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A review by booksaremysuperpower
Dead West by Matt Goldman
3.0
Matt Goldman knows how to create an atmosphere! If you live/lived/are familiar with Los Angeles, you will get a kick out of this one. I know for many other readers the change in location was a disappointment, but Matt knows his way around L.A. so I was thrilled to read the streets, locations, restaurants, parks, churches - all real and some of them in my neighborhood.
The story is good, the mystery only so-so. What bothers me with the Shapiro series is the victim in the story tends to get lost. Nils gets wrapped up in some entertainment industry nonsense, which didn't ring true to me, but we get a lot of Jackson White in this installment and he's fast becoming a favorite character.
I did appreciate that Goldman used this book to propel a lot of Nils' backstory along. The baby is already born, his next relationship is already sealed. We don't get any lingering drama with Michaela Stahl and that is A RELIEF.
The ending is actually some of the most beautiful writing I think Goldman has showcased thus far in the series. If this had been a normal "let's wrap up the mystery with a lengthy explanation" I would have been much more disappointed, but I was pleased with the emotional punch Goldman leaves us with.
It was a mistake to listen via Audible. We lost our other narrator and Bronson Pinchot is not up to snuff here. He lowered his voice so much in register for Jackson White that I had to constant adjust my volume. And I don't know why he made every female sound like a bonehead, but I did giggle whenever Bunion Brit had a meltdown. That was the only time Pinchot's voice worked here.
The story is good, the mystery only so-so. What bothers me with the Shapiro series is the victim in the story tends to get lost. Nils gets wrapped up in some entertainment industry nonsense, which didn't ring true to me, but we get a lot of Jackson White in this installment and he's fast becoming a favorite character.
I did appreciate that Goldman used this book to propel a lot of Nils' backstory along. The baby is already born, his next relationship is already sealed. We don't get any lingering drama with Michaela Stahl and that is A RELIEF.
The ending is actually some of the most beautiful writing I think Goldman has showcased thus far in the series. If this had been a normal "let's wrap up the mystery with a lengthy explanation" I would have been much more disappointed, but I was pleased with the emotional punch Goldman leaves us with.
It was a mistake to listen via Audible. We lost our other narrator and Bronson Pinchot is not up to snuff here. He lowered his voice so much in register for Jackson White that I had to constant adjust my volume. And I don't know why he made every female sound like a bonehead, but I did giggle whenever Bunion Brit had a meltdown. That was the only time Pinchot's voice worked here.