There's a theory
I see espoused by authors, from time to time, that we all have a eureka moment
at some point during the writing of a story, where it finally becomes clear
what the book is truly about. Cold Desert Sky is the first time I can say I
experienced that feeling.
Of course, I
knew what the plot was - at least in outline - before I started writing: it
picks up from where my second novel, Black Night Falling left off, with
reporter Charlie Yates returning to Los Angeles and living in fear of legendary
mob boss Bugsy Siegel. Charlie becomes obsessed with the disappearance of two
aspiring starlets, and his investigations lead to him getting caught up in a
murderous blackmail racket, targeting Hollywood bigwigs.
The action moves
to Las Vegas, right around the time Siegel was completing his dream: The
Flamingo Hotel, the building which laid the foundation for the city we know
today. Yates finds himself caught between Sigel's outfit and a rogue FBI agent,
and as his chances of getting out alive dwindle, his only care is to find the
missing girls while he still can.
The inspiration
for the book came from several places. I've been visiting Las Vegas,
periodically, for twenty years now, and I've always been interested in the
history of the place. It also tied in with the historical events I based Black Night Falling on - in that Siegel
travelled frequently to Hot Springs, where that book is set, and used it as a
template for his vision of Las Vegas. With this connection in mind, it was too
tempting a historical confluence to ignore.
I also started
out wanting to write about the seedy side of Hollywood's golden era. The book
was completed before the Weinstein revelations came out, and the subsequent #MeToo movement, and it's striking to be
able to look at it now and think about how little has changed in the decades
that followed.
But what about
that eureka moment? That's to do with
the missing girls. Anyone who follows me on social media will know I often post
about some of the crazy things my two young daughters say or do. Becoming a
father five years ago has changed me in ways I couldn't have imagined; in many
ways it's made me more positive and optimistic, but also more fearful. And I
realised these two missing girls - much older than my own, but perhaps more
vulnerable for it - were the product of my parental worst fears. Those horrible
moments where we allow our mind to imagine what it would feel like if something
terrible happened. As unpleasant as it is, the emotion provoked is visceral and
potent - and that's what I was trying to bring to this book. To have Charlie
experience the same sense of terror, and being forced to confront just how far
he's willing to go to protect two innocents.
Of course, when he
discovers the truth, it isn't so straightforward...
But if I've
managed to capture those emotions on the page - or readers can relate to them
or have experienced similar, as I'm sure they have - then you'll understand why
this is my most personal book yet. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Cold Desert Sky by Rod Reynolds is published by
Faber & Faber in July (£12.99)
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