The Underground Man

By: Ross Macdonald

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

As a mysterious fire rages through the hills above a privileged town in Southern California, private investigator Lew Archer tracks a missing child who may be the pawn in a marital struggle or the victim of a bizarre kidnapping. What he uncovers amid the ashes is murder—and a trail of motives as combustible as gasoline.

The Underground Man is a detective novel of merciless suspense and tragic depth, with an unfaltering insight into the moral ambiguities at the heart of California’s version of the American dream.

©1971 John Ross Macdonald; © renewed 1998 by Norman J. Colavincenzo (P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“What gives me special satisfaction about this novel is that no one but a good writer—this good writer—could have possibly brought it off. The Underground Man is Mr. Macdonald’s best book yet, I think. It is not only exhilaratingly well done; it is also very moving.”

(Eudora Welty, New York Times bestselling author)

“[Grover Gardner’s] reading is impeccable. Characters ranging from a dumb blonde to a mentally challenged middle-aged man are presented with delicate yet distinguishable differences. Even the child’s voice is believable, with glimpses of youthful innocence, bravado, and fear.”

(AudioFile)

“Archer solves crimes with the instincts of a psychologist and the conscience of a priest, and the mid-twentieth-century Southern California setting is a wonderful ride in the Wayback Machine.”

(Los Angeles Times, praise for the series)

“I should like to venture that Ross Macdonald is a better novelist than either…Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler.”

(New York Times Book Review, praise for the author)

Macdonalds best

My favorite of his books, red excellently by Gardener. Excellent classic hard-boiled stuff. Even better than the Blue Hammer.

One of Ross MacDonalds Best

Excellent characters, complex and intriguing plot, with humor and empathy. Really excellent and a must read for fans of Lew Archer.

Long Dead

Another great Archer mystery. The kidnapping of a child leads to the discovery of multiple murders done to cover-up one that happened 15 years before. Lots of possible killers, but the one that did it is the one no one suspected.

Great Story but…

Great story but Tom Parker was putting me to sleep. I’m sure Mr Parker is a fine speaker. But just not for this type of genre.

love this series

I feel like I'm getting a bit of Americana mixed with a bit of the old style wisecracking private dick. I wish there were a dozen more!