From award-winning author Harlin Hailey comes this ripped-from-the-headlines tale of desperation, depravity, and murder. The year is 2012. The end of the world is near. Set in Los Angeles in the post-Great Recession Obama years, a motley crew of unemployed characters is brought together by self-loathing, boredom and defeat. Facing hard times and no prospects, they gather in a run-down apartment to change their fates. But a destructive, nihilistic stranger has other ideas. Ideas that will change their lives forever. Darkly funny, bittersweet and fiercely honest, this evocative hard-boiled whydunit captures the underground mood of those forgotten, and how far they'll go once they've lost it all. East of Lincoln is a poignant and unforgettable story of the dark heart of the American dream, and the enduring power of friendship. For fans of L.A. neo-noir, dirty realism, James Ellroy, Bret Easton Ellis, Charles Bukowski, John Fante, Raymond Chandler, and Joan Didion.
Assessment:
Plot: East of Lincoln is a riveting work of literary crime fiction centered on disgruntled figures wallowing in a post-recession Los Angeles and contemplating drastic measures.
Prose: Hailey’s prose is candid, dry, and darkly comedic.
Originality: Beyond its crime element, Hailey’s novel stands apart as a piercing look at a recent era in America’s past, and the sting of being deemed no longer of use.
Character/Execution: Hailey deftly capturing the bitterness of the once rich—men undone by outside circumstances, plagued by newfound self-hatred, and facing a disarmingly uncertain future.
Date Submitted: July 21, 2020
"East of Lincoln embraces themes of survival, art, friendship, change, and moral and ethical dilemmas. The added dose of critical inspection of Southern California culture makes it a particularly powerful, hard-hitting recommendation for California fiction readers."
"Contemporary literary crime fiction doesn't get any better than this. Fans of poignant pieces on the ramifications of social and economic change are certain to see the bigger picture which is deftly painted by Hailey's choice of language, settings, and scenes. We watch helplessly as men who feel they've no other choice fall into the blackness of their own failed morality. We are powerless, and can only witness the carnage of how dashed dreams can spiral a man out of control. East of Lincoln will satisfy both the reader of psychological crime and the literary fiction fan looking for some deeply emotive commentary. An accomplished piece of fiction and unique in its concept.
"Lots to like and ponder in this why-dunnit about friendship, murder, and loss. A must read. Five Stars!"
