To save his business, Los Angeles private investigator Ellis Dunaway searches for a missing smuggler who works for a vicious cartel. When Ellis learns his father was also investigating the cartel before his mysterious death, the case leads him to confront the secrets of his unresolved past.
"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
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
Keith discusses his inspiration, short stories and bringing a painter's precision to the world of noir fiction with Dan Peters at Readers House.
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.
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.
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.
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.
