When you finish these 256 pages, you won't need to do much detective work to see how many mystery writers (Robert B. Parker, Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, and Sara Paretsky, to name a few) have been influenced by the work of Ross Macdonald, a master storyteller and wordsmith. First published in 1959, The Galton Case features Lew Archer, a unique private investigator who relies on his brains, not his brawn and on Freud, not his fists in his search for the truth and quest for justice. In this case, an ailing, rich matriarch employs Archer to find her only child, a son she hasn't seen in over two decades. Archer, a patient and perceptive investigator, sets off a chain of events that throws long-buried secrets and deeply complex family dysfunction into the foreground. While readers may not be left with the surprise of "whodunit," they will undoubtedly be amazed by the richness and psychological depth that runs throughout the plot of this classic Ross Macdonald mystery. LEADS - Further informationFor more unforgettable private investigators, try:Retro, by Loren EstlemanThe Godwulf Manuscript, by Robert B. ParkerThe Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell HammettBULLET POINTS - Quick factsRoss Macdonald began writing under his given name, Kenneth Millar. He wrote four books as Millar and then, to avoid being confused with his mystery writing wife (Margaret Millar), he wrote under the name John Macdonald. Next, to avoid being mistaken for author John D. Macdonald, he changed his penname to John Ross Macdonald and finally settled on being known as Ross Macdonald. Ross Macdonald graced the cover of Newsweek magazine and in 1973 was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Paul Newman portrayed character Lew Archer (named Lew Harper in the movies) in the 1966 film Harper (based on the book The Moving Target) and the 1975 film The Drowning Pool. | The Galton Case by Ross Macdonald, Paperback | Indigo Chapters