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.

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

Ames seems clearly to enjoy the act of writing, and it shows on every page: a laugh here, a turn of phrase there, an unexpected character revelation over there. His novels are gifts to readers who want a rich and satisfying story.”
―Booklist on Karma Doll

Ames is an adept purveyor of the very noir, particular scenes of violence. He achieves more in less than 100 pages than most crime novels three times the length do.”
―The Times on You Were Never Really Here

A striking and powerful noir debut that can be consumed in a single sitting…. Ames reveals himself here as a stylish thriller writer.”
―Daily Mail on You Were Never Really Here

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.