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Back Door to L.A.
Eddie Miles is a Chicago cabdriver who spends most of his waking hours behind the wheel of his night-shift taxi. His only friends are a small circle of fellow cabbies. He lost his wife to divorce years ago. She then moved west out to Southern California, taking their nine-year-old daughter Laura along for the ride.
When Laura shows up unexpectedly one winter day, Eddie thinks it’s the answer to his prayers. She’s no longer a little girl. She’s 18 and to Eddie she’s smart, funny, and beautiful. But she won’t talk about why she suddenly decided to come home to Chicago.
Eddie’s afraid to push for answers. He’s afraid the bubble will pop and one day it does. Eddie is soon on his way to California, in search of answers to his many unasked questions.
This is a follow up to “Nobody’s Angel,” which was published by Hard Case Crime in 2010. The Washington Post called that book “A gem,” and “just about perfect.” Bookreporter said: "'Nobody's Angel'" is a powerhouse of a book, a genuine work of noir and one of the best books of the year."
When Laura shows up unexpectedly one winter day, Eddie thinks it’s the answer to his prayers. She’s no longer a little girl. She’s 18 and to Eddie she’s smart, funny, and beautiful. But she won’t talk about why she suddenly decided to come home to Chicago.
Eddie’s afraid to push for answers. He’s afraid the bubble will pop and one day it does. Eddie is soon on his way to California, in search of answers to his many unasked questions.
This is a follow up to “Nobody’s Angel,” which was published by Hard Case Crime in 2010. The Washington Post called that book “A gem,” and “just about perfect.” Bookreporter said: "'Nobody's Angel'" is a powerhouse of a book, a genuine work of noir and one of the best books of the year."
- GenresNoir
244 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 11, 2016
I received a free advanced copy of this from the author. I also broke one of my own reviewing rules in doing so because if you’ve ever sent me a message or a friend request asking me to read your self-published book then you probably can’t actually see this right now because I’ve already blocked you. (Hey, I warned you. Try reading someone’s profile before you spam them next time.) However, I really liked Jack Clark’s Nobody's Angel so this wasn’t uncharted waters, and it turned out to be one of those times where I don’t regret making an exception.
Eddie Miles is a Chicago cab driver with an 18 year old daughter, Laura, he hasn’t seen in years after he gave up any custody rights during the divorce with her mother, and they moved to California. When Laura shows up unexpectedly Eddie is so delighted that he brushes off hints that she might be in some kind of trouble. Suddenly Laura vanishes in a very troubling way, and Eddie fears that her step-father, a shady ex-cop from LA, might have been involved. When the Chicago police don’t think there’s enough evidence to warrant an investigation Eddie starts hunting for Laura which means talking to his ex-wife and dealing with their unresolved issues.
This is technically a sequel to Nobody’s Angel although you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this, and like that one it’s kind of hard to pin down the appeal of the book. This has elements of a thriller with a missing daughter, but Eddie Miles doesn’t have the very particular set of skills of someone like Liam Neeson in Taken so this isn’t a revenge driven action novel. Eddie’s also not a good detective because he has to hire a private investigator to find information and give him advice so this isn’t really a traditional mystery either.
To be frank, Eddie is a loser. He’s a guy who lost his wife and kid to self-pity and booze, and then he was content to spend almost every waking moment behind the wheel of a cab. He lives in a dump even though he’s made a small fortune by working constantly, and he has no other interests or hobbies and seems to spend most of his time brooding about how the steady decline of the working class has transformed Chicago into a city of only the rich and desperately poor. Eddie is also so willfully oblivious to modern technology that he doesn’t have a computer and tries to do things like rent a car or book a flight over the phone rather than on-line.
But losers make for great noir characters, and that’s what Eddie is. He’s a guy built for earlier times when he could have gone to work with a lunch pail and thermos, and while he’s not stupid, just kind of simple and blunt, he’s cursed with enough self-awareness to realize that he’s bumping his head against his own limitations. That’s what makes him quietly tragic, and it makes the story of him trying to save the one thing in his life he created pretty compelling.
Clark, a cab driver himself, also fills both books about the job, and the interactions with passengers provide the opportunity to develop Eddie’s world view which, of course, is seen through a windshield. One minor thing had me scratching my head because although the book is filled with details about being a cab driver in Chicago there is never once a mention of how Uber or other ride-sharing services which seems odd considering how much of Eddie’s thoughts are about comparing the way things used to be against the world today.*
* Update - I heard from the author about this point, and he explained that he'd actually written this book a few years back before Uber became a thing which explains why it's never addressed.
This is a solid shot of noir told in a tight 250 pages that I liked so much that I’ve got an urge to track down more of Jack Clark’s work as well as re-read Nobody’s Angel.
Eddie Miles is a Chicago cab driver with an 18 year old daughter, Laura, he hasn’t seen in years after he gave up any custody rights during the divorce with her mother, and they moved to California. When Laura shows up unexpectedly Eddie is so delighted that he brushes off hints that she might be in some kind of trouble. Suddenly Laura vanishes in a very troubling way, and Eddie fears that her step-father, a shady ex-cop from LA, might have been involved. When the Chicago police don’t think there’s enough evidence to warrant an investigation Eddie starts hunting for Laura which means talking to his ex-wife and dealing with their unresolved issues.
This is technically a sequel to Nobody’s Angel although you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this, and like that one it’s kind of hard to pin down the appeal of the book. This has elements of a thriller with a missing daughter, but Eddie Miles doesn’t have the very particular set of skills of someone like Liam Neeson in Taken so this isn’t a revenge driven action novel. Eddie’s also not a good detective because he has to hire a private investigator to find information and give him advice so this isn’t really a traditional mystery either.
To be frank, Eddie is a loser. He’s a guy who lost his wife and kid to self-pity and booze, and then he was content to spend almost every waking moment behind the wheel of a cab. He lives in a dump even though he’s made a small fortune by working constantly, and he has no other interests or hobbies and seems to spend most of his time brooding about how the steady decline of the working class has transformed Chicago into a city of only the rich and desperately poor. Eddie is also so willfully oblivious to modern technology that he doesn’t have a computer and tries to do things like rent a car or book a flight over the phone rather than on-line.
But losers make for great noir characters, and that’s what Eddie is. He’s a guy built for earlier times when he could have gone to work with a lunch pail and thermos, and while he’s not stupid, just kind of simple and blunt, he’s cursed with enough self-awareness to realize that he’s bumping his head against his own limitations. That’s what makes him quietly tragic, and it makes the story of him trying to save the one thing in his life he created pretty compelling.
Clark, a cab driver himself, also fills both books about the job, and the interactions with passengers provide the opportunity to develop Eddie’s world view which, of course, is seen through a windshield. One minor thing had me scratching my head because although the book is filled with details about being a cab driver in Chicago there is never once a mention of how Uber or other ride-sharing services which seems odd considering how much of Eddie’s thoughts are about comparing the way things used to be against the world today.*
* Update - I heard from the author about this point, and he explained that he'd actually written this book a few years back before Uber became a thing which explains why it's never addressed.
This is a solid shot of noir told in a tight 250 pages that I liked so much that I’ve got an urge to track down more of Jack Clark’s work as well as re-read Nobody’s Angel.
July 15, 2016
Eddie Miles is thinking about giving up the cab driver life when his long lost daughter re-enters his life, only to disappear as quickly as she arrived. Who took her and why? That's what Eddie means to find out, forcing him to work with his worst enemy, his ex-wife!
Jack Clark is a Chicago cab driver and the author of Nobody's Angel. When he emailed me asking if I'd like to read it, I jumped at the chance.
Eddie Miles over 50 and wondering what the hell he's doing still driving a cab when his daughter shows up in Chicago looking to reconnect. Too bad she's on the run from something and quickly disappears. Much like Nobody's Angel, Eddie being a cab driver adds a lot to the atmosphere of the story, at atmosphere of loneliness and regret.
I really like the way Jack has Eddie go about trying to find his daughter. He flounders quite a bit, not surprising since he's a cabbie and not a gumshoe. His volatile relationship with his ex is one of the driving forces of the novel.
Dan Payne was a pretty easy villain to hate, what with being a dirty former cop and runner of a porn ring. About the only thing I can complain about was the ending. Most of it happened off screen and Eddie was just caught in the aftermath. Actually, Eddie's wife may have been a touch unbelievable in her extreme bitchiness. Call a guy back when his daughter is missing, damn it! I did like the ambiguity the ending left, though.
Back Door to L.A. really got my meter running. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Jack Clark is a Chicago cab driver and the author of Nobody's Angel. When he emailed me asking if I'd like to read it, I jumped at the chance.
Eddie Miles over 50 and wondering what the hell he's doing still driving a cab when his daughter shows up in Chicago looking to reconnect. Too bad she's on the run from something and quickly disappears. Much like Nobody's Angel, Eddie being a cab driver adds a lot to the atmosphere of the story, at atmosphere of loneliness and regret.
I really like the way Jack has Eddie go about trying to find his daughter. He flounders quite a bit, not surprising since he's a cabbie and not a gumshoe. His volatile relationship with his ex is one of the driving forces of the novel.
Dan Payne was a pretty easy villain to hate, what with being a dirty former cop and runner of a porn ring. About the only thing I can complain about was the ending. Most of it happened off screen and Eddie was just caught in the aftermath. Actually, Eddie's wife may have been a touch unbelievable in her extreme bitchiness. Call a guy back when his daughter is missing, damn it! I did like the ambiguity the ending left, though.
Back Door to L.A. really got my meter running. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
Eddie spends his life driving cabs in Chicago, leading a very average life. He has an 18 year old daughter Laura, that he has not seen for years as he gave up custody to his ex wife when Laura was young. Eddie had a drinking problem and was not the most engaged of fathers. One day while he is at work her receives a message from one of the other cab drivers that his daughter has arrived in town by bus with just a backpack. Eddie is overwhelmed and can't wait to see her and spend time getting to know her. This journey begins well but then Laura disappears and Eddie is devastated. He is now on a quest to find her. This was just an ok read to me, I did not feel very connected to the characters or the story and when this happens to me I do tend to lose interest. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2025
The pages where he reminisces while driving his cab are truly a thing of beauty.
March 15, 2025
Short, compact mystery. Good story but the ending was too ambiguous for my tastes.
August 17, 2016
If you live in Chicago you might love this book for its detailed descriptions showing the changes the city went through.
Eddie is not a hero. But that makes him N-O-R-M-A-L (as his daughter puts it) and as a reader you can easily relate to his struggle when he's suddenly confronted with his daughter being kidnapped. He's determined to find her.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Eddie is not a hero. But that makes him N-O-R-M-A-L (as his daughter puts it) and as a reader you can easily relate to his struggle when he's suddenly confronted with his daughter being kidnapped. He's determined to find her.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews