“(Addy’s) chaotic adventures across LA are nonetheless entertaining and insightful, painting a vivid picture of a city full of misfits, dropouts and dreamers.” – Bookreporter.com
“There’s plenty of dark humour and a satirical edginess to this decent mystery well told. It will give you thrills and laughs in equal measure, and is an involving read. It’s about obsessions, enduring love, shattered dreams, greed and betrayal in the Wurlitzer world of the California entertainment industry. It nails 80s LA perfectly. If you like Adam as I did, you’ll enjoy the ride. If there’s to be a third novel I would be on board for that. For those interested, there’s a playlist at the back of the book that further sets the scene.” – Crime Fiction Lover
“A Macdonaldesque web of failed Hollywood dreams, lurid parental betrayals and lingering adolescent disappointments.With all of its nods at noir PI models, who were often more tender toward their characters than their reputations would sometimes suggest, this is from start to finish a surprisingly gentle, almost innocent novel, and all the better for it.” – The Irish Times
“terrific novel” – The Sunday Times
“This breezy neo-noir whizzes by like a familiar old song…Enjoyable.” – Publishers Weekly
“Evocative, nostalgic, haunting, twisty, and true, Weizmann’s fast paced and smartly written Cinnamon Girl is everything there is to love about a classic PI novel and more … much more.” — Reed Farrel Coleman, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of Sleepless City
“The backdrop is the music scene of the ’80s, territory that author Weizmann knows well. The road to the mystery is murky and dangerous . . . Weizmann’s Cinnamon Girl is intense, satisfying, and a great read.” —JOE IDE, author of IQ
“The weight of the past permeates Cinnamon Girl. As Weizmann’s living-at-the-margins detective searches for truths long buried, a Southland is revealed in the harsh glare of the flamed out and velvet-frocked lyrics. A rockin’ good read.”—GARY PHILLIPS, author of One-Shot Harry
“Cinnamon Girl is a musical joyride through the strange and deadly cul de sacs of Los Angeles. This book is effortlessly cool, delightfully weird, and wholly satisfying. I’d go anywhere with Weizmann at the wheel.” —NINA SIMON, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night
Praise for THE LAST SONGBIRD
A Sunday Times of London Best Mystery of 2023
Open Letters Review Best Mystery Books of 2023
“Weizmann’s music bona fides inform the novel’s tone and purpose, but it’s equally clear how steeped he is in the styles of detective fiction past and present…This is a story of murder, but also of vivid life.” — The New York Times
“A moving neonoir cruise through Los Angeles…In hard-boiled language with an added layer of humor and psychological insight, Weizmann tells a tale reliant on the thrill, and pathos, of popular music… At turns thrilling and poignant, this is fine, thoughtful entertainment.” — Kirkus, STARRED review
“Weizmann seamlessly weaves vibrant L.A. music industry personalities into the suspenseful plot. This tense whodunit deserves a sequel.” — Publishers Weekly
“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…” — Bookreporter
“Props to Daniel Weizmann for respecting older women as artists and for his clear dedication to writing about music in an evocative and intelligent manner.” — CrimeReads
“This debut mystery has a good storyline… worth the read.” — Library Journal
“The Last Songbird is my favorite kind of neo-noir – blending the bright lights of celebrity and fame with the primal urges and darkness that come with any good noir novel. Weizmann is a confident, polished storyteller who honors his influences while weaving his amateur detective through a complex mystery that will keep you turning the pages until you’ve reached the haunting finale. A sharp, memorable debut.” — Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity
“The Last Songbird is rock noir at its best. It sneaks up on you like a hook line, and when it’s over, you can’t get it out of your head. Hapless hero/songwriter Addy Zantz is witty, gritty and determined to solve the murder of his idol and muse, the legendary rock star, Annie Linden. Daniel Weizmann’s L.A. is half Warren Zevon and half Raymond Chandler. Bravo.” — T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author
“Weizmann skillfully crafts a gritty, unstoppable detective thriller rife with sleaze and sea foam and broken dreams set against a crumbling LA backdrop. It’s Sunset Boulevard meets Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.” — Katie Tallo, author of Dark August
“Weizmann’s fiction is informed by his past as a highly influential and precocious young veteran of the punk scene, as well as by his lifelong passion for music, his career in journalism and his love of noir and Los Angeles. This book is funny, poetic, gripping, and beautifully tackles themes of creativity, fame and family.” — Francesca Lia Block, author of Dangerous Angels: the Weetzie Bat Books
“A terrific ride through the troubled, tangled lives surrounding a murdered LA music legend, told with the energy of the Germs, the urgency of X, with a captivating narrator who drives headlong in crime-fueled pursuit.” — Gregory Galloway, author of Just Thieves
“Propulsive and pitch perfect, The Last Songbird is a smart, fast-paced read about the costs of fame to both the spectacularly gifted and those left dazzled and dazed in their wake. In crackling prose, Daniel Weizmann masterfully takes the reader through the midnight precincts of LA to tell a gripping story of human fallibility – of triumph and failure, generosity and greed, love and disappointment – and the drive, against all odds, to set things right. A stunning debut.” — Joan Leegant, author of An Hour in Paradise
“Daniel Weizmann’s The Last Songbird is a gripping, fast-paced, neo-noir mystery whose intriguing characters populate the streets of Los Angeles. When a ‘70’s music icon suddenly disappears, her driver and friend, begins a frantic search that leads him in pursuit of the truth. In turn, he will discover just as much about himself. Weizmann has written a smart, unforgettable, page-turner of the best kind.” — Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Color of Air
“Take everything you know about the noir detective and chuck it out the window of a moving car on the Pacific Coast Highway. Weizmann’s Adam Zantz is a uniquely relatable amateur sleuth. His flaws and, more importantly, his empathy make him a Lew Archer for the millennial age. Fortunately, The Last Songbird only feels like the beginning.” — Kyle Decker, author of This Rancid Mill
QUICK VIEW
