Downward-Facing Death

by Neal Pollack

Blessed with uncanny deductive skills and a blasé disregard for authority, Matt Bolster was a rising LAPD homicide detective by the age of thirty-five. He was also overworked, divorced, near-alcoholic, and miserable. Then, to impress a girl, he agreed to try yoga. And with a single savasana, everything changed.Now Bolster has traded his badge and gun for a scraggly beard and the life of an itinerant yoga teacher, dabbling in P.I. work to make rent. He mostly handles missing-persons cases, credit-card fraud – nothing too messy. But that’s before Ajoy Chaterjee, the billionaire founder of one of the world’s leading yoga-business empires, is found murdered inside his West L.A. flagship studio. Bolster knows the LAPD doesn’t have a prayer of cracking the secrets of the yoga world. But he does, and he really needs the dough.

Of course, sticking to the principles of the yamas and niyamas during a murder investigation isn’t easy, especially with so many hot women among the suspects. But personal ethics will be the least of Bolster’s problems if the killer finds him first.Episode ListThis book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book. Learn more about Kindle Serials

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Amazon, Cozy, Crime

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2012

About the author

Neal Pollack’s first book, The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, was published in 2000, becoming an (almost) instant cult classic. His debut novel, Never Mind the Pollacks, hit shelves in 2003, and was shamelessly promoted by his band, The Neal Pollack Invasion. In 2007, he published Alternadad, a best-selling memoir. In 2010, Pollack became a certified yoga teacher and published Stretch, a nonfiction account of his adventures in American yoga culture. He has contributed to The New York Times, Wired, Slate, Yoga Journal, and Vanity Fair, among many other publications. Thomas & Mercer published his historical noir novel Jewball in March 2012, and debuted his "yoga detective" novel, Downward-Facing Death, in serialized fiction form in September, 2012. His latest book, a time-traveling romantic comedy called Repeat, will be published in March 2015. He and his wife, the painter Regina Allen, live with their son in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like murder mysteries, I thought. I practice yoga. I am a natural reader for this one, I thought.

I was wrong.

I don't get this book. It's a yoga-based modern noir, with a rumpled PI and a mat-toting moll. So it's a clever idea. But it's also a constant commentary on the perceived superficiality of Los Angeles, right down to the highly annoying way that people in LA constantly talk about what routes they're going to take to get places, that fails to ring true to me as anything other than a parody. It skewers yoga culture, but does not actually reflect any single person I've ever met who practices yoga. At various points it goes into long descriptions of yoga practice which seems to both assume that the reader is familiar with the Sanskrit terms for yoga poses and that the reader has no idea how to practice yoga. It's weird.

It reminded me a lot of why I dislike the kinds of culinary mysteries that step out of the story to talk about how great muffins are for two pages, and then give you a muffin recipe. So, really, I didn't like this book, but I'm sure someone does.

[Amber Polo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook, not the Kindle serial.
If you love yoga and humor Neal Pollack nailed both. The insider jokes were right on.
To write satire like this you have to love what you're making fun of, and I have no doubt Pollack does. Matt Bolster the hard boiled PI yogi!
Though now not too many teachers or students would want to be in class with him. ;)
A L.A. yoga cop mystery. Loved the narrator. I’d read/listen to another.

[Juno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pollack is hilarious and both loves and sees through yoga and yoga culture. The extremely dead-on LA details and gumshoe details make it all work just beautifully

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a world-famous yoga guru is murdered, the Los Angeles police department calls on the help fo former police officer, Matt Bolster. (Yes, that is his name). Anyway, Matt is no longer a hard-hitting, corrupt policeman. Now he is a dope-smoking poor yoga teacher. But since there is a lot of yoga related crime in Los Angeles, according to Matt anyway, he is often called in to consult. But he has never been called in for something so high-profile and the city is offering big money for him to solve this murder. So Matt accepts the job and begins his investigation not knowing what a stir he is going to cause.

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it when it was a Kindle Serial but I did not read it until all the episodes had loaded. I did not plan it that way but I am glad I did since I don't do cliff-hangers well. I love yoga so I just had to read it. Even though it gives a less than idealistic view of the yoga business, I found it lots of fun to read. They mystery was pretty good too. Matt is an interesting character and the world of LA yoga that he paints is full of one nut job after another. His descriptions of LA are very good. I hope to see Matt again.

[Laura Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I'm really digging this Kindle serial. I had never read any books in this format before, and while it can be frustrating waiting for the next installment, it's also pretty fun to read along and see where the author takes things.

I've read some of Pollack's stuff before at the late, great Über, and enjoyed his work, so I figured this would be a good serial to start with. While his previous writing was a lot more snarky and hipster, this story actually fits in well with the "cozy mystery" genre (despite the opening crime being pretty grotesque). It's also a funny take on the yoga craze in California (which is becoming equally common here in Austin), featuring a blogger whose entire "job" is visiting as many yoga classes per day as possible, and a former detective who now dabbles in criminal investigations in between yoga poses.

Definitely looking forward to finding out whodunit, and following this serial to the end. Keep 'em coming, Neal!

[Cheyenne Hornburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are into crime novels and yoga, and have a sense of humor about both, you will enjoy this series. Live the Kindle serial and hope to see more from Pollack. Have loved his writing since Alternadad. He writes as if talking to you as a friend. I dig it.

[Shrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining genre fiction (even if the "Yoga Mystery" genre contains a sum total of 1 writer).

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been meaning to read this book forever but never got around to picking it up until the tbr challenge. BAM! The prologue had me hooked. Love the 70s hippy flashback protagonist. Liked the snark about yoga. Gotta love your subject to be able to make fun of it. Hilarious situations and a great character but the story and mystery needs work.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ex-cop turned yoga teacher cum private investigator is hired by the FBI to investigate the death of a prominent Hollywood yoga guru. The narrative is simplistic and might not appeal to all, but the numerous yoga analogies make this a fun read for yoga practitioners. A hilarious and insightful outlook into the commercialization of yoga culture.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. little gory and odd story. the narrator was great. really made me want to hit up a yoga class.

Needed another light read. Short. Should be done soon.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF by 25% of the way through had become so tedious I decided to give up. Maybe if you like yoga it’s more interesting?

[Neil Levitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny noir

Great blend of crime, noir, LA and yoga underbelly.
Very funny but with depth and grit.
Not afraid to make fun of its subject matter

[Deena MR Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and entertaining

I enjoyed the mystery of the yoga cult like mentality of LA. There were a couple ups and downs but in all the book read easily.

[Jacquelyn Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute plot with an unexpected twist at the end.

[Peter W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book. Try it.

I'm open to on more books in this series . The author has a style that I like.






Try it.

[Natalie Puccini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cross between crime and the yoga industry

I practice yoga and like crime stories so this was the perfect marriage of both! I would recommend if you have these two interests

[Julesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to try another yoga mystery in hopes that it would relax me while listening to the descriptions of the yoga poses. Instead this book was full of boring yoga philosophy and history with non-descript poses. The writing was rather crude, coming from a male former detective perspective, which was quite opposite from my expectations of a calming environment. The only reason I stuck through this audio was a very good narrator. I won't be reading the next book.

[Kathleen Hagen]

Downward-Facing Death, b-plus, by Neal Pollack, Narrated by Fred Stella, Produced by Brilliance Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.

Anyone who has practiced yoga will recognize from the title alone that this book will have to do with yoga. Downward-facing death is a take-off on the pose downward-facing dog. And the name of the protagonist, Matt Bolster, is surely a spoof on yoga props. This is however a good book. Here is the publisher’s note.

Downward facing death... Blessed with uncanny deductive skills and a blasé disregard for authority, Matt Bolster was a rising LAPD homicide detective by
the age of 35. He was also overworked, near-alcoholic, and miserable. Then, to impress a girl, he agreed to try yoga. And with a single savasana, everything
changed. Now Bolster has traded his badge for a three-day stubble and the life of an itinerant yoga teacher, dabbling in PI work to make rent. He mostly
handles missing-persons cases, credit-card fraud - nothing too messy. But that's before Ajoy Chaterjee, the wealthy mogul behind one of the world's leading
yoga-business empires, is found murdered inside his West L.A. flagship studio. Bolster knows the LAPD doesn't have a prayer of cracking the secrets of
the yoga world. But he does, and he really needs the dough. Of course, sticking to the principles of the yamas and niyamas during a murder investigation
isn't easy, especially with so many alluring women among the suspects. But personal ethics will be the least of Bolster's problems if the killer finds
him first.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like hard-boiled private eye stories AND downward dog, this is the book for you. I confess when I ordered this book (originally published as a Kindle Serial), I expected hokey schlock but the writing is entertaining and the main character Matt Bolster (I know, booo, what a cheesy name, my fellow yogis will immediately get why) keeps you interested. If you know yoga, you will also appreciate the details--the main character Bolster is a former cop turned yoga teacher turned private eye when he is asked by the L.A. police to assist them in a murder of a famous yoga guru. Some of the characters in this book are well drawn and likable (e.g. his roommate and handy "weed" supplier Slim), others not so much, which is a weakness here. But Pollack is at his best when it comes to commenting on the California culture and those less than scrupulous people who try to turn yoga into a chic, exclusive hobby that you must spend SO much $$$ on. I will definitely get the next book in his series and look forward to more of the adventures of this very flexible and unique private eye. Namaste, dear readers.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should place a disclaimer here and state that I haven't read this book in its entirety. If that compromises the quality of my review, I apologize.

I started reading "Downward Facing Death" in its serial format and put it down for some time. I came back to the book later when the story was complete and released in full. Perhaps it's more enjoyable when broken up monthly. About halfway through the book my interest was waning rapidly and the quality of writing seemed to go the way of birds in the winter. There were a few almost chuckle worthy moments and your typical yet welcome murder mystery cliches yet after awhile it's tongue in cheek reference to Yoga and its practitioners started to feel a bit on the nose as did much of the plot. I really wanted to finish it but the urge to move on to something else was too strong. This is one of those titles that would have worked better as a short story.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as a Kindle Serial. This was a good format for the story as long as one is willing to wait for each episode to come out (once a month). Neal Pollack did a good job in folding Yoga into the story. By the time I had read the book I felt that was also a practitioner of yoga (at list in the mind). I liked how he ended the story, which wasn't typical for a murder mystery -- the book is just as much about the main character's, Matt Bolster, journey into yoga as it was about solving the murder.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really interesting reading a novel this way (a serial). This was a fun and entertaining book and the main character is lively and hilarious. The last installment of the book did get too graphic for me so I had to skip some pages but overall I enjoyed it. The many yoga references and the details of the L.A. yoga scene were unique and a definitely intriguing. I had no idea a "dark underbelly" existed in the world of yoga!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I would check out a few of these Kindle Singles - for $1.99 you can't go too far wrong right? So far there is only one episode of this book, but I'm drawn in and can't wait for the next 5-6 to download (at no extra charge!) in the next few months.

Bolster is an ex-cop turned Yogi, a high end Yogi is killed and Bolster is asked to come help his old police force navigate the Yoga world and practices to help find the killer.

Can't wait for the future installments!

[Bethann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely intrigued. Light, fast read. I liked all the text-world, text-self connections I could make with this book and its thinly-veiled reference to Bikram Yoga. Very entertaining. Looking forward for the next part!
Update - what a STUPID book. I am sorry I recommended it to anyone. The first few parts were fun and light, but the plot got more and more stupid and contrived. The ending was ridiculous!

[Dacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The serial format of this book did not work for me. I read fast and I read a lot, so by the time a new installment came out, I had pretty much forgotten what had happened so far. Although I have enjoyed other serialized novels, I think the plot and characters in Downward Facing Death just weren't compelling enough to keep me thinking about them beyond when I shut the book (er, kindle case, I suppose).

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first experience with a Kindle Serial. The concept works; it's nice to fire up the Kindle and find a new segment right at your fingertips. The book was OK. I'd recommend it only to those who practice yoga, know a thing or two about it, and happen to like mysteries. Otherwise it's too much of an inside joke.

[Keith Vandenbergh · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first serial. The story moved along well enough in the early going but as the episodes continued I found myself losing interest. It's a straight forward story with a likable protagonist but not quite enough to it to keep my interest though the gaps. Top it off with a relatively anti-climatic ending and I couldn't bring myself to say more than that it was just okay.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read for anyone who is interested in yoga. For a yoga teacher or serious yoga student it will be a fictional romp into many of the real things that go on in the yoga world. It explores some of the dark sides of yoga and some of the soothing nurturing aspects too. I didn't need the swearing but over all I enjoyed the book.

[Shawnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I never would've believed 20+ yrs ago I'd find some of the languauge and/or situations a little uncomfortable, I found this installment entertaining and intriguing. I look forward to the next of the series.

[Diane Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was completely hysterical -- a great look at Los Angeles ("getting anywhere takes an hour"), at yoga culture, at the craziness of celebrity, at how we let ourselves get sucked into what we think other people want.