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Last Looks Hardcover – August 14, 2018

by Howard Michael Gould (Author)

320

Book 1 of 3: Charlie Waldo

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A razor-sharp, exquisitely paced, madly fun debut thriller that gleefully lampoons Hollywood culture and introduces the highly eccentric yet brilliant ex-detective gone rogue: Charlie Waldo.

There are run-of-the-mill eccentric Californians, and then there's former detective Charlie Waldo.

Waldo, a onetime LAPD superstar, now lives in solitude deep in the woods, pathologically committed to owning no more than one hundred possessions. He has left behind his career and his girlfriend, Lorena, to pay self-imposed penance for an awful misstep on an old murder case. But the old ghosts are about to come roaring back.

There are plenty of difficult actors in Hollywood, and then there's Alastair Pinch.

Alastair is a onetime Royal Shakespeare Company thespian who now slums it as the "wise" Southern judge on a tacky network show. He's absurdly rich, often belligerent, and typically drunk--a damning combination when Alastair's wife is found dead on their living room floor and he can't remember what happened.

Waldo's old flame Lorena, hiding peril of her own, draws him toward the case, and Alastair's greedy network convinces Waldo to take it on. But after such a long time away from both civilization and sleuthing--and plagued by a confounding array of assailants who want him gone--Waldo must navigate complicated webs of ego and deceit to clear Alastair's name . . . or confirm his guilt.

Book 1 of 3

Charlie Waldo
Print length

294 pages
Language

English
Publisher

E P Dutton
Publication date

August 14, 2018
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

9781524742492
ISBN-13

978-1524742492
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Howard Michael Gould began his career on Madison Avenue before moving to Los Angeles, where he has worked as a screenwriter and playwright as well as executive producer and head writer on a number of network comedies. Last Looks is his first novel.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 152474249X
Publisher ‏ : ‎ E P Dutton; First Edition (August 14, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781524742492
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524742492
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11,057 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)
- #60,750 in Suspense Thrillers
- #79,408 in American Literature (Books)

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Howard Michael Gould

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Howard Michael Gould graduated from Amherst College and spent five years working on Madison Avenue, winning three Clios and numerous other awards.

In television, he was executive producer and head writer of CYBILL when it won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, and held the same positions on INSTANT MOM and THE JEFF FOXWORTHY SHOW.

He wrote and directed the feature film THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY LEFAY, starring Tim Allen, Elisha Cuthbert, Andie MacDowell and Jenna Elfman. Other feature credits include MR. 3000 and SHREK THE THIRD.

His play DIVA premiered at Williamstown Theatre Festival and La Jolla Playhouse, and was subsequently published by Samuel French and performed around the country.

He is the author of three satirical crime novels, LAST LOOKS, BELOW THE LINE, and now PAY OR PLAY, all featuring tortured, eco-maniacal private eye Charlie Waldo. The first two were nominated for Shamus awards by the Private Eye Writers of America.

He also wrote the upcoming film version of LAST LOOKS, which stars Charlie Hunnam and Mel Gibson and is directed by Tim Kirkby.

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4.2 out of 5

320 global ratings

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Gary Archuleta

Really fun read

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good mystery that had me guessing until the end, although I did have an inkling about mid-book. Still, the reveal and wrap up held enough surprises to keep me entertained. I definitely will be reading the others, and you should, too.

Helpful

Barry Melius

Not the same old, same old-a refreshing change of pace

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2019

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The few people that are aware of Charlie Waldo's existence just figure him for a crazy old recluse living alone on top of a mountain. A minimalist, Charlie believes in owning very few possessions and wraps his life around creating as small a footprint on the planet as he can. He wasn't always this way, a few years ago he was the hottest up and coming detective on the Los Angeles Police Department. Then he found out that a young boy he had sent up for murder was actually innocent and proceeded to move heaven and earth to get him freed. While he struggled against an entrenched system making enemies out of his former friends and coworkers the innocent that Charlie hung out to dry was murdered in a stabbing at the penitentiary. Charlie loses it, gets rid of all he owns except for a few meager possessions, buys some land, builds his version of a hermitage and settles in to do penance. Three years past and an ex lover visits, pleads with him to help her out with a tough case she is in. Charlie refuses, within days she is murdered and Charlie goes off the reservation. Transporting his monkish lifestyle to the big city to carry on an investigation presents serious challenges and more than a few opportunities for humor. The author, Howard Michael Gould, crafts a sympathetic Charlie and the multitude of supporting characters come across in a believable manner. Add in excellent world building, plenty of action and an author that doesn't look down his nose at his readers and you have a winner. Looking forward to the next release in the fall of 2019.

5 people found this helpful

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CC

Mixed review

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

So much about this novel is fresh and original, with its dark humor and unique, quirky characters. But at a certain point, the author began to ruin it with way too much gratuitous physical violence. So many characters beating up the protagonist so often was not only unpleasant to read, it wasn’t even believable. And after a parade of people punching this guy out to the point where no actual human being would still be walking (if even breathing), our protagonist is still riding his bike. Really? And then the book further deteriorates with one of the most implausible Hollywood endings you’ve ever had the misfortune to endure. Too bad, a book that started out as a five star read gradually devolved to a two star read, but I’m giving it three stars because the parts that did work were really terrific.

6 people found this helpful

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grayreader

Great book!

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

I don't even need to mention the great plot, the great dialogue or the great characters - it's the writing. Gould has made my list of favorite writers, with everything else a happy bonus. I read the excerpt of the next Waldo book and I'm about to buy it right now. I read a lot of books that I really like, but this one I loved.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

First time read about Charlie Waldo

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

Interesting character Charlie is. Will read the next episode. The story moved right along and had an intriguing story line.

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Heather Maltby

Great read, great new P.I.

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

Howard Michael Gould's debut novel is fast, funny, engaging, and introduces a great new, quirky, but not annoyingly quirky, hero you can actually root for: Former LA cop, now reluctant P.I. Charlie Waldo. And did I mention funny? It's laugh out loud hilarious, but never at the expense of an engaging twisty plot which is ultimately very moving. A great read and I can't wait for the next Charlie Waldo book.

13 people found this helpful

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andrew review

Good.

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Above average Hollywood detective story. What distinguishes this book from others of its ilk is that Gould can really write. The book moves fact and has some unexpected depth. Recommended.

One person found this helpful

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Kristin H.

Inside Hollyweird whodunnit

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

Really enjoyed this book. I’m a Carl Hiaasen fan, and Howard Michael Gould’s quirky characters navigating a twisted mystery inhabit a similar vibe, except now we have Hollywood as our comic landscape. Charlie Waldo is a fully fleshed-out protagonist and I was with him on his wild ride right through to the end. The insider LA references are a hoot. Great job and a fun read.

9 people found this helpful

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Lisa Beck

Suspenseful, thoughtful, funny-as-hell

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2018

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Talk about a fast read -- I couldn't put this book down. The characters are both colourful and believable, the plot is full of twists and reveals, and the language is whip-smart.

Howard Michael Gould's wry debut puts a fresh twist on some of the tropes of the crime/detective genre. Ex police detective Charlie Waldo is lured back for one more case from -- not retirement, grief or rehab -- but a self-imposed exile to his own Walden Pond where he lives a simplified, off-grid life in penance for a wrongful conviction in which he was instrumental and...nothing less than the vast excesses of the consumerist world. How he is doing that is part of the fun which I won't spoil here.

It only takes three years away to turn Charlie into a wondering Rip Van Winkle in our times. He's never heard of kombucha -- imagine! -- and his not-just jaundiced but environmentally-woke eye captures Hollywood at its most artificial best.

Nothing is what it seems in la-la land and, suitably, just when it seems that Gould will not be able to tie all the many threads of this story together, a wonderfully cohesive and satisfying, not to mention unexpected and quite funny, finale appears.

Charlie Waldo is a character I would love to see more of. His unusual lifestyle may seem "quirky" (or, who knows, maybe the crazy guy has the right idea) but his interior monologue is an appealing balance of conscientious, compassionate and cynical. He unleashes some acute social observations in language peppered with not only the requisite procedural slang but also some rather exquisite vocabulary. Can't wait til he Bromptons down from the hills again.

One person found this helpful

E Griffin

Sprightly Hollywood neo-noir

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

A former LA detective, now living as a minimalistic recluse, is called in to act as a PI when a TV star is accused of murder. Sprightly Hollywood neo-noir with comic elements and an engaging approach to Los Angeles. Breezy and pacy: a fun entertainment with an interesting lead character in Charlie Waldo. Recommended.

Lagoon

Whip smart dialogue and a new hero to follow.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

Day time TV star Alastair Pinch may or may not have murdered his wife. He can’t recall; being as he was blind drunk on the night in question. On his case, but not necessarily on his side, is ex cop and eco warrior Waldo. Voluntarily restricting himself to having no more than one hundred possessions, Waldo lives in a shack in the LA hills and is initially reluctant to help establish Alastair’s innocence, not least because the guy is a bully and a drunk. Events dictate otherwise though and in short order, Waldo is taking poundings with alarming regularity and being warned off by wannabe gangsters and a hard case Eskimo.

Waldo’s quirky lifestyle makes him a refreshing change to the stable of hard drinking and cynical cops.

Come back soon Waldo.

Rusty the Reader

Great new detective

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2021

Verified Purchase

Really enjoyed this story - a new and quirky detective; looking forward to reading more in the series.

sandra k chung

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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2019

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