Fixed! I'm afraid I don't have a copyeditor on staff -- except for all of you, of course -- and this applies to the guest posts as well. I appreciate the heads-up.
Even if Pebble Beach was going on and you said "I have tickets to THE QUAIL, A MOTORSPORTS GATHERING!! I'll wear kakis and a straw hat. You can dress like a British Royal. We can make sport of the Lumpen".
Thank you, my experience of LA and the business is limited but in many ways I found it to be just like it is in the movies, that is if you only watch film noir
I'm not doing emails for the guest posts because I've had a couple of "unsubs" due to being emailed stuff that "isn't in line with the rest of the site." So I was going to link it in the Sunday Open Thread, the way I linked Robert Farago's post in the previous open thread.
Only 52% of homicides are "cleared by an arrest" let alone result in a conviction, of which many are plead down to "unlawful discharge of a firearm by a Baruth" or some other bullshit charge. I think our fictional detective will be ok.
I'm going to assume that our PI here has more than a working knowledge of police procedure and uses that knowledge in this case to avoid suspicion and subsequent arrest. I'm glad to read noire stuff, but since Bill is from Michigan it's hard to get his accent right in my head. I always end up hearing Humphrey Bogart, or Luther Gullis from the old Magnum PI series.
"Can't you leave the Kennedy's alone!!??? Haven't they suffered enough!!!!!?????"
I've lived in Mass. my whole life and for my whole life people make excuses for them.
If this was a full length novel and you were shopping it around, mentioning the Kennedy name would probably mean you wouldn't get a meeting.
I'm pretty sure Heaven's Gate made it to HBO back in the day. It was "Get to the fricken point already!!!!"
I watched it. Any random scene was fine. All together? Not so much. Originally was supposed to be 310 minutes and was pared down to 219 according to Wiki. All I remember is my impressions of the movie. Can't remember much of the movie.
Floating face up against the glass, good enough for me. It's funny how your mind fills in gaps. Most of the bodies I recovered never got their seatbelts off.
The driver closed the door behind him after escaping?
For the screen play I will make sure drivers window down 😉. Idea for story started with the image of the Porsche at the bottom of a frozen pool, then I had to work backwards to how it got there.
Sitting on the stand next to my chair in the living room as I read this is a 1942 edition of The Complete Dashiell Hammett as well as a large paperback containing all of the Continental Op short stories. Also at hand is the Jan issue of Octane magazine containing a feature on a 1961 300G in Mardi Gras Red formerly owned by pin up queen Betty Brosmer. Your story is a perfect fit. Eager to read the next.
I would love to visit LA. Post war mid century LA. As the man said the past is indeed a different country.
This is good writing. I think there is a mistaken in the last paragraph suddenly going to first person with 'my'.
Was totally worth my time. Thank you.
That's on me as the editor -- it's fixed now! Thank you
coroner =/= corner, while we're running down Pedantic Drive
Fixed! I'm afraid I don't have a copyeditor on staff -- except for all of you, of course -- and this applies to the guest posts as well. I appreciate the heads-up.
The Turbo lost control at Coroner's Corner
Love it. The ending reminds me of Walken in King of New York "Hey you."
That's a great flick.
he shot matt farah in the face
neat
Not to make fun of our good friend Matt, but there's no circumstance in the world where he's keeping company with a Los Angeles 9.5 future starlet.
you mean a lambo wont get me the finest women
i have a strongly worded letter to write and then send through google translate and then send to the pr department of lamborghini
Driving a new Lambo to the right club, while dressed and acting like someone who is a player on 2024, might get you somewhere.
Driving a Countach to meet women is only a slightly better strategy than driving a Duesenberg SJ.
in that case ill take the sj
that might be one of the few cars i could drive that would impress my father as he worked on a few of them
Or a Grand Prix SJ
Honestly, I think that would work better. It would have "rizz" as the kids say, as opposed to giving off Boomer Collecta vibes.
Even if Pebble Beach was going on and you said "I have tickets to THE QUAIL, A MOTORSPORTS GATHERING!! I'll wear kakis and a straw hat. You can dress like a British Royal. We can make sport of the Lumpen".
Superb work. Five stars.
People underestimate how evil of a place LA is. Great to read the writing of someone who knows the score. April, hope you write more.
Thank you, my experience of LA and the business is limited but in many ways I found it to be just like it is in the movies, that is if you only watch film noir
Article idea: ten best/worst film noir.
Awesome to see it here! Great read.
Wonderful. Great period piece with lots of little details that most writers would have missed or botched.
Jack, I'm going to keep harping on this: are you still not sending out emails notifications for guests posts? This deserves more eyeballs.
I'm not doing emails for the guest posts because I've had a couple of "unsubs" due to being emailed stuff that "isn't in line with the rest of the site." So I was going to link it in the Sunday Open Thread, the way I linked Robert Farago's post in the previous open thread.
Someone saw a Seville and went nuts? JK, I know the slumlord never subscribed, ha.
Don't get me wrong, I'll take his money, same as his son does now!
I picture them interacting like Junior and Buford T. Justice.
I almost spit out my coffee.
"There is no way, NO WAY that you could come from my loins."
Daddy the roof came off.
No shit!
Seriously? Jesus, there's just no pleasing some people. God forbid somebody has to delete an extra email amongst all their other marketing spam.
is this written by the same person who does those mileposts on bringatrailer?
Enjoyed this, despite the near certainty that he'll be caught.
Only 52% of homicides are "cleared by an arrest" let alone result in a conviction, of which many are plead down to "unlawful discharge of a firearm by a Baruth" or some other bullshit charge. I think our fictional detective will be ok.
I wanted to leave his fate up to the reader to imagine. There is a sequel in production.
I'm going to assume that our PI here has more than a working knowledge of police procedure and uses that knowledge in this case to avoid suspicion and subsequent arrest. I'm glad to read noire stuff, but since Bill is from Michigan it's hard to get his accent right in my head. I always end up hearing Humphrey Bogart, or Luther Gullis from the old Magnum PI series.
Working on sequel but don’t want to give anything away
Excellent!
Look forward to reading it!
That blacked-out Eldo on a surveillance camera will put this one in the easiest 10% of those 52%.
Not that many cams in the 70’s…
"Can't you leave the Kennedy's alone!!??? Haven't they suffered enough!!!!!?????"
I've lived in Mass. my whole life and for my whole life people make excuses for them.
If this was a full length novel and you were shopping it around, mentioning the Kennedy name would probably mean you wouldn't get a meeting.
I'm pretty sure Heaven's Gate made it to HBO back in the day. It was "Get to the fricken point already!!!!"
I watched it. Any random scene was fine. All together? Not so much. Originally was supposed to be 310 minutes and was pared down to 219 according to Wiki. All I remember is my impressions of the movie. Can't remember much of the movie.
My favorite bit about the Kennedy's. RIP Raplhie May.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEruqk3uXaM
/sperg on
Could one even get a line of sight into a Countach short of the driver opening the door and leaning forward?
/sperg off
Are you insinuating that Bill couldn't have shot him from the driver's side of his car? The plot thickens...
I am trying to work out how the girl got into a position in the car that it was assumed by Bill that she was the driver.
No seatbelts worn, car full of water…but good point
Floating face up against the glass, good enough for me. It's funny how your mind fills in gaps. Most of the bodies I recovered never got their seatbelts off.
The driver closed the door behind him after escaping?
(Non of this changes my enjoyment of the story)
For the screen play I will make sure drivers window down 😉. Idea for story started with the image of the Porsche at the bottom of a frozen pool, then I had to work backwards to how it got there.
I love it, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, then thought through my experiences with bodies trapped in cars. Too much explanation ruins things.
I look forward to the screen adaptation. I am having trouble picturing Bill as other than Eddie Valiant.
/sperg off is as fictional as this story (not a criticism of this story)
Great story sell it to the Bosch TV series. He could be the Eldo guy
Nice and well crafted .
Kudos to Jack who had a link in his post, I'm now subscribed to April .
Yes, Los Angeles has it's seedy parts and stories, all made worse by Hollywood, I still love it here .
More please .
-Nate
Great cast of cars and automobiles, good writing
I just googled Penske RS
Enjoyed this, great job portraying LA’s mystique coupled with its dark underbelly.
Sitting on the stand next to my chair in the living room as I read this is a 1942 edition of The Complete Dashiell Hammett as well as a large paperback containing all of the Continental Op short stories. Also at hand is the Jan issue of Octane magazine containing a feature on a 1961 300G in Mardi Gras Red formerly owned by pin up queen Betty Brosmer. Your story is a perfect fit. Eager to read the next.
I would love to visit LA. Post war mid century LA. As the man said the past is indeed a different country.
Well done April! Please keep writing.
ah, the "403" should be the "405" in LA