Created by Andy Weinberger
“I’m not a believer, unless you count the Dodgers.”
— the opening to An Old Man’s Game
Patient, thoughtful private eye AMOS PARISMAN is no spring chicken. Truth to tell, he’s more-or-less retired, but he likes to keep his hand in, usually on behalf of folks he knows in LA’s Jewish community (mostly the Fairfax District, and Hollywood, so far), in this quietly charming and surprisingly moving series by Andy Weinberger.
A long-time Los Angeleno (he claims to have been there “since the dinosaurs started slipping and sliding into the La Brea tar pits”) and a Jew himself, Amos claims to be an atheist, but it’s clear he has a deep, abiding affinity and concern for others. Try as he might, his measured, tempered compassion shows through, no matter how much he insists on acting like a hard-boiled mensch, pragmatic as a hammer, talking straight and cracking wise, acting tough, and spouting Yiddish bon mots all over the place, like he got a bag full of them wholesale.
Mind you, most gumshoes don’t spend a good part of their lives at home tenderly caring for loved ones (as Amos does, for his beloved Loretta, his dementia-prone wife) or patiently mentoring their partners, such as Amos’ assistant Omar Villasenor, a former professional wrestler.
It’ll be interested to see where Weinberger takes this series, and come to think of it, maybe Amos will run into Roger Simon’s Moses Wine at Cantor’s, at some point. They must be about the same age.
UNDER OATH
- “Delightful … Mr. Weinberger writes as his hero detects, at a measured and thoughtful pace. Most of the book’s violence takes place offstage, leaving the detective to ponder and ruminate in contemplative fashion.”
― Tom Nolan (Wall Street Journal) - “Amos Parisman is one of the most unique PIs in literary history…a superb character study…Amos Parisman serves as a guide, leading readers from one crime scene to another while reflecting on mankind’s moral decay. His reflections on life are witty and insightful (and sometimes depressing). He provided me with many reasons for wanting to read future installments in the Amos Parisman Mystery series.”
— Gumshoe Magazine - “Andy Weinberger has created an absolutely charming private investigator that readers will follow from book to book. L.A.’s Fairfax District―get ready for your close-up!”
— Naomi Hirahara
NOVELS
- An Old Man’s Game (2019) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- Reason to Kill (2020) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
- The Kindness of Strangers (2022) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
