Riding with John Wayne: A Novel [Hardcover]

Aaron Latham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2006

In his latest triumphant novel, Aaron Latham pits Texas guts against Hollywood glitz when a modern-day cowboy turned screenwriter dusts off his Stetson in order to solve a murder. Chick Goodnight has arrived in Hollywood to write a screenplay about his great-great-great-ever-so-great grandfather Jimmy Goodnight -- the legend who more or less invented the Texas cowboy during the 1870s (and who was featured in Latham's Code of the West and The Cowboy with the Tiffany Gun). As the film's director -- smart and beautiful Hollywood veteran Jamie Stone -- shows Chick how to write for the screen, he finds his quaint Western-inspired code of ethics challenged by an industry in which casting departments pimp for their producers and overzealous method actors feel obliged to seduce their costars. But culture shock becomes the least of Chick's worries when his cousin, a young aspiring actress, dies under suspicious circumstances. Shortly, Chick -- taking a few heroic pages from his own script -- is forced to investigate before someone else meets his maker. As Chick's misadventures take him from Hollywood to Texas and back again, Aaron Latham treats us to a bravura piece in which art imitates life imitating art.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Those who know Latham's western novel, Code of the West (2001), will fondly recall the hero, Jimmy Goodnight, who almost single-handedly invented the Texas cowboy in the 1870s. Flash-forward to the present day: Chick Goodnight has come to Hollywood to write a movie about his great-great-grandfather. He bunks with his cousin, a starlet who hopes her big break is just around the corner. When she dies suddenly, Chick takes on the responsibility of finding out how and why. Chick is an amiable sort, and his supporting cast, including the movie's director and producer and an upwardly mobile stuntman, are sharply drawn as well. Latham, who's written for the big screen (Urban Cowboy), clearly knows his way around Tinseltown, and it's a lot of fun to watch Chick, a Hollywood newbie, try to navigate his way through the shark-infested waters. Combining traditional mystery elements with the Hollywood insider novel, this thoroughly enjoyable tale will appeal to fans of Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty (1989) and Be Cool (1998). David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A series of murders, a Hollywood set transported to West Texas, and a smart, sexy cowboy hero -- I can't think of a better combination of elements for a killer read. Aaron Latham is back in the saddle in winning style in "Riding with John Wayne," His insider knowledge of the movie business and big cowboy heart give us a witty, fast-paced, mysterious ride through the very wild west that he knows so well."-- Linda Fairstein, author of "Death Dance"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743269799
• ISBN-13: 978-0743269797
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,401,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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