A Past Without Pictures

An LAPD detective travels to coastal Alabama to investigate the death of the father she hardly knew in this straight-shooting, no-nonsense noir from the author of You Were Never Really Here.

Maria Cole’s life has never been a walk in the park. Raised in foster care and with a history of abuse, her journey to the force was winding and loaded with heartache. When the LAPD detective is involved in a tragic shooting and, soon after, learns that her estranged ex-con father has been murdered, she finds her past surging back in a double-bout of grief.

There is an estate to settle and a funeral to attend, so Maria travels to her father’s rural home in coastal Alabama and starts asking questions about his murder. But the tight-lipped locals don’t take kindly to inquisitive outsiders, and she has to tangle with corrupt small-town officials, bigoted cops, and home-grown criminal conspiracies to get answers. In the process, she uncovers shocking revelations about her father’s life—and her own.

Gripping, tightly-plotted, and action-packed, A Past Without Pictures is a twisty noir narrative that condenses its sprawling scope into a forcefully fast-paced novella.

Spare but potent . . . Ames’s disaffected style infuses the proceedings with a deep sadness that elevates it from bog-standard crime fiction to something headier and more emotionally wounding. This will enchant both the author’s existing fans and thriller readers looking for something off the beaten path.”
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A quicksilver family reckoning whose epiphanies arrive in the form of felonies.”
―Kirkus

Perfect for fans of S. A. Cosby and other writers of Southern noir: it has beautifully drawn characters, a real-feeling setting, pitch-perfect dialogue, and a story that keeps the reader in a constant state of apprehension.”
—Booklist

Highly recommend this spare, minimalist but deeply touching noir adventure for those who can appreciate that noir is a state of mind that is never ‘solved’ as a mystery might be solved.”
—Joyce Carol Oates

Written in brilliant clear prose with stunning details and insight, A Past Without Pictures is yet another wonderful novel from Jonathan Ames. There is a sensitivity and poignancy underlying the off-book investigation by an LAPD detective whose ex-con father was murdered in the deep south. With each book Mr. Ames pushes himself farther and the result is a rich body of work. I look forward to each one, especially the next.”
—Chris Offut, author of the Mick Hardin series

This slight tome (192 pages) really packs a punch.”
—Deadly Pleasures Magazine

Smart, sharp, and stylish noir for the modern day.”
―Ivy Pochoda on A Man Named Doll

Ames is a master of blending humor, pathos, and grit.”
―Alex Segura

Jonathan Ames is the author of thirteen books, including the Happy Doll series. Two of his books, You Were Never Really Here and The Extra Man, have been turned into films. Ames is also the creator of two television series: Bored to Death and Blunt Talk. Earlier in his life, he was an occasional guest on The David Letterman Show, was a frequent performer with The Moth, and dabbled in boxing, fighting as “The Herring Wonder.” He currently lives in Los Angeles.