Play a Cold Hand

by Terence Faherty

"A wonderful book!" James Reasoner. For lovers of California noir, a new Scott Elliott novel is a major event. Elliott, whose acting career ended with the war, takes on his grimmest case as a private detective in this new novel from multiple-Shamus winner and Edgar nominee Terence Faherty. Paddy Maguire, who played a loose game for decades as head of the Hollywood Security agency, is dead in an alley--after coming out of retirement to follow a case that should have remained buried in a gangster's lurid past. As Elliott sets out to even the score, the shadow of an old murder falls across his screenwriter wife Ella, putting their troubled marriage in further jeopardy. They're both about to learn there is no such thing as a "retired" killer.

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Terence Faherty (1954-) is an American author of mystery novels.

My name is Terence Faherty. I'm a storyteller whose stories most often take the form of mysteries. (A critic once noted, cryptically but correctly, that all my stories are mysteries, even the ones that aren't.) I do see basic storytelling and mystery solving as linked, because in so many stories the protagonist is trying to answer a question or right a wrong. This is why I see the mystery and especially the private eye story as a particularly straightforward form of storytelling: a problem is posed and a hero sets out to resolve it. (At least, it would be straightforward if all clients were forthcoming and truthful.)

I've written two series in book form. The Owen Keane series follows the bumpy life of a failed seminarian turned amateur sleuth (a job title I love). It's been nominated twice for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award and once for the Anthony Award and it's won a Macavity Award from Mystery Readers International. The Scott Elliott series is set in old Hollywood during its decline and fall. Elliott, an operative for a shady security company, tries to slow that decline and fall in his own small way. Elliott has been nominated for three Shamus Awards from the Private Eye Writers of America and taken home two.


* Uncanny: Short story writen by Terence Faherty.

Series:
* Owen Keane Mystery
* Scott Elliott Mystery

Reviews

[La Tonya Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is retro. It goes back to an unsolved murder that was committed in 1952. The day and time is 1971 and Paddy Maguire, a retired private detective from the golden era of Hollywood, is killed for a 1952 murder. His right hand man Scotty Elliott is looking for his killer and finds hidden secerts Paddy never told anyone. He finds the killer. But, the intrigue and past memories makes this a good read.

Quote:

"That's a clue, Dad. The murder shouldn't have happened in the present, so it must have happened in the past. You'll have to remember that to solve it."

"Scotty, if you were that good an actor, you'd still be at Paramount."

She was small and stick thin and dressed for church.

[Russell L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. Clever, Interesting plot. Good read

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: private detective Scott Elliott is back. The head of the Hollywood Security agency is dead in an alley. Elliott sets out to even the score.