The Ross MacDonald Blog
Ross MacDonald
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A place for a conversation about the works and life of Ross Macdonald.
The Galton Case Part Eight
LUNA BAY THE ENDING AND THE BEGINNING In the thirties, when Anthony Galton lived there, Luna Bay was a sleepy fishing village, so remote it was a good landing spot for rumrunning during...
The Galton Case Part Seven
“IT’S ALL ONE CASE” This quote from Macdonald reminds us of how he viewed his mature fiction. It was more than a matter of economy. In his best work, everything is related. Diversions and dead ends are not what...
The Galton Case Part Six
SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR—LITERALLY The first five chapters have moved along briskly, and in a relatively few pages Macdonald has laid out the mystery. But it’s been relatively static. The plot has been advanced by a series of...
The Galton Case Part Five
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (And Not in a Fun Way) Mrs. Galton is what we expect—imperious, manipulative, self-centered and willful. And those are only her good qualities. She browbeats everyone...
The Galton Case Part Four
“A RATHER HOPELESS CASE” In his study, Sable outlines the task to Archer: Sable represents Maria Galton, the matriarch of the Galton family, now 73, widowed, and in poor health. (Fun fact—according to Michael...
The Galton Case Part Three
ROSS MACDONALD CAN BE VERY FUNNY A Brisk and Entertaining Start When we think of humor in the detective story, names like Donald Westlake, Parnell Hall, and Carl Hiaasen come to...
The Galton Case Part Two
WHAT THE COMMENTATORS SAY Universal Acclaim, Almost “The writer was right to view The Galton Case (1959) as both ‘a turning point’ and a personal favorite...
The Galton Case Part One
The Galton Case—Something Very Special Macdonald wisely described The Galton Case as “a breakthrough book.” As commentators have noted, the addition of the article showed a recognition that, no matter how important the book was,...
The Doomsters Part Fifteen
SUMMING UP Spoiler Alert “She was a human being with more grief on her young mind...
The Doomsters Part Fourteen
THE REST OF THE STORY Spoiler Alert The final chapter, 35, is a strange mixture of...
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