City of Fallen Angels

PI John Keegan #1

by Paul Buchanan

Summer, 1962. A scorching heatwave is suffocating L.A. PI John Keegan is offered a small fortune to find a beautiful woman from a set of photographs. He refuses; the job seems suspicious.
But the next day the same woman, Eve, turns up, unbidden, on his doorstep. Eve fears for her safety. She is being watched. Before Keegan knows it, someone has been killed with Keegan s own gun, and he gets sucked into a world of suspicion and betrayal where he s never quite sure where the truth lies. Before long he s the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit, and all the evidence seems to point in his direction.

It s almost like someone planned it that way.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Noir

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Buchanan's historical noir set in a sweltering 1960s Los Angeles has echoes of a number of classic noirs. It is 1962, Marilyn Monroe has just committed suicide, Ex-crime reporter, 53 year old Private Investigator John Keegan has little work, so when a potential client, the strange Simon Catling, gets in touch, offering the kind of money that will solve his financial difficulties, it seems that the gods are with him. However, the job seems sinister, he is shown photographs of a young beautiful woman, and asked to identify and find her, he is so uncomfortable that he turns down the work. Keegan's mother has recently died, leaving him to sort out her home and look after her dog, Nora, but grief has stalled this process for him, he and his mother have been close all their lives.

A close neighbour shows an interest in wanting to buy his mothers home, a B-movie and TV actor, Nigel Ormsby, a man his mother had passed gossip on, despite being married, he engages in numerous affairs with young women. To Keegan's surprise, he encounters the woman from the photographs shown to him by Catling, the lovely Eve Ormsby-Cutler, the niece of Nigel, staying at her uncle's home. He and Eve get on remarkably well, particularly given the number of years between them, although he mentions nothing of the job he had been offered. Eve is a frightened and unsettled woman, she feels she is being watched and followed, and asks for Keegan's help. Feeling highly protective of the vulnerable Eve, he supplies her with his gun, giving her shooting lessons to raise her confidence in looking after herself.

However, after a tragic event that occurs one night, can Keegan trust Eve to be who she appears to be? Certainly his long time friend, Lieutenant Louis Moore, believes him to be sadly deluded when it comes to trusting Eve, a femme fatale, believing he is being taken for a deadly ride that could see him being arrested for a murder he did not commit. Keegan's instinct is to continue to look out for Eve, in a LA where the criminal justice system has barely any acquaintance with the concept of justice, you could guarantee that it would fail to pick out fairness out of any line up. As doubts begin to creep in, Keegan has to get to the truth before the worst happens to him. This is a claustrophic, dark and tense crime noir that has slighly uneven pacing but which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Many thanks to Legend Press for an ARC.

[Gram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scene is Los Angeles, August 1962 amid a heatwave that's making life uncomfortable for everyone. Private eye John "Jimmy" Keegan doesn't have any work and he's partly occupied with deciding what to do about his late mother's cottage. A neighbour called Ormsby, who's a B-movie actor and minor TV star, tells him he's interested in buying the property.
Earlier that day, Keegan had been shown photographs of a beautiful young woman and offered a large of sum of money to find her. Despite his lack of work, he turned the offer down.
And then he sees the same woman in Ormsby's garden and discovers she's his niece and her name is Eve.
The next day, Eve shows up at his cottage and tells him she thinks she's being watched. Keegan tries to assuage her fears by letting her practise shooting with his gun, which he then loans her for protection.
And then things get really complicated and Keegan finds himself in serious trouble.
This story reads like the script for a 1940's/1950's film noir, based on the hard-boiled crime novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. And it has more than a hint of "Double Indemnity" - a film based on the James M. Cain's 1943 novella of the same name - in which a hapless Fred MacMurray is lured into committing murder by glamorous housewife, Barbara Stanwyck.
The action unfolds very slowly - a little too slowly at times - and is full of descriptions of people and places in early 1960's Los Angeles. The author, Paul Buchanan, really captures the atmosphere of that time, with references to various events such as the recent death of Marilyn Monroe and the launch of the first Soviet satellite. Private eye Keegan is a former crime reporter, but his cynicism seems to vanish when he's with the mysterious Eve who may not be what she seems. This is the first in a series featuring Keegan and I look forward to reading more about him. Recommended for fans of all things noir.
My thanks to the publisher, Legend Press and to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keegan used to be a young hotshot reporter. Things change. Now he's a middle-aged P.I.

Our story takes place during ten days in August of 1962 during a sweltering heat wave. Marilyn Monroe died about a week ago, Keegan's mother had died about a week before that leaving him a nice little piece of land with a small cottage situated on it and a small dog named Nora. Keegan has not yet come to terms with any of it.

The oppressive heat leaves him unable to sleep to any great extent which leaves him too much time to think. He once caught a brief glimpse of Marilyn Monroe (maybe it was her) and for some reason the image keeps coming back to him. Had he neglected his mother? He wasn't the son he could have been or should have been. What about the dog, Nora? His apartment building doesn't allow pets.

Enter a damsel in distress half his age. Keegan is inexplicably drawn to her - possibly as an outlet for all the things he's not quite feeling about Marilyn, the late Mrs. Keegan, and Nora. Possibly because, under strange circumstances, he recently saw a photo of said damsel (maybe it was her.... probably.... it was her).

Wham! Bang! Boom!

What just happened? Either Keegan is being played for a patsy by a treacherous femme fatale or...

City of Fallen Angels is noir in the classic style. Reminiscent of James M. Cain. The sexual aspect is muted, it's nowhere near as dark and gritty but still every bit as suspenseful, fatalistic, and morally ambivalent. All the plot twists in all the right places that still leaves you chasing your own tail. That's some pretty fine writing!

I think this would appeal to readers of classic noir as well as those who prefer lighter mysteries but want something with a bit more bite to it. There's a smattering of four-letter-words but it's not too prevalent. The violence isn't graphic. Suitable for most readers.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Legend Press, and author Paul Buchanan for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Legend Press for an advance copy of City of Fallen Angels, the first novel to feature Los Angeles P.I. John Keegan.

Summer 1962 in Los Angeles. Keegan is offered a well paying job to find a woman but something doesn’t seem right so he refuses. The next day that very woman, Eve Ormsby, asks him for help as she thinks she’s being followed. Soon he is the prime suspect in a murder he didn’t commit and way out of his depth.

I found City of Fallen Angels to be a mixed bag. I loved the writing but I really struggled with the plot as stupidity is never an interesting subject. The plot is predicated on a single poor decision that Keegan makes and the widening ramifications of this decision. This is where the plot and I parted company as I have absolutely no understanding how a supposedly intelligent man could act as he could. Am I supposed to think that because the novel is set in a supposedly more innocent time it could be seen as misplaced chivalry? I still don’t see it. The solution is ingenuous, coming out of left field as it does, but it doesn’t excuse an unbelievable plot premise.

It took me days rather than hours to read this novel as I had such a hard time with the plot, but the quality of the writing kept me going. You can feel the heat of Los Angeles and feel yourself in the sixties. It is extremely atmospheric and very well done. The novel is told in the third person from Keegan’s point of view exclusively so the reader gets up close and personal with his thought processes and motivations. I’m not sure he understands himself why he took the decision and he’s not as smart as he thinks he is as he tries to outrun the consequences. It is actually very well done as he moves from nonchalance to suspicion and a touch of panic.

There is much to recommend in City of Fallen Angels and one poor plot does not spoil the potential of the series so I am looking forward to the sequel.

[Rex Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written detective novel

Buchanan did a fine job of establishing 1962 Los Angeles. His characters are believable, their exchanges are believable, his plot devices are believable, I even liked the dog. Except for the abrupt Louis L'Amour - style ending, I enjoyed this novel from start to finish.
Buchanan may not yet be a master prose stylist, but if he keeps writing plots as engaging as this one, he should quit his day job.

[Ted Barringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book a solid 4, if not a 5 star rating, but, the ending was simply terrible. I know there is a sequel, or rather a second book in the series, so we really will not get the final word on what actually happened - too bad. I am real fan of Noir, and this book felt very much like those books of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Hopefully in the next book Keegan will be a bit smarter and actually solve a case.

[Kirsti Ferguson (MrsFegFiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1960s sweltering LA, Private Investigator Jim Keegan inherits a cottage from his mother which over looks a wealth of mansions up in the hills...
Jim is asked to track down a young woman by a secret client, but he finds the job suspicious and declines. Unfortunately for Jim the same woman, Eve turns up on his mother's doorstep anyway, and he soon becomes completely entangled in a murder too close to home to explain away easily.

I liked Jim Keegan straight away, he's a great lead character with lots of depth to his back story. Having been a crime writer for The Times before turning private investigator, there is loads the author could do with his story throughout the series.
The book takes a few unexpected turns and the twist at the end is not what I anticipated at all. In fact each time i thought I knew what was going to happen, it went in a different direction and I liked that about it.
There are a few frustrating parts where I wanted to shake Jim and get him to just tell the truth, but whether it worked in his favour or not is yet to be seen...

There are some great relationships in this, particularly between Jim and his friend LT Moore who just happens to be the lead investigator in this case.
In fact the characters really made this book for me, the author's attention to detail brought everybody to life, even Nora the dog whom I loved!

Overall a very cleverly written book with a well developed plot, fab characters and a wonderful setting!
4.5 🌟s

Out in ebook today and paperback 1st June!

[Matthias Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun read. The main character, Keegan, finds himself stuck in a battle of wits against his friend Police Lieutenant Moore, and perhaps outmatched by someone else 👀. The ending was incredible, twist was gut wrenching, and Buck had me the whole time and knew what he was doing expertly. It had me on the edge of my seat and I had a huge grin on my face when I was done.

[lauren meade maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

reads like an old movie

I loved this book. Clever but everything made sense. Looking forward to the next book. Would make a great movie

[leno sislin · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK!!

With memories of LA as it was and an interesting story! At first, I thought would be corny but got very quickly involved in story and it was great! Never did realize who was guilty, who not.....Loved the characters!Hope he writes qnothervsoon!!

[Richard Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

See more reviews at rich-reviews.co.uk and @richreview

The oppressive heat of LA is suffocating the life out of Jim Keegan as he struggles to wade through a heat haze of fragmented evidence that begins to soften his senses as the bridge between nightmares and reality implodes into a potential miscarriage of justice.

An ethereal Marilyn Monroe appears omnipresent in the thoughts of the disorientated PI and her symbolic presence, as the ultimate fallen angel, reflects the downward trajectory of Eve, a young woman who seemingly has it all apart from the love to shield her from the fragility of life.

Keegan falls under Eve’s spell as the author develops a downbeat gumshoe character who is a captivating mix of the dishevelled Columbo and the chiselled charisma of Jim Rockford. The B list glamour of Hollywood provides an enticing backdrop to a convoluted search for the truth that is ingrained with the grim reality of a what might have been and a suppressed morality at odds with the superficiality of tinsel town.

The supporting cast of characters are worthy of a Quentin Tarantino homage to the 1960’s film industry with Kipper Lusk at the fore; hiding behind a pseudonym meriting only limited respect in the mafioso world he once inhabited and probably now only worthy of a cameo at a Mario Puzo tribute rather than an invite to the Godfather’s 70th.

Nevertheless his acerbic wit and limitless black book of underworld contacts are an unexpected distraction to the unlikely and stuttering relationship between Jim and Eve which assumes an accelerated frisson following an apparently accidental shooting. The plot is interwoven with seemingly important but ultimately bit part players whose relevance to the story is questionable but if the author is playing the Hollywood long game, where sequels are the only indicator of success, then may be the inconclusive ending is an understated segue into act 2 and a seat at the A list literary table.

[Marjorie DeLuca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Los Angeles in the sweltering summer of 1962, this classic ‘noir’ detective novel beautifully captures the blistering heat and languorous mood of 1960's LA.
Private eye, Jimmy Keegan, used to be a hotshot crime reporter, but is now a lonely, middle-aged private eye, haunted by the recent suicide of Marilyn Monroe and grieving the death of his mother. When he’s approached by a mysterious man with a lucrative assignment that involves finding a young woman, he turns down the job but is surprised when the same woman turns up on the doorstep of his mother’s Hollywood Hills cottage. Soon events take a bizarre turn when man is killed and Keegan finds himself the prime suspect.
Keegan is a likeable and sympathetic character at a low point in his life. Alone and doomed to a solitary existence, his most meaningful relationship turns out to be the little dog, Nora, that he inherits from his mother. But at heart he’s a good guy who’s had some bad breaks and now regrets the way his life has turned out. Details like this make him come across as more flawed and human than the great Raymond Chandler’s iconic and hardboiled detective, Philip Marlowe. The narrative does lack the dark, sarcastic and often biting tone of Marlowe’s novels but Buchanan manages to capture the lush and decadent romanticism of the city of Angels, the damp, oppressive heat of its summer and the colourful cast of characters that Keegan comes across. Having spent a good deal of time in Los Angeles, Keegan's vivid lyricism frequently transported me back to the decaying grandeur of the City of Angels, albeit an earlier, simpler version of it.
Plenty of unexpected twists make this novel a real page turner and I predict (and hope) we’ll be reading another Jimmy Keegan case in the foreseeable future.
Thanks to Legend Press for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[John McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A debut novel that announces in a loud and clear voice, the arrival of a first-rate new author, writing in a classic noir tradition.
The novel opens in Los Angeles. It’s August of 1962 and the city is sweltering in a relentless heat wave that has residents ready to explode. Marilyn Monroe has been found dead in her bungalow, and crime reporter turned private eye, Jim Keegan’s mother has also just died, leaving him a small house in an exclusive neighborhood and a lively little Scotch Terrier named Nora. That’s when Keegan—who’s scratching out a living, but isn’t getting rich—is approached by a mysterious man who offers the equivalent of three years income, if the beleaguered PI can locate a certain young woman, identified only by her photograph. But something seems fishy about the man, and although he’d love to have the money, Keegan turns him down.
Only one day later, the young woman in the photograph, who’s staying at her uncle’s place, is seen from Keegan’s back yard. Eve is her name, and she comes to Keegan’s place because she thinks she’s being stalked by some thugs. Keegan believes her after seeing a strange car with two toughs in it, casing the neighbor’s house. Knowing she’s alone while her actor uncle is away for a few days, Keegan loans Eve a gun. But when she uses it to kill someone, the cops begin looking at Keegan himself for the murder and his personal nightmare filled with theft, deception, mayhem, lust and murder begins. Is Eve a femme fatale, or a naive young girl in an impossible situation? Will Keegan come out unscathed . . . or be framed . . . and railroaded into prison for a crime he didn’t do? The only way to get the answers, is to get a copy of this superbly plotted noir thriller and read it for yourself. You’ll be happy you did, and be in at the start of what promises to be an outstanding series!

[Joy Michelle Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is City of Fallen Angels Worth a Read?

Paul Buchanan has certainly done his research and you feel as if you were on the scalding hot pavement in Los Angeles in the summer of 1962 just days after Marilyn Monroe’s suicide. The story while not fast paced is well written and should easily enough keep the reader’s attention span.

Keegan’s past is satisfyingly enough explained and the use of Marilyn Monroe’s death as a plot marker is neither cheap nor useless. The story’s strength has to be the friendship between Keegan and his best friend from the LAPD, Lieutenant Moore, is well fleshed out and I look forward to reading more about the two men in the second Keegan book coming out in July.

Sadly the story’s weakness has to be Keegan’s horrible choices regarding younger Eve and the [spoiler] shoddy cover up of the murder that happens just shy of the book’s half way mark. One thing I just cannot stand is stupidity in a leading character and for someone as smart and clever as Keegan, the idea he could get away with this cover up doesn’t make any sense. And you can’t help feeling as though he deserves to be caught and locked up for his foolish decisions.

[read the rest of the review at The Joyous Living]

Disclaimer: I received my book in exchange for an honest review.

[Roskana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual take on a classic detective theme, when an ex-crime hack finds himself drawn into an underworld he was more used to reporting.

The book concentrates on two main characters, Jim Keegan and Eve, the femme fatale in the story. There’s obviously a bit of a romantic hiding behind the hard-bitten Jim, who keeps lapsing into sweet thoughts of Marilyn Monroe - and there’s no doubt Eve is beautiful enough to cause him to lose his better judgement.

Both characters have enough undercurrents going on to keep you guessing. Is Eve as innocent as she seems? Or deadly and manipulative? Is Keegan an old softie who adores his late mother’s pet pooch? A street-wise ex-reporter? Or a blindingly naive bumbler who makes things worse for himself at every step.

The setting is a fabulous retro 1960’s Los Angeles, there are a couple of totally credible minor characters in the news seller and Keegan’s old detective pal, and the book evokes the period really well.

For me there is one main drawback - the actions Keegan takes when he feels under pressure. I kept saying 'Oh, Come On!'. But of course those very actions are crucial to the plot. Anyway, I enjoyed the read, and many thanks to Legend Press for sending me a copy to review.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent detective story. Everything is important and nothing can be ignored. Red herrings abound. By the end it feels like a ride on a rollercoaster but it’s worth every moment. As soon as I had finished this book I wanted to check out everything else this author has written. I know I’m in for a reading treat.

[Larry Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with one error that sipped by the editor.

In one scene a rental car agent tries to rent him a Mustang......................in 1962 LA.

Unless LA is 2 years ahead of the rest of us, the Ford Mustang came out in 1964.

[Lost_in_her_bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥'𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧.⁣⁣
@profbuck⁣
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I was kindly gifted an ARC of this novel by @legendpress thank you! ⁣⁣
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⭐⭐⭐/5⁣⁣
I have given this 3 stars, it didn't grip me and hold me like I really wanted it to, however I did really enjoy reading it, and it comes recommended. I enjoyed the era the book was set in, long enough ago to be historic, but close enough to relate to. Perfect amount of thrill, and suspense, but perhaps just not the right time for me. I might just give this another go!⁣⁣
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Buchanan is a fantastic writer, the story set in Summer 1962, follows PI John Keegan, and his suspicious, murderous, fatal case of Eve. ⁣⁣
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"Before long he's the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit and all the evidence seems to point in his direction. It's almost like someone planned it that way"⁣⁣
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This is out in paperback on a delayed release 1st June 2020!⁣
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#bookreview #3starreview #arc #giftedbook #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #photosofbooks #bookpost #bookworm #bookaddict #booklovers #bookish #recommendedread #alwaysreading #paperback #newrelease #fiction #thriller #cityoffallenangels #booksbooksbooks #books #reader

[Robin Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hollywood hills in the long hot summer of 1962. Marilyn Monroe has just been found dead from an overdose. Two Soviet astronauts circle the earth and Americans are wary of what will come next.
Jimmy Keegan is an almost down-at-heel private investigator, solvent only because his mother has just died & left him her home & her dog, Nora.
And then, Eve, his beautiful neighbour enters his life & before he knows it there is a dead man on the floor with a bullet from his gun in his neck. Is Eve the deadly enchantress the police think she is or an innocent victim caught up in a much darker crime?
For lovers of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels & James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice - here is a novel that won't disappoint.

[booksbytheboats · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this was a little slow starting, a lot of scene setting, I would have prepared a quicker introduction and more of the main story.

The long chapters didn’t make this an easy read, despite it being a short book, but I did like the main character and how he was portrayed and I was interested to see, not only how the story progressed but how it would pan out in the end.

It’s quite a descriptive book, with more ‘things’ happening and thoughts than actual dialogue. It wasn’t what I was expecting from this book but I wasn’t put off by this. It was enjoyable but not in the way I thought it would be based from the synopsis.

[Courtney (Saffy's Book Nook) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good, quick and easy read. I liked the main character a lot and the fact it was set in the 60's was a nice change to what I usually read! I feel like the end was left open to the readers interpretation, which left me pondering a few things. The plot does take a few twists that I wasn't excepting which actually kept me reading.

The synopsis does give alot of the plot away, I wish I went in without reading it because it would have been more intriguing. Also the chapters are longer than I am used to but because it is a short book it wasn't a massive issue.

[Kevin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written noir set in 1963 LA.

There’s a constant undertone of sadness and inevitably to this story as Keegan unreels his tale.

The story kept me guessing all the way to the end, but Buchanan never cheats the reader- you get everything Keegan knows as he shares his story. The world weariness and exhaustion roll off the page and along with the heat wave saturate the book.

I hope that Buchanan has another Keegan book to share with us in the near future.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 40% of this novel could not have been more boring or more predictable. And another example of really stupid people doing very stupid things. And for someone Keegan did not even know. Come on. No one could be that horny. To cover up a murder for gosh sakes. But the second half of the story pulled this one up to a 3 star rating. I had kind guessed what would happen at the end, but was still not totally sure about Eve. So, OK story. And an easy read.

[Stephen Whelan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure this novel was the complete story. The main character falls for femme fatal and helps her avoid an arrest for an accidental murder and the reason is never part of the story. Character winds up be arrested himself and sent to jail--definitely a sequel here but why not complete the story?

[John Bunyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got halfway through. It’s not bad, just very predictable. Then when the inevitable crime happens, I don’t really buy the detective’s actions. I skimmed the rest. I was really more concerned about the dog than the plot or characters. The end leaves some things open but I don’t plan on taking the next book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

1962 Los Angeles in the middle of a heat wave. Marilyn Monroe has just stepped on a rainbow. PI Jim Keegan gets mixed up with the poor little rich girl next door. Cornell Woolrich meets James M. Cain in City of Fallen Angels.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really a novella fleshed out with too much detail about a week of hot weather in Los Angeles. If Buchanan had tightened up the plot it could have been a first rate short story but the padding and endless whining about the heat made the book more boring than exciting.

[Maggie Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The main character is annoyingly stupid--but the book grew on me. Although it's one of those books where the author doesn't quite know how to wrap it up, so he just leaves you hanging.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American mystery published by a small European mystery press. Noir, and then some. It is very well written (as a fan of noir and crime novels, there are some great characters and clever, snappy dialogue) but just bogs down occasionally in too much information, too many details.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are better ways to get your LA noire fix