99 Miles from L.A.

by P. David Ebersole

Frank, a frustrated singer-turned-music professor finds himself entangled in a love affair with Shelley, a highly-educated, unhappily married woman.
Jonesing to quit his teaching gig, Frank jumps at the chance to implement his new girlfriend's scheme to steal the skimmed-cash treasure from her marijuana business tycoon husband. Feeling they need a third, she introduces him to Ramon, her go-to bartender, armed with a nomadic upbringing and a gun from behind the register, who likewise is all in. But Shelley's well-thought-out heist gets more complicated when the two men find themselves impossibly drawn to one another.
Hiding out in Palm Springs—99 miles from L.A.—Frank and Ramon team up in more ways than one, breaking promises not to reunite before Shelley can escape the watchful eye of her husband's colleagues after the brutal crime succeeds. With a trunk full of money and the aphrodisiac of lawlessness urging them on, was lust morphing towards love? Or was there a deeper plan in place between these three desperate partners, each of them scratching at their last chance for freedom from a failing American dream?

194 pages, Paperback

Published May 22, 2022

Reviews

[Mrs. Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sharp (neither in the sense of edgy nor the sense of smart) enough to answer the question of what P David Ebersole’s 99 Miles from L.A. is “about.” There is an ad hoc group of three characters, none honest, all promiscuous, and two (at least) with significantly-fragmented personalities, trying to get/keep hold of somebody else’s ill-gotten (and very oddly secured) cash. During the period prior to and immediately after the theft they engage in a series of kaleidoscopic (colorful, ever-changing, unpredictable) sexual pairings, with one or both of the participants later musing about the im/possible permanence of the pairing de jour. All the characters are so unlike me that nothing any does is either relatable* or improbable. I would not recommend the book to anyone older than half my age unless s/he was way hipper than I.

*except for the one who loves pitbulls

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book randomly and I'm glad I did. I was a good read and Ebersole wrote a tight noir thriller. I wasn't crazy about the ending (no spoilers), but I enjoyed the story. I do have to say that the chapters that were told from Shelley's POV were the weakest, but they were needed to move the story along. Ramon's and Babe/Frank's chapters were much more interesting to me (as was their relationship). I'd definitely read another book by Ebersole.

[willowdog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a mystery of deceit, love, and murder. Ebersole story of a love triangle keeps you guessing throughout. Good fast read.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting part of the book was the writing style

[Kormak · Rating 3 out of 5]

More akin to a novella than a full-fledged book, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The characters' sexuality adds an extra layer of complications to the intrigue, but it was just not that interesting. The author telegraphed the twist from the very beginning, and there were no additional surprises at the end to sweep the rug from under the reader's feet.

A pleasant, quick read, but nothing that stands out. I won't remember it in a few months.