
A Past Without Pictures
Jonathan Ames(Author)
Mysterious Press
Will be published approx. on 1. September 2026
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-61316-805-9 (ISBN)
Description
An LAPD detective travels to coastal Alabama to investigate the death of the father she hardly knew in this straight-shooting, no-nonsense noir from the author of You Were Never Really Here.
Maria Cole’s life has never been a walk in the park. Raised in foster care and with a history of abuse, her journey to the force was winding and loaded with heartache. When the LAPD detective is involved in a tragic shooting and, soon after, learns that her estranged ex-con father has been murdered, she finds her past surging back in a double-bout of grief.
There is an estate to settle and a funeral to attend, so Maria travels to her father's rural home in coastal Alabama and starts asking questions about his murder. But the tight-lipped locals don’t take kindly to inquisitive outsiders, and she has to tangle with corrupt small-town officials, bigoted cops, and home-grown criminal conspiracies to get answers. In the process, she uncovers shocking revelations about her father’s life—and her own.
Gripping, tightly plotted, and action-packed, A Past Without Pictures is a twisty noir narrative that condenses its sprawling scope into a forcefully fast-paced novella.
Maria Cole’s life has never been a walk in the park. Raised in foster care and with a history of abuse, her journey to the force was winding and loaded with heartache. When the LAPD detective is involved in a tragic shooting and, soon after, learns that her estranged ex-con father has been murdered, she finds her past surging back in a double-bout of grief.
There is an estate to settle and a funeral to attend, so Maria travels to her father's rural home in coastal Alabama and starts asking questions about his murder. But the tight-lipped locals don’t take kindly to inquisitive outsiders, and she has to tangle with corrupt small-town officials, bigoted cops, and home-grown criminal conspiracies to get answers. In the process, she uncovers shocking revelations about her father’s life—and her own.
Gripping, tightly plotted, and action-packed, A Past Without Pictures is a twisty noir narrative that condenses its sprawling scope into a forcefully fast-paced novella.
More details
Language
English
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Weight
302 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61316-805-9 (9781613168059)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jonathan Ames
A Past Without Pictures
E-Book
approx. 09/2026
Simon + Schuster LLC
€15.81
Not yet available
Person
Jonathan Ames is the author of thirteen books, including the Happy Doll series. Two of his books, You Were Never Really Here and The Extra Man, have been turned into films. Ames is also the creator of two television series: Bored to Death and Blunt Talk. Earlier in his life, he was an occasional guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, was a frequent performer with The Moth, and dabbled in boxing, fighting as “The Herring Wonder.” He currently lives in Los Angeles.