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The Zebra-Striped Hearse

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The Zebra-Striped Hearse
First edition
AuthorRoss Macdonald
LanguageEnglish
SeriesLew Archer
GenreDetective, Mystery novel
PublisherKnopf
Publication date
1962
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Preceded byThe Wycherly Woman 
Followed byThe Chill 

The Zebra-Striped Hearse is a detective mystery written in 1962 by American author Ross Macdonald, the tenth book featuring his private eye, Lew Archer.

Plot

In the beginning of this novel, Archer is hired by a man to investigate the man who is recently engaged to his daughter, fearing that the man is only interested in his daughter's money. Soon afterwards the daughter and fiancé disappear, and the plot turns into a manhunt. The search takes Archer to San Francisco, Mexico, Nevada, and back to California, finding dead bodies linked to the fiancé along the way.[1][2]

Reception

The Zebra-Striped Hearse was praised by some critics, stating, for example that it had a "fantastic plot" and that "Lew Archer fit into the PI mold while still being his own unique creation".[1] Terry Teachout's appraisal was more negative; he found the Archer books "repetitive and often dully written" and The Zebra-Striped Hearse in particular was "perfectly readable" but marred by "dime-store psychologizing".[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Berrett, Trevor (April 20, 2016). "Ross Macdonald: The Zebra-Striped Hearse – The Mookse and the Gripes". mookseandgripes.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  2. ^ Caviness, Rochelle. "The Zebra-Striped Hearse". www.largeprintreviews.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  3. ^ Teachout, Terry (March 14, 1999). "The Coleridge Scholar Who Took On Marlowe". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.