A Man Named Doll

Reviews

"A stiff shot of timeless Hollywood noir, spiked with black humour and leaving a warm glow as it goes down."—Christopher Brookmyre, author of Quite Ugly One Morning “If Elliott Gould’s Philip Marlowe landed in the middle of Uncut Gems, you’d have something like Jonathan Ames’s A MAN NAMED DOLL, which expertly mines the dark humor, mordant wit and dreamy fatalism of great LA noir. And at its center is a detective with a battered heart and bruised conscience. I’d follow him, and his dog George, anywhere.”
 —Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of DARE ME “A MAN NAMED DOLL is so fun and propulsive I didn’t just read it in one sitting, I read it in what felt like a single breath. Happy Doll is a tremendously likable main character, and the Los Angeles he inhabits is vibrantly alive in every detail. I hope Jonathan Ames has many more adventures planned for the newest P.I. in town.”
 —Lou Berney, author of the New York Times-bestselling NOVEMBER ROAD "A MAN NAMED DOLL infuses the private eye concept with an unpredictable, vibrant energy, while losing none of the genre’s core, noir elements. Ames is a master of blending humor, pathos, and grit - and A MAN NAMED DOLL is no exception. A truly modern L.A. noir that still manages to feel timeless and steeped in the classics that came before.”
 —Alex Segura, Anthony Award-winning author of BLACKOUT “A Man Named Doll is a smart, sharp, and stylish noir for the modern day. In his cinematic tour of Los Angeles that is both gritty and gorgeous, Ames has delivered a novel that is both current and timeless and has introduced a sleuth who fits all the old traditions while creating his own. Crime at its finest!” 
 —Ivy Pochoda, author of These Women and Wonder Valley "A combination of dry wit, a satisfyingly high body count, and a nerve-tingling sense of pace make for a terrific seat-of-the-pants read."—Simon Brett, author of the Charles Paris mysteries “A MAN NAMED DOLL: a singular read about the peril of having a body. Gallows humor in overdrive on Dilaudid, crashing merrily downhill.”
 —Bill Beverly, author of Gold Dagger Award-winning DODGERS "I loved this book - it's quirky, edgy, charming, funny and serious, all in one. Very highly recommended."
 —Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of Blue Moon "While the macabre seriousness of the crimes and the narrator’s good-nature and sardonic humor might seem to be at odds, Ames makes it work through assured plotting, superb local color, and excellent prose. Readers will happily root for Doll, a good detective and a decent human, in this often funny and grisly outing."—Publishers Weekly Expand reviews