Lew Archer’s Back on the Case

January Magazine’s sister publication, The Rap Sheet, today presents a never-before-published, 2,500-word fragment of a story written by renowned 20th-century American detective novelist Ross Macdonald (1915-1983). Titled “Heyday in the Blood,” this tale is included in The Archer Files: The Complete Short Stories of Lew Archer, Private Investigator, edited by January contributor Tom Nolan and newly published by Crippen & Landru. It’s one of 11 such fragmentary “case notes” featured in the collection, together with a dozen short stories that appeared previously in a trio of books, including 2001’s Strangers in Town, which was also edited by Nolan. In addition, Nolan presents in The Archer Files his 11,000-word biographical sketch of Macdonald’s famed Los Angeles private eye, Lew Archer, which just might be worth the cost of this book alone.

To read the start of what could have become Macdonald’s 19th Archer novel, click here.