From four-time Emmy-nominated actor Jon Lindstrom of General Hospital, Bosch, and True Detective fame, comes a gripping debut thriller set in the dark underbelly of Hollywood.

Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Win’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But what they don’t know is…his movie money is long gone.

Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective who used to consult on Win’s cop films.

There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.

This propulsive and tense thriller will transport readers to the seedier side of LA, depicted in bold prose by a Hollywood insider.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Crooked Lane Books, February, 2024 (Pre-Empt)

• USA TODAY Bestseller List
• Bookbub’s 22 New Books We’re Excited to Read in February
• Bookspan’s Mystery Guild Book Club Pick
• Hasty Book List “Most Anticipated”
• Good Day PA “Most Anticipated”

• Hollywood Reporter’s This Week’s Best Events Feature

• Featured on:
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  • Lifestyles with Lillian Vasquez – KVCR/PBS
  • Authors on the Air with Pam Stack

“Lindstrom has penned a love letter to the City of Angels, vividly rendering its varied neighborhoods in meticulous detail. A quick, entertaining diversion.”
—Booklist

“An engaging protagonist makes this thriller a fun ride”
—Kirkus

“Effective cliffhangers”
—Publishers Weekly

“Lindstrom uses his knowledge of Hollywood to deliver a clever and gripping thriller, and he writes like a pro. It is hard to believe this is a debut.”
—firstCLUE

“The evocative and darkly hilarious tale of a kidnapping of a Hollywood star’s daughter is well paced and quite descriptive…a quite strong and enjoyable tale.”
—Bookanon

“If you’re looking for a gritty, edgy getaway to LA without ever leaving your sofa, Hollywood Hustle is it! Harkening back to days of noir, this action-packed thriller will grab you from page 1.”
—Lisa Gardner, #1 NYT bestselling author

“A high stakes, high octane thrill ride! Lindstrom, a Hollywood insider, is the real deal.”
—Robert Dugoni, New York Times Best-Selling Author of The Tracy Crosswhite Series.

“A pulse-pounding thriller that immerses you into the seamy underworld of Hollywood. Complex themes of duty, regret, loyalty, and second chances will have you rooting for Win, our down-on-his-luck hero. I raced through it!”
—Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Hollywood Hustle is a propulsive, unputdownable thriller that explores the dark side behind the glitter and glamour of LaLa Land. Only a true Hollywood insider could pull back the curtain in such a captivating way. And only an immensely talented writer could have you turning the pages at lightning speed. Jon Lindstrom is both. This is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read.”
—Alex Finlay, author of The Night Shift and Every Last Fear

“This addictive thriller is a binge-read… Jon Lindstrom has exploded onto the scene with a resounding bang.”
—Samantha M. Bailey, USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE and WATCH OUT FOR HER

“Jon Lindstrom’s Hollywood Hustle has all the premium ingredients: lead character you’ll invest in and root for, nail-biting action, strong, smart women, adversaries worthy of your time, and heart with a story of a dad and his life or death devotion to family—all making the perfect recipe for a bestselling thriller.”
—Yasmin Angoe, Anthony-nominated author of the critically acclaimed Nena Knight series, Her Name Is Knight, They Come at Knight, It End with Knight.

“Winston Greene, an over the hill movie star with good instincts and bad luck, is the reader’s guide through the Los Angeles demimonde of drugs, thugs, kidnappers, cops—and decent men and women trying against odds to live ordinary, honest lives. Jon Lindstrom brings his large cast to life in a rich, lively, suspenseful novel that has, in abundance, realism, humor (and a satisfying body count).”
—Castle Freeman Jr., acclaimed author of Go with Me, All That I Have and The Devil in the Valley

“With every page in Hollywood Hustle, Jon Lindstrom just keeps right on raising the stakes and tightening all the screws. The book is impossible to put down so do pick up on it as soon as you can.”
—Robert Greenfield, best-selling author of True West: Sam Shepard’s Life, Work, and Times and Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell with The Rolling

“Hollywood Hustle is an insanely paced thriller that will leave you guessing up to the last minute. As an actor, director, and writer, Jon Lindstrom knows the intimacies of Hollywood — and he knows them intimately. Lindstrom combines a deep knowledge of the history of Los Angeles with a propulsive modern take on the noir tradition.”
—James & Paula O’Byrne, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, New Orleans Times Picayune

“From Venice Beach to the Valley, Jon Lindstrom delivers a wild ride in technicolor. His characters sing with grit and you won’t see where they’re headed ’til they arrive or are taken down.”
—John McMahon, Author of The Good Detective

“Lindstrom uses his knowledge of Hollywood to deliver a clever and gripping thriller, and he writes like a pro. It is hard to believe this is a debut.”
—Jeff Ayers, First Clue Reviews

“Writing with an assured voice, Hollywood veteran actor Jon Lindstrom brings a wealth of authenticity, sharp wit, and ingenuity to his twisty immensely entertaining debut novel. Don’t miss this one. People will be talking about it all year.”
—Steven James, bestselling author of Broker of Lies

“Sharp prose, vivid descriptions, and a cast of colorful characters set in sun-drenched L.A. mark this debut filled with intrigue, heart, and echoes of Chandler and Leonard.”
—Aaron Philip Clark, author of the ITW Thriller Award-nominated UNDER COLOR OF LAW and BLUE LIKE ME

“Bold, cinematic, shocking, compelling, and addictive, Jon Lindstrom’s debut crime thriller is vividly conveyed.”
—Will “the Thrill” Viharo

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