Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the United States. Phoebe goes to Los Angeles to look for Arabella, as that is Arabella’s last known location. The depiction of Los Angeles in the novel appears to be based somewhat on the depictions of Los Angeles found in classic detective novels, specifically in the works of Raymond Chandler. Namely, the atmosphere of Los Angeles in The Feral Detective is fairly lonely and isolating. In contrast, the character of Stephanie views Los Angeles as a place of relative ease and comfort compared to New York City.

Mount Baldy

Mount Baldy is a mountain range bordering the city of Los Angeles. As Phoebe searches for Arabella, she goes to Mount Baldy to visit the Buddhist zen center there. Phoebe knows that Arabella is a fan of Leonard Cohen and that Cohen himself used to visit that zen...