Natural Causes

Valin is a terrific writer. His prose is poetic, but tough and lean as Hammett's and Chandler's. Harry Stoner, his tough-guy detective, is smart, uncompromising, relentless, and ever-watchful. Even though he has to go to L.A. to pursue the dubious death of a soap-opera writer, he is hardly dazzled by the glitz-dope-and-egos of those around him. Instead, he pursues the dark underbelly of L.A. and T.V. to a horrifying, near tragic conclusion. The scenes in L.A. are harsh and unsparing; the scenes in the desert are gorgeous and shocking. Fine characters, wonderful writing, a dark and scary plot.

This is one of the lighter toned books in the Harry Stoner detective series as Harry leaves his native Ciccinnati and goes to Los Angeles to investigate the murder of a soap opera writer. The Hollywood types Stoner matches wits with here just are not as menacing as the street toughs he usually tackles in Cincinnati. Nevertheless, as with all Stoner books, you get a first rate detective story in the bargain.