Brett Tanager is the writer/producer of a hit TV detective show until the mistakes of one dreadful night send her life skidding out of control into a downward spiral that takes her job, family, savings and self-respect.
At her lowest ebb she is approached by Julia, her sixteen-year-old former stepdaughter whose best friend Caleigh has disappeared. Seems Julia's classmates, young daughters of Hollywood's elite, were "partying" with high rollers for a thousand bucks a night, and now Caleigh is missing, her parents are lying, and Julia is terrified. But not as terrified as Brett when Caleigh's naked corpse turns up and Julia goes missing.
Brett's attempt to find Julia plunges her into a dark, disturbing journey through moneyed Hollywood and its sinister undersides. Now she must find resources other than drink to overcome her fears, as she is pitted against cunning of a ruthless killer, and a web of deceit in which the darkest secrets may be her own.
"With Coldwater, Diana Gould has staked her claim as a writer on par with the L.A. greats. Think Chandler, Macdonald, and Ellroy. A classic Tinsel-land tour from glitz to gutter -- narrated by a woman on her own trip to narcotic hell, in a voice you'd follow anywhere. For fans of noir, fans of fearless, unflinching fiction, and fans of literature, this is the kind of book you'll read till your eyes bleed, then stagger into daylight in sheer, brain-fucking wonder."
—Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight, Bad Sex On Speed, and Happy Mutant Baby Pills
"Set against Hollywood's darkest side, Diana Gould's gripping debut novel introduces the next great kick-ass suspense heroine. You've got to meet her."
—Jerrilyn Farmer, #1 L.A. Times Bestseller and Macavity and Lefty Award winning author of Madeline Bean Mysteries
"A fast-paced, suspense-filled page turner...Diana Gould knows Hollywood from the inside out, and her cinematic story-telling had me invested from page one thru to the end. Couldn't put it down!"
—Katey Sagal, actor in Sons of Anarchy, Married with Children
"Diana Gold's debut novel is so entertaining you won't even realize she is leading you through the dark side of Hollywood towards truth and light."
—Parabola
A "grip-the-armrests" debut for Gould that will keep you turning pages to the very end. Fascinating character, powerful plot--here's hoping for another installment soon.
—Darrell James, author of the award winning Del Shannon series.
About the Author
Diana Gould has written pilots, movies, episodes and miniseries for network and cable. She was writer-producer of Dynasty, Executive Story Consultant on Knots Landing, created and produced Berrengers. She served on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West, and has taught fiction, screen and playwriting at Goddard's MFA program. Additionally, she teaches at InsightLA, a mindfulness meditation center in Los Angeles.