Behind Sunset by David Gordon is a gritty and wildly entertaining murder mystery that strikes the perfect balance between suspense and dark humor. The story follows Elliot, an unassuming and thoroughly ordinary man whose life takes a sharp turn into chaos. As events spiral beyond anything he could have anticipated, readers are pulled into a twisting narrative that’s as unpredictable as it is fun to follow.

What makes this novel especially compelling is its cast of vibrant, offbeat characters who are as memorable as they are lovable. Their dialogue is sharp and often laugh-out-loud funny, adding levity to the darker elements of the story. Elliot’s resourcefulness is a highlight—he may be far from a traditional hero, but his quick thinking and surprising resilience keep the tension high and the reader invested.

David Gordon excels at blending crime, humor, and character-driven storytelling into a fast-paced plot that never lets up. Behind Sunset is a clever, addictive read that offers not only mystery but also personality in spades. A thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish.

3.5 rounded up. A gritty, raunchy, yet also funny book about what it takes to survive working in Hollywood — at least on the periphery of A-, B-, C-, and even D-listers. Elliot is an accomplished writer but the only writing job he can find is as an associate editor for Raunchy magazine and its Larry Flint-like, wheelchair-bound owner. He is assigned jobs such as testing the life-like sex dolls for the company. When the Raunchy owner falls for the latest cover girl, Elliott is tasked with finding her which leads him into the Valley and more shady characters. It becomes a bit madcap and mysterious at this point.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @HighbridgeAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #BeyondSunset for review purposes. This book was officially published on 22 July 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Stephen Bowlby narrates this story and does a good job alternating between characters.

Elliot is a writer for an adult (porn) magazine that clearly doesn’t pay well and is an overall soul-sucking job. When his boss, a vile porno rag owner, asks him to write up th January cover girl who is only known by an alias and is also the boss's latest girlfriend, the story, Elliot realizes its not the girl but the tape she stole that the boss is after.

I am not sure if it was the topic of porn, the loathsome characters, or just the lack of a story for this one but I really had a hard time staying engaged in this one. It rambled a bit and I really had not a lot of interest in this one. 3 stars.

I admit, there were moments while listening to this audiobook when I realized I had no idea what was happening.

We follow Elliot, a writer for an adult magazine that clearly doesn’t pay well, and for a while, that’s about all I felt sure of. I thought this was going to be about him searching for a missing woman… turns out, it’s more about a missing VHS tape.

There are a few side plots that are pretty entertaining on their own, and the humor throughout definitely kept me hooked. The narrator did a great job.

Overall, I found it a little hard to follow at first, but by the end, everything came together.

I’d definitely check out more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advanced copy.