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Ben Crandel #1
Tough Luck L.A.
Edgar Award Finalist: Ben Crandel came to Hollywood to strike it big as a writer—not become the prime suspect in a prostitute’s murder.
L.A. seemed like a good idea at the time. Having published two novels, Ben Crandel left a sweet teaching job back east and moved to Hollywood to write a screenplay. Now languishing in development limbo, he pays the rent on his seedy bungalow by cranking out porn novels. And his girlfriend, Ellen, has decided she needs some time apart. The only bright spots in his life are being a Big Brother to an eleven-year-old orphan named Petey and walking his drooling but lovable basset hound, Stanley. But Ben’s crappy California life is about to get a whole lot worse.
Ben’s friend Vicky, a former prostitute, is beaten and murdered in her apartment—shot execution-style in the back of the head. The Beverly Hills police grab Ben at the crime scene and charge him with first-degree murder.
Freed on bail, Ben is determined to track down Vicky’s real killer. At first it seems like her death may be connected to the adult film industry. But as Ben digs deeper, he becomes entangled in a multimillion-dollar game of survivor-take-all . . .
Praise for the Ben Crandel Mysteries
“Sinclair has the unique ability to dish out hard-edged realism with—believe it or not—a touch of humor. Goodbye L.A. is a fine piece.” —Gerald Petievich, author of To Live and Die in L.A.
L.A. seemed like a good idea at the time. Having published two novels, Ben Crandel left a sweet teaching job back east and moved to Hollywood to write a screenplay. Now languishing in development limbo, he pays the rent on his seedy bungalow by cranking out porn novels. And his girlfriend, Ellen, has decided she needs some time apart. The only bright spots in his life are being a Big Brother to an eleven-year-old orphan named Petey and walking his drooling but lovable basset hound, Stanley. But Ben’s crappy California life is about to get a whole lot worse.
Ben’s friend Vicky, a former prostitute, is beaten and murdered in her apartment—shot execution-style in the back of the head. The Beverly Hills police grab Ben at the crime scene and charge him with first-degree murder.
Freed on bail, Ben is determined to track down Vicky’s real killer. At first it seems like her death may be connected to the adult film industry. But as Ben digs deeper, he becomes entangled in a multimillion-dollar game of survivor-take-all . . .
Praise for the Ben Crandel Mysteries
“Sinclair has the unique ability to dish out hard-edged realism with—believe it or not—a touch of humor. Goodbye L.A. is a fine piece.” —Gerald Petievich, author of To Live and Die in L.A.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1981
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47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 19, 2023
Black Lizard in the 1980’s was known for reprinting lost classics of crime fiction and not known so much for original material. The three Ben Crandell novels by Murray Sinclair — Tough Luck L.A. (1982), Only in L.A. (1982), and Goodbye L.A. (1988), a crime fiction writer that appeared on the Black Lizard roster for these three novels and then disappeared in a labyrinth of law practice for the next thirty years, were an exception to this rule. These novels are filled with the flavor of late 1970’s and early 1980’s flavor of sun-drenched Los Angeles and anyone who was here during that time period remembers the haunts and byways described in these books.
The first of three in the series is Tough Luck L.A., which stars aspiring writer Ben Crandel as an amateur detective out to solve a murder for which he himself is the prime suspect. Crandel came to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter, but like many dreams that blew up in smoke. Now he is a reluctant porn novel writer, although he is hesitant to pen the steamy libido-busting scenes his publisher wants. But it is still better than a 9-5 office job, so apparently Crandel perseveres.
His friends are primarily hookers and ex-hookers, including his ex-girlfriend Vicky, whose corpse is the central focus of the novel. Like many of his peers in detective fiction, Crandel is blamed for her murder though he is not permitted near her bloody corpse. Indeed, in most of these stories, the hero wakes up with a beautiful corpse in bed with them and no idea how they got there or what happened. Not so here. Crandel is only blamed because the crotchedy landlady saw him hanging around Vicky’s apartment the night she died. Nevertheless, the police don’t like his attitude and book him for murder, although he is promptly released. There is not too much in here about Crandel fleeing from the law to prove his innocence although he does disappear for a lost 24 hours in Las Vegas, leaving behind a trail of more death in his wake.
Crandel is a compelling figure in this novel although, as a reader, you never fully get the sense he is in that much trouble. Like all good amateur detectives, Crandel eventually stumbles on the solution to the mystery. Nevertheless, the solution and how to get there are a bit convoluted.
The first of three in the series is Tough Luck L.A., which stars aspiring writer Ben Crandel as an amateur detective out to solve a murder for which he himself is the prime suspect. Crandel came to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter, but like many dreams that blew up in smoke. Now he is a reluctant porn novel writer, although he is hesitant to pen the steamy libido-busting scenes his publisher wants. But it is still better than a 9-5 office job, so apparently Crandel perseveres.
His friends are primarily hookers and ex-hookers, including his ex-girlfriend Vicky, whose corpse is the central focus of the novel. Like many of his peers in detective fiction, Crandel is blamed for her murder though he is not permitted near her bloody corpse. Indeed, in most of these stories, the hero wakes up with a beautiful corpse in bed with them and no idea how they got there or what happened. Not so here. Crandel is only blamed because the crotchedy landlady saw him hanging around Vicky’s apartment the night she died. Nevertheless, the police don’t like his attitude and book him for murder, although he is promptly released. There is not too much in here about Crandel fleeing from the law to prove his innocence although he does disappear for a lost 24 hours in Las Vegas, leaving behind a trail of more death in his wake.
Crandel is a compelling figure in this novel although, as a reader, you never fully get the sense he is in that much trouble. Like all good amateur detectives, Crandel eventually stumbles on the solution to the mystery. Nevertheless, the solution and how to get there are a bit convoluted.
November 9, 2019
I really like the author's general writing style, and the story was interesting, but the flow was a little off for me at times. Would like to see how the author's writing evolves in the next books.
Want to read
November 27, 2019Synopsis: Crandel, a half-successful porn novelist, has come to LA where, in short order, his girl friend gets murdered and he gets arrested.
August 19, 2023
Black Lizard in the 1980’s was known for reprinting lost classics of crime fiction and not known so much for original material. The three Ben Crandell novels by Murray Sinclair — Tough Luck L.A. (1982), Only in L.A. (1982), and Goodbye L.A. (1988), a crime fiction writer that appeared on the Black Lizard roster for these three novels and then disappeared in a labyrinth of law practice for the next thirty years, were an exception to this rule. These novels are filled with the flavor of late 1970’s and early 1980’s flavor of sun-drenched Los Angeles and anyone who was here during that time period remembers the haunts and byways described in these books.
The first of three in the series is Tough Luck L.A., which stars aspiring writer Ben Crandel as an amateur detective out to solve a murder for which he himself is the prime suspect. Crandel came to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter, but like many dreams that blew up in smoke. Now he is a reluctant porn novel writer, although he is hesitant to pen the steamy libido-busting scenes his publisher wants. But it is still better than a 9-5 office job, so apparently Crandel perseveres.
His friends are primarily hookers and ex-hookers, including his ex-girlfriend Vicky, whose corpse is the central focus of the novel. Like many of his peers in detective fiction, Crandel is blamed for her murder though he is not permitted near her bloody corpse. Indeed, in most of these stories, the hero wakes up with a beautiful corpse in bed with them and no idea how they got there or what happened. Not so here. Crandel is only blamed because the crotchedy landlady saw him hanging around Vicky’s apartment the night she died. Nevertheless, the police don’t like his attitude and book him for murder, although he is promptly released. There is not too much in here about Crandel fleeing from the law to prove his innocence although he does disappear for a lost 24 hours in Las Vegas, leaving behind a trail of more death in his wake.
Crandel is a compelling figure in this novel although, as a reader, you never fully get the sense he is in that much trouble. Like all good amateur detectives, Crandel eventually stumbles on the solution to the mystery. Nevertheless, the solution and how to get there are a bit convoluted.
The first of three in the series is Tough Luck L.A., which stars aspiring writer Ben Crandel as an amateur detective out to solve a murder for which he himself is the prime suspect. Crandel came to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter, but like many dreams that blew up in smoke. Now he is a reluctant porn novel writer, although he is hesitant to pen the steamy libido-busting scenes his publisher wants. But it is still better than a 9-5 office job, so apparently Crandel perseveres.
His friends are primarily hookers and ex-hookers, including his ex-girlfriend Vicky, whose corpse is the central focus of the novel. Like many of his peers in detective fiction, Crandel is blamed for her murder though he is not permitted near her bloody corpse. Indeed, in most of these stories, the hero wakes up with a beautiful corpse in bed with them and no idea how they got there or what happened. Not so here. Crandel is only blamed because the crotchedy landlady saw him hanging around Vicky’s apartment the night she died. Nevertheless, the police don’t like his attitude and book him for murder, although he is promptly released. There is not too much in here about Crandel fleeing from the law to prove his innocence although he does disappear for a lost 24 hours in Las Vegas, leaving behind a trail of more death in his wake.
Crandel is a compelling figure in this novel although, as a reader, you never fully get the sense he is in that much trouble. Like all good amateur detectives, Crandel eventually stumbles on the solution to the mystery. Nevertheless, the solution and how to get there are a bit convoluted.
October 28, 2022
the first-person narration is amusing and most of the snooping and action satisfies. more of an 80s detective-series-boom novel at heart, at least compared to some of the more black-hearted black lizard books. orphan plot line was very schmaltzy but maybe the author was angling for a television series
March 8, 2023
Not bad for a first novel, but certainly not good enough for a "special award from the MWA." I really can't imagine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews