Other than an unlikely MO the characters were well written and the story had any easy flow. He was born in 1915 and died in 1983. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. He is the author of crime fiction and mystery novels. Archer comes into a town which is going downhill after an earthquake a couple of years ago. Find the Woman by Ross MacDonald For a first effort and for its time, the story was pretty good; although the murder itself was a bit far-fetched. Lew Archer himself did not stand out much in this one. Ross MacDonald is a Canadian and American author of fiction. It is the pen name of Kenneth Millar. "Find a Victim" tones down the sometimes over-the-top descriptions, and thus focuses the reader more on the setting (than the sentences). A very straight but nonetheless surprising plot, a mesmerizing, melancholic and brutal atmosphere, and an ending which reminds you of plays by Eugene O'Neill. I've read about a dozen of Macdonald's Lew Archer novels, and this is one of the best. The mystery itself is a little stronger in "Find a Victim," though Macdonald still relies on Archer eavesdropping just as a crucial conversation takes place. The Wycherly Woman (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) He is considered to be one of the masters when it comes to the genre of hard boiled mystery, along with Raymond Chandler and Dashell Hammet. The Wycherly Woman (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) [Macdonald, Ross] on Amazon.com.