The Moving Target
About this book
The first book in Ross Macdonald's acclaimed Lew Archer series introduces the detective who redefined the role of the American private eye and gave the crime novel a psychological depth and moral complexity only hinted at before.Like many Southern California millionaires, Ralph Sampson keeps odd company. There's the sun-worshipping holy man whom Sampson once gave his very own mountain; the fading actress with sidelines in astrology and S&M. Now one of Sampson's friends may have arranged his kidnapping.As Lew Archer follows the clues from the canyon sanctuaries of the megarich to jazz joints where you get beaten up between sets, The Moving Target blends sex, greed, and family hatred into an explosively readable crime novel.
Reader Profile
3.9/5 · 77 readers · 212 pages · ≈ 3 h 56 m · Moderate
What order should I read the Lew Archer series?
Read The Moving Target first, then follow the publication order above — The Drowning Pool.
How long does it take to read The Moving Target?
About ≈ 3 h 56 m — 212 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.
How many pages is The Moving Target?
212 pages in its most-read edition.
What genre is The Moving Target?
It sits on the Fiction shelves.
Has The Moving Target been made into a movie or TV show?
Yes — screen adaptations include Harper (1966).
Is The Moving Target in the public domain?
No — it is still under copyright.
Where does The Moving Target take place?
It is set in California.
Who wrote The Moving Target?
Ross MacDonald (1319–1119).
Lew Archer — reading order
- → The Moving Target (1950) you are here
- 1 The Drowning Pool (1950)