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My Detective
Los Angeles is booming. Money is pouring in. Buildings are going up. But someone is killing architects.
Detective Sam Carver journeys through sins scattered across the City of Angels, where hipsters, homeless, immigrants, producers, politicians, movie stars, and cops collide in mysterious ways. Every move Carver makes is anticipated by the killer, Dylan Cross. She has hacked his computer and knows his diaries and secrets. She sees in him a kindred and damaged spirit, a man who can understand her crimes, heal her scars, and love her. Dylan is reclaiming herself from a past of brutal injustices inflicted by a world of misogyny and power. Detective Carver is dealing with his own troubled history-an elusive and violent father.
My Detective is a story of obsession set against vengeance and prayers of forgiveness in a city that is as cruel as it is fantastical. It captures modern Los Angeles in real time, an eerie glide through the imagination, where winds gust high above the San Gabriel Mountains and neighborhoods stretch toward the ocean like the flash and tremor of a dream. The novel speaks to our sense of beauty in a new century and the demons we rouse when we dare to create a new metropolis.
Detective Sam Carver journeys through sins scattered across the City of Angels, where hipsters, homeless, immigrants, producers, politicians, movie stars, and cops collide in mysterious ways. Every move Carver makes is anticipated by the killer, Dylan Cross. She has hacked his computer and knows his diaries and secrets. She sees in him a kindred and damaged spirit, a man who can understand her crimes, heal her scars, and love her. Dylan is reclaiming herself from a past of brutal injustices inflicted by a world of misogyny and power. Detective Carver is dealing with his own troubled history-an elusive and violent father.
My Detective is a story of obsession set against vengeance and prayers of forgiveness in a city that is as cruel as it is fantastical. It captures modern Los Angeles in real time, an eerie glide through the imagination, where winds gust high above the San Gabriel Mountains and neighborhoods stretch toward the ocean like the flash and tremor of a dream. The novel speaks to our sense of beauty in a new century and the demons we rouse when we dare to create a new metropolis.
1 pages, MP3 CD
First published April 14, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 18, 2019
I received a free advance copy of this from NetGalley for review.
I know the dating scene can be tough, but if you’ve resorted to murder as part of your plan to hook up with your dream guy then maybe you should give Tinder another try.
Sam Carver is a LAPD homicide detective working the case of a prominent architect who got his throat cut. What Sam doesn’t know is that the killer is a beautiful woman who is infatuated with him after she read a story about him in the local paper. Dylan Cross has scores to settle and romance with Sam on her mind so she’s come up with a plan to get her revenge while stalking him.
This is kind of an odd one. I guess I’ll call it character based crime fiction because it mainly shifts first person perspective from Sam to Dylan, and through this we get their history and personalities. Sam was a bit of bohemian in his younger days, playing in rock bands and backpacking around Europe before he settled into the role of detective which is due in no small part to being haunted by the memory of his father’s murder which was never solved. Dylan was a college tennis star and rising architect in an industry dominated by men. Both have an appreciation for the finer things like classical music and art. Thanks to Dylan they’re now linked together by murder.
And that’s kind of it. There’s not really much else going on other than Dylan killing a few people, Sam going over the evidence, and then they both brood about things. There’s not much detecting going on and very little action, either. It’s also awfully one sided with Dylan knowing everything about Sam thanks to her magical hacking ability and his habit of writing down all his thoughts and feelings on his computer.
This could have worked as a thriller with some crazy stalker getting obsessed with a detective and carrying out murders to create a bizarre connection between them, but here that’s undercut because Dylan isn’t full-on crazy town banana pants. She actually has very good reason for being angry with her victims, and the plot is designed to create sympathy for her. However, her fantasies about Sam undercut it as a revenge story, too.
I also had a hard time with the lack of reality with Sam’s role as a cop in this. Even though he’s a homicide detective in a huge city he only has one case he’s working on, and Sam somehow has enough juice to refuse to work with a partner instead of being told to shut up and quit being such a diva. He tells his lieutenant that he’s going to fly to New York to interview the ex-wife of the victim, and for some reason his boss doesn't tell him to use the phone and spare the budget. There’s the trope of the lieutenant complaining about how the mayor is on his ass because of the prominent nature of the victim. It’s also never explained how Dylan knows that Sam will be the detective who works the murder in the first place, but I guess since he's apparently the only police detective in LA that it was a safe assumption.
Despite all of this, there were things in this book I liked. It’s got a nice tone to the melancholy observations about LA and modern life, and both Sam and Dylan are interesting as characters. I just wish they’d found a few more interesting things to do in a more realistic and less TV-movie-of-the-week kind of way.
I know the dating scene can be tough, but if you’ve resorted to murder as part of your plan to hook up with your dream guy then maybe you should give Tinder another try.
Sam Carver is a LAPD homicide detective working the case of a prominent architect who got his throat cut. What Sam doesn’t know is that the killer is a beautiful woman who is infatuated with him after she read a story about him in the local paper. Dylan Cross has scores to settle and romance with Sam on her mind so she’s come up with a plan to get her revenge while stalking him.
This is kind of an odd one. I guess I’ll call it character based crime fiction because it mainly shifts first person perspective from Sam to Dylan, and through this we get their history and personalities. Sam was a bit of bohemian in his younger days, playing in rock bands and backpacking around Europe before he settled into the role of detective which is due in no small part to being haunted by the memory of his father’s murder which was never solved. Dylan was a college tennis star and rising architect in an industry dominated by men. Both have an appreciation for the finer things like classical music and art. Thanks to Dylan they’re now linked together by murder.
And that’s kind of it. There’s not really much else going on other than Dylan killing a few people, Sam going over the evidence, and then they both brood about things. There’s not much detecting going on and very little action, either. It’s also awfully one sided with Dylan knowing everything about Sam thanks to her magical hacking ability and his habit of writing down all his thoughts and feelings on his computer.
This could have worked as a thriller with some crazy stalker getting obsessed with a detective and carrying out murders to create a bizarre connection between them, but here that’s undercut because Dylan isn’t full-on crazy town banana pants. She actually has very good reason for being angry with her victims, and the plot is designed to create sympathy for her. However, her fantasies about Sam undercut it as a revenge story, too.
I also had a hard time with the lack of reality with Sam’s role as a cop in this. Even though he’s a homicide detective in a huge city he only has one case he’s working on, and Sam somehow has enough juice to refuse to work with a partner instead of being told to shut up and quit being such a diva. He tells his lieutenant that he’s going to fly to New York to interview the ex-wife of the victim, and for some reason his boss doesn't tell him to use the phone and spare the budget. There’s the trope of the lieutenant complaining about how the mayor is on his ass because of the prominent nature of the victim. It’s also never explained how Dylan knows that Sam will be the detective who works the murder in the first place, but I guess since he's apparently the only police detective in LA that it was a safe assumption.
Despite all of this, there were things in this book I liked. It’s got a nice tone to the melancholy observations about LA and modern life, and both Sam and Dylan are interesting as characters. I just wish they’d found a few more interesting things to do in a more realistic and less TV-movie-of-the-week kind of way.
April 16, 2019
3.5 STARS
This is a crime story .. or maybe, it's a love story. It's the story of two people who are flawed, each with a history that they don't readily share with anyone.
Dylan Cross is an architect ... she's also a killer. She's killing those that have hurt her in the past. Detective Sam Carver is the man she feels will understand her, understand why she kills, maybe heal her soul, maybe love her. Carver is obsessed with solving this case... while Dylan is obsessed with the detective,
Dylan has hacked his computer and she follows everything he writes .. and he writes a lot. She knows all his secrets, his wishes, his history of an abusive father.
There's not a lot of action here, but it's nicely paced... like sipping a glass of wine at the end of the day. It's an interesting read, something a little different.
Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of MY DETECTIVE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is a crime story .. or maybe, it's a love story. It's the story of two people who are flawed, each with a history that they don't readily share with anyone.
Dylan Cross is an architect ... she's also a killer. She's killing those that have hurt her in the past. Detective Sam Carver is the man she feels will understand her, understand why she kills, maybe heal her soul, maybe love her. Carver is obsessed with solving this case... while Dylan is obsessed with the detective,
Dylan has hacked his computer and she follows everything he writes .. and he writes a lot. She knows all his secrets, his wishes, his history of an abusive father.
There's not a lot of action here, but it's nicely paced... like sipping a glass of wine at the end of the day. It's an interesting read, something a little different.
Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of MY DETECTIVE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 24, 2018
My Detective is essentially a story of obsession and revenge. Told in a very concise modern noir style. Although it features murders, there’s no mystery here, this isn’t about who, this is all about why. But it does have plenty of thrills and suspense. I actually haven’t read noir in a while and it was very refreshing and enjoyable. The clipped sentences, the pared down minimalism of language, the author’s done a great job of it. Although this is very much modern too, every effort has been made to anchor the narrative not only down to an era, but down to the year, with multiple cultural and political references. Which is an interesting choice, for me noir is always innately associated with a very different era and modern versions work best when there is certain timelessness to it. But anyway…this is a story of a woman, who carries out a deadly vengeance plan while being obsessed with a local detective. Told through alternating perspectives, there’s the cop, a laconic and idiosyncratic man, and a woman, well, this is noir, so maybe a dame, or actually and literally a femme fatale. If her story sounds familiar, it’s because it’s basically an upscale version of I Spit on Your Grave (any of them). The perpetrators are high end and LA is a far cry from boonies, but the crime and the punishment are much the same. So the idea should be (much like in the movies) that you’re cheering for the victim turned avenger. But here’s where the book falters. Because, while the author wrote a prototypically perfect male protagonist in the detective character, Dylan (the femme fatale) with her obsessive nature straight out of Kepnes’ You comes across far less likeable somehow. At some juncture there’s something in the book about how one mustn’t seem in need of pity, because a pitied person can’t be loved, and that might be the case here, you kind of pity Dylan. The author made her slightly too unhinged, too lovestruck, too prone to overexplanation. She isn’t engaging enough as a character and her fierceness is consistently tempered with her schoolgirl infatuation with the detective. She’s interesting enough, but lacks the charm or je ne sais quoi of say the other great cop/lady who kills relationship like the one between Luther and Alice Morgan. Still though I’m glad the ending went the way it did. And I did enjoy reading this very much, the succinctness of noir was a welcome change, the plot moved swiftly (yes, it was basically a mash up of two very popular franchises’ ideas, but a well done one and different enough to be its own thing) and it was just a very entertaining read.. And a quick one too. Nice introduction to the author. Thanks Netgalley.
April 21, 2019
Leagues ahead of the regular cop and killer crime stories
This is a lyrically written crime story of detective Sam Carver and female architect/ killer Dylan Cross.
It is told in alternating perspectives, that of the cop and that of the killer. So after the first couple of chapters we know a fair bit about the killer but not her motive. For Sam the killings of two prominent architects in LA is at first a mystery but as the story deepens he begins to suspect one killer, and after a video shot of a mysterious woman entering the building where the second victim lived he suspects the killer is a woman. An extra layer is added by the killer's monitoring of Sam's computer where Sam maintains a diary and musings about the murder. It becomes apparent to Sam that the two killed architects were not particularly noble persons.
But the turning point comes as Sam in searching the belongings of the two architects comes across a flash drive depicting a young woman being brutally raped by the two architects and a third unidentified individual. At this point Sam realizes that the killer is exacting revenge on the perpetrators of that act. And then in a stroke of luck he stumbles upon her identity. But the killer knowing he is on her trail sets a trap for him. This foils her plans to become romantically involved with him.
We come to empathize with the killer who is the real victim of this story. Therefore, many of us will find the ending satisfying.
I highly recommend this novel. It is leagues ahead of the regular cop and killer crime stories. I eagerly await the next by this author.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
This is a lyrically written crime story of detective Sam Carver and female architect/ killer Dylan Cross.
It is told in alternating perspectives, that of the cop and that of the killer. So after the first couple of chapters we know a fair bit about the killer but not her motive. For Sam the killings of two prominent architects in LA is at first a mystery but as the story deepens he begins to suspect one killer, and after a video shot of a mysterious woman entering the building where the second victim lived he suspects the killer is a woman. An extra layer is added by the killer's monitoring of Sam's computer where Sam maintains a diary and musings about the murder. It becomes apparent to Sam that the two killed architects were not particularly noble persons.
But the turning point comes as Sam in searching the belongings of the two architects comes across a flash drive depicting a young woman being brutally raped by the two architects and a third unidentified individual. At this point Sam realizes that the killer is exacting revenge on the perpetrators of that act. And then in a stroke of luck he stumbles upon her identity. But the killer knowing he is on her trail sets a trap for him. This foils her plans to become romantically involved with him.
We come to empathize with the killer who is the real victim of this story. Therefore, many of us will find the ending satisfying.
I highly recommend this novel. It is leagues ahead of the regular cop and killer crime stories. I eagerly await the next by this author.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
February 23, 2020
This is a jewel of a nourish detective story--lyrical prose and skilled characterizations. It made LA come alive for me; I've never been there. Wonderful commentary on society, social issues, music, art, humanity, etc.
December 31, 2019
I’ve had a few weeks to process my thoughts on My Detective and I think I’ve figured it out. It gets 4 stars for sheer enjoyment. I thought I was over LA, but I was so wrong. My Detective is super skillful at bringing noir moodiness to the LA of today, despite its distinctly un-noir-ish elements like LA Live and the ridiculousness that is now Larchmont Boulevard (I grew up nearby and cannot stop having heart attacks every time I see it, although it’s been bonkers for years). My mind’s eye is also perpetually stuck in a 2007 version of LA where the only light is slanted afternoon light (probably because I took my day drinking very seriously back then), and the book somehow imports that feeling and has turned LA back into a place I pine for. Some of the devices are not subtle (detective Sam Carver, reporter Susan Chandler), and some of it is artifice (I kept picturing all the scenes at the Little Easy at Hank’s instead), but artifice is what LA is all about, and the book is very effective.
All that said, I’m disappointed in the wasted opportunities here. A modern-day noir set amidst the old-school architecture firms where everyone still lunches at the Water Grill but is dealing with the reckoning of the real estate craze? Ugh, so good. But – spoilers ahead – this story is as old as the hills.
All that said, I read that Fleishman is writing two more in the series and I am super there for it.
All that said, I’m disappointed in the wasted opportunities here. A modern-day noir set amidst the old-school architecture firms where everyone still lunches at the Water Grill but is dealing with the reckoning of the real estate craze? Ugh, so good. But – spoilers ahead – this story is as old as the hills.
All that said, I read that Fleishman is writing two more in the series and I am super there for it.
January 21, 2019
From the very first line, I couldn't put My Detective down. There are many fast-moving, dark crime novels out there but few are so beautifully written. The pace and character-building reminded me a bit of Michael Connelly meets Gillian Flynn. You quickly get invested in both Dylan and Carver's personal missions as the novel jumps back and forth between their narratives. I looked up the author and he's a journalist, and used to be a foreign reporter, which gives the story an authentic investigative feel that you're looking for in a crime/mystery novel. If you're looking for your next book that you'll get sucked into, this might be your next read!
January 21, 2019
LA noir has a new voice.
In the tradition of the best—think Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett—Jeffrey Fleishman suffuses his debut crime novel with lyrical literary elements.
His characters are finely drawn. They think deep thoughts. All have flaws. Some do nasty things. All have grace, some more than others.
Los Angeles looms as a pivotal character; Fleishman beautifully paints the both depressing and exciting elements in its recent transformation.
The language in My Detective is lyrical. The plot moves, suspense builds, and the pages turn easily to a surprising end.
My Detective will raise the bar on your crime fiction reading list.
In the tradition of the best—think Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett—Jeffrey Fleishman suffuses his debut crime novel with lyrical literary elements.
His characters are finely drawn. They think deep thoughts. All have flaws. Some do nasty things. All have grace, some more than others.
Los Angeles looms as a pivotal character; Fleishman beautifully paints the both depressing and exciting elements in its recent transformation.
The language in My Detective is lyrical. The plot moves, suspense builds, and the pages turn easily to a surprising end.
My Detective will raise the bar on your crime fiction reading list.
April 16, 2019
Fleishman's story is as much a tale about a changing Los Angeles as it is a story of obsession and revenge. The city of Los Angeles comes to life through the eyes of its two main characters, Dylan and Carver. The novel never loses pace, maintaining momentum from start to finish. This combined with Fleishman's unique style and prose make for a top-notch read for anyone looking for a great crime novel or simply a lens into a downtown LA on the rise. The story concludes with the feeling that Fleishman may yet have a sequel up his sleeve. I hope so!
April 21, 2019
Great Read
This is an excellent psychological detective story whose characters are flawed by trauma but sympathetic nonetheless. As the investigation into related murders the roles of hunter and hunted become blurred. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This is an excellent psychological detective story whose characters are flawed by trauma but sympathetic nonetheless. As the investigation into related murders the roles of hunter and hunted become blurred. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
April 26, 2019
Jeffrey Fleischmann has written most of an excellent story. The beginning and middle are taut, the characters sharp. Perhaps it is only me who will be a little let down by the last 1/4 or so of the story.
Women who are serial killers are rare, especially in fiction writing. The best depiction of a female serial killer is Gretchen Lowell, compellingly created by Chelsea Cain in a series of novels. Another female serial killer is Cara Lindstrom, who kills those that torture and kill children.
Dylan Cross is in that mold for a while.
Women who are serial killers are rare, especially in fiction writing. The best depiction of a female serial killer is Gretchen Lowell, compellingly created by Chelsea Cain in a series of novels. Another female serial killer is Cara Lindstrom, who kills those that torture and kill children.
Dylan Cross is in that mold for a while.
August 27, 2022
(3 1/2). This book was so smooth and silky I just had to move it up to four. A wonderful little ride through Los Angeles from the twin perspectives of a loner detective and his very engaging "doer." A few side characters, the best being the local bartender, and a couple of nice twists. But mostly a great seductive journey with a perfectly believable story. Not quite noir, just a light and comforting fog. Really good stuff.
August 10, 2022
Not bad for a book I randomly picked up at the airport. Most interesting part was the POV switching every chapter between the two competing protagonists. Deals repeatedly with some heavy topics such as sexual assault, so I would not recommend if you are sensitive to that topic.
February 16, 2020
An atmospheric character study wrapped up in a suspenseful tale of obsession and revenge with a touch of possible redemption. There’s no mystery here as the reader knows the killer’s identity from the opening chapter. But the who isn’t the point.
The writing is beautiful, with Fleishman drawing the reader into the story and the characters, building their backstories and their current lives gradually to the point that you feel like they’re taking turns sitting across a table at the neighborhood coffee shop or at the next barstool in your local speakeasy.
The writing is beautiful, with Fleishman drawing the reader into the story and the characters, building their backstories and their current lives gradually to the point that you feel like they’re taking turns sitting across a table at the neighborhood coffee shop or at the next barstool in your local speakeasy.
February 2, 2020
Very well writtenthis scenario has played out many t
On our crazy society. Great detective work with compassion society will never understand. Till it happens to them. Good read
On our crazy society. Great detective work with compassion society will never understand. Till it happens to them. Good read
June 12, 2019
This book was a refreshingly different take on the crime/thriller genre. There aren’t too many books with female serial killers out there. While Dylan Cross is technically a serial killer it feels like her victims had it coming. I won’t spoil the plot but it is well thought out and intriguing.
I don’t give many books a five star rating but when I do it is usually because of the writing style. There are just some books you pick up and know in the first chapter that you are going to love it and My Detective was one of them.
I always hate finishing a really good book and I hope there is a second Dylan/Sam book coming because the ending will definitely leave you wondering what’s next.
I don’t give many books a five star rating but when I do it is usually because of the writing style. There are just some books you pick up and know in the first chapter that you are going to love it and My Detective was one of them.
I always hate finishing a really good book and I hope there is a second Dylan/Sam book coming because the ending will definitely leave you wondering what’s next.
February 21, 2019
This novel wonderfully puts you into the minds of both cop and killer. What it also does extremely well – and at times beautifully -- is make Los Angeles its own character. The evocative writing gives a picture of modern day L.A. in all its sin and make-believe glory. I’m an Angeleno and so much of this rang true.
April 20, 2019
Plot C+, editing F
This is an LA noir thriller. It’s not a whodunnit because the perp is revealed from the start.
I read it closely at first, but started to skip massive useless verbiage toward the middle of the book.
The writer is good, but the over all result is lacking.
This is an LA noir thriller. It’s not a whodunnit because the perp is revealed from the start.
I read it closely at first, but started to skip massive useless verbiage toward the middle of the book.
The writer is good, but the over all result is lacking.
June 1, 2019
Modern update of Raymond Chandler novel. He has the argot, the seedy with the wealthy in Los Angeles, the hardboiled detective, and the femme fatale in a contemporary structure where each chapter alternates 1st person voices. Very entertaining. If you like Chandler I think you will like this take.
September 6, 2019
In the tradition of great L.A. crime fiction, “My Detective” is a nuanced page-turner whose two main characters are so well developed they feel alive on the page. For fans of crime stories, Los Angeles and even architecture, it’s a must-read!
April 27, 2019
While the author keeps the novel moving, the writing is unique for this genre and really paints a picture of every scene. "My Detective" worked for me!
May 14, 2021
Straightforward concept, dynamite execution—My Detective is proof that it’s all in the telling. And characters.
Jeffrey Fleishman’s prose is poetic and poignant. The story alternates between a jaded homicide detective and a female killer who is in the process of dispatching a few male architects. Yes, as Barenaked Ladies will tell you, it’s all been done before. The first killing is right there in the opening two sentences. “I sneak up from behind, yank his chin, lift the knife. So fast.”
Our killer is cocky. And confident. “What joy. I am in no hurry. I am strong. Deliberate. Precise as an equation.” She’s of Croatian descent, six-feet tall, and she’s got a chip on her shoulder because she has learned that “those who fit differently into the world were held to a crueler light.” It’s not the only chip on the shoulder of Dylan Cross.
Our detective is Sam Carver—not a bad name for a novel full of knives. He’s carrying around plenty of darkness. Baggage Father stuff. We’re in a sharply-observed L.A. and some of the prose here echoes Raymond Chandler, but it’s not all clipped and staccato.
Carver quickly learns that Dylan’s first victim is a “rich schmuck architect” with political connections. “Proceed with caution,” he’s told by his boss.
L.A. plays a role, as mentioned. So do cities in general. Cities, developments, construction, architecture—“the bones, glass, and stone of our imaginations.” With all the architecture talk, this makes perfect sense.
“I’m looking at long night,” thinks Carver. “Planes bound for LAX loop and glitter in winds high above the San Gabriels. Cranes rise in the west, and to the south, a gray black hangs over the 110 beyond Hawthorn and Compton Neighborhoods reach into one another and stretch through canyons toward the ocean, on and on, like the flash and tremor of a dream, and somewhere deep in the earth, a fault slips into a brokenness waiting to rise, nobody knows when.”
Carver discovers the victim was killed outside a hotel where he had been seeing a hooker. And Dylan Cross, we find out, has managed to hack Carver’s computer and enjoys watching and tracking him. He is “my detective.” She has followed Carver, with keen interest, ever since spotting a profile of Carver in the newspaper along with a photo taken inside the Bradbury Building. “I thought how beautiful they both were: the terra cotta and the brick, of course, with the intricate iron railings and the ceiling of light, as if you’d wandered into an old European train station; and my detective for his face, angled and lonesome, black hair, rumpled, and his caravan eyes which, I must say, looked right at me—not hard or distant, but as if he recognized me from some sweet past life.”
Fleishman slips in plenty of big ideas about architecture and its role in shaping lives and shaping cities—and gives Carver a chance to take a whack at Los Angeles building design. “Though it's not my city, I have adopted it. And there are moments, especially at dusk, when the palms scratch against the last bits of sun, and a hard, clarifying coolness settles in and the winds gust from the canyons and the ocean cleansing and quieting as night falls when it leaves me spellbound. You can raise all the pretty buildings you want, but they will pale against what existed long before the first architect arrived. That is the sacred lie of LA: the belief that we can tame a cruel, unsparing paradise, a place not imagined for us but where we have nonetheless brought our strange, restless, unattainable dreams.”
As we expect, there is a final confrontation—beautifully choreographed—but perhaps not the usual finish. Not at all. This is not the world of neat endings. Highly original? Maybe not. Beautifully rendered? Most definitely. Memorable? Very.
Jeffrey Fleishman’s prose is poetic and poignant. The story alternates between a jaded homicide detective and a female killer who is in the process of dispatching a few male architects. Yes, as Barenaked Ladies will tell you, it’s all been done before. The first killing is right there in the opening two sentences. “I sneak up from behind, yank his chin, lift the knife. So fast.”
Our killer is cocky. And confident. “What joy. I am in no hurry. I am strong. Deliberate. Precise as an equation.” She’s of Croatian descent, six-feet tall, and she’s got a chip on her shoulder because she has learned that “those who fit differently into the world were held to a crueler light.” It’s not the only chip on the shoulder of Dylan Cross.
Our detective is Sam Carver—not a bad name for a novel full of knives. He’s carrying around plenty of darkness. Baggage Father stuff. We’re in a sharply-observed L.A. and some of the prose here echoes Raymond Chandler, but it’s not all clipped and staccato.
Carver quickly learns that Dylan’s first victim is a “rich schmuck architect” with political connections. “Proceed with caution,” he’s told by his boss.
L.A. plays a role, as mentioned. So do cities in general. Cities, developments, construction, architecture—“the bones, glass, and stone of our imaginations.” With all the architecture talk, this makes perfect sense.
“I’m looking at long night,” thinks Carver. “Planes bound for LAX loop and glitter in winds high above the San Gabriels. Cranes rise in the west, and to the south, a gray black hangs over the 110 beyond Hawthorn and Compton Neighborhoods reach into one another and stretch through canyons toward the ocean, on and on, like the flash and tremor of a dream, and somewhere deep in the earth, a fault slips into a brokenness waiting to rise, nobody knows when.”
Carver discovers the victim was killed outside a hotel where he had been seeing a hooker. And Dylan Cross, we find out, has managed to hack Carver’s computer and enjoys watching and tracking him. He is “my detective.” She has followed Carver, with keen interest, ever since spotting a profile of Carver in the newspaper along with a photo taken inside the Bradbury Building. “I thought how beautiful they both were: the terra cotta and the brick, of course, with the intricate iron railings and the ceiling of light, as if you’d wandered into an old European train station; and my detective for his face, angled and lonesome, black hair, rumpled, and his caravan eyes which, I must say, looked right at me—not hard or distant, but as if he recognized me from some sweet past life.”
Fleishman slips in plenty of big ideas about architecture and its role in shaping lives and shaping cities—and gives Carver a chance to take a whack at Los Angeles building design. “Though it's not my city, I have adopted it. And there are moments, especially at dusk, when the palms scratch against the last bits of sun, and a hard, clarifying coolness settles in and the winds gust from the canyons and the ocean cleansing and quieting as night falls when it leaves me spellbound. You can raise all the pretty buildings you want, but they will pale against what existed long before the first architect arrived. That is the sacred lie of LA: the belief that we can tame a cruel, unsparing paradise, a place not imagined for us but where we have nonetheless brought our strange, restless, unattainable dreams.”
As we expect, there is a final confrontation—beautifully choreographed—but perhaps not the usual finish. Not at all. This is not the world of neat endings. Highly original? Maybe not. Beautifully rendered? Most definitely. Memorable? Very.
September 27, 2021
A suspenseful read, My Detective is a fun read with great character development which had me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend this book!
Synopsis: Detective Sam Carver journeys through sins scattered across the City of Angels, where hipsters, homeless, immigrants, producers, politicians, movie stars, and cops collide in mysterious ways. Every move Carver makes is anticipated by the killer, Dylan Cross. She has hacked his computer and knows his diaries and secrets. She sees in him a kindred and damaged spirit, a man who can understand her crimes, heal her scars, and love her. Dylan is reclaiming herself from a past of brutal injustices inflicted by a world of misogyny and power. Detective Carver is dealing with his own troubled history-an elusive and violent father.
My Detective is a story of obsession set against vengeance and prayers of forgiveness in a city that is as cruel as it is fantastical. It captures modern Los Angeles in real time, an eerie glide through the imagination, where winds gust high above the San Gabriel Mountains and neighborhoods stretch toward the ocean like the flash and tremor of a dream. The novel speaks to our sense of beauty in a new century and the demons we rouse when we dare to create a new metropolis.
Synopsis: Detective Sam Carver journeys through sins scattered across the City of Angels, where hipsters, homeless, immigrants, producers, politicians, movie stars, and cops collide in mysterious ways. Every move Carver makes is anticipated by the killer, Dylan Cross. She has hacked his computer and knows his diaries and secrets. She sees in him a kindred and damaged spirit, a man who can understand her crimes, heal her scars, and love her. Dylan is reclaiming herself from a past of brutal injustices inflicted by a world of misogyny and power. Detective Carver is dealing with his own troubled history-an elusive and violent father.
My Detective is a story of obsession set against vengeance and prayers of forgiveness in a city that is as cruel as it is fantastical. It captures modern Los Angeles in real time, an eerie glide through the imagination, where winds gust high above the San Gabriel Mountains and neighborhoods stretch toward the ocean like the flash and tremor of a dream. The novel speaks to our sense of beauty in a new century and the demons we rouse when we dare to create a new metropolis.
January 24, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed this combination of a thriller and a police procedural.
Detective is obsessed with solving a case.
Killer is obsessed with stalking her victims and enacting revenge while simultaneously stalking the detective that is investigating and trying to find her.
Writing was very detailed and engaging, the back story on both the villain and the detective was well developed and drew me in to care about both characters.
The plot development was tight and doled out slowly, not fully revealed until the last third of the book. Definitely kept me reading and wanting to see how things played out.
The ending was a bit disappointing and anti climactic...after all the build up it didnt really fulfill my expectations and left a few threads unresolved. Definitely seemed like a lead in for future books in a series.
Overall, very enjoyable and recommended. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I enjoyed this combination of a thriller and a police procedural.
Detective is obsessed with solving a case.
Killer is obsessed with stalking her victims and enacting revenge while simultaneously stalking the detective that is investigating and trying to find her.
Writing was very detailed and engaging, the back story on both the villain and the detective was well developed and drew me in to care about both characters.
The plot development was tight and doled out slowly, not fully revealed until the last third of the book. Definitely kept me reading and wanting to see how things played out.
The ending was a bit disappointing and anti climactic...after all the build up it didnt really fulfill my expectations and left a few threads unresolved. Definitely seemed like a lead in for future books in a series.
Overall, very enjoyable and recommended. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
February 16, 2020
Fantastic book. I mean, one character, an old lady, despises Trump and loves Raymond Chandler. That old lady could be me. But fortunately the detective is way smarter than me. Fleishman makes L.A. the place you've always wanted to go and being an architect one of the tragic things you've missed out on. I think the stark pregnancy of quiet is a theme, along with the ghosts that swirl within the invisible, and the ubiquitous wind, in the streets and deserts and in our souls. "A capacity to wonder" and "the calm in chaos" are on every street corner, in every alley. One beautiful, wistful, yet serene quote- "It should be like this always. It won't be; it never is, but when it comes like now, I feel the way Lenny felt kissing Julie mason under that pile of coats."
December 9, 2022
A welcome introduction to a promising detective series.
I’ve already chosen the next audiobook, “Last Dance.” And to top it off, they’re both available in the Audible Plus catalogue at no cost. Detective Sam Carver plays cat-and-mouse with a suspected serial killer with surprising results. Author Jeffrey Fleishman pens an intricate and suspenseful thriller with twists and turns at every corner. Narrators Emily Woo Zeller and Richard Ferrone brilliantly compliment each other as they bring I these complexellent characters to vivid life. I particularly enjoyed the few amusing and oh-so-true barbs thrown at the moronic narcissist Trump. Well done! Thank you. Recommended? Most definitely. Epic, I say. EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!
✍🏻👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍🏻
I’ve already chosen the next audiobook, “Last Dance.” And to top it off, they’re both available in the Audible Plus catalogue at no cost. Detective Sam Carver plays cat-and-mouse with a suspected serial killer with surprising results. Author Jeffrey Fleishman pens an intricate and suspenseful thriller with twists and turns at every corner. Narrators Emily Woo Zeller and Richard Ferrone brilliantly compliment each other as they bring I these complexellent characters to vivid life. I particularly enjoyed the few amusing and oh-so-true barbs thrown at the moronic narcissist Trump. Well done! Thank you. Recommended? Most definitely. Epic, I say. EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!
✍🏻👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👏✍🏻
July 9, 2020
This was a fun free read, I found it through a book bub offer. Since it was free, I said what the heck. When I began reading this novel I felt like it was like a thriller/murder mystery. I would have even put it in the category of cop drama, but as you read on the stories tone takes a turn. This book had a sinister turn into a sick violence fueled pseudo romance. I also thought it was interesting that the book was written in two character voices. I always really enjoy reading from a few different perspectives. For a modern book the tones were super Noire. This is a nice beach read.
January 30, 2021
I received an autographed copy of Last Dance by Jeffrey Fleishman for Christmas but decided to start at the beginning by first reading My Detective (Sam Carver book #1). I both listened on audio (great narrators) and read on digital. Very good writing and interesting story. I believe this is his first detective novel. Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed the LA setting as well as the secondary characters in the book. Now I am ready to start Mr. Fleishman's next novel and see what Sam Carver is up to.
April 19, 2022
A book with predicted outcome right at the beginning. Personally, what attract and keep in engage of a book is always the mystery and excitement of what will happen next as the story unfold. I am more into the story plot than the writing style reader. And that is the reason why this book is not for me kinds of readers. As the book already revealed the killer and detective. The book does mainly takes about their personal history and the interaction between them here and there without big twist or much events.
January 11, 2021
So I read the second book first. It was good enough to go back to the beginning. Glad I did. This establishes many of the references that are talked about in #2, so the picture is clearer now. This too is a good story. A lone (loner) cop is hunting a serial killer of architects. Sam Carver is a Renaissance man. He plays the piano a bit and reads. He appears like someone I'd like to meet. I hope the series continues.
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