Created by Matt Goldman
Minneapolis private eye NILS SHAPIRO used to be a cop. And a husband.
Now he’s neither. He’s getting by, coasting on being a smart-ass, but he’s still very much feeling the loss of both. Even though he knows he shouldn’t.
Yeah, it’s familiar territory for the shamus game, but author Matt Goldman -pumps a little fresh air into the set up, sidestepping the usual moody-broodies of the detective for welcome blasts of snappy patter and unexpected humour (imagine the dour Lew Archer rewritten by early Harlan Coben), serving up some sharp characterization, a nicely balanced mix of compassion and cynicism, and a setting that hasn’t been done to death. When he plows into the coldness of Minnesota winters, he means it, man. No Hollywood fake snow here — Goldman nails it.
The irony here is that my favourite in the series just might be 2020’s Dead West, which finds Nils doing the fish-out-of-water thing in… Hollywood.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Goldman is s a stand-up comic, playwright, Emmy-winning TV writer (Seinfeld,Ellen) and New York Times bestselling author. His fiction debut, Gone to Dust, which introduced Nils, was nominated for both the Shamus and Nero Awards, and was a Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List selection. He lives in Minnesota.
UNDER OATH
- “With his wry, observant eye and quick wit, plus a pressing need to follow the truth into dark, uncharted places, Shap is a more optimistic version of Ross MacDonald’s Lew Archer. Readers will look forward to his next investigative adventure.”
— Publishers Weekly on Gone to Dust - “Goldman brings the heat with a moody and wry Midwest elegy. A modern, clever voice in these most cynical of times.”
— Ace Atkins - “A perfect blend of light touch and dark story―I want more of Nils Shapiro.”
— Lee Child
NOVELS
- Gone to Dust (2017) | Buy the book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- Broken Ice (2018) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- The Shallows (2019) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- Dead West (2020) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- Dark Humor (2025) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
