Turn Left at Doheny

At the outset of this flat crime novel from Freedman (Fallen Idols), a lowlife called Wycliff steals a car in Arizona and drives to L.A., where he hopes to inherit money from his estranged brother, Billy, who’s dying of AIDS. Despite their mutual hostility, Billy agrees to let Wycliff check him out of the hospital and supervise his home care during his final days without promising Wycliff a cent. Meanwhile, Wycliff is certain that Charlotte, a mysterious woman who picks him up in a bar, wants something from him, but he has little luck discovering what that might be. Wycliff meets another woman, Amelia, with whom he feels a romantic connection, but continues to see Charlotte. (At one point, Amelia pulls him into her bedroom, “where they fell onto the bed, making out like bandits.”) Unconvincing as either a loving brother or a potential soul mate for Amelia, Wycliff remains pretty much the same clueless loser throughout. Agent: Steve Kasdin, Curtis Brown. (May)