{"product_id":"violent-ward-by-len-deighton-2122ah","title":"Violent Ward by Len Deighton","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf America is a lunatic asylum, then California is the Violent Ward. Mickey Murphy is a criminal lawyer with an office in LA's downtown low-rent district, an ex-wife who bleeds him for money, clients who would plead the Fifth Amendment if they could count that high, and an unrequited passion for his wealthiest client's wife. To make matters worse, Mickey finds himself embroiled against his wishes in an elaborate and clever scam that's going askew, and being interrogated by the LAPD about a brutal murder. With an observant eye and ear for the California 'scene', Deighton once again uses his brilliant storytelling skills to propel an exciting and suspenseful narrative at breakneck speed to a dramatic climax in a riot-torn city. This new reissue includes a foreword from the cover designer, Oscar-winning filmmaker Arnold Schwartzman, and a brand new introduction by Len Deighton, which offers a fascinating insight into the writing of the story.  About the Author  Born in London, he served in the RAF before graduating from the Royal College of Art (which recently elected him a Senior Fellow). While in New York City working as a magazine illustrator he began writing his first novel, The Ipcress File, which was published in 1962. He is now the author of more than thirty books of fiction and non-fiction. At present living in Europe, he has, over the years, lived with his family in ten different countries from Austria to Portugal.  Reviews  Deighton's latest, an enjoyable departure from his tales of British espionage ( City of Gold , etc.), introduces a protagonist with definite series potential. Harried L.A. lawyer Mickey Murphy is plagued by a slew of eccentrics who fully bear out the book's epigraph: ``If America is a lunatic asylum then California is the Violent Ward.'' Among them are an ex-wife who tries to get more alimony by perching on the ledge outside his office, a slightly over-the-hill actor in search of a handgun, a Robert Maxwell clone called Sir Jeremy Westbridge and a Trump-like entrepreneur named Zach Petrovich, who owns Murphy's law firm and is married to his high school sweetheart. Their manoeuverings spark a complicated plot whose many ramifications include a charitable organization that doubles as a clearinghouse for those seeking to fake their own deaths and the set-up of a tax-free Peruvian corporation through the use of bearer shares, but Murphy keeps all the craziness in perspective with a first-person narration that unfolds as a series of quiet, subtle surprises. Told in perfect Dashiell Hammett style, with the clues all noted but never underlined, this novel respects the reader's intelligence and almost begs for a rereading just to savour how skilfully Deighton has woven everything together. Author tour. (July)  YA-A masterfully crafted tale awaits both teens seeking leisure reading and those looking for a contemporary author for a literature assignment. Within the first six pages, evidence is given to support the title lead in: ``If America is a lunatic asylum, then California is the Violent Ward.'' The lives of Mickey Murphy, a LA criminal lawyer; and the entire cast of con artists and people on the cusp of legitimacy, Hollywood wannabes, old friends, and especially Mickey's childhood sweetheart, Mrs. Ingrid Petrovitch, are deftly woven into this plot that is full of humour and unexpected twists and turns. The surrealistic combination of media coverage juxtaposed with the first-person accounts of the rioting following the first Rodney King trial provides a fitting context for the physical and intellectual resolution of this story.-Barbara Hawkins, Oakton High School, Fairfax, VA  'Deighton's ear for dialogue and eye for lunatic-California are perfect' Sunday Express 'A blistering read... The guessing game continues to the final page' Time Out 'Crime at its most entertaining, filled with lively dialogue' Sunday Telegraph 'Superbly edgy. Entertaining, full of good one-liners' Sunday Times\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41835532386378,"sku":"2122ah","price":8.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2122ah.jpg?v=1764477305","url":"https:\/\/www.bookexpress.nz\/products\/violent-ward-by-len-deighton-2122ah","provider":"Book Express","version":"1.0","type":"link"}