{"product_id":"lily-torrence-fred-andersen-9781736845400","title":"Lily Torrence","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eLily Torrence\u003c\/em\u003e is a Hollywood murder mystery set among people who helped create the jaded, doomed characters of the postwar movies we call \u003cem\u003efilm noir\u003c\/em\u003e. Was it the tension, the suspicion, and the exploitation of war that led to these dark and devious movies? \u003cem\u003eNoir\u003c\/em\u003e -and the pulp fiction it sprang from-gloried in the cynical exploitation of sex and ambition, the enshrinement of greed and corruption, and ruefully pondered the demise of brutal thugs, sniggering deviants and hypocritical socialites.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis particular story is set in a richly-detailed wartime Los Angeles. The narrative and dialogue play off of classic hard-boiled style, but plumb the fears and aspirations of today's reader. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAspiring screenwriter Lyman Wilbur becomes a reluctant alibi in what seems to be a banal and tawdry love triangle among Hollywood aristocrats. Max Beckerman is a young director on the rise until he is accused of killing powerful agent Marty Nuco, who was having an affair with Max's wife. Because Nuco is the key figure in a prostitution and blackmail ring, his death creates both problems and opportunities for his criminal associates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut there is another triangle involving Max and Nuco with Deborah Boynton, one of Hollywood's most glamorous and coldly calculating stars. These three share a despicable secret from their early, hungry days. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lacquered nail that stirs this cocktail is Lily Torrence, a beautiful young dancer who is Deborah's protégée and lover, but also a former call girl for Nuco. Having escaped from sexual slavery, she is intent on creating a new life, and rubbing out all traces of her past. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLyman has to try, for both selfish and noble reasons, to untangle the sordid threads that bind these people. This becomes dangerous for Lyman when all the parties-Max, Deborah, Lily, the police, and Nuco's henchmen-try to control what the truth will be. The story ends in a brutal and tragic climax.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd then life goes on. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Fred Andersen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1736845403\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781736845400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Alfred Andersen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 204\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.67lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.47d","brand":"Fred Andersen","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48873786933503,"sku":"9781736845400","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/lily-torrence-fred-andersen-9781736845400","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}