FADE TO BLONDE by Max Phillips

Fade To Blonde by Max Phillips is another superb novel from Hard Case Crime, the publishing venture started by Phillips and genre genius Charles Ardai, an Edgar-winning author and expert on all things hardboiled and noir.

Fade To Blonde tells the story of Ray Corson, ex-boxer, ex-actor, ex-screenwriter trying to make ends meet in the heyday of 1940s Hollywood. Max Phillips writes such lean prose you plunge into the story without any hiccups around time or place. This book is written with such style that you're hooked from the first page, and the dialogue is so smart and spare you'll feel like you stepped into a classic noir film.

The story follows a classic gumshoe path but twists more than a few times before the finish. Max Phillips doesn't waste a single word, and the ones he's left on the page are priceless. For writing that will get you inspired to write, pick up this gem.