This Rough Old World

by Brandon Barrows

In the summer of 1968, Los Angeles is a hotbed of social and political change, but for Tom Ahearn, things have been the same for far too long – and he isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not. While running his late father’s record store, Tom’s passion is his side-business as a “bedroom detective”. He’s no pervert, but it pays better and offers numerous opportunities to observe the human condition as he catalogs broken relationship after broken relationship, seeking the clues to unravel the mystery behind his own failed marriage.

And just as Tom is smack in the middle of the nastiest marital feud he’s ever seen, into Ahearn’s Audio walks Charlie, a hippy of the lowest order, convinced he’s a sinister cabal’s target and terrified of things he’s seen. It’s not Tom’s kind of case, but lured by the prospect of a quick buck, he dives head-first into a world of casual sex, drugs, music and the occult, where he’ll rub shoulders with hopped-up hippies, clash with young Republicans itching for war and face off against a cult of slumming socialites bent on nothing less than completely reshaping the cosmos -- all while unknowingly witnessing the nascence of one of the twentieth century’s most notorious evils.

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2018

Reviews

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I read this book in manuscript form prior to publication. I was hired to paint the cover art, which unfortunately is not showing up here on Goodreads, but is visible on Amazon. Regardless, I wanted to mention that I particularly loved reading this novel, and unfortunately cannot say much because to spoil the story takes away its power. For me, the final revelation was completely unexpected. Sure, I should have seen it coming in retrospect, but I was going in with absolutely no expectations except to enjoy the ride, and to plan for how to quantify the tale visually for the cover art. I can say the protagonist is very real, and the dialogue is superb. It is quite an ingenious twist on noir detective tropes and gritty 60s seediness. This book is highly recommended!