title: The Galton Case (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
author: Ross Macdonald
description: <i>The Galton Case</i>, published in 1959, was Ross Macdonald's breakthrough book. Its predecessors are craftsmanlike, highly literate, hard-boiled detective stories; <i>The Galton Case</i> and most of its successors are literature that happens to inhabit the detective-story form. For Macdonald the man, <i>Galton</i> was the first book in which he explored his deepest personal concerns (he was the child of a broken home who was passed from relative to relative in his youth). For readers, it's the book in which he first perfected the balancing act that became his trademark: a tightly written page-turner that also probes profound themes and frequently rises to something like poetry.
zlib_text: ![](Images/image00132.jpeg)
  
  Back Cover Copy
  
  _Working for his ex and his boyfriend, Dino’s past and present cross._
  
  Dino is caught off guard when his ex shows up out of the blue asking for help.
  His current lover, Seth, is pushing him to find dirt on his sister’s
  boyfriend. Juggling between two cases—and his boyfriend and ex—isn’t easy, but
  what choice does he have?
  
  Working with his ex takes Dino on a trip down memory lane, raising a few
  doubts and stirring up Seth’s jealousy. Now he must save his ex’s restaurant
  and his relationship with Seth before it’s too late.
  
  Content Warning: Explicit sexual situations, M/M sex and mild violence.
  
  Highlight
  
  Seth hopped out and started around the car to cross the street. I hung back
  and reached under the seat to grab my gun and holster, which I’d been keeping
  there since the business with Gigi started. Easy to get to if I need it, but
  stays hidden until I do.
  
  “What’cha doing?” Seth had turned back and was standing near my side of the
  car.
  
  “