Ross Macdonald. Find a Victim (1954)

    Ross Macdonald. Find a Victim (1954) One of the earliest Lew Archers, published before Macdonald had made his reputation, which may account for the impression that this book was edited down to fit a smaller format (160pp). The story feels cramped, as if Macdonald didn’t have enough space to develop the characters as he wished. Archer finds a dying man by the roadside, and eventually discovers the man’s murderer. Puzzle is creaky, and solution weak; but an interesting read nevertheless, as it displays all the features that Macdonald develops so well later on. ** (2004)