Dead Extra

by Sean Carswell

After being reported as dead in a German POW camp, Jack Chesley returns to L.A. in 1947 very much alive, only to discover that his wife is dead—and her twin sister insists that it wasn’t an accident like the cops said. They set out to find her killer, a journey that takes them from the boozy back corners of Musso & Frank, to the Camarillo mental hospital, to a seedy motel where blackmailers shoot dirty movies. In the spirit of such noir masters as Cain and Chandler, Dead Extra explores new shadows on the seedy side of midcentury Southern California.

Genres: Mystery, Noir

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Colleen]

A strong, straight-up L.A. noir crime novel that's set in the 1940s but written by a modern man who brings a more authentic and realistic-- and therefore more enjoyable-- portrayal of women than in any of the vintage noir classics. A terrific read that would make a terrific movie (or TV series).

[Lisa Tollefson]

Characters, plot, surprise - it has it all

This was one of those that just popped up when I was looking for a new ebook. Sounded interesting, and the few sample pages were pretty good, so I tried it. I really enjoyed it. Jack is recently back from Germany and the dead. He'd been shot down and the USAF thought he'd died along with the rest of the crew. He came home to find that his wife Wilma was dead. Her twin said it was murder.
He starts to investigate, and discovers truths he didn't really want to know.
At the same time, Wilma is telling her story. Thank you Sean, for the chapter headings. They helped keep the timeline straight.
The characters are well drawn. It wasn't hard to see them as real people, even the bit players. The dialogue is reminiscent of the 40s (at least what I've read and heard in films) but not so much that it was hard to follow. Definitely a good read.

[Samaya]

Such a great book and the fact that the author was a professor of mine this semester made it all the better. Such a great story and so much history and research was poured into the novel.

[Robert Intriago]

In my opinion a poorly written book with a plot that wanders all over the place. There are some interesting characters and the descriptions of the City of LA tend to be illuminating. The author tries too hard to imitate the noir novels of the 50s and in my opinion does a bad job. The plot has some merit as it tells the story of a returned soldier from WW II, who supposedly died in an airplane crash. Upon his return he finds out that his wife is dead and was probably murdered. He decides to investigate despite the fact that certain people tell him to leave it alone.

[Jessica]

A decent modern noir (but set in the 1940s). It has all of the violence, sex, murder, alcohol and lack of justice that we’ve all come to expect from the genre. For the record, Gertie should carry the next novel all on her own.

[Rich Cocksedge]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. A well crafted story, and (I'm assuming as I am no expert) historically accurate with its references. As such, it felt like I was taken back in time to the post-WWII period it was set in.

[Chris]

A perfect Los Angeles Hollywood noir circa 1940s. A murder, an investigation, corruption, crooked cops, actors and extras and ladies behind the scenes. Can’t give it away, but a perfect one day read.

[Nanette]

Well written and interesting. Strong women characters, unlike most true 40s noir novels. I recommend it.

[Kevin Dunn]

Great modern noir, set in seedy 1950s LA. All the beauty of classic noir, without the casual racism and misogyny.

[Sonam Hundal]

GREAT BOOK! Loved that it was set in SoCal especially because I’m familiar with the cities that the story takes place in. The author did an incredible job at incorporating multiple view points.