A Violent Masterpiece

by Jordan Harper

Mulholland books
April 28, 2026

This epic crime novel tells a story of Los Angeles power brokers and those at the edge—and a single shattering incident that threatens to bring it all crashing down. 

Los Angeles, right now. America with its back up against the wall. This Frankenstein’s monster of crimes and lurid dreams sewn together into something like a city.    

A city ready to explode: A Hollywood pedophile is arrested, and is ready to tear down the city to get his freedom. A young woman goes missing—and men in black rubber gloves who look like cops clean out her apartment in the middle of the night. And the serial killer known as the LA Ripper is on the loose, leaving tragic/graphic/brutal crime scenes in his wake. Three people trying to keep their heads above the dirty water will find themselves coming together to unite these strands into one enormous, unspeakable crime …   

Foreign Sales:
Faber / UK
Luitingh-Sijthoff’/Netherlands


Praise for A Violent Masterpiece :

"With A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE, Jordan Harper establishes that he is not only the modern master of the unique neon noir of LA or the rough hewn wisdom of the hills but can convincingly make a claim to be one of the finest authors working today "
— SA Cosby

"What a novel. Sun-flecked, blood-drenched, night-saturated, A Violent Masterpiece is page-turning Hollywood noir for an age of crime scene livestreams and billionaires without boundaries. And it’s a love-and-rage letter to Los Angeles: fierce, vivid, unforgettable."
—Meg Gardiner

Razor-sharp dialogue and vivid prose (“The city blurs in the dashcam display.... Like everything has its own light. Like the fire is already burning”) conjure an intoxicating atmosphere of glamor and decay, while Harper’s distinct characters elicit deep emotional investment. The result is a glittering neo-noir with staying power.”
— Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

Praise for Author:

Praise for Everybody Knows

"Hollywood noir doesn't get any darker than Jordan Harper's
dazzling Everybody Knows, where cynicism is rewarded, romance
thwarted and redemption narratives undercut at every turn."
—New York Times Book Review

“Harper writes with a[n]…earthy-yet-elegant wit….This book is
recognisably part of a great tradition, but never seems ersatz: I
doubt there will be a better American crime novel this year.”
—The Telegraph (UK)

“Virtuosically written...Consider me shocked and awed.”
—Airmail

“A mesmerizing whodunit, escapist yet thought-provoking.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Harper displays an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture and
Hollywood history as he spins a tale that isn’t just ripped from
the headlines—it’s probably predicting them.”
—Bookpage, Starred Review

“Don't be surprised if this utterly compelling thriller, which builds on timeless
themes and brings new shading to an iconic landscape, is the noir of the year.”
—Booklist, Starred Review