The Underground Man by Ross Macdonald

The novel follows private detective Lew Archer as he investigates the disappearance of a young boy named Ronny Broadhurst amidst a backdrop of family secrets, environmental devastation, and social unrest in Southern California. As Archer delves deeper, he uncovers a tangled web of deceit, betrayal, and long-buried grievances that link the boy's disappearance to a series of violent events. The story explores themes of human frailty, the consequences of past actions, and the pervasive impact of hidden truths on the present. The 12174th greatest book of all time