5th and Vanguard [Perfect Paperback]

Lee Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

5th and Vanguard is set among the atmospheric grit of a seaside town called Berle, and narrated by Julie Page, a writer who, when we're introduced, suffers from a suffocating lack of artistic inspiration. But inspiration makes a guest-appearance one particularly windy night at the corner of 5th and Vanguard in front of the squinting florescence of Bob's Liquor Palace as a glamorous, disfigured, old woman emerges from the backseat of a black Cadillac, and alters Julie's perspective irreversibly.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is noir fiction at its best: gritty, witty, and hard to put down. 5th and Vanguard is destined for cult status. --Todd Robbins, author of The Modern Con Man

About the Author

Lee Adams debut novel delivers all of the broken concrete and burnt-out neon of the most memorable noir fiction, but also offers a fresh dose of humor and introspection missing from more traditional fair. This darkly comic mystery explores the pock-marked inner and outer worlds of its heroine as she faces her deadliest fears in an effort to recover her muse. 5th and Vanguard is a story of chemical, emotional, and artistic addiction, and the price one must be willing to pay to stay inspired.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback
• Publisher: Lightning Press (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605851337
• ISBN-13: 978-1605851334
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,449,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lee Adams is a writer, musician, and voice artist in Long Beach, CA.

The Julie Page Mystery Series is earning Lee a loyal fan base in the arena of neo-noir, and her articles and short stories have made their way to the pages of newspapers, magazines, and compilations.

Lee is also an accomplished musician. Her songs have been played on radio and in independent films, and have been described as offering the wittiest lyrics in alternative pop.

In addition, she has worked as a voice artist for many years recording books for Books On Tape (Random House, Inc.) and with the Educational Television Network in an array of videos, series, and station identifications.

The songs of Maxine Montego showcased in Lee's novel "5th and Vanguard" are the author's own, some of which can be heard on her album, "Champions and Lunatics," available through amazon.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, Dark, Gripping Mystery, October 28, 2008

By 

Sander Wolff (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 5th and Vanguard (Perfect Paperback)

I love this book.

A splash of Sunset Boulevard, a hint of drug-addled Nancy Drew, and a healthy dose of Chandler ferment into an intoxicating brew in Lee Adams' first novel, 5th and Vanguard. The story's heroine, Julie Page, struggles with personal demons, secret obsessions, and mind-numbing insomnia which, eventually, drive her into the night in search of inspiration. What she finds, though, is a tragic and enigmatic figure so compelling that Julie simply can't look away.

The pages slip easily by, and the characters pulse with depth and subtlety. The fictional town of Berle feels almost too familiar. Even so, you'll struggle with the difficult choices that face Julie as she hunts down her elusive muse.

Did I say that I love this book?

I think you will, too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Under the Flickering Neon Light, June 4, 2009

By 

d.g. (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 5th and Vanguard (Perfect Paperback)

This novel is what might have happened if Tom Waits had a sex change and started writing mysteries. It feels haunted somehow.

There is a seaside town that started going slack decades before, and a number of characters I guess you could say the same about. Mostly they seem to be trying to undo a wrong turn they took somewhere, and to recapture something lost that was part dream, part youth, and part nostalgia; in other words, a fantasy. And they know it.

Of course, there is the MacGuffin. And the requisite search for those responsible and why. But really, the story is about a quest for something legitimate you can call your own; hope, perhaps. It is a pretty good page turner, too. Nice work

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, a unique voice, May 13, 2009

By 

Christopher Callard (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 5th and Vanguard (Perfect Paperback)

This book was a delightful surprise. While pegged as a mystery, it's really more a character-based journey, but with the crime stuff accenting it all. Very vivid characters, great dialogue, and a plot that's not too complicated but keeps you wondering. It's a lot of fun, as well as having some interesting insights about the creative process and the artistic personality. Echoes of Sunset Blvd., for sure, but in the world of music rather than film. Definitely recommended for anyone who is looking for a mystery but with a distinctive voice, setting and vibe.