The Last Good Man

by A.J. Kazinski Narrated by Simon Vance

Overview

According to Jewish legend, there are 36 righteous people on Earth at any given time. Without them, humanity would perish. But the 36 do not know they are the chosen ones, and many are dying. A monk in Beijing, an economist in Mumbai, a glassmaker in Venice and more have all perished under bizarre circumstances, with strange marks on their backs.
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*Veteran Danish detective Niels Bentzon is called to investigate. He's ready to dismiss the assignment-but then he meets Hannah, a brilliant astrophysicist mourning the death of her son. Together, they piece together the puzzle of these far-flung deaths, and a pattern emerges. Thirty-four have died, and only Bentzon and Hannah can predict the time and place of the final two.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2012 - AudioFile

Listening to Simon Vance read A.J. Kazinski’s mystery is like hearing an expert musician perform Mozart. The story is clever, and Vance’s style brings out every nuance. At its core, the book focuses upon Danish detective Niels Bentzon and scientist Hannah Lund. Together they realize that the deaths of 34 people worldwide are tied to an ancient Jewish belief that there exist 36 righteous people on earth who, unbeknownst to themselves, must protect humanity. Bentzon and Lund’s search to solve the mystery and prevent the remaining two people from being murdered takes them around the globe. Vance’s uncanny ability to create a unique style for each character and his smooth yet convincing ability to turn dialogue into an art form make the performance as memorable as the plot. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

The Jewish legend that the world is kept from destruction by 36 just people, who are unaware of their status, underpins this intriguing first novel from Kazinski, the pseudonym of filmmaker Anders Rønnow Klarlund and Jacob Weinreich. When Italian police officer Tommaso di Barbara becomes aware that good people have been dying all over the world, he concludes that the victims are 34 of the 36, and contacts a Danish colleague, hostage negotiator Niels Bentzon, to assist him in saving the last two members of the group. Bentzon, in turn, finds unexpected help in the form of scientist Hannah Lund, who uses the inquiry to re-engage with the world after her son’s suicide. The story, laden with murky metaphysics, loses its way as Bentzon, Lund, and di Barbara race to identify the last of the righteous. This is the rare thriller that’s stronger on characters, especially the protagonists, than plot. Agent: Lars Ringhof, Lars Ringhof Agency. (Mar.)

From the Publisher

How does one find two exceptionally—and genuinely—good people—and then protect them? The fear that question provokes—because what if there are no really good people left? Or what if there's no protection to offer the few who do remain?—is what makes this book so terrifyingly compelling. The answers it offers, however, make for a quietly inspiring read.”—Oprah.com

"With a rich brocade of charged emotion and a hero with grit and determination, The Last Good Man never disappoints. This one has everything I look for in a thriller—history, secrets, conspiracies, action, adventure, and international settings. Check this one out, you're going to love it."—Steve Berry, New York Times-bestselling author of The Amber Room and The Columbus Affair

"The Last Good Man is a vivid, powerfully written adventure, where religion and science are melded into an impassioned brew."—Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of The Moses Expedition and The Traitor’s Emblem

“Intense…. Moments of rapid-fire suspense… A truly compelling and worthwhile journey.”—Associated Press

“A mind blowing novel . . . with a spectacular ending.” —Pleine Vie (France)

“Breathtaking.”—Ekstra Bladet (Denmark)

“So tight and exciting that the pages fly through your fingers.”—Fredericia Dagblad (Denmark)

“The buzz thriller of the season.”—L’indépendant (France)

“A.J. Kazinski spins the web of suspense ever tighter, and the reader becomes irrevocably trapped in its web… An unbelievably good ending.”—Hamburger Abendblatt (Germany)

“A fast-paced, smartly plotted book … with a cast of lively and likable characters.”—Kirkus

Library Journal

A Chinese monk. A charitable Indian economist. Just two of 34 "good men" who have died mysteriously. Does this have something to do with the Jewish belief that at any time there are 36 righteous people on Earth protecting the rest? If so, Det. Niels Bentzon of Copenhagen has two deaths left to prevent. Especially good where thrillers with religious overtones are popular.

APRIL 2012 - AudioFile

Listening to Simon Vance read A.J. Kazinski’s mystery is like hearing an expert musician perform Mozart. The story is clever, and Vance’s style brings out every nuance. At its core, the book focuses upon Danish detective Niels Bentzon and scientist Hannah Lund. Together they realize that the deaths of 34 people worldwide are tied to an ancient Jewish belief that there exist 36 righteous people on earth who, unbeknownst to themselves, must protect humanity. Bentzon and Lund’s search to solve the mystery and prevent the remaining two people from being murdered takes them around the globe. Vance’s uncanny ability to create a unique style for each character and his smooth yet convincing ability to turn dialogue into an art form make the performance as memorable as the plot. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Working on his own, a beleaguered Italian cop, Tommaso, uncovers a strange wave of international murders. According to Jewish scripture, there are 36 "good," righteous people unknowingly assigned to protect civilization. One by one, from Chicago to Mumbai, they are being killed. Only two are left alive. It's up to Tommaso and Bentzon, the Danish cop he tags across the language barrier, to save humanity. It isn't easy to identify the targets; not all of the victims were humanitarians or activists. But the race is on when Hannah, a brilliant, disheveled, data-crunching astrophysicist teamed with Bentzon, devises a chart of where and when each of the killings was or will be. The final two, conveniently enough, are planned for Copenhagen, where President Obama is attending a world climate conference and Bentzon must contend with an Arab terrorist on a deadly mission, and Venice, where Tommaso's efforts are informed by a strange final warning from his dying mother. Writing under a pseudonym, Danish filmmaker Anders Rønnow Klarlund and Danish crime and children's novelist Jacob Weinreich have concocted a fast-paced, smartly plotted book. Described in Denmark as "Dan Brown meets Stieg Larsson," the book owes a lot more to Brown's occultish puzzle novels than Larsson's ultra-violent, socially aware thrillers. As dire as the situation is, this is a good-humored book with a cast of lively and likable characters--none more than Hannah, who goes from grieving her dead son and the death of her marriage to deriving excitement from working on the most gripping problem anyone has ever faced to dying and coming back to life nine minutes later. The co-authors successfully keep the wheels of their end-of-the-world scenario spinning.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170009855
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	03/06/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,180,143

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