SUMMARY:Ellroy's second novel. Although Ellroy's next several novels would feature a contemporary setting, in many ways, this novel more closely resembles his later, 1950s-era pseudo-historical works. "Clandestine" involves a rookie L.A. cop investigating the murder of a woman he spent a single night with. The book contains Ellroy's fictional treatment of his mother's murder, and introduces Dudley Liam Smith, the Irish detective who looms over the L.A. Quartet.
PUBLISHER'S TEASER:"The Slicer! The Slicer! No one is safe from the Slicer!
"Freddy Underhill is an ambitious rookie policeman who patrols Los Angeles looking for glamour and glory. His methods of relaxation are golf and picking up lonely women for one night stands — he excels at both.
"One of his one-night women is found strangled and Underhill sees his chance to grab headlines with a quick arrest. But then the clandestine set-up to catch the killer breaks open a locked door to kinky sex and sleazy secrets — and murder closes in on Underhill's career and his life."
—© Allison & BusbyPOINTS:The novel was first published in paperback by Avon in December 1982. Pictured above is the only hardback edition, published in the U.K. by Allison & Busby LTD. in 1984 (ISBN: 0-85031-570-0). The cover illustration was executed by Peter Rozycki. Page count: 342. Original price: 8.95 pounds. This version of Clandestine is currently Ellroy's most collectible book — some dealers are asking in excess (some far in excess) of $600 for a mint first edition. The U.K. edition of the book was distributed on a limited basis in the United States; most of these copies seem to have ended up in public libraries.
Order:
