Hollywood Hang Ten

Los Angeles, 1963. John F. Kennedy is President, and Jan & Dean’s “Surf City” is at the top of the charts.

Ryan Zorn, a 23-year-old Venice Beach surfer working in his uncle’s detective agency, lands his first solo case when a divorced mother with plenty to hide hires him to find her missing son. The investigation turns into a case of blackmail and murder as Ryan is drawn deep into Hollywood’s hidden past — a past that involves the anti-Communist witch-hunts of the 1950s, and closeted gay stars.

From the decaying piers of Santa Monica bay, to the posh mansions of Beverly Hills, to a mysterious rustic retreat, Ryan navigates a city on the brink of change. The conservative era of blacklisting and conformity is in its dying days, and a new culture of experimentation and openness is just emerging. To solve the case, Ryan must confront his own personal demons, preconceptions, and homophobia as he untangles a deadly web of behind-the-scenes movie secrets.

Reviews:

“Hollywood Hang Ten is reminiscent of Ross MacDonald at his best. The novel evokes the atmosphere of LA, and the seediness of Hollywood. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.”

Netgalley

“A good read. Four stars.”

Nancy Witt – Reviewer

“This did invoke some classic Ross MacDonald, which I love. Good job by Goldberg and I look forward to her future titles.”

Lisa Hoffman - Librarian

“1963 was a very good year.  That said, Eve Goldberg can bring it alive for those of you who cannot remember/have never been exposed to 1963 Southern California.  She has the music, the films, the highways, the cars, the crimes. And a sweet young protagonist, attempting to keep his Uncle Lou's PI business up and running through an extended hospitalization. Ryan has worked with his uncle for the five years since high school graduation, but his heart and mind has been committed to his surfboard. But when push comes to shove, he knuckles down to protect the client and solve the mystery. An excellent read.”

Bonnye Reed Fry - Reviewer

“The case of a missing boy leads to stolen photographs, blackmail, and murder--with tentacles reaching back to the 1950s. Hollywood Hang Ten adeptly places the reader in time and place. I liked the way Ryan's character is forced into growth by the circumstances he encounters. It is particularly interesting to see the cultural differences that have occurred since 1963.”

Book Garden

“A light mystery where the bad guy is all bad and the private detective hero is a little reluctant, in over his head, and propelled by a sense of justice. The details about LA as it was fifty years ago are fun; Venice before gentrification, Polynesian bars, and driving around with the old songs.”

Mark Share - Reviewer

“Ryan Zorn wants to be a PI, It is 1963 and a divorced mom hires him to find her son who has gone missing. This high octane read would make a great movie.”

Tracy Shephard - Reviewer

“An interesting 1960s Hollywood-set mystery. Ryan is running his uncle's PI firm while he's in hospital, and although he's been his uncle's apprentice (of sorts) for a while, he soon realises that there's a big difference between helping with cases and solving them yourself. I raced through the book to find out how it was going to resolve itself.”

Verity Wilde - Media

“A very interesting mystery., that e xplores a time in history when individuals could be blacklisted for a multitude of beliefs.”

Margaret Holmes – Reviewer

“A fun read set in 1960s sunny southern California.”

Tamara Smith - Educator

“A definite page-turner.”

Stephanie Mesa - Reviewer

“This book was a great mystery from start to finish, I really enjoyed the historical aspects.”

Netgalley

“By setting the action in 1963, Goldberg is able to reference the House Anti-American Activities Committee as a backdrop, with plenty of scope for conflict of a personal nature, and also to explore changing attitudes towards homosexuality over the past 50 years. An enjoyable read.”

Crime Review

“Whilst set in the early 1960s, a time of counterculture and revolution with regard to social norms and mores, a time of relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism, this book definitely takes you back to the seedier side of the 1950s movie industry and the period just after the McCarthy witch-hunts that dominated Hollywood and elsewhere in America. Naive wanna-be private eye Ryan Zorn embarks on a case (in his sick uncle's stead) to find a missing boy, before stumbling upon scandal, blackmail and murder, and someone intent on reviving long-dead secrets. I get the impression that this could quite easily become a series.”

Melisende’s Library