Ross MacDonald's books are trips back in time. He paints great pictures of the Southern California lifestyle in the 1940's from the underbelly of back alleys to the country club scene. His books are kind of gritty--full of sad and desparate characters, the kind that might be neighbors to Steinbeck's sad and wistful characters on Cannery Row. They are usually good, easy, page-turners. I like them all.
