Pandora's Box
Pandora's Box, a hard boiled detective mystery set in Los Angeles in mid 1940s.
Two young women's bodies are found; one a naked floater in the Pacific near Santa Monica, the other lying beneath a dynamited house in Oklahoma. Both tortured and murdered.
Matthew Thornton P.I. finds himself trading punches and gun fire with gangsters after he's hired to find a missing third women before she too becomes the next toe tag in the city morgue - His search leads him to Pandora's Box, a classy strip club in a tough section of San Pedro near the foggy, damp harbor docks. Here he finds Lola, a blonde kewpie doll with a face and a body that you could wake up next to and see again over an early morning breakfast.
They're soon on the run, pursued by killers and want Lola for some unknown reason, even if it means over Thornton's dead body.
"Excerpt from Pandora's Box"
"I found myself in a rough section of Los Angeles near the San Pedro port docks and eyed a couple of lowlifes appearing to be drunks, propping each other up under a dingy street lamp across the street.
I'd sensed that I'd been shadowed right from the start on this job, but could never make out who or where they were. This time it was different. These two had been carelessly shadowing me for the last few blocks and I wasn't comfortable about it, but I was onto them.
I flicked the smoke into the gutter and set myself for possible trouble. My reflexes automatically squeezed the .357 S&W mag. I carried for extra insurance nestled in a shoulder rig under my left arm.
They suddenly changed course and staggered in my direction. The two shabby bums reeked of booze and paused as they stumbled past. I wasn't falling for it.
I spun around fast and doubled up the closest one flicking open a switch blade with a well placed field goal between the legs. He grabbed his crotch in defense and then caught my hard right cross holding a taped roll of quarters like brass knucks, snapping his jaw across his face like a tossed pizza dough."
P.I. Matt Thornton evens' the score with- Fists of Fear and Guns of Death!
" Thornton spilled their guts on the pavement and then gave them an extra blast from his shotgun, just to make sure he hadn't missed."
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Greed, Torture, Murder
and - Revenge
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" She was a ravishing dame with a secret from the past, hunted by a gang of killers that would stop at nothing to get what they wanted."
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"His .357 mag. was itching to blast holes in the last man standing"
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The women were dead-
but not forgotten!
In the Press
If you're a fan of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammet or Mickey Spillane you're in for a treat from an excellent story teller. Great dialogues and characters, along with scenes that make you think you're there make this one destined to be a hit. This book definitely lends itself to being the first in a series.
Dianne Harman
USA Today and Amazon Chart#1 Bestselling Mystery Author
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The ghost of Mickey Spillane haunts the pages of this action filled crime novel with dust-ups, car chases, rough characters and beautiful women. Thompson's fresh take on witty narrative breathes new life into the vintage L.A. noir scene and creates a worthy story that rewards the reader.
Robert Grbavac
Screenplay writer
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David Thompson has written a wry and entertaining story with plenty of action. Set in post-war Los Angeles, this is a story that will appeal to many readers that like their crime fiction tough as nails, but on the lighter side.
James L. Thane
Author- Until Death
David Thompson has hit a homerun with this masterfully crafted novel, Pandora's Box. Since I live in Southern California, I am very familiar with many of the areas in which the novel takes place, from the foggy San Pedro docks to the Santa Monica pier and David captures the authenticity perfectly. Pour yourself a glass of wine, sit down in your favorite chair and get ready for a page turner that will take you on the ride of your life.
Frank J.Grady, Author-Mermaid Jewels
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David Thompson does a remarkable job of capturing the language of the 1940's and his ability to make the city of Los Angeles almost a character in itself, in this fast-paced detective yarn. While sprinkling in a few movie star references he entertains with his hard-boiled, Sam Spade styled private-eye, Matt Thornton, who is more than up to task when rescuing the dame or pumping some lead into the bad guys. You'll want to read it in one sitting.
Mark Sadler
Author- Blood on His Hands & Kettle of Vultures
Revist the era of the hardboiled P.I. and prepare yourself for a wild, action-packed ride as Matt Thornton solves the case of two murders and a missing woman in Pandora's Box.
Mike Befeler
Author- Death of a Scam Artist, The Tesla Legacy and the Paul Jacobsen Mystery Series.
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David Thompson transports us to 1940's Southern California- to the steamy days and nights of dames, dives and detectives. Vivid descriptions, intriguing characters and a crime that must be solved make "Pandora's Box" a fascinating read.
Christopher Lentz Author- The Blossom Trilogy
150 Willow Pt
Abbeville, SC 29620
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