When I began reading Daniel Weizmann’s The Last Songbird, I was intrigued that the narrator was a Lyft driver. His favorite off-the-books customer was a mysterious and enigmatic singer from the ’80s, Annie Linden. When Annie turns up missing and ultimately dead, his focus shifts from driving to determining why and what happened. Annie had encouraged his music career and listened to his songs. The trail leads through her life and upends his life as well as members of Annie’s family she never knew. It’s an intriguing mystery written as a private detective type of novel but without enough character development to tie the two main characters together. Not disappointed but not delighted. Not on my recommend highly list!
It’s hard to write a review of a Jo Nesbo Harry Hole novel. But then again, it’s hard to read a Harry Hole mystery. Yet when I saw Killing Moon, the thirteenth book in the series had been published, I immediately bought it. By turns, gripping, intense, disgusting and confusing, I still looked forward to picking it up again and reading to the end. The plot travels from a kidnapping to Harry taking on an almost impossible assignment to find and stop a serial killer. As usual in a Hole novel, there are multiple suspects and theories. As he unites with his old team, they discover a killer using biochemistry as his ultimate weapon. Since this method involves toxins secreted by slugs that have to be ingested, the descriptions do get extremely gross. Harry does eventually save the day and refuses the offer to return to his former career as a police officer.
