The Last Songbird

Pacific Coast Highway Mystery #1

by Daniel Weizmann

A gritty, fast-paced neo-noir that explores the consumptive nature of fame, celebrity, and motherhood through the lens of a driver lost in the gig economy.

A struggling songwriter and Lyft driver, Adam Zantz’s life changes when he accepts a ride request in Malibu and 1970s music icon Annie Linden enters his dented VW Jetta. Bonding during that initial ride, the two quickly go off app— over the next three years, Adam becomes her exclusive driver and Annie listens to his music, encouraging Adam even as he finds himself driving more often than songwriting.

Then, Annie disappears, and her body washes up under a pier. Left with a final, cryptic text— ‘come to my arms’— a grieving Adam plays amateur detective, only to be charged as accomplice-after-the-fact. Desperate to clear his name and discover who killed the one person who believed in his music when no one else in his life did, Adam digs deep into Annie’s past, turning up an old guitar teacher, sworn enemies and lovers, and a long-held secret that spills into the dark world of a shocking underground Men’s Rights movement. As he drives the outskirts of Los Angeles in California, Adam comes to question how well he, or anyone else, knew Annie— if at all.

The Last Songbird is a poignant novel about love, obsession, the price of fame and the burden of broken dreams, with a shifting, twisting plot that's full of unexpected turns.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime, Noir, Adult

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

Daniel Weizmann is the author the Pacific Coast Highway Mystery series. Crime fiction legend T. Jefferson Parker described series debut The Last Songbird as "rock noir at its best...half Warren Zevon and half Raymond Chandler." New York Times bestselling author Reed Farrel Coleman described the second title in the series, Cinnamon Girl, as “Evocative, nostalgic, haunting, twisty, and true...everything there is to love about a classic PI novel." Daniel's work has also appeared in the LA Times, the UK Guardian, Billboard, and California Magazine.

Reviews

[Jaksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. A true contemporary mystery written by a contemporary writer.

I spend a lot of time reading series, both older and fairly new ones, and most of them are written by established writers - I'm up to book #20 and further in some of them! And while I love them, and many are written by my forever-favorite writers, I sometimes feel the urge to read something new. Something written by someone younger, who's experiencing life like I did back in the - mumbles - 70's and 80's. Yep, I am that old.

But I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Written in the tempo of this new century - is it still new? - and with a flavor, excitement, and boldness all its own. I might have missed a few modern references here and there, but overall, boy, I got it. The surprise is this, though: Weizmann is writing about a rock star who made it big IN the 70's and 80's - he gets it right!

The story of Adam Zantz, Californian Lyft driver, who picks up 73-year old Annie Linden, a songwriter/musician who made it big four-five decades earlier. She lives on the beach, is still fully in charge of all her 'faculties,' and takes on Adam as her personal driver. (Off-app, as they say.) Problem is, she's found dead only a short time later...

And therein lies the mystery. Adam has a rich back history, sprinkled into the story - no infodumps here! - and connected with Annie in a special way. (He writes songs, too!) And so, he wants to find out what her final message to him meant, and what 'secrets' she was hiding. Why do this? Well, read this wonderful, modern, new book and find out.

Five stars, and I hope Mr. Weizmann keeps writing...

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A Lyft driver befriends a legendary 60's-70's songstress. When she dies mysteriously, the driver tries to unravel things.

This could have been called "Wednesday, The Rabbi Listened to Joni Mitchell. It's about the most self consciously Jewish novel I've read that wasn't by Kemelman. In that way it was dated, like going to one of Jackie Mason's shows in Branson.

A strange book for sure.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary ARC of this excellent debut novel from Netgalley, author Daniel Weizmann, and publisher Melville House Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Last Songbird of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Daniel Weizmann is an author I will follow. He writes a tale with heart.

Adam Zantz is 37, supports himself as a Lyft Driver, and writes songs on the side. He hasn't had a great deal of songwriting success, but enough to encourage him to keep trying to break into the Southern California music business. His best Lyft customer, dearest friend, and most encouraging musical supporter is 73-year-old retired songstress Annie Linden, the grand dame of rock for the last 5 decades. Even most of the hip kids love her. Annie has an extensive gated complex on the ocean, but she doesn't live in the big house, but rather the small cottage on the beach. Set to pick her up at 8:00 pm for a sunset run up Pacific Coast Highway, Adam arrives a few minutes late to find the place overflowing with police. Annie is missing. Her security man Troy is dead. Her secretary Bix is also not to be found. Adam doesn't mention the fact that Bix was recently fired - again - because it is a pattern that has been enacted several times over the years.

And then Annie is found, badly bruised and very dead, floating under the Hermosa Pier. Definitely murder and the list of suspects just keeps growing. The husband she has been separated from for the last 25 years tops Adam's list - under California law, he will automatically inherit her estate and he's been a lazy user for all these years. But the cops arrest Bix with single-minded vigor. If this crime will be looked at any more intensely, Adam will have to do it. And he is surprised at how often he is surprised. He really had thought he knew Annie...

Reviewed on May 8, 2023, at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed on May 23, 2023, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the first to rate and review this one. Awesome. Let's go...
They say you should never meet your heroes. Adam Zantz, the protagonist of this novel not only meet one of his but he gets to drive his. Well, technically he meets her through his LYFT driving but soon becomes his hero’s exclusive set of wheels.
Adam is a failed musician, a thirty-seven-year-old man with no plan. Annie Linden is a seventy-three-year-old musical legend on par with other ‘70s famous songstresses; her fame has declined over the years, but that only gave her a sort of cult status. An early feminist icon, etc.
For Adam she quickly becomes a mother-figure, sort of girlfriend replacement, plus, someone with connections who can potentially make all his music dreams come true.
And then, Annie is found dead. Murdered. And Adam, in his grief and his anguish, falls back onto his former experience as an investigator to try and figure out just what happened.
He begins poking around and, before he knows it, his journey is taking him right behind the curtain of Annie’s life (fraught, complicated, messy) and music business (much the same) itself.
Like many people, Annie Linden was more likeable and admirable when shrouded in mystery, but Adam can’t stop, won’t stop. Not until he finds out who killed the last songbird.
A very solid debut from Daniel Weizmann. Well-written, character driven, exciting. The author writes music like someone who really knows music, the way it stays with you, lives with you, defines you. A very LA story–drive all night, bright lights, outsized personalities sort of thing. A very solid neoNoir tone to the narrative. A very solid suspense thriller that has you guessing until the very end. This one works on all levels and entertains plenty. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weizmann has written a neo-noir that gets every generation of LA right from the free-wheeling spirits of the seventies to the gig-hardened hustlers of the twenties. (Plus some great Easter eggs for South Bay Gen Xers.) Weizmann's Lyft-driving detective endless patrolling PCH is the hero we need now. Highly recommended.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rock noir mystery about Addy, a failed songwriter & Lyft driver, and Annie, an older 1970s folk music icon. He picks her up as a Lyft driver late one night, an odd relationship develops between the two, she is murdered, and he is the likely suspect....so....?? Not a bad story with decent writing but wasn't one of my favorites this year.

[malak:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lemme start this lazy and short review by saying this book was good-

Like it was really good

However I am going to talk about some things in the story that need some tweaking...

Why does literally everyone Adam goes to in their house just let's him in??? Like you literally don't know this person

And he's so obsessed w Annie linden like pls stop you were just her driver-

But the fact that she had a whole other kid- 🤭🤭🤭.

I was 😱

Love youuu 💗

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 37 Lyft driver Adam Zantz has had a few different jobs, including an investigative license, but at heart he is a songwriter. Therefore, 3 years ago he was happy to get a call to pick up former singer songwriter Annie Linden, who was a sensation in years past. Then one night he gets a text to pick her up and discovers the police there, her security man is dead and Annie has disappeared. Adam becomes a suspect and begins to investigate the mysteries of Annie's life. This is a fast-paced novel and Weizmann uses lyrics of songs for chapter headings readers may recognize and find themselves humming.

[Mark Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book I can recommend. I wasn’t always sure why the main character, Addy, does what he does or how he can know some of the things he comes up with. I see that fewer than 30 readers have rated the book thus far and that mine is not the prevalent opinion.

[Rick Cornfeld · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mess of a book.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Zantz lives behind the wheel, dreaming up lyrics as he drives strangers through the city maze." "Even on the job, with complete strangers in the back, new lyrics seized [him] like a kidnapper...". Addy Zanz, 37 years old, failed songwriter...Lyft driver.

Annie Linden, 73 year old music icon, listened to Addy's tunes. Bonding after the first ride, they were now off app. "My Lyft driver is a real songwriter....those are incredible tunes...It's just a little bag of diamonds in the rough...". Annie often sent cryptic messages when requesting a pick-up. "AZ beach house 8 PM come to my arms." Recently, Annie requested help from her trusted Lyft driver. "I need to find out about someone, some people from my past-I'm getting old. And I want...need to 'close some circles', look into some people." Addy, formerly dabbling in detective work as an amateur, had an expired license. He had only done repos and served papers.

Two time Grammy nominee, Annie Linden, had an adoring fan base but she also had enemies. When her body was discovered under the pier at Hermosa Beach in LA, the police would investigate her death as a homicide. Annie's entanglements would come to light. Who was the true Annie hiding behind the curtain of fame?

Addy and Annie had an 'unspoken bargain". Addy had agreed to track down random items on her short list. Was it really his business?...yes...seemingly so. He needed to clear his name after being implicated and charged with being an accessory after the fact. The suspected killer, Bix Gelden, was being held without bail for the murders of Annie and her security guard, Troy Banks. Bix, Annie's PA had been hired and fired multiple times. Bix hoped Addy would help find his angrily penned letters. "Bix looked guilty, smelled guilty, on some cosmic level was guilty...but...[Addy] didn't believe he was actually guilty of murder." Addy was obsessed with finding answers.

At what cost, fame? So called friends...would they support you or use you? Could your past actions and secrets stay buried or come back to bite you? This intriguing mystery novel explores Annie's fame and its widespread web of inner circle secrets. Highly recommended.

Thank you Melville House Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the eARC to NetGalley. I absolutely love discovering books like this, a top notch LA mystery. This is an updated LA noir featuring a washed up songwriter's investigation into the murder of a famous singer, for whom he was a driver. His elliptical investigation turns into an archeological dig into her past and the cast of characters she was surrounded by both before and after she became famous. On one level, this is a meditation on how a famous, talented woman had to keep her secrets and how her success became the object of hatred to so many around her. The fact of her luminescence snaked around the brains of those who were supposed to help her to the point that they had to try to take it away. The protagonist is the opposite in that he tries to help her. This is a very good murder mystery but a great meditation on masculinity at the current moment in history.

[Laura Foxworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a big detective or noir reader, but I do love books set in Los Angeles. I’m also a huge music fan, and music is in the DNA of this book (each chapter title are song lyrics). I loved the pace of the novel, and the mystery got me - I did not see the solve coming. The last three chapters were especially well written and moving.
I did find myself wishing I knew more about the victim herself, though post reading I see that not knowing her was part of the plot. I also wanted to know more about Adam, the protagonist, earlier in the novel. The thing I loved about the last three chapters was finally getting inside him as a character.
-
All in all, this was an enjoyable ride through LA, and I am definitely interested in the detective cases that come next.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really clever story about a songbird of about my generation using real-life lyrics as chapter titles and fodder for plot development.
I with that I could have read this right through without stopping as there were some confusingly similar characters to keep straight.

[Bill Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a big problem when a novel about a supposedly gifted, even iconic singer-songwriter, and a supposedly talented but yet undiscovered songwriter, features such trite and mediocre lyrics from both of these fictional musicians. A bigger problem than the music not being convincing is that the mystery driving this L.A. noir wannabe isn’t very convincing either. And there’s a disagreeable odor of misogyny throughout the narrative that, whatever the author’s intention, left this reader cold. This appears to be a series debut; I won’t be looking for the next installment.

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a dumpster fire moving through LA traffic during rush hour. The worst part isn’t even the ending, it’s the fact that this might be the start of a series.

[Jeneane Vanderhoof · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Songbird is one of the best books I have read in years and will remain on my shelf of books that are classified as “best of the best''. Although it is not one of the books I will revisit every year (put some time between re-reads), it is one of the books that I would say, had I not read it, I would have missed a great one, there would have been a hole in my “literature heart” where this book has its spot. Yes, there will have to be a revisitation, and recommendations, but, they will all be at special times.

The main character, Annie Linden, is an aged folk music legend much like what I would have thought Janis Joplin to be like, having survived that era. And, when most others failed to survive that time period, that should be a feat worthy of a legend, itself. Nonetheless, all think of her and her music as just that. And, though Annie’s music no longer has the popularity it once did, there is still a “cult” following of the woman. She has to have a security guard at her fancy beach house, for her protection, but people no longer come in droves, as they once did. However, all the better to spot the nutcases who surround the woman even though the few who are close to the legend are mostly oddballs. Annie seems to be attracted to “unique” people.

When she is found murdered, they arrest the very worst of her clique, “their culprit”, a drug addict, who spent most of his time “working” as an assistant for Annie. I say “work” lightly because, the legend had known the addict's father and really, that was the reason he had the position he did. However, throughout the entire book the police are wrong, do everything wrong and Annie’s Lyft driver, Addy Zantz, is the only one who is going to figure out what really happened. Everyone else is happy with the police’s “criminal” no matter how fast they jumped to the conclusion he did it. Of course, the addict and Annie had known one another long enough that there were things that could be presented as evidence, framed the right way, making him look suspect of having done it. That's why circumstantial evidence, to me, is not the best kind. Anything, put into the right form, can be made into a plausible story, really.

Oddly, other than the “uber fans”, and the very few close people Annie had in her life, Addy is the only one who survived the woman who still truly cares about her. And, not believing the addict committed the murder Addy is determined to solve it. But, as the story goes on and Addy finds out more and more about Annie’s life the one thing that many who knew her close, at one period in her life or another, lead him to question, does Annie deserve the loyalty and love that Addy shows for her? It seems Addy finds that Annie has a habit of drawing people in and then putting them out of her life with no no cause. Annie caused a lot of pain in her life to others despite the joy of her music. And Addy keeps hearing it over and over again. That, in the end, Annie was the biggest sellout at all. And, if she didn’t care about selling out herself, in the end that she cared so little about what would happen to her, to her “legendary '' status, that she left someone in charge of things who would, essentially, destroy all she had created?

The fact that Addy is a natural investigator, also, that he once had a career helping to solve mysteries in a small way, leads Annie to ask Addy to figure out about “the old days”, right before she is found strangled on the beach. After, whatever Addy does, wherever he is led, no matter who tells him to stay away, even when he is threatened, time and time again, nothing can keep Addy from keeping this promise he made to Annie. He will unravel her past and solve the questions Annie had about it. The worst part, she hadn’t been able to even hint to what Addy should look into before her untimely demise. They discussed no specifics about who or what she wanted him to find out but that does not stop the Lyft driver (who knew her for 3 years) as he uncovers things that no one, not even the fans who have followed her for decades know. And, as he gets closer and closer to the truth of Annie and all those in her life, what really happened about a certain situation long ago he finds it may even be the reason why Annie died now. And, in the end, not even Annie herself could stop Addy from uncovering her past. Addy is too close to discovering something that would have, without him, gone unnoticed.

And when all the facts are laid bare, Addy is very realistic about the relationship he had with the legendary singer and songwriter. Yes, he, himself wanted to be a songwriter and, I must admit, all the songs he wrote, to me, just plain sucked. If there is ever a time in the history of America that we have songs about being a Lyft driver, it’s time for me to die because, as the saying goes, “I have seen it all.” A song about how hard it is being a Lyft driver, any kind of driver song about carrying others around, it would be much, too much, for me. Any other work song than singing about the “40 hour week”, well, I don't want to hear it. I find that there is no pride, toil, or strife hard enough in a driving job (other than a truck driver) to be songworthy. However, there are those people who like the “odd stuff” and Annie was one of those who did that very thing. Of course, she found Addy’s music noteworthy?? (And, maybe all music is).

To all readers, when Addy unravels the mystery of The Last Songbird, let me say here, it was one of the most despicable, horrific, oddest things that I have ever seen multiple people do (with one person directing the whole lie), set up, to be able to keep things they want, while ruining multiple people’s lives. Daniel Weizmann has created some monstrous characters, one of which is the worst mother I have ever come about (other than my own). A woman who, wanting to protect the life she wanted, created one of the worst for her children that ended up ruining multiple lives through her lies. Even her own children, her entire family! With no thought to what she was doing decades ago, the conclusions that would come of it, the woman didn’t seem to care about anything she had done. And, in the end, one lie cascaded to ruin children, Annie, and others who were connected to the deception. Weizmann has written one of the best books and an ending that I have ever read and, as unexpected as it was, so hurtful the information, I ended the book in total shock. The Last Songbird will haunt me (and readers) as, in the end, I finished with the lesson that the decisions one makes can have consequences that could go on forever, and cause terrible events (murders and suicide) far into the future for so many within ones life and on the outskirts of it!

Great Reading! I adored this book, despite the horror of the end!

[Nina Simon]

Very Jewish. Very LA. Very delightful.
It felt a bit more like a shaggy dog adventure than a mystery. I enjoyed the ramble.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie is a famous singer songwriter, who at 73 is approaching her final act. Now eschewing fame and the spotlight she takes to using Lyft drivers when she wants to move around the city. One such driver Adam Zantz makes an immediate impression on her, and she takes his number, forgoing the app to make him her unofficial driver. One of the reasons they have a rapport is that Adam is a songwriter, at least he wants to be, currently out of work and driving to make ends meet in the tough gig economy. Adam is a natural, lyrics and melodies come to him throughout the day, and Annie likes his work. His talent is tempered by his temperament though, destined to be more like the romantic poets than Neil Sedaka.

One evening Adam gets the usual flirty song lyric text summoning him to her mansion, Annie wants to go for a drive. When he arrives, Adam is met with chaos and the police are in attendance. The site security guard has been murdered, Annie is nowhere to be found and her regularly fired PA Bix Gelden, who lives on site cannot be found too. Adam goes to his friend Ephraim Freiberger a paparazzi photographer to talk it through and try to make sense of the evening’s events. Annie had wanted a favour from Adam, to find a cassette tape. Could this be connected?

Bix turns up at Adam’s place, scared and high from a speedball. Annie has been found dead on the beach and he will be the obvious suspect especially has he had written unpleasant letters every time Annie fired him. Adam agrees to giving him a lift and doing so gets caught on camera and so becomes involved for harbouring a fugitive.

Adam is determined to investigate what has happened and to clear his name. He briefly worked as a lacky to PI but surely needs more skills than he learned there. Nevertheless, he asks the questions and follows the trail, but is he doing it because of fondness for the old girl which he believes he is or is there a deeper subconscious motivation.

This is a thoroughly modern reworking of the traditional LA Noir strand of the genre. Instead of the grizzled, world weary, seasoned old pro Private Investigator we have an idealistic but completely unrealistic man bobbing through life like a cork in the ocean waiting to be washed ashore. It requires a tragedy, one he takes personally though the reality is it hardly affects him, to make him focus and find a direction.

The storyline rumbles along nicely, mainly sticking to the limits but with the occasional bit of speeding as Adam drives his trusty old Volkswagen Jetta across LA and the Pacific Coast Highway in search of answers. We get a feel for the man who makes his living driving, mainly at night, and the chaos it brings to his lifestyle. It is also a connection to his past.

The dialogue is cracking, but instead of the wise guy with the smart mouth and killer put downs, we have modern language peppered with Jewish words and expressions. Not exactly hard boiled but with the characters in the story it feels authentic and right. The descriptive prose is on point, cutting and quirky.

The humour is there too with some (intentionally) terrible jokes, plus there is a golden vein of Jewish style self-depreciating put downs running through the prose. There is also plenty of dark humour too.

At its heart is motherhood, family relations and is the nurture of adopted children more important than their blood ties. Is home where you came from, where you live at anytime or where you belong. Its not just Annie and her wider family and connections this affects but also Adam.

We get a glimpse of LA of the rich and famous, the seedy side to the city, but also life between the extremes as ordinary people soldier on with lives made difficult. Adam lives in a storage cupboard at his cousin’s recording studio, whilst another character sleeps in a 24-hour spa and people sleeping in cars is not an unusual occurrence. There is the corrosive effect fame and fortune, the way it changes Annie but also the effect on Adam has he sees his ex-girlfriend writing partner score a hit and award with her new man. Then there is the influence of porn, thought liberating by some in the 1970s but leaving people damaged in the 2020s. This in not a Noir mired in the past, it raises its hat to the classics, but it is very much grounded in current day issues.

The Last Songbird is a freewheeling ride down the Pacific Coast Highway breathing new life into classic LA Noir.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A down-on-his-luck Lyft driver turns amateur PI in Daniel Weizmann’s slick neo-noir, THE LAST SONGBIRD. Addy Zantz is pushing 40, living in the storage space of a struggling recording studio, and has already failed at several careers, including songwriter, pop critic and recording engineer. Flaming out as a rideshare driver is not an option, which is one reason he’s in a rush to make his latest pickup: legendary singer-songwriter Annie Linden.

Annie --- a ’70s-era chanteuse in the vein of Joni Mitchell or Stevie Nicks --- has been one of Addy’s regulars for the past few years. Over the course of many late-night rides, he and the isolated pop star have developed a strange sort of friendship. She’s even breathed some fresh life into his nearly moribund dreams of making it as a songwriter. But when Addy pulls into the driveway of Annie’s beachside compound this night, he’s greeted by the flashing lights of cop cars. Annie is missing. Soon after, her bruised body is discovered by a jogger, further down the SoCal coast.

Addy might be just Annie’s driver, but he feels a connection to the late singer. Soon, he’s sucked into the investigation surrounding her murder, first as a concerned friend and then (in the eyes of the police) as a potential suspect. Addy is determined to find out who killed Annie, and if her death was connected to a mysterious matter from her past that she asked him to look into before she was killed --- something involving a lost cassette, a disconnected phone number, classifieds in an old newspaper, and a former friend named Eva.

Weizmann’s debut mystery crisscrosses the sprawling landscapes of Los Angeles and its environs, from Malibu to the OC. Addy is part of the vast, kinetic metropolis, cruising highways and back alleys as hours disappear “like a runaway car slipping into traffic.” As he chases down clues, he visits the kind of spots that don’t appear on any tourist’s map of the supposedly glamorous city: grungy studio apartments and seedy liquor stores, hot tub showrooms and sketchy strip clubs. Along the way, he crosses paths with a vivid cross-section of L.A. characters, including his “boat bum” buddy Ephraim Freiberger, a one-time lawyer now making a living as a paparazzi, and Annie’s ex Haywood Kronski, a womanizing record producer with a shady past.

A brief gig working as an investigator’s assistant notwithstanding, Addy is not a natural detective. But through a combination of instinct, luck and perseverance, he begins to uncover the truth about Annie’s death, as well as the life that came before it. Annie, it turns out, was not quite the woman Addy imagined her to be. What emerges is a story of broken, damaged families and long-held secrets that’s straight out of a Ross Macdonald novel. THE LAST SONGBIRD is also an incisive examination of toxic masculinity, as Addy’s investigation leads him into the disturbing, toxic world of men’s rights groups populated by “red-pilled” guys who have some serious baggage surrounding the opposite sex.

Weizmann’s journey in the gritty underbelly of L.A. comes to life in evocative language, sprinkled with more than a few modern-day Chandler-isms. Zantz forces “hope like the last toothpaste in a crinkled tube.” The yellow and black toes of a murder victim’s shoes are like “two big orioles standing at attention.” But THE LAST SONGBIRD is more than just detective fiction pastiche. It’s a look at the precarity of the gig economy, the flickering and frustrating magic of the creative process (Addy often works out new songs as he drives), and the idea of what it means to both be and need a mother.

By the end, the sad truth of Annie Linden’s death has been explained, and Weizmann’s protagonist has stumbled his way into a new career --- one that readers hopefully will see play out in future novels.

Reviewed by Megan Elliott

[Sam Seegmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lyft Driver's Long Day's Journey Into Night

I’ve read better mystery-suspense novels than “The Last Songbird”. I just can’t recall what they were. Maybe I’m distracted by what has to be the enthusiastic applause of Ross Macdonald’s spirit. Daniel Weizmann’s marvelous rock-noir dirge over contemporary Los Angeles’ seedy underbelly is a work that belongs on the same shelf as Lew Archer’s ‘60’s adventures in the City of Angels. Misfires? There were a few. But then again, too few to mention.

Adam Zantz is by his own admission: a failed songwriter; a failed song plugger; a failed recording engineer. He is now one of the forlorn sufferers laboring in the tenth circle of gig economy Hell. A troubled insomniac whose work as a Lyft driver gives him ample time to ponder every poor choice he’s ever made during the endless hours he spends driving the labyrinth of L.A. streets and highways.

The crown jewel of Zantz’ clientele is Annie Linden. A famous-but-fading pop singer-songwriter who rose to near-mythical career heights in the ‘70’s. Now in her seventies, she’s a near-recluse. Zantz has become her regular driver. (“Off-app”, he explains in Gen Z-speak.) Zantz feels he’s developed a strong bond with Linden. So when she turns up dead, he searches for the truth behind her demise with a relentless zeal that even he occasionally questions.

Zantz discovers that the truth can have more layers than a supersaw chord track. He crosses paths with a collection of off-beat people who - like himself - have been pulled along over the years by the atmospheric drag of Annie Linden’s meteoric stardom. Some are jealous. Others disillusioned. Others bitter. Still others intoxicated with unrestrained adoration. Many motives. One killer.

Buckle up and enjoy this terrific ride. Zantz’ non-stop commentary on the state of L.A. and the people living at its margins is an epic poem of the 21st century Southland. Our Lyft driver detective learns almost too late why you should never meet your hero. If he can just get off of those L.A. freeways without being killed or caught, he may discover himself as well as the culprit’s identity.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first in a new Pacific Coast Highway Mystery, and what a way to start, a book that more than hits the ground running.

A wonderfully American Noir styled novel but very much set in the present

it has all the qualities of the classic hardboiled American crime novels of the 40s and 50s but with the authors own modern twist, a story very much of today with some of its roots in the past, similarly the language and style used whilst they have a familiarity, not necessarily in the classic one liners and wise cracks, but instead it uses todays vernacular

It is a story that in someways you fall into, but it captured my attention from the opening pages and kept me engaged throughout with its thought out and sublimely constructed plotline, it has a fluidity to the pacing which keeps the story flowing and moving along, as it do so its gathers pace, a story which had me hooked desparate to know the truth.

Adam Zantz in someways comes across as an unlikely investigator, certainly a man with his own flaws, more used to driving around the street of LA at night composing his own songs, but then this is part of the quality of the book, there are no pre conceptions, after all he was only the deceaseds driver, you build a mental image of him thanks to the descriptive nature of the writing, in fact it would be fair to say that all the characters within the book come fully formed, they give of an image and style which befits the setting, equally the author shows us two sides of LA the glitz and glamour and the more down to earth side somewhat sleazier side, but with each you get a real sense of place and identity, the author brings each location to life with the descriptive prose

There are plenty of twists along the way, that shifts the narrative,and takes the story of in differing directions

It is a book which tackles a number of themes, fame, motherhood, family, it is a book stays with you

It is a whip smart poetic punchy read, a read where the characters standout

5* one to watch out for, the perfect start to a new series

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book's central concept is interesting: 37-year old aspiring songwriter scrabbles together a living as a Lyft driver and establishes a sort-of-friendship with septuagenarian pop legend Annie Linden, his frequent passenger. When she and her security guard are murdered, our hero (or anti-hero) feels a compulsion to investigate, especially since Annie had alluded to some mysterious tasks she'd want him to do for her. Her former lover, her ex-husband, the two outcasts who may have sold her drugs or may have fulfilled some other function in her life, as well as a respectable middle-class family with secrets to hide, all become grist to Adam's mill as he cruises around LA and its environs, thinking up lyrics and trying to form a coherent picture of the multifaceted Annie in his mind.

What I liked: the story of a resourceful loner following the threads of an investigation. The description of LA by night, as seen by an insomniac Lyft driver. The interactions with his friend Double Fry, erstwhile lawyer, occasional photographer, constant fount of Talmudic wisdom (a character that made me think of Travis McGee's friend, Myers, in the Broken Flush series).
However, what brought the ranking down to 2 was the fact that Annie Linden's personality never really emerged from the story, from the narratives of all the people she'd interacted with over the years. And the fragments of song lyrics that pop into Andy's head as he cruises around LA are often extremely cheesy. Contrary to what the cover states, the influence of Warren Zevon is hard to find.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Songbird by Daniel Weizmann is a highly recommended neo-noir mystery set in and around Los Angeles.

Lyft driver, Adam Zantz’s life changes when 1970s music icon Annie Linden becomes a regular customer and an important part of his life for the next three years. Then Adam arrives to pick Annie up and she's not there, but the police are. Annie's body is later found later and Adam begins his own investigation into Annie's life to find out who killed her. Before her death she had asked him to look into some things from her past and he thinks this may be the key to her murder. He ends up discovering Annie is not quite the person he thought she was.

The writing is excellent and thoughtful as it captures a cross-section of LA during Adam's investigation. It also illustrates the thoughts of a struggling singer/songwriter. The narrative moves at an even pace and is told with some humor and a whole lot of psychological insight into the individuals Addy meets along the way. The mystery is interesting and the various unexpected twists and shifts in the plot make it even more compelling.

Addy is an appealing character. The various people he meets as he investigates are wildly varied and equally interesting. The Last Songbird is a very good debut and seems to clearly be a set up for more Adam (Addy) Zandt PI novels.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Melville House via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam is a struggling writer and lyft driver who has seemingly become personal driver for 1970’s music legend Annie Linden. On their drives they like to make up song lyrics and just bond.

When Annie disappears then turns up dead, Adam struggles to find out who murdered her. Instead of leaving it to the authorities, he sets out on a quest to track them down. He digs deep into her past and uncovers secrets that have long been hidden. The more he finds out, the more he wonders if anyone really knew Annie, including himself.

This book was a lovely atmospheric neo-noir mystery. I really enjoyed Adams character and how he was portrayed throughout the book. The song lyrics throughout the book were a fun treat that I enjoyed. The writing style was fantastic and really captivated my attention. The mystery on this was interesting and held my interest – I couldn’t wait to find out what actually happened to Annie. While Adam was the main character, all the characters were fully developed and reading about them was interesting.

If you’re looking for a great neo-noir mystery then I hope you grab a copy of this one on May 23rd.

Thank you so much to Melville House Publishing, Melville House, @melvillehouse, and Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Netgalley will be updated with additional links once posted.

[Hala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel Weizmann’s patchy debut crime thriller features a struggling songwriter Adam, who turns into an amateur sleuth to try solve the murder of a famous singer. I was a bit frustrated by this book as nothing much seems to happen for the first two thirds of the book, but it does pick up for the last hundred pages or so. Weizmann is obviously a huge music fan and some of his comments on music and the music industry I found to be quite entertaining and well observed. Through Adam he also gives us an insight into what it might be like to be a songwriter. At various times, when Adam’s ‘jukebox id’ fires up, we know we are in for some lyrics and this might be Adam’s way of analyzing the things he sees around him. Are these lyrics any good? Maybe or maybe not, after all Adam hasn’t really had any success as a songwriter so far, though I quite enjoyed the lyrics. Weizmann has done a good job in creating interesting characters, from scheming managers and other hangers on that the music industry seems to attract. Family though, is the big theme here and Adam has a few issues in his past that he is trying to come to terms with. At one point Adam falls in with a ‘men’s rights organization’ and spouts some of their rhetoric. Weizmann seems to leave it up to the reader to decide whether Adam believes in what they are preaching or not. As mentioned before, it all comes together in a strong ending and I can recommend this to crime fiction and music fans alike.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your basic Ross Macdonald plotline, the unhappiness of the rich and moneyed in LA suburbia, titrated through inherited family pain and trauma (and, you know, maybe more convoluted than we need in terms of subplots), but written in a fluid, lyrical style that evokes, for me, something of the Beats' poeticizing of and ability to distill beauty from the everyday. There's a philosophical playfulness that I enjoyed a great deal and a bunch of sharp descriptive lines, as well as a, for me, enjoyably human dialogue--much as I enjoy the Elmore Leonards of the world, I also appreciate when writers create characters who are not in fact constantly biting off quotable dialogue. Also, I like it that our hero, who drives a Lyft, writes songs, and lives in a studio, is resolutely terrible at fighting and manages to defeat the one person who's even less physically capable than he is. Definitely looking forward to the next one of these.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked and hated this at various points. There were some good ideas, such as the 'jukebox id,' the notion that appropriate songs pop in your mind to give clues as to what you're thinking about, that the author didn't fully develop or exploit. The protagonist is a not very likeable loser, a Lyft driver (why not Uber?) and failed songwriter. Given the quality of the lyrics he comes up with (never complete songs) it is easy to see why he failed at songwriting. I thought the inclusion of these lyrics was distracting from an otherwise well-paced read. I'm also not sure, in the end, the plot makes a lot of sense, which is I guess why it is categorized as neo-noir.

A reviewer here (Glen) wrote that this novel is self-consciously Jewish, which I think is both good and bad. I enjoyed the Jewish references, though they really had nothing to do with the book, mainly embodied by a side character. But there were times they certainly felt forced, such as a description of someone as an Ashkenazi.

I'm not going to read the next in the series.

[Mike Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Well Written Thriller - Such A Novelty

I really enjoyed this book. Like, “read it in 4 days” enjoyed it. Like “read it every free moment I had” enjoyed it. And if it’s Book One of a series, I’ll be there for all the rest. Because I like Adam Zantz and his obscure lyrics and how he hears melodies at odd hours and how he almost accidentally solved the mystery of Annie Linden’s murder all by himself. I also like his friend Double Fry and I can see him being a bigger player in future books.

I don’t ask for much more than a well written thriller but for some reason they are few and far between. So many page turners have such cliched writing. And so many literary books lack any urgency in the plot. But this one had both and for that reason, I gave it a rare (for me anyway) 5 star rating.

[Louise Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the most hypnotic, engaging story I've read in a very long time, THE LAST SONGBIRD by Daniel Weizmann grabbed me with its taut, vivid prose, deep characterization, and well-drawn settings ranging from Uber-wealthy California coastal mansions to the everyday travels and travails of a Lyft driver inadvertently drawn into the complicated, dangerous life of former rock star performer Annie Linden, once regular rider and now regular confidante, friend, and ally. When Annie goes missing, Adam goes looking for her with few clues, but a powerful sense she's in trouble. The twists, turns, and revelations were creative, logical and surprising and kept me up way too late reading. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.