The Pictures

Shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award
"THE PICTURES is a compelling and dazzling debut for fans of Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy. Bolton's tightly paced mystery vividly re-creates 1930s Hollywood and is enriched with complicated, fascinating and flawed characters."-- Shelf Awareness
"Atmospheric...provides a pleasant tour of Hollywood's golden age. "
—Kirkus Reviews
"Guy Bolton manages to create real atmosphere in THE PICTURES. Kudos to him for that atmosphere — which isn't restricted to just the MGM lot and the glamorous Lilac Club downtown, but also includes several disparate Los Angeles neighborhoods where interesting crimes might take place."
- NPR Books
Hollywood 1939. The year that The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were made. Detective Craine has spent his life working as a studio fixer, whitewashing the misdemeanours and crimes committed by the studio players and stars. But now he’s trying to turn his back on that life following the recent death of his wife as he’s determined to be a better parent to his young son.

But then Craine’s services are called upon one last time. MGM need him to smooth over the press coverage of the suicide of one of their producers. And soon, what should be a straightforward case proves anything but when connections are made between it and a brutal murder across town. And that’s just the start of the story.

It’s only a matter of time before Craine must decide whether to follow orders, or to attempt to redeem a career of concealment by going in search of the ugly truth. It’s a choice he knows that cannot end well.

Guy Bolton lives in London and has worked in publishing, film and television. He currently works in drama at the BBC. Guy is also a screenwriter whose work has been optioned by Bedlam Productions, Hat Trick and Tiger Aspect. The Pictures is his first novel. Last year it was short-listed in the Telegraph Harvill Secker crime writing competition.