The Moving Target by Ross MacDonald

Sam Spade. Philip Marlowe. Lew Archer.

Ross MacDonald's private eye Lew Archer makes his debut in this complex mystery. Over eighteen novels, Archer solidified his reputation as a top neo-noir California detective.

The Sampsons made their money in oil, with plenty left when Ralph Sampson goes missing. At their estate, Archer meets vain Mrs. Sampson, who wants to know where he is and with whom, convinced he is alive as she wants to outlive him and inherit. He disappeared after landing at Los Angeles airport, but his pilot knows nothing. Miranda, their lovely young daughter with dazzling green eyes, is keen on the pilot, but the parents are directing her towards their lawyer Graves, an ex-D.A. and friend of Archer's. Archer begins with the signed photograph in his bedroom of fading movie star Fay Estabrook, whom he finds drinking in a bar. Keen on astrology, she convinced Ralph to turn over a mountainside home to a phony Los Angeles holy man, now christened 'The Temple in the Clouds'. Her brutish husband owns a jazz bar, The Wild Piano, where pothead Betty Frawley plays daily. Descending through the "seven circles of California society", he investigates the note received from Sampson himself claiming he is fine and just needs access to $100,000. Archer finds every single one of them is involved, twisted together like a nest of vipers. He also finds Sampson.

Archer remains cool in this fast moving mystery, solidifying the image of the California P.I. He is betrayed by friends, comes to an understanding with his ex-wife, and can fight his way out of any tough spot.

Ross MacDonald also wrote successfully under his real name Kenneth Millar (The Dark Tunnel, Blue City). His work is known for psycholgical depth, as was his wife's, the mystery writer Margaret Millar. He is not to be confused with mystery writer John Ross MacDonald (Cape Fear, the Travis McGee series).

Changing Lew's name, this was filmed as Harper in 1966 with Paul Newman, Janet Leigh, Shelley Winters, Julie Harris and Lauren Bacall. The screenplay by William Goldman was awarded an Edgar Award, and they made a sequel in 1975, The Drowning Pool.

Goldman has called MacDonald's writing "the finest series of detective novels ever written by an American...and he keeps getting better."

1949 / Hardcover / 194 pages