Loser's Town

David Spandau #1

by Daniel Depp

David Spandau is an ex-stuntman familiar with the ins and outs of Hollywood. A smart, tough, and cynical observer of la vie L.A., his patience is almost sapped when he's hired to protect actor Bobby Dye from a blackmailing scheme gone wrong. Dye - young, brash and on the verge of stardom - has been set up by gangster and nightclub owner Richie Stella. With dreams of becoming a producer, Stella has a movie offer he won't let Bobby refuse.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Collections

423 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spandau is an ex-stunt man and cowboy (if you can define cowboy as someone who ropes steers coming out of a chute) who is currently working as a P.I. The plot is rather ordinary, but the characters have a certain appeal and the dialog is fun. Spandau is hired to protect an actor, r Bobby Dye, who is being blackmailed by a local thug, Ritchie, who did him a favor by getting a dead body out of his bathroom. Ritchie wants to use Dye in a second-rate movie and Dee wants desperately to get out of doing it fearing it will ruin his career.

Depp (I believe I read somewhere Daniel is Johnny’s brother) has an eye for the Hollywood scene with all its foibles and bizarre fetishes which help to make this book quite entertaining.

For those in Hollywood who might wonder, the author begins with the following:

They are not They.
He, She, or It, is not You.

I listened to this as an audiobook and one Amazon reviewer who read the paper copy remarked how much she thought the dialogue sparkled when read aloud. Certainly Don Leslie, the reader in this case, does a great job with the characters and narration.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a gift for dialog and for creating compelling characters; this I'm sure is due in part to his screenwriting experience. This is a great first crime novel. The only difficulty I had was that some of the most interesting characters and storylines were partially developed but not followed through -- it was frustrating because I was equally as interested in some of the minor characters as I was in the principle characters. This is a wicked, cynical, funny book. Even the bad guys show very human -- and at times sympathetic -- traits. A fun read.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: David Spandau, PI
SERIES: Debut
RATING: 4.0

David Spandau is a private investigator who was at one time a stuntman. Although he never reached the big time, his experience in the movie business comes in handy as he works with Hollywood types. His newest client is a hot young actor named Bobby Dee, who is being blackmailed. Spandau is a bit world weary and not particularly impressed by his employer. Perhaps that is why Bobby trusts him more than the other sycophants who surround him.

The blackmailer is a gangster named Richie Stella, and he has pictures of a dead girl in Bobby Dye's bathroom that would likely remove him from the star scene forever. Stella isn't demanding a large sum of money; instead, he is asking that Bobby star in a movie that he is making, thinking that Dye's presence will guarantee a successful box office. Bobby realizes right away that Stella's movie is a real stinker, one that would surely send his career down the toilet.

LOSER'S TOWN is inhabited by the kinds of characters that you'd expect to see hanging around the fringes of a movie set—washed-up actors, desperate talent agents, hustlers and fame wannabes. I especially liked David Spandau, whose cynicism is laced with humor. At the same time, he is dealing with the dissolution of his marriage, despite the fact that the two of them really seem to belong together. The pacing is good and the dialogue excellent; the only negative for me was the somewhat unsatisfactory resolution.

Depp excels at depicting a world that appears to be all glitter on the outside but is really all grime on the inside. I was surprised to find that LOSER'S TOWN is a debut novel—the writing was quite assured and the book well crafted.

[Maya Panika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastically enjoyable read filled to the foaming brim with pathetic, lonely, evil, hilariously funny, believable people.

Daniel Depp clearly knows his landscape and his characters personally; you can practically smell the smog and the petrol fumes, see the heat-haze rising from the black top. The sleaze and the glamour – and occasionally, the terror - of the movie world is described in such hateful detail, you’re practically living in Bobby Dye’s trailer, being assaulted by his self-loathing and anger.

Spandau’s a fabulous character. I enjoyed his quiet self-confidence and cynicism; he’s the reality check that holds everything together – but Terry owns it, totally. He has all the best dialogue:

“It could be worse. You could’ve let him have his way standing up in the lavatory.” She gave him an angry look since this was exactly what she’d done.
“…I want a drink.”
“You’ll be in mourning for your lost honour, and I wouldn’t presume to intrude upon it,” Terry said to her.

The low-key, downbeat final ending took me by surprise – very not-Hollywood and thoroughly splendid.

I'd really love to know what happened to Potts. His was the one loose end I really cared about.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of what are currently two novels by Depp featuring PI David Spandau. There are a ton of mystery novels in circulation featuring the down and out PI and you could easily make the mistake that this is yet another, but it isn’t. Depp writes a very engaging wry and frequently funny take on life in LA as seen thru the jaded eyes of his PI character Spandau. All you need to know to get interested is contained in the following two quotes:

“I came out to Los Angeles in the 30’s during the Depression, because there was work here. LA is a loser’s town. It always has been. You can make it here when you can’t make it anywhere else”.
Robert Mitchum

“It’s all very well going around thinking you’re a cowboy until you run into somebody who thinks he’s an Indian”.
Kinky Friedman

[Barbara Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good debut. Daniel Depp is the brother of actor Johnny Depp and there are parts of the book where his insider knowledge of Hollywood is very well displayed. His descriptions of the "red carpet" and the exploitation of the actors show great insight.

There are other parts of the book I could have easily done without. It may or may not be accurate to use the F-word in every sentence, but I would have enjoyed the book more without it. In my opinion, that word is a substitute when the author can't think of anything to write.

Even though I enjoyed the plot I would think hard about whether or not to read any more of Mr. Depp's fiction.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this book - hope Depp writes more- although i prefer the main character to have a little less baggage.

[OK Dad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this made me think back to my days working at the Roger Corman studios in Venice, CA. Tough work, but kinda like boot camp. Glad you did it, but glad you don't have to do it over again.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting debut novel and provide a snapshot of what it is like in the movie industry.

[Michael Bertrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh take on the hard-boiled detective genre. The difference between this iteration and every entry that preceded it is that here the bad guy is known from the start. The bad guy we meet in the first chapter isn't as bad as the bad guys we meet later. The plot then degenerates into a contest of "who's the worst" with the ultimate conclusion being "we all are."

All in all, it's a well written book with believable characters interacting in the worst ways possible. I am sorry to say I enjoyed reading it.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I will definitely check out Babylon Nights.

This started out as a somewhat standard private eye novel, but then the author did something very interesting, he shifted the focus from the apparent protagonist Spandau to the "sidekick" Terry. As a result, the novel takes on a very a different tone--it feels more noir and there is more suspense and some genuine surprises.

Overall, the novel works because there are interesting characters, a clear plot and a clear resolution.

[Lisa Brick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not super thrilled with this book. The beginning started out good, but the ending felt rushed and I lost interest really by page 161. I finished it though. Couldn’t stand Bobby. If I were David I would have popped that kid right in the face. I do wonder what happened to Pott’s. That was never mentioned.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insider Hollywood PI is hired to bodyguard a young actor who received a written death threat. David sees pretty clearly the actor wrote it himself and what is needed is help with a blackmail.

David sets up a reverse blackmail and uses an Irish friend who stirs up a bit more trouble than needed.

Dark story with no happy ending.

[Emma Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed certain parts of the story, I found it slightly disjointed. It felt a little like a modern version of a Harold Robbins with the same inability of Hollywood to stay within the lines. The story somewhat made sense, but some of the characters absolutely did not. I will try another one of the authors books, but will not necessarily run out immediately to go and find one.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Spandeau, former stuntman and current Private Investigator, takes on a new client.
Bobby Dye, an up and coming star with unfortunate gangster ties has received a threat letter.
Al sorts of complications occur in this somewhat bleak story about Hollywood.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m uncertain if I should rate this book. While I like thrillers in general, this just wasn’t to my taste. I don’t know if I would have read it based on the description, I admit I only read it because it was written by actor Johnny Depp’s brother.

[Fireflydances · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this guy's characters, story line, sense of humor and wonder. Detective stories that are deep and satisfying. Impatiently waiting for his next book.

[Melenie Reid]

No.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started a bit slow imo, but made up for it with some fleshed out characters and an intriguing plot. Everything tied up nicely and the ending was pretty satisfying

[Kristian Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery

[Bindu · Rating 2 out of 5]

the glitzy world of shinning lights camera and stars... drunk in fame, money, drugs and desperation!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Depp, little brother of movie star Johnny, is a former screen writer and Hollywood insider, who draws upon his knowledge of tinsel town to depict an inner sanctum of stardom that grits the gloss, dramatises the drama and foils the facade.

LOSER’S TOWN is the first in what I hope is a long standing run of Hollywood PI novels featuring former stuntman and general all ‘round hard man David Spandau. Called in from vacation he’s tasked with investigating death threats made to up and coming actor and soon-to-be A-List celebrity Bobby Dye while onset of his latest (and breakout) film.

Spandau is sceptical from the outset, after all death threats are commonplace in the industry – however, when it’s made apparent the threats are delivered direct to Dye, bypassing the beefed up security, Spandau knows there more to this than Dye has him believe.

What follows is a highly addictive romp through the seedy underbelly of stardom, where mobsters, murders and blackmailers all vie for a piece of fame and a slice of that Hollywood dream.

Depp’s style took a little to warm to but once the plot found its rhythm, LOSER’S TOWN was hard to put down. Not only is the core investigation interesting but the ‘bad guys’ really take a life of their own – so much so that Depp could’ve easily made these main characters in their own right. Add to that Spandau and his cohorts and this is really a ‘must-read’ for fans of private eye books and those looking for the rusty and decayed side of all that glitters and is golden.

This review is also on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time author Daniel Depp has come up with a winner.

David Spandau is employed as a private investigator with a side hobby as a rodeo cowboy. David is asked to take a job that involves VBobby Dye, a hot movie star commodity.

Bobby seems to be having a few problems, one of which is a dead girl in his bathroom. She has died of a self induced drug overdose. Bobby asks local gangster, Richie Stella, to make his problem "go away". Richie sends two of his goons, Potts and Squiers, to dispose of the evidence. Needless to say neither Potts nor Squiers is playing with a full deck.

Richie wants to be a big time Hollywood producer and wants Bobby to play the lead in a movie that the script is soooo bad Bobby wants to refuse the part. However, Richie is forcing the issue by blackmailing Bobby - remember the dead girl in the bathroom.

The book is full of the people that inhabit the movie scene in Hollywood. Depp is no stranger to Hollywood and his portrayal of the "City of Angels" is right on. He brings out the "wannabees", washed up actors, and jaded characters that will do anything to make their mark in Hollywood.

The book is fast, funny, and full of action and mystery, with an unusual ending. This book does contain rough language and sexual content.

[mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loser's town is Los Angeles, taken from a quote by Robert Mitchum, one of Hollywood's super-male actors in the mid twentieth century. The novel, by Daniel Depp, related to the early twenty-first century super-male actor, Johnny, is Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in novel form. If you liked that movie, you'll probably like this book. I read it in one day. It's character driven and the characters are rich--good guys, bad guys, regular guys caught up in bad situations ... and girls along for the ride. The protagonist, David Spandau, is modeled after Robert Parker's Spencer. So Depp is not original and the "voice" is confounded. But it's a fun read. I don't know how much it accurately reflects the Movie business. If you want to lose yourself for a day, instead of a couple hours in a theater, this is a book that will do that for you. Will I read more? (Depp appears to be planning to write more Spandau novels) depends on my mood and situation. I doubt I'd seek it out - but might pick it up in the library or airport.

[Ice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rising Hollywood star Bobby Dye is being blackmailed by the reptilian, Mob-connected owner of Hollywood’s hottest nightspot for the rich and beautiful. Private investigator and former movie stuntman David Spandau has little interest in returning to the biz, especially after being insulted by the temperamental star, his pit-bull agent, and an arrogant producer, but he agrees after the star shows signs of humanity.

There’s little mystery to this promising series debut, but it scarcely matters. So Cal, moviemaking, and the quirkiness of the supporting characters provide the appeal. Spandau prefers rodeoing to detecting. He’s engaging, but future books need to flesh him out. Dye careens between spoiled man-child and self-awareness. But the novel sparkles when the focus changes to a diminutive Irish lothario, a single mother who manages the hip nightclub, and a thoughtful but doomed hoodlum who hates L.A. Sadly, none of the three gets enough screen time. L.A. and the movies have long been fertile ground for crime fiction.

[Larry H]

Terrific book. Hope it's the start of a long series, as both Daniel Depp and his main character, David Spandau, show tremendous promise. (I'll admit that one of the things that attracted me to this book is the fact that the protagonist shares a last name with one of my favorite 80s guilty-pleasure bands, Spandau Ballet. And there it is.)



David Spandau is a former Hollywood stuntman and sometime private investigator hired to protect and investigate threats being made against rising star Bobby Dye. In a town where nothing and no one is what it seems to be, Bobby's case keeps unfolding in various directions. And all the while Spandau is struggling to make sense of his own future. What I liked about this book is that Depp even fleshed out the characters who ordinarily would be two-dimensional, so I wondered more about them as I was disliking their actions. Ultimately not particularly uplifting, but a great read.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depp's first novel, much like the people who populate the real Hollywood where this novel is set, contains plenty of plastic characters, two-dimensional scenery and debauched excess, yet it shows promise.

Depp writes at a crisp pace with a good flow that makes one want to continue reading, and most of the chapters are 6-10 pages long or at least divided into easily digestible morsels.

I don't necessarily have a feel for what David Spandau looks like, but Depp does a great job establishing more important character traits.

The biggest problem I had with this book was it took too long to find it's track, then ended too abruptly once there. Also, some episodes felt like they were there needlessly (Potts and his girlfriend) while others needed to be paid more attention (Richie Stella overall).

Still, if you find this novel floating around at a used store or library sale, it's defnitely worth a read.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look at Hollywood from an insider's point of view

Daniel Depp knows his way around Hollywood - he is a screenwriter and his brother is famed actor Johnny Depp (a fact I did not know until after I read the book). Loser's Town features David Spandau, a former stuntman turned private detective. Spandau is jaded and definitely not impressed with the Hollywood movie scene.

Spandau is called back from vacation to take a case involving Bobby Dye, an up and coming new star on the verge of making it to the pinnacle of the Hollywood scene. But, he's receiving death threats and, more importantly, is being blackmailed. Spandau has to deal with greedy agents, flighty actors and an on again / off again relationship with his client throughout as he tracks clues through the ugly underbelly of the Hollywood scene.

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Hobart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um, ugh. This is a really well-written, occasionally clever, disappointment.

See here's the thing...in a detective novel, the protagonist, or if you will, the detective, should detect things. Spandau did nada. His violent associate (not really a Hawk, Joe Pike or Bubba Rogowski, but close enough) investigated; his boss did; his boss' secretary did. Spandau? He sat around and mooned over his ex-wife, bullied his client, bullied his associate, bullied the bad guy, was a jerk to just about everyone. And then sorta cleaned up the mess at the end. But even in that, he was pretty passive.

Blech.

A passive hero -- no matter how nice of a guy, how thoughtful, whatever -- is not something you want to read.

[Deni Cary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loser's Town is probably somebody's cup of tea, just not mine. But I read it on the advice of Donald Maass, who called it riveting, and I'll have to agree that the writing is pretty darn good. A page-turner. David Spandau is an engaging sympathetic character. The story is a bit loosely woven toward the end and I would appreciate a little more Spandau in certain parts. I'm not sure if the mayhem was a bit gratuitous at the end, but I bet that's how it goes in this kind of book.

Would I recommend it? If you like crime and PI stories, yes. If you are a writer looking at books for how they are written, yes. If you are neither, I'd recommend something else.