Last Dance

Critics Review

• “Last Dance pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. The writing shines like broken glass. The story is fresh, sharp, and haunting.”

  Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award–winning author of The Dark Corners of the Night

• “The gruff and gravelly voice of Richard Ferrone matches the hard-boiled and unflinching homicide detective Sam Carver perfectly…Ferrone’s performance of Carver growls with the ferocity of a lion on the prow…[a] bravura presentation…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

  AudioFile

• “In this page-turning follow-up to My Detective, Jeffrey Fleishman again brings us his acute journalist’s eye, lyrical turn of phrase, and talent for creating vivid and believable characters. From the international world of ballet to the grit and gorgeousness of Los Angeles, the plot twists keep surprising to the very end.”

  Lindsay Marcott, author of The Producer's Daughter and Mrs. Rochester's Ghost

• “From the first page My Detective moves as smooth as a bullet train through the shadowy world of night. Its hypnotic prose and scintillating characters guarantee that once you’re on board you’ll be riding this one to the end.”

  Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dark Sacred Night, on My Detective

• “A lyrical crime debut that offers a haunting tête-à-tête between killer and cop … and a chilling reminder that cruelty never dies.”

  Brian Freeman, bestselling author of Alter Ego, on My Detective

• “Last Dance is a perfect mystery novel—you don’t know who is good and who is bad and maybe you never find out, just like in real life—and Fleishman’s Los Angeles is dark, brutal, and somehow still filled with moments of profound beauty: a song, a ballerina’s perfect line, a memory of better days. You’ll be taken away. And If something bad happens to me, I want Sam Carver on the case.”

  Tod Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author of Gangster Nation and Living Dead Girl

• “Inside a story of murder, longing, and discovery, Jeffrey Fleishman has gracefully woven a story about American dreams, Cold War fears, and the changing nature of noir’s most hallowed ground—Los Angeles.”

  Tom Rosenstiel, author of Oppo and Shining City

• “The detective on the case, the LAPD’s Sam Carver, talks a great game, alternating between laconic dialogue and appealingly quotable reflections as he fights off his memories of Dylan Cross.”

  Kirkus Reviews

• “[An] impressive sequel…A hard-boiled, world-weary hero in the classic tradition of Philip Marlowe and Lew Archer, Carver will also appeal to fans of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch. Fleishman is on his way to becoming a master of contemporary LA noir.”

  Publishers Weekly

• “[An] ambitious novel…Carver’s investigation offers flashes of noir-movie intrigue…[Readers] will find plenty to enjoy in the engaging plot.”

  Booklist

• “Carver is a complex, laconic, melancholy figure, and Fleishman…paints him in nuanced detail and lovely prose. Equally well evoked is the city itself. We’re deep in Raymond Chandler territory here, a land of mean streets and tarnished heroes.”

  Seattle Times

• “[A] standout detective novel…Last Dance also packs an emotional punch, with Detective Sam Carver exorcising demons and battling for relationships along the way. Last Dance is a highly satisfying mix of classic LA noir and international thriller.”

  CrimeReads

• “Jeffrey Fleishman…has created something special with his latest release…A unique blend of crime noir and espionage, almost as if Raymond Chandler and John le Carré had a baby. The writing is so descriptive and snappy it seems to just jump off the page at you as the story continues to twist and suspense keeps mounting…Last Dance was like a trip down memory lane. Time spent in modern-day LA with the feel of an old black-and-white Hollywood crime film. The mystery of the missing body will keep you guessing right up until the end and the finale of the story opens the door to Sam Carver’s past and will have you pining for the next title in this series.”

  Criminal Element

• “Pure LA neo-noir, and quite perfectly so…A literate piece of contemporary crime fiction…You really want to savor the countless lyrical scene-setting descriptions, painting quick but artful pictures of every locale and each character, even the mere walk-ons. It’s a lot to digest, but well worth the effort.”

  The Stiletto Gumshoe

• “Fleishman’s writing style is reminiscent of the 1940s style of the likes of Raymond Chandler, and yet Fleishman seems to take it one step further. The story is alive; it breathes; every paragraph brings the reader a sense of being there, of being Carver. Fleishman’s writing in the first person ensures that the reader is always in Carver’s mind.”

  New York Journal of Books