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Rainbow Drive
After five people are murdered in Laurel Canyon, and his partner, Dan, is also killed, Mike Gallagher, acting head of homicide, Hollywood Division, discovers that someone very close to him may be involved
- GenresMystery
Hardcover
First published October 1, 1986
7 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Roderick Thorp
28 books71 followersRoderick Mayne Thorp, Jr. was an American novelist specializing mainly in crime novels.
As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father. He would later teach literature and lecture on creative writing at schools and universities in New Jersey and California, and also wrote articles for newspapers and magazines.
Two of his best known novels were adapted into popular films: his 1966 novel The Detective was made into a 1968 film of the same name, starring Frank Sinatra as Detective Joe Leland, and his 1979 sequel to The Detective, Nothing Lasts Forever, was filmed in 1988 as Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Though Die Hard was relatively faithful to Nothing Lasts Forever, it was not made as a sequel to the film version of The Detective. Two other Thorp novels, Rainbow Drive and Devlin, were adapted into TV movies.
Thorp died of a heart attack in Oxnard, California.
As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father. He would later teach literature and lecture on creative writing at schools and universities in New Jersey and California, and also wrote articles for newspapers and magazines.
Two of his best known novels were adapted into popular films: his 1966 novel The Detective was made into a 1968 film of the same name, starring Frank Sinatra as Detective Joe Leland, and his 1979 sequel to The Detective, Nothing Lasts Forever, was filmed in 1988 as Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Though Die Hard was relatively faithful to Nothing Lasts Forever, it was not made as a sequel to the film version of The Detective. Two other Thorp novels, Rainbow Drive and Devlin, were adapted into TV movies.
Thorp died of a heart attack in Oxnard, California.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 1, 2014
-Mismo perro con diferente collar.-
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. Nuestro protagonista, Mike Gallagher, al frente de una brigada de homicidios en Hollywood, tiene la mala suerte de que el dormitorio de su amante está al lado del escenario crimen, porque tener relaciones con una mujer casada es potencialmente negativo para su trabajo según el reglamento. Al intentar salir de la casa sin llamar mucho la atención es testigo de un gran despliegue policial.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela.
Lo que nos cuenta. Nuestro protagonista, Mike Gallagher, al frente de una brigada de homicidios en Hollywood, tiene la mala suerte de que el dormitorio de su amante está al lado del escenario crimen, porque tener relaciones con una mujer casada es potencialmente negativo para su trabajo según el reglamento. Al intentar salir de la casa sin llamar mucho la atención es testigo de un gran despliegue policial.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
May 12, 2014
While making love in the predawn darkness, Hollywood homicide detective Mike Gallagher hears several people running past and shortly, frightened cries from the house across the street. His gut reaction is to investigate, but his lover assures him she hears strange sounds coming from that house all the time. His second reaction is that, with only only two years to retirement, the last thing he needs is for his bureaucratic bosses to discover he’s been sleeping with a married woman. Mike chooses discretion over duty and the sudden, curious, arrival of a police helicopter forces him to sneak away. In short order he learns five people had died in that home on Rainbow Drive.
At first glance the murders appear to be retribution for a theft by a group of drug dealers/abusers, but the reactions of his higher ups, and the fact that the Hollywood homicide division has been pointedly excluded from the investigation, leads Mike to think there may be powerful players involved, perhaps even the Feds.
What follows is the best detective mystery I’ve ever read.
The writing is tight and the characterizations detailed. While some of the characters fit stereotype, Mike and other key players display a panorama of raw emotion, a surprising depth of critical thinking and all too human reactions as the depth and breadth of the case unfold.
It is a convoluted story that takes off in unexpected directions, where everyone has secrets and Mike has no one he can trust, let alone those closest to him.
Thorp provides just enough supporting details to give the reader a strong assurance he knows what he’s writing about without getting buried in the inconsequential. The editing is professional and clean, and the story flows smoothly from one page to the next, making it not only one of the best who-done-its, but a truly enjoyable read.
I’m an avid reader and as soon as a finish a book I turn to the next, but that didn’t happen here. It has taken me a few days to digest this novel, allowing me to savor this story as no other. Once the true horrific nature of this tale unfolded I found it impossible to just dive into another.
At first glance the murders appear to be retribution for a theft by a group of drug dealers/abusers, but the reactions of his higher ups, and the fact that the Hollywood homicide division has been pointedly excluded from the investigation, leads Mike to think there may be powerful players involved, perhaps even the Feds.
What follows is the best detective mystery I’ve ever read.
The writing is tight and the characterizations detailed. While some of the characters fit stereotype, Mike and other key players display a panorama of raw emotion, a surprising depth of critical thinking and all too human reactions as the depth and breadth of the case unfold.
It is a convoluted story that takes off in unexpected directions, where everyone has secrets and Mike has no one he can trust, let alone those closest to him.
Thorp provides just enough supporting details to give the reader a strong assurance he knows what he’s writing about without getting buried in the inconsequential. The editing is professional and clean, and the story flows smoothly from one page to the next, making it not only one of the best who-done-its, but a truly enjoyable read.
I’m an avid reader and as soon as a finish a book I turn to the next, but that didn’t happen here. It has taken me a few days to digest this novel, allowing me to savor this story as no other. Once the true horrific nature of this tale unfolded I found it impossible to just dive into another.
March 29, 2020
This book is deeper and denser than anything Michael Connelly has ever written, probably the reason why Connelly has written three times the number of books.
"Nothing Lasts Forever" was the basis for the Die Hard series while the Harry Bosch books have been adapted to "Bosch."
Spoiler alert: I fall asleep when I try to watch "Bosch."
"Nothing Lasts Forever" was the basis for the Die Hard series while the Harry Bosch books have been adapted to "Bosch."
Spoiler alert: I fall asleep when I try to watch "Bosch."
October 16, 2021
This book was a waste of time…rambled, repeated itself..the main character would do something, then think about it ( repeatedly), and then there would be a paragraph of philosophy, then a description of the area and it’s history…about 3/4 of the verbiage could have been left out without messing up the plot.
April 18, 2021
I like this genre. This book took a while to get the story rolling and as each piece of information was revealed the whole story was repeated again.
Once it did get moving it was a decent read, and the ending was open ended, meaning a sequel could be possible.
Once it did get moving it was a decent read, and the ending was open ended, meaning a sequel could be possible.
January 22, 2018
Could not finish
Could not get into the book. The storyline didn't make sense. It was too disjointed. Not my cup of tea.
Could not get into the book. The storyline didn't make sense. It was too disjointed. Not my cup of tea.
January 13, 2023
Hoping it’s just being stressed and in a book rut. I have like d other books by this author. This one just felt like a chore. I’ll try again later some day
couldn-t-finish-but-tried
November 9, 2023Just got too bogged down and hard to follow. Only tried it because of die hard based book which was good. going to try one more of his, The Detective, and see what happens
January 15, 2024
Started it, then stopped when the protagonist said that he was tired of being a cop in the beginning. Garbage novel. Got a refund.
October 22, 2011
Another excellent Police Procedural Novel by the author of, THE DETECTIVE. This is a very long, and multifaceted novel which involves dozens of interconnected characters. However, at the conclusion, the basic theme, and reasons for the plot are clearly understandable. Mike Gallagher is acting head of Homicide, Hollywood Division, and he was present near a particularly grisly multi-murder one morning in the Hollywood Hills. Although he is not officially on the case, and has been told to ignore it, he becomes involved in the investigation, and soon discovers that a massive cover-up is in play. As events play out over several hundred pages, we see that old California money and influence is at the center of the case. Also, a massive drug operation, a lucrative land development deal, and an international white slavery ring, all create 'layers within layers' in this exhaustive mystery.
October 8, 2009
Great book, an exciting cop-thriller! Thorpe has an ear for "coptalk" and really knows how to tell a story and ratchet up the suspense. This is the author of a book titled "Nothing Lasts Forever" which was made into a blockbuster movie many years ago titled "Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis and Bonnie Bedelia.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews