Keith Edward Vaughn

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Bad Actor

Ellis Dunaway, P.I., is California sober and hoping his days as a gumshoe are almost done. He's been given a chance to reclaim his dream job as a television writer by scripting a woke Miami Vice reboot for cancelled actor Urs Schreiber. The show could mean a comeback for both of them, until Urs's agent, the notorious chauvinist Larry Price, is killed. It seems to be the work of the Southland Sniper, who's been terrorizing the city, picking off random targets. But when suspicion shifts to Urs, he hires Ellis to clear his name.

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Advanced Praise for

Bad Actor

"Keith Edward Vaughn catches the feel of L.A. — he knows Hollywood's ragged fringes and spins out noir with a satirist's eye. Failed nepo baby PI Ellis Dunaway is the perfectly imperfect man to go down these mean freeways, and Vaughn had me right with him through every last wrong turn."
- Howard Michael Gould, author of LAST LOOKS and other books in the Charlie Waldo series

"★★★★★ Gritty and sharply observed… For readers who like their noir with bite, their comedy tinged with sadness, and their protagonists both frustrating and impossible to abandon. If you're into Michael Connelly but wish Harry Bosch swore more, smoked more weed, and wandered into surreal Hollywood detours, this is your book."
- Literary Titan

"Steely Hollywood noir… Bad Actor is more than a whodunit; it’s a portrait of ambition, exploitation, and survival in a city addicted to performance, and Vaughn leaves readers hoping Ellis’s messy yet magnetic presence will return for another case."
- BookLife

"A fun, charming, quirky mystery featuring an unlikely detective navigating the seedy side of showbiz."
- Kirkus Reviews

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Praise for

The Loneliest Places

"The Loneliest Places isn't just a terrific debut, it's authentic L.A. noir."
- Joseph Schneider, critically acclaimed author of the Detective Tully Jarsdel mysteries

"Crisp, wry, fleet-moving prose... [A] promising series starter."
- BookLife

"A gritty, assured mystery debut, right up to its satisfying final notes."
- Kirkus Reviews

"A smart, sharp, entertaining, and exhilarating debut that tells a darkly humorous noir story about the seedy underbelly of glamorous modern-day Los Angeles."
– IndieReader

"An atmospheric, suspenseful and wistful work of L.A. noir. Recommended for fans of Lisa Gray and Michael Connelly."
– BestThrillers.com

"Similar to the work of James Ellroy... The Loneliest Places is a modern slice of hardboiled noir set in a version of L.A. that is both familiarly terrible and unexpectedly uplifting."
– Independent Book Review

"★★★★ A mesmerizing exploration of one man's journey through the underworld of a city and his own inner demons."
– Literary Titan

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Keith Edward Vaughn is the author of essays, art criticism, and fiction. His debut novel, The Loneliest Places, was published in 2023 by Blondie Street Publishing. His writing has appeared in Carla, Angel City Review, and Levee Magazine. He is a featured author in Faith Wilding's Fearful Symmetries from Intellect Books, Ltd. He lives and works in Chattanooga, TN.

Contact Keith at
keith@keithedwardvaughn.com

Work

Bad Actor

Ellis Dunaway, P.I., is California sober and scripting a woke Miami Vice reboot for cancelled actor Urs Schreiber. When Urs becomes the main suspect in his agent's murder, he hires Ellis to clear his name.

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The Loneliest Places

Years since inheriting his famous father's private investigation agency, Ellis Dunaway is a man out of time. He is also out of money, clients, and control of his drug habit.

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Explorers

Jenn was late, of course, even though meeting for happy hour had been her idea, so I ordered a Patrón margarita—rocks and salt—and read negative movie reviews on my phone while I waited.

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Faux Gilt

Reunited too late with the arm to re-attach it, Vanessa kept it in a desk drawer nevertheless. She had already thrown away the stump of the trophy.

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The Wet Season

Levee Magazine, Issue 3 My feet are propped on the penthouse balcony railing of Star Fish Plaza, a Brutalist condominium tower ringed by palm trees that pin down a flap of Guam's western coast.

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Press

Reader's House Interview

Keith discusses his inspiration, short stories and bringing a painter's precision to the world of noir fiction with Dan Peters.
Readers House

Literary Titan Interview

A Flawed Obsessive
Literary Titan.