California Girl

Written by T. Jefferson Parker

Narrated by Patrick Lawlor

A different world then, a different world now…California in the 1960s, and the winds of change are raging. Orange groves uprooted for tract houses, people flooding into Orange County, and strange new ideas in the air about war, music, sex, and drugs, and new influences including Richard Nixon and Timothy Leary.

But for the Becker brothers, the past is always present and it comes crashing back when the body of the lovely and mysterious Janelle Vonn is discovered in an abandoned orange packinghouse. The Beckers and Vonns have a history, beginning years ago in high school with a rumble between the brothers of each clan.

But boys grow up. Now one Becker brother is a cop on his first homicide case. One’s a minister yearning to perform just one miracle. One is a reporter drunk with ambition. And all three are about to collide with the changing world of 1968 as each brother, in his own special way, tries to find Janelle’s killer.

As the suspects multiply and secrets are exposed, the Becker brothers are all drawn further into the case, deeper into the past, and closer to the danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543610987

T. Jefferson Parker

T. Jefferson Parker is the author of numerous novels and short stories, the winner of three Edgar Awards (for Silent Joe, California Girl, and the short story "Skinhead Central"), and the recipient of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best mystery (Silent Joe). Before becoming a full-time novelist, he was an award-winning reporter. He lives in Fallbrook, California.

Reviews for California Girl

[terrib_54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On the surface, California Girl is a well written crime novel. It will particularly appeal to those who have a familiarity with Orange County, California and are interested in a story that captures the atmosphere of the OC of the 1950s and 60s with its orange groves, hippie culture, and drive-in churches. There are cameo appearances by California icons Timothy Leary, Charles Manson, and Richard Nixon. Just the local interest and plot action are enough to make this a worthwhile read, but the author has gone a step further and woven some thoughtful issues throughout the setting and plot.Telling the truth can be painfully difficult and this becomes a noticeable theme throughout the novel. This seemingly black and white concept becomes shades of gray when seen in the context of the story and the lives of the characters who find that they may hurt good people and reward the despicable if they tell the truth. A minor, yet not insignificant theme, is the struggle of growing up in a counter culture such as that of the 1960s. Thoughts and ways of life changed rapidly during this period and created much personal and societal upheaval. I appreciated that Parker never trivialized these themes or turned them into cliches.This was my first T. Jefferson Parker novel and my experience would lead me to seek out other books by this author.

[Dale King · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am not a big fan of Fiction with lots of different characters, how ever this one was done right. Not far into the story, I was captivated. The characters are believable, and easy to relate to. The near ra narrator did an excellent job. Highly recommend

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like Parker’s earlier Edgar winner,Silent Joe, California Girl is set in Orange County and brought home even more than the earlier book that Orange County is not Los Angeles.There are a lot of ways one could describe California Girl. It’s a story about two families, the Beckers and the Vonns, and how they intersect and affect each other’s lives. It’s definitely a story of the changes in America, and specifically Orange County, from the 50s through the 60s and onward. Richard Nixon and Charles Manson make brief appearances, as does Timothy Leary. It’s also the story of three brothers – a clergyman, a journalist, and a cop – trying to love and support each other and be honest men in spite of their own human frailties and the compromises they sometimes have to make.I have a hard time reading Parker’s books. They evoke corruption so well I almost have to hold my nose – even this book, which was not really about corruption, has a character who makes a fortune from a cleaner made of rotten oranges. Parker’s world is not a world I want to visit often. Although his characters enjoy the beauty and good weather of Southern California, they are also surrounded by urban sprawl and commercial ugliness (not to mention some extremely right-wing characters and others who are just generally unpleasant.) In some ways Parker’s books remind me of Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti novels. But although Brunetti goes on beating his head against the wall of bureaucracy and corruption that confronts him at the end of nearly every book, he has the many compensations of Venice to console him. Parker’s Orange County doesn’t seem like a good place to live, but it’s a place we need to know about, and the stories he tells about it are worth hearing. So even though in many ways I didn’t “like” this book, I would highly recommend it.

[zmagic69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great story of a family who interact with a girls murder in the 1960's in Orange county California. Fiction but very historical.

[dbeveridge_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thanks Ellen! My introduction to T. Jefferson Parker. For someone who thinks he keeps up with such authors, it's a rare treat to find a new "police procedural" series.Parker ranks with Michael Connelly, Scott Turow, and Dick Francis as master craftsmen of the genre novel that actually includes depth of characterization. (I'm leaving off Elmore Leonard here, because while his characters are fascinating, his craft is dialogue and an ear for the absurdity and simplicity of the criminal mind.)

[susanamper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Story of three brothers, policeman, journalist, minister (and the one who would probably have been the Indian Chief is killed off early). Begins in 1954 in California with the brothers' involvement with a doomed young woman. It's one of those stories about the past that is supposed to elicit feelings of nostalgia and regret. But it's a little too gimmicky. The writer is worth another look, but I would not recommend this novel.