would read the next one in this series.
I gave it the rating i did based on the uniqueness of the lead character and the fact that i was intrigued by the mystery in the story.
October 22, 2019
The thing about mysteries is that they’re probably the most formulaic of genres. You know someone’s going to die and you know somebody else will have caused. All the rest is scenery around figuring who and why. And after you’ve read decades worth of mysteries—well into triple digit territory—you start seeing all the permutations as to motive, as to character traits, and as to settings.
That’s why I appreciate books like Last Looks that manage to shake up all three. Kindergartens of the Rich and Famous is not a backdrop you often set murders nor do you normally see a gangsta rapper, a lesbian romance novelist, and an ultra wealthy investor among the suspects. Plus, I appreciate it’s a straight up noir plot complete with a femme fatale, corrupt cops, and a hero who is getting beat up left and right by so many interested parties warning him off the case you couldn’t even count them on one hand.
The humor keeps it from being the next Maltese Falcon as does the quirkiness of the detective himself, Charlie Waldo. It manages to defy the trappings of its genre. It’s where Monk, Chinatown, and Remington Steele intersect and the book is all the better for it. Good central mystery, great characters, and a slightly askew view of Los Angeles make this one to check out it if you have the time.
That’s why I appreciate books like Last Looks that manage to shake up all three. Kindergartens of the Rich and Famous is not a backdrop you often set murders nor do you normally see a gangsta rapper, a lesbian romance novelist, and an ultra wealthy investor among the suspects. Plus, I appreciate it’s a straight up noir plot complete with a femme fatale, corrupt cops, and a hero who is getting beat up left and right by so many interested parties warning him off the case you couldn’t even count them on one hand.
The humor keeps it from being the next Maltese Falcon as does the quirkiness of the detective himself, Charlie Waldo. It manages to defy the trappings of its genre. It’s where Monk, Chinatown, and Remington Steele intersect and the book is all the better for it. Good central mystery, great characters, and a slightly askew view of Los Angeles make this one to check out it if you have the time.
July 15, 2018
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Penguin First to Read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Charlie Waldo has as many layers as an onion. Most of those layers put people off, but he really doesn’t seem to mind. He lives as a minimalist in the woods away from society. But when the outside world comes crashing into his peace and serenity, he grudgingly decides he has to rejoin the human race (which he mostly despises) for a few days.
Waldo is asked to help clear an obnoxious, overinflated actor of murdering his wife. He really isn’t a PI, but somehow the lawyer for the actor thought Waldo could and would take the case. When Waldo left the LAPD he was on the top of his game, but that game included a scandal within the ranks that Waldo could not live with, so he took them down just like any other criminal. To say he burned his bridges would be an understatement.
Finding himself back in LA on the set of a movie was not how he envisioned his life. But here he was, somehow too intrigued to go back to the life he chose until he finds the person who he thinks really killed the victim. This choice does not come easily. He is mentally and physically challenged by the reception he more or less expected from his former brothers in blue. As a matter of fact, they hate him, refuse to cooperate when he asks for information and harass him at every encounter.
Stoically, he just can’t shake the feeling that there is a bigger picture than the police and prosecutor are painting, and like a dog with a bone, he just can’t let go until he uncovers the truth – if he lives that long.
Waldo’s world is intriguing. As a minimalist, he only allows himself 100 Things. If he adds a Thing, such as a comb, a pair of socks or a gun, he has to give away one Thing to never have more than 100. This in and of itself makes him interesting, but he is so much more. One of his Things is a MacBook. He is not out of touch with the world or technology. He is quite current on events in the world and is very well read.
He has acquaintances, but not really friends anymore. Donations to charity are part of his monthly routine and he plays chess online daily. The only two people that don’t hate him are the sharp-witted six-year-old daughter of the accused murderer and her kindergarten teacher.
Last Looks is an interestingly multi-layered novel of murder and mystery wrapped in the Waldo’s cloak of minimalism and self-imposed exile from society. Love, lust and revenge are woven into the plot. There is a love scene that is quite possibly the best one I have ever read. It is sensual without being graphic, but not Victorian by any stretch of the imagination.
I loved this book. It has every element to keep a reader grabbing it to read a few pages, then chapters. Soon you realize you have spent hours with the characters and story that it is still impossible to put down.
This stunningly clever, often funny book is the first novel published by Gould. It is an interesting, amazing read – run, don’t walk to your computer to order it today!
Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
Charlie Waldo has as many layers as an onion. Most of those layers put people off, but he really doesn’t seem to mind. He lives as a minimalist in the woods away from society. But when the outside world comes crashing into his peace and serenity, he grudgingly decides he has to rejoin the human race (which he mostly despises) for a few days.
Waldo is asked to help clear an obnoxious, overinflated actor of murdering his wife. He really isn’t a PI, but somehow the lawyer for the actor thought Waldo could and would take the case. When Waldo left the LAPD he was on the top of his game, but that game included a scandal within the ranks that Waldo could not live with, so he took them down just like any other criminal. To say he burned his bridges would be an understatement.
Finding himself back in LA on the set of a movie was not how he envisioned his life. But here he was, somehow too intrigued to go back to the life he chose until he finds the person who he thinks really killed the victim. This choice does not come easily. He is mentally and physically challenged by the reception he more or less expected from his former brothers in blue. As a matter of fact, they hate him, refuse to cooperate when he asks for information and harass him at every encounter.
Stoically, he just can’t shake the feeling that there is a bigger picture than the police and prosecutor are painting, and like a dog with a bone, he just can’t let go until he uncovers the truth – if he lives that long.
Waldo’s world is intriguing. As a minimalist, he only allows himself 100 Things. If he adds a Thing, such as a comb, a pair of socks or a gun, he has to give away one Thing to never have more than 100. This in and of itself makes him interesting, but he is so much more. One of his Things is a MacBook. He is not out of touch with the world or technology. He is quite current on events in the world and is very well read.
He has acquaintances, but not really friends anymore. Donations to charity are part of his monthly routine and he plays chess online daily. The only two people that don’t hate him are the sharp-witted six-year-old daughter of the accused murderer and her kindergarten teacher.
Last Looks is an interestingly multi-layered novel of murder and mystery wrapped in the Waldo’s cloak of minimalism and self-imposed exile from society. Love, lust and revenge are woven into the plot. There is a love scene that is quite possibly the best one I have ever read. It is sensual without being graphic, but not Victorian by any stretch of the imagination.
I loved this book. It has every element to keep a reader grabbing it to read a few pages, then chapters. Soon you realize you have spent hours with the characters and story that it is still impossible to put down.
This stunningly clever, often funny book is the first novel published by Gould. It is an interesting, amazing read – run, don’t walk to your computer to order it today!
Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
July 26, 2021
3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this a lot, with main character Charlie Waldo, former cop, current recluse (and Unibomber lookalike), who gets dragged into a murder case by a former lover, Lorena. Charlie's been actively avoiding most of society, and trying to have as little impact on his environment as possible, after quitting the LAPD because of a big mistake on a former case.
Lorena wants him to help investigate an actor, Alastair Pinch, who's accused or murdering his wife. If Alastair weren't his own biggest liability, Charlie's job would be easier. Not to mention all the other seemingly uninvolved parties who keep beating Charlie up to convince him to leave the case.
The pacing is good, and there's a lot of humour, including the running gag of how everyone reacts to their first view of Waldo. My only complaint, and this is common to many books I've read by men, is how frequently a beautiful, mysterious woman involved in the case will be attracted to the main character, no matter how unpleasant the main character appears or acts. What?!?!? So, instead of a full 4 stars, the story loses half a star for this.
I enjoyed this a lot, with main character Charlie Waldo, former cop, current recluse (and Unibomber lookalike), who gets dragged into a murder case by a former lover, Lorena. Charlie's been actively avoiding most of society, and trying to have as little impact on his environment as possible, after quitting the LAPD because of a big mistake on a former case.
Lorena wants him to help investigate an actor, Alastair Pinch, who's accused or murdering his wife. If Alastair weren't his own biggest liability, Charlie's job would be easier. Not to mention all the other seemingly uninvolved parties who keep beating Charlie up to convince him to leave the case.
The pacing is good, and there's a lot of humour, including the running gag of how everyone reacts to their first view of Waldo. My only complaint, and this is common to many books I've read by men, is how frequently a beautiful, mysterious woman involved in the case will be attracted to the main character, no matter how unpleasant the main character appears or acts. What?!?!? So, instead of a full 4 stars, the story loses half a star for this.
August 14, 2018
I was ready for a smart witted /sharp tongued read. Which for other readers, it seems that is the case with this book. Sadly, I did not have the same experience. Although, I did see a tiny glimmer of this in the lead character, Charlie. Charlie is a bit unconventional. Yet, this is what makes him interesting. I just wished that the rest of the characters were as interesting. If they had been than my feelings about this book would have been different. This was not for a lack of effort. I was reading this book just fine for the first half of the book but still no improvements for me. After this the last half of the book was more of a skimming effect.
I do give Mr. Gould his dues as he has a good goal of where he wants to take his characters. This book may not have been a home run for me but I am curious to see what Mr. Gould comes out what next and I would try another book from him. This will not be my "last look" at Mr. Gould.
I do give Mr. Gould his dues as he has a good goal of where he wants to take his characters. This book may not have been a home run for me but I am curious to see what Mr. Gould comes out what next and I would try another book from him. This will not be my "last look" at Mr. Gould.
September 23, 2019
3.5 starts. This book had a lot for me to dislike. First was the many times Charlie Waldo was beaten up. Seemed like several times a day, by everyone who wanted him off the case, which he wasn't on until people tried to get him off. Second was the minimalist lifestyle, which became very annoying when he couldn't own more than 100 "things" and had to give something up whenever he got something new that he wanted to keep. He even argued with himself about socks: is a pair of socks one thing or two?(I wondered whether he counted the bullets for his gun as one collective thing; he didn't mention them.)
Anyway, in spite of these annoyances, I actually liked the book. It was strangely compelling, and I wanted to find out how everything turned out. I gave an extra half star for that and the little bits of humor that made me smile occasionally.
Anyway, in spite of these annoyances, I actually liked the book. It was strangely compelling, and I wanted to find out how everything turned out. I gave an extra half star for that and the little bits of humor that made me smile occasionally.
April 22, 2019
Former LAPD detective Charlie Waldo lives on 12 acres in the woods since quitting his job three years ago. He has become a minimalist -- limiting himself to only owning 100 things. So if he acquires an item he must give up another. Note: I would never make it. Charlie is serious about trying to save the planet. He grows his own food, raises chickens, collects rainwater and composts his toilet. His ex-lover, private investigator Lorena, visits him to ask him to work a case with her but he turns her down. However, someone thinks he is on the case and his peace is under attack. He has to leave his mountain and go to LA to straighten everything out. Once on a movie set in LA, he uses his superstar investigator skills to determine if an actor killed his wife in a drunken haze.
Waldo is an original character who I really liked. He's totally serious about leaving a smaller footprint. I don't know anybody who uses a bicycle to get around a city, although never fear -- he has a smart phone.
The author wrote a very good debut novel. I wonder if Waldo will find peace in his woods again. I'm definitely interested in future books from the author.
Waldo is an original character who I really liked. He's totally serious about leaving a smaller footprint. I don't know anybody who uses a bicycle to get around a city, although never fear -- he has a smart phone.
The author wrote a very good debut novel. I wonder if Waldo will find peace in his woods again. I'm definitely interested in future books from the author.
March 21, 2022
Charlie Waldo was once a rising star in the LAPD but several years later, when the accused in the case that launched his career turns out to be wrongly convicted, Charlie quits the force and his life and retreats to the back woods. He lives a frugal life, as eco friendly as he can and adheres strictly to the ‘one hundred possessions rule’. However his idealist lifestyle is rudely interrupted by his ex-girlfriend, Lorena, who tries to lure him back to working with her, on the defence of Hollywood actor Alistair Pinch, who’s the prime suspect in his wife’s murder. When Lorena disappears, Charlie decides to to try and find her but he also gets unwittingly drawn into investigating the Pinch murder too.
Howard Michael Gould has created a highly original protagonist in Charlie Waldo, possibly the first eco friendly detective I’ve come across. It doesn’t come without it drawbacks though, as Charlie has no car, only a bicycle and initially no gun either. He also has to weigh up carefully every decision he makes, to ensure he takes the most environmentally friendly option and obviously maintain the rule of one hundred. I found this a little hard to process at first but soon even Charlie has to make compromises. I also thought that there seemed to be too many sub plots and interruptions to the main thread of the story but as we reach the conclusion we find that some of these threads are all connected. There are as expected a couple of twists along the way, one of them which I thought was fairly obvious but others not so. There is quite a lot of humour in the novel which is populated by a lot of minor characters most of whom seem to bear a grudge against Charlie and are not shy of physically extracting their pound of flesh from our hero. However it was nice to see that Charlie gets his revenge at the end of the day, especially on Detective Cuppy !
This is the first in a trilogy of Charlie Waldo novels and I expect to return to the series to see where Charlie goes from here and whether he decides to maintain his alternative lifestyle or return to the mainstream.
Howard Michael Gould has created a highly original protagonist in Charlie Waldo, possibly the first eco friendly detective I’ve come across. It doesn’t come without it drawbacks though, as Charlie has no car, only a bicycle and initially no gun either. He also has to weigh up carefully every decision he makes, to ensure he takes the most environmentally friendly option and obviously maintain the rule of one hundred. I found this a little hard to process at first but soon even Charlie has to make compromises. I also thought that there seemed to be too many sub plots and interruptions to the main thread of the story but as we reach the conclusion we find that some of these threads are all connected. There are as expected a couple of twists along the way, one of them which I thought was fairly obvious but others not so. There is quite a lot of humour in the novel which is populated by a lot of minor characters most of whom seem to bear a grudge against Charlie and are not shy of physically extracting their pound of flesh from our hero. However it was nice to see that Charlie gets his revenge at the end of the day, especially on Detective Cuppy !
This is the first in a trilogy of Charlie Waldo novels and I expect to return to the series to see where Charlie goes from here and whether he decides to maintain his alternative lifestyle or return to the mainstream.
August 17, 2018
Sometimes I come across a book that in a quiet and understated way knocks me off my feet. I doesn't happen every year, but it happened to me with this book. The main character, former LAPD Detective Charlie Waldo, is a fantastic protagonist who gets beat up badly along the way and gets back up in a wonderfully charming and disarming way.
Howard Michael Gould adds several credible twists and turns to the story along the way that keeps the pace of the book at a perfect speed, leaving the reader with no choice but to keep turning the pages.
In other words, this is my favorite book of 2018 so far, and it will be pretty darn difficult to beat. If you like mysteries/whodunnits with a good portion of humor and a great cast of characters added to the list of ingredients, I will strongly recommend diving into Gould's the world of Charlie Waldo.
[An ARC of the book was generously provided by the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review]
Howard Michael Gould adds several credible twists and turns to the story along the way that keeps the pace of the book at a perfect speed, leaving the reader with no choice but to keep turning the pages.
In other words, this is my favorite book of 2018 so far, and it will be pretty darn difficult to beat. If you like mysteries/whodunnits with a good portion of humor and a great cast of characters added to the list of ingredients, I will strongly recommend diving into Gould's the world of Charlie Waldo.
[An ARC of the book was generously provided by the publisher through the First to Read program in exchange for an honest review]
July 10, 2018
I loved this book. Charlie Waldo is the most interesting, unique protagonist to come along in years. Gould paints a vivid portrait of his life, as well as the dark side of the Hollywood entertainment industry. I was completely immersed in the world Gould created, and can't wait for Waldo's next case.
September 25, 2018
Should we be surprised that Hollywood has been the subject of so much satire? Frankly, it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't be. The place is soaked in money, it's a magnet for people seeking fame and fortune, and it's virtually infested with ambitious writers. So, when another one of their number comes up with a detective novel that skewers the movie industry, we can hardly claim to be shocked. Howard Michael Gould's recent addition to the genre, Last Looks, doesn't quite measure up to Nathaniel West's The Day of the Locust, but it's a workmanlike effort. The book is funny at times and suspenseful to a fault.
A lunatic stars in this Hollywood detective novel
Charlie Waldo would be considered a raving lunatic practically anywhere else, but he fits right in in Los Angeles. He left the LAPD after losing a protracted and very public campaign to exonerate a young man he'd mistakenly gotten sentenced to life for murder. In the process, Charlie alienated almost all 9,000 officers on the force and catapulted himself into a nervous breakdown. Now, he lives in seclusion on twelve wooded acres in the hills, passionately committed to limiting his possessions to just One Hundred Things and limiting his carbon footprint as close to zero as humanly possible. It's not exactly Eden, but he's surviving.
Did this vodka-soaked actor really kill his wife?
Then Charlie gets a visit from his old lover who tries to suck him into working a high-profile case as a private eye. A world-famous British actor, a notorious alcoholic now starring in a top-rated television series, has apparently murdered his wife. Somehow, Charlie is supposed to help make the charge go away. Unfortunately, it really does appear that Alastair Pinch did the deed. And Charlie is resolutely opposed to working the case—until people start sending thugs to scare him off. The die is now cast.
A Hollywood ending
Charlie encounters fierce opposition from all quarters as he investigates the crime. Police officers repeatedly try to jail him on trumped-up charges. Alastair Pinch is determined to resist his help. And those thugs keep coming. It's all a glorious clusterf**k. Naturally, we have every expectation that Charlie will prevail in the end. After all, this is a Hollywood detective novel, and we all know that tales from Hollywood must end well. But it's extremely unlikely that any reader will guess what really happened and why.
Howard Michael Gould has a long and distinguished career as screenwriter for film and television and as a playwright. Last Looks is his first novel.
A lunatic stars in this Hollywood detective novel
Charlie Waldo would be considered a raving lunatic practically anywhere else, but he fits right in in Los Angeles. He left the LAPD after losing a protracted and very public campaign to exonerate a young man he'd mistakenly gotten sentenced to life for murder. In the process, Charlie alienated almost all 9,000 officers on the force and catapulted himself into a nervous breakdown. Now, he lives in seclusion on twelve wooded acres in the hills, passionately committed to limiting his possessions to just One Hundred Things and limiting his carbon footprint as close to zero as humanly possible. It's not exactly Eden, but he's surviving.
Did this vodka-soaked actor really kill his wife?
Then Charlie gets a visit from his old lover who tries to suck him into working a high-profile case as a private eye. A world-famous British actor, a notorious alcoholic now starring in a top-rated television series, has apparently murdered his wife. Somehow, Charlie is supposed to help make the charge go away. Unfortunately, it really does appear that Alastair Pinch did the deed. And Charlie is resolutely opposed to working the case—until people start sending thugs to scare him off. The die is now cast.
A Hollywood ending
Charlie encounters fierce opposition from all quarters as he investigates the crime. Police officers repeatedly try to jail him on trumped-up charges. Alastair Pinch is determined to resist his help. And those thugs keep coming. It's all a glorious clusterf**k. Naturally, we have every expectation that Charlie will prevail in the end. After all, this is a Hollywood detective novel, and we all know that tales from Hollywood must end well. But it's extremely unlikely that any reader will guess what really happened and why.
Howard Michael Gould has a long and distinguished career as screenwriter for film and television and as a playwright. Last Looks is his first novel.
August 2, 2018
I enjoyed this debut novel, a mystery that centers on an interesting hero in a crazy Hollywood setting. Waldo, an LAPD cop turned hermit, makes the story. He left the force, violently burning his bridges. He'd believed a lying witness and the wrong guy paid a deadly price. He attacked the police force and made way too many enemies. An old girlfriend, a PI, invades his reclusive get away and asks for his help in finding a murderer.
I think Waldo makes this novel work. He has become a minimalist and allows himself only one hundred Things. His ruminations about why people have “stuff” really made me think. So did his coming down from his recluse mountain cabin to work the case. What a contrast, three years of silence and self sustenance to the glittery world of Hollywood.
I recommend this mystery to readers who enjoy a character driven mystery. I think you'll like Waldo's tenacious spirit. You'll also get a glimpse into the strange culture of Hollywood and some of the odd people involved in the movie business.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I think Waldo makes this novel work. He has become a minimalist and allows himself only one hundred Things. His ruminations about why people have “stuff” really made me think. So did his coming down from his recluse mountain cabin to work the case. What a contrast, three years of silence and self sustenance to the glittery world of Hollywood.
I recommend this mystery to readers who enjoy a character driven mystery. I think you'll like Waldo's tenacious spirit. You'll also get a glimpse into the strange culture of Hollywood and some of the odd people involved in the movie business.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
April 23, 2020
Poor Charlie Waldo had a very bad experience as a police officer, with even worse problems for another person, and to assuage his guilty conscience, he has given up job and home and moved to a small shack in the woods, intent on minimalizing his life and impact on the planet. He obsesses over owning a LIMIT of 100 things, counting everything (socks, chair, tableware, Kindle, etc) to make sure he doesn't go over. His idyll is interrupted by a former girlfriend who asks him to help her clear a famous actor who looks like he murdered his wife. It's a fast, crazy, wild ride, with poor Charlie getting beat up frequently, but for the reader lots of laughs. I look forward to the sequel.
November 12, 2018
Very interesting book. Waldo, the main character, is a former LAPD detective who has been living the past three in self imposed exile on a mountain in California. He has become a minimalist, obsessed with only having 100 ‘Things’. Although I respect doing what you can to minimize your carbon footprint, Waldo took this to a humorous extreme. Getting to know Waldo in this book has been a very enjoyable pleasure. I do hope Mr Gould plans on writing more of Waldo’s adventures.
October 21, 2018
This was a fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed the lens through which our modern cultural caprices were viewed and acknowledged in a tongue in cheek reflection by the outlier ex cop turned minimalist. Very enjoyable and I hope for more!
September 14, 2023
Clearly at one point I thought this sounded like a book I would enjoy, since I did buy it after all. Though when I went to read the blurb again, I had my doubts about that.
Past-me obviously knew what they were about though. This was quite enjoyable. It did take a little bit to get the ball rolling, but I had a hard time putting it down in the back half.
I think Waldo was an interesting, complex character. I was unsure of all the plot lines, but they came together so well in the end. I definitely plan to continue with the series.
Past-me obviously knew what they were about though. This was quite enjoyable. It did take a little bit to get the ball rolling, but I had a hard time putting it down in the back half.
I think Waldo was an interesting, complex character. I was unsure of all the plot lines, but they came together so well in the end. I definitely plan to continue with the series.
December 27, 2018
Very entertaining mystery with a unique ex-homicide detective.
May 18, 2019
i'll read the next one.
November 6, 2018
You may not recognize the name Howard Michael Gould, but you know his work as the head writer on a number of popular television comedies. Gould has recently turned his hand to detective fiction, and if his debut novel is any indication, one can only wish that he had done so before now. He has created a unique protagonist and set him against the backdrop of contemporary southern California in a very original and engrossing manner, one that will keep you reading nonstop for hours.
LAST LOOKS introduces Charlie Waldo to the annals of detective fiction. We meet the former LAPD detective as he is living as a minimalist recluse almost entirely off the grid on the outskirts of a small artists’ community near Los Angeles. Waldo, as we learn early on, obsessively and compulsively limits his possessions to, as he puts it, “One Hundred Things.” It is part of a self-imposed penance for an understandable yet tragic mistake he made three years prior to the book’s present while he was a rising star in the Homicide Division of the LAPD. Afterward, he didn’t so much burn bridges behind him as blow them up and melt them down. Now, Waldo receives regular visits only from his mailman, eschewing regular tonsorial duties and applying his minimalist lifestyle to personal hygiene and haberdashery.
At least the visiting part changes when his ex-wife, Lorena, suddenly appears without notice and with a proposition. Lorena, who runs a mid-size private investigation agency, is representing a well-known television star accused of murdering his wife. A difficult human being, Alastair Pinch is well beyond being a practicing alcoholic, having graduated to veteran status. He was extremely well-toasted on the night that his wife was killed in their palatial home, so much so that he freely admits he doesn’t know whether or not he was responsible for her death. Lorena wants Waldo in the mix due to his investigative acumen and notoriety. She has barely left his Walden Pond-like digs when he is subjected to two more visits: one from another client of Lorena who thinks she left him something incriminating, and the other by a group of toughs who warn him off the Pinch case.
A reluctant but intrigued Waldo journeys to Los Angeles --- a place that he never thought he would visit again --- to try to extricate himself from things, but it’s not that easy. He gets involved in spite of himself --- particularly when Lorena goes missing and is subsequently found in her burned-up automobile --- not only with the murder case but also with the kindergarten teacher at the school that Alastair’s daughter attends. He gets knocked around a couple more times before getting to the truth of the matters. Matters? You bet. One, of course, is the murder whodunit, and the other involves a passel of secrets, one of which affects Waldo himself. There are many twists and turns before LAST LOOKS concludes, and while the book is complete in itself, one or two issues are left dangling that just might provide fodder for future installments, should Gould see fit.
Gould’s scriptwriting experience shines through here. Each page contains a number of crystal-clear images that beg for translation to video while making it ultimately unnecessary. There’s also some humor in just the right places to keep things from becoming too dark. Even the dedication at the beginning of the novel is terrific, not only hinting at Gould’s comedic chops but also showing that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Additionally, one of the running jokes here involves the uniform reaction to Waldo from those who know him but have not seen him since his three-years-and-counting, self-imposed exile. Each and all greet him with the same cheerfully profane exclamation, and understandably so.
Waldo is a smart but tough guy in the sense that he can take a beating and somehow recover. Hopefully he will avail himself of a neurological workup at some point after the last page of this book and the first page of its successor. We want him back, and we want him back whole.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
LAST LOOKS introduces Charlie Waldo to the annals of detective fiction. We meet the former LAPD detective as he is living as a minimalist recluse almost entirely off the grid on the outskirts of a small artists’ community near Los Angeles. Waldo, as we learn early on, obsessively and compulsively limits his possessions to, as he puts it, “One Hundred Things.” It is part of a self-imposed penance for an understandable yet tragic mistake he made three years prior to the book’s present while he was a rising star in the Homicide Division of the LAPD. Afterward, he didn’t so much burn bridges behind him as blow them up and melt them down. Now, Waldo receives regular visits only from his mailman, eschewing regular tonsorial duties and applying his minimalist lifestyle to personal hygiene and haberdashery.
At least the visiting part changes when his ex-wife, Lorena, suddenly appears without notice and with a proposition. Lorena, who runs a mid-size private investigation agency, is representing a well-known television star accused of murdering his wife. A difficult human being, Alastair Pinch is well beyond being a practicing alcoholic, having graduated to veteran status. He was extremely well-toasted on the night that his wife was killed in their palatial home, so much so that he freely admits he doesn’t know whether or not he was responsible for her death. Lorena wants Waldo in the mix due to his investigative acumen and notoriety. She has barely left his Walden Pond-like digs when he is subjected to two more visits: one from another client of Lorena who thinks she left him something incriminating, and the other by a group of toughs who warn him off the Pinch case.
A reluctant but intrigued Waldo journeys to Los Angeles --- a place that he never thought he would visit again --- to try to extricate himself from things, but it’s not that easy. He gets involved in spite of himself --- particularly when Lorena goes missing and is subsequently found in her burned-up automobile --- not only with the murder case but also with the kindergarten teacher at the school that Alastair’s daughter attends. He gets knocked around a couple more times before getting to the truth of the matters. Matters? You bet. One, of course, is the murder whodunit, and the other involves a passel of secrets, one of which affects Waldo himself. There are many twists and turns before LAST LOOKS concludes, and while the book is complete in itself, one or two issues are left dangling that just might provide fodder for future installments, should Gould see fit.
Gould’s scriptwriting experience shines through here. Each page contains a number of crystal-clear images that beg for translation to video while making it ultimately unnecessary. There’s also some humor in just the right places to keep things from becoming too dark. Even the dedication at the beginning of the novel is terrific, not only hinting at Gould’s comedic chops but also showing that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Additionally, one of the running jokes here involves the uniform reaction to Waldo from those who know him but have not seen him since his three-years-and-counting, self-imposed exile. Each and all greet him with the same cheerfully profane exclamation, and understandably so.
Waldo is a smart but tough guy in the sense that he can take a beating and somehow recover. Hopefully he will avail himself of a neurological workup at some point after the last page of this book and the first page of its successor. We want him back, and we want him back whole.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
May 27, 2019
Jesus Waldo! This is a crackling, satisfying read that will have you laughing out loud.
August 31, 2018
Charlie Waldo retired from the LAPD three years ago after learning he screwed up a case royally. To make amends in his own mind, he lives in Idyllwild leading a minimalistic lifestyle. He hasn’t even spoken to another person in that three years time until his ex shows up asking for help. A big star has been accused of murdering his wife and needs help finding the truth. Will Waldo be drug into this case or even make it out alive?
I love Waldo. He’s so endearing. I really enjoyed the book and although a thing or two did not make a lot of sense to me, the book as a whole was awesome.
I truly hope there is more Waldo planned as I really liked the character.
I received a copy through the Penguin First to Read program.
I love Waldo. He’s so endearing. I really enjoyed the book and although a thing or two did not make a lot of sense to me, the book as a whole was awesome.
I truly hope there is more Waldo planned as I really liked the character.
I received a copy through the Penguin First to Read program.
September 2, 2018
This was a fun, fast-paced mystery I thoroughly enjoyed! I listened to the audio version and the narrator used different voices and accents to make it an easy and entertaining listen. I give it two thumbs up! 👍🏻👍🏻
August 6, 2018
Last Looks introduces the reader to ex-LAPD cop and minimalist Charlie Waldo. When I started this book I thought I was going to hate it. When I got about a third of the way through the book I was hooked. Waldo started out seeming like a weird 1970's commune living, tree hugging hippie with OCD tendencies.
Actually he kind of is a replica of a 1970's commune living, tree hugging hippie with OCD tendencies. What started out annoying became hysterically funny, endearing and addicting. I absolutely love this character. If you combine Adrian Monk with John Sanford's Virgil Flowers you come pretty close to Charlie Waldo. I can't think of a better combination of characteristics. The reader is inside his head the entire book and what an interesting, enjoyable, and amusing place to be.
The character development was so well done I feel like I would know Waldo if I met him on the street. Oh how I wish that were possible. Waldo is a damaged man who has gone to extremes to self flagilate himself for wrongs he believes he is responsible for. Maintaining the standards he's set for himself is beyond difficult and when he has to make decisions that could mean life or death his thought process is laugh out loud funny.
The storyline in this book is complex but easy to follow. There are a lot of characters involved in this murder investigation and all are well fleshed out and the reader isn't confused for a second.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. Charlie Waldo is the best character I've met in a book since Harry Bosch. I can't believe I'm saying this but I like him better than Harry Bosch. The storyline is solid and keeps you guessing right up to the end. THIS is a series and Charlie Waldo is a character I will follow. I can't wait for the next in the series.
Actually he kind of is a replica of a 1970's commune living, tree hugging hippie with OCD tendencies. What started out annoying became hysterically funny, endearing and addicting. I absolutely love this character. If you combine Adrian Monk with John Sanford's Virgil Flowers you come pretty close to Charlie Waldo. I can't think of a better combination of characteristics. The reader is inside his head the entire book and what an interesting, enjoyable, and amusing place to be.
The character development was so well done I feel like I would know Waldo if I met him on the street. Oh how I wish that were possible. Waldo is a damaged man who has gone to extremes to self flagilate himself for wrongs he believes he is responsible for. Maintaining the standards he's set for himself is beyond difficult and when he has to make decisions that could mean life or death his thought process is laugh out loud funny.
The storyline in this book is complex but easy to follow. There are a lot of characters involved in this murder investigation and all are well fleshed out and the reader isn't confused for a second.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. Charlie Waldo is the best character I've met in a book since Harry Bosch. I can't believe I'm saying this but I like him better than Harry Bosch. The storyline is solid and keeps you guessing right up to the end. THIS is a series and Charlie Waldo is a character I will follow. I can't wait for the next in the series.
May 12, 2019
I read it too quickly and will enjoy all books to follow.
This is a great : used to be best cop, now old, washed up, forced to be a private eye crime story. The main character's ritual of only possessing 100 items is a great twist that had me really interested in my own accumulation of stuff. Great writing through out.
This is a great : used to be best cop, now old, washed up, forced to be a private eye crime story. The main character's ritual of only possessing 100 items is a great twist that had me really interested in my own accumulation of stuff. Great writing through out.
June 24, 2019
What a super fun debut novel! Charlie Waldo's character is the most refreshingly unique character to come along in ages. I was laughing out loud throughout the book & did not want it to end. I can only describe this book as this: Hunter S. Thomson and Robert Crais raise a child together, and Charlie Waldo is the result! I cannot wait for book number 2!
July 7, 2018
Last Looks is a fun and enjoyable read. Charlie Waldo had been a successful detective, rising quickly in the police department until he, as the book put it, not only burned bridges, but the entire river. He now lives in seclusion on a mountain with just 100 things – he has become a true minimalist.
He is reluctantly pulled off of his mountain retreat due to his reported involvement in the investigation of an actor who has murdered his wife. There is a secondary storyline when his former girlfriend, who is a private investigator, disappears. Waldo works on the murder investigation, the disappearance of his former flame, and trying to maintain his ownership of only 100 items while dealing with the resentment and anger backlash that is directed at him by his former colleagues in the police department.
The book has a great sense of humor and a really good pace. It is set in the current day but sort of has the feel of the old noir novel with the down and out on his luck, cynical detective, trying to prove himself or make up for something he couldn’t set right in the past. I very much enjoyed it and really hope that this will be the first in a series as Charlie Waldo is a character I would like to spend time with again. Thank you to First to Read for my ARC of this book.
He is reluctantly pulled off of his mountain retreat due to his reported involvement in the investigation of an actor who has murdered his wife. There is a secondary storyline when his former girlfriend, who is a private investigator, disappears. Waldo works on the murder investigation, the disappearance of his former flame, and trying to maintain his ownership of only 100 items while dealing with the resentment and anger backlash that is directed at him by his former colleagues in the police department.
The book has a great sense of humor and a really good pace. It is set in the current day but sort of has the feel of the old noir novel with the down and out on his luck, cynical detective, trying to prove himself or make up for something he couldn’t set right in the past. I very much enjoyed it and really hope that this will be the first in a series as Charlie Waldo is a character I would like to spend time with again. Thank you to First to Read for my ARC of this book.
September 22, 2018
Spoiler alert. Do not read if you are planning on reading this book. this will contain some details you probably will not want to know ahead of time. There was a lot to like in this book. The plot was good. The characters good and novel. Was not predictable other than it wasn't the heroine in the car that burned. Very entertaining. I see this is a first book. Maybe that is why it contains several terrible technical flaws. The porn queen rehabbing at her father's school is possible, but singing in church choir while boffing several of her students parents is not. Who left the video of her on his bike. If the book revealed that I didn't catch it. The ending a little too convoluted for me and the last minute save from nowhere by the villain was too much. Also, the data of the crook that generated so much of the action is an epic poem is just way too much for me!!!!
All in all, I enjoyed the book and just hope he learned and will do better next time. there is room for optimism for him as an author. I just read it once. Don't know why it is saying twice.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and just hope he learned and will do better next time. there is room for optimism for him as an author. I just read it once. Don't know why it is saying twice.
September 12, 2018
Super readable – the voice in the first chapter and Charlie's reflection on his 100 Things hooked me right away, and the first four chapters were so chock full that the momentum kept me going. Charlie Waldo was a great main character that I wanted to spend time with, and a breezy writing style made for effortless reading.
I can’t say I cared too much about the mystery, but I did care about Charlie solving it, and that was done to a satisfying end. I also appreciated that Charlie stayed true to his obsession of 100 Things, which turned what could have been a gimmick into a nice piece of ongoing character development.
I can’t say I cared too much about the mystery, but I did care about Charlie solving it, and that was done to a satisfying end. I also appreciated that Charlie stayed true to his obsession of 100 Things, which turned what could have been a gimmick into a nice piece of ongoing character development.
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