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    Gone to Dust: A Novel
    Gone to Dust: A Novel
    Gone to Dust: A Novel
    Ebook313 pages5 hours

    Gone to Dust: A Novel

    By Matt Goldman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Set in Minnesota, Gone to Dust is the New York Times bestselling debut private eye murder mystery from Emmy Award-winning Seinfeld writer Matt Goldman.

    “Sharp wit, complex characters, and masterful plotting makes Goldman a writer to watch. Irreverent and insightful, private detective Nils Shapiro is sure to become a fan favorite.”—Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author

    A brutal crime. The ultimate cover-up. How do you solve a murder with no useable evidence?

    Private detective Nils Shapiro is focused on forgetting his ex-wife and keeping warm during another Minneapolis winter when a former colleague, neighboring Edina Police Detective Anders Ellegaard, calls with the impossible.

    Suburban divorcee Maggie Somerville was found murdered in her bedroom, her body covered with the dust from hundreds of emptied vacuum cleaner bags, all potential DNA evidence obscured by the calculating killer.

    Digging into Maggie’s cell phone records, Nils finds that the most frequently called number belongs to a mysterious young woman whose true identity could shatter the Somerville family--but could she be guilty of murder?

    After the FBI demands that Nils drop the case, Nils and Ellegaard are forced to take their investigation underground, where the case grows as murky as the contents of the vacuum cleaner bags. Is this a strange case of domestic violence or something with far reaching, sinister implications?

    “A perfect blend of light touch and dark story—I want more of Nils Shapiro.” —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateAug 15, 2017
    ISBN9780765391292
    Gone to Dust: A Novel
    Author

    Matt Goldman

    Matt Goldman is a playwright and Emmy Award-winning television writer for Seinfeld, Ellen, and other shows. He brings his signature storytelling abilities and light touch to his Nils Shapiro series, which begins with Gone to Dust. He lives in Minnesota with his wife, pets, and whichever children happen to be around.

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    Reviews for Gone to Dust

    4/5

    94 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book caught my attention with a clever premise - the scene of a murder covered in dust. A lot of dust. Enough dust to be an obvious attempt to obscure DNA evidence. Nils Shapiro, laid off from the police force due to budget cuts, earns his living as a private investigator. A cop friend calls him in on the unusual murder that occurs in a normally safe neighborhood. Nils can take the investigation in directions the cops cannot, especially when evidence starts leading toward wealthy and political individuals. His camaraderie with his former colleague is appealing, his sense of humor is dry and sarcastic, and the plot contains believable red herrings. Winter in Minneapolis serves as a suitable setting for this cold-blooded murder.
    • 4/5
      I liked Nils as an investigator and lead character. He was interesting without being too quirky or tortured. Not a cartoon character. The way he was brought into the case was plausible. Good relationship with the cops, but not too chummy. There's a lot of grit and humor. I'll probably end up reading more if there are more to read.
    • 3/5
      This was so-so in general but it definitely had an inventive modus operandi to cover up the crime with an excess of random DNA and foreign objects. I got this as an Audible Daily Deal and one fault I did notice was that during highway driving (much of my audiobook listening is done during long distance drives) the volume needed an extra boost for the female characters (often spoken in quieter breathy tones) to be audible. This isn't normally an aspect that I even notice (and I listen to 50+ audiobooks a year at least), so there seemed something off with the sound mixing. This is likely not an issue if you listen at home and/or through headphones.
    • 4/5
      Private investigator Nils Shapiro and Edina, Minneapolis police detective Anders Ellegaard went through the police academy together and, although their careers have taken different paths, they have remained friends. But the murder of divorcee Maggie Shapiro throws Anders into an unusual case and his first thought is to bring Nils into the investigation. Dust emptied out of vacuum cleaner bags covers the woman’s body [and much of her house], rendering any lingering DNA evidence virtually useless.The mystery deepens as Nils investigates, but his progress makes the FBI nervous, forcing Anders and Nils to continue their investigation in secret. Will they find the killer? And what secrets will their investigation uncover?The characters . . . witty, sarcastic, and smart . . . are well-developed; with the intriguing mystery and a strong sense of place, readers will find much to appreciate in this narrative. Unexpected reveals keep the suspense building in this compelling tale readers will find difficult to set aside before turning the final page.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Nils Shapiro (Shap) became a private investigator after leaving the police force, so when a buddy calls on him for help in what is the first murder Edina in about a decade, it makes sense. Right away, the way in which the murderer covered up their tracks was very unique and I found it hard to put the story down. There is a very strong sense of place here, the Minneapolis area is well described and Nils and Detective Ellegaard certainly visit many of the high points. Nils has an eye for the pretty women, a complicated relationship with an ex and a wryly sarcastic way of looking at many things in life. Fans of other Minnesota sets mysteries like the Monkeewrench series should enjoy this as well.
    • 5/5
      Characters real, believable, likable (mostly!), well-written with good pacing and excellent use and description of climate's impact on everyday life during a Minnesota Winter!. Personal lives with a light tough but fills-in one's picture of the character. Plot has just the right amount of twists and turns with a satisfying ending with just enough un-told to know the next "episode" with be just as enjoyable as this one. Minneapolis and St. Paul haven't had it so good since my last read of the adventures of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport's travels through these same city streets.
    • 4/5
      Nils Shapiro, just love the contradiction in that name, is a private investigator in Minnesota who is called on by a past friend and colleague to assist the local police in a most unusual case. A woman is found murdered in her home, covered with bags of vacuum dust. Try to separate the evidence from the garbage, a little difficult for a police force with little experience in murder.Loved the sassiness of this, Nils is quite a character, sarcastic and not at all intimidated by upper management, so to speak. He is still n love with his ex wife and desperately wishes he wasn't. A good mix of personal and story keeps it moving along at a rapid clip. Again a book coincidence, seems to be my new normal, just had recently finished a book concerning the Somali community, and this one too is partly centered on this community, in a roundabout way.The author was a former writer of Seinfeld, a show much loved in my house, so the tone and writing is very witty, but also insightful. I enjoyed this, the cold setting, Interesting storyline and some great characters. Hope to see more of Nils in future storylines.
    • 4/5
      First book in the series, Nils Shapiro is a PI asked to help on a murder of a woman in Edina, MN. Nils is divorced from his wife, and is trying to find fulfillment in a loving relationship. As he delves into the mystery of this woman's murder, who is covered with dust, he is reunited with some childhood friends. He uncovers a secret relationship that the deceased, Maggie Somerville, had with a young Somali American woman. He also works to find the real killer, although there are some red herrings thrown in along the way. I enjoyed this first book, and will look for the next in the series.
    • 5/5
      private-investigators, law-enforcement, procedural, Minneapolis, St Paul, false-information, falsely-accused, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, snarky, snow-season, murder, murder-investigation, suspense, suspicion, thriller, FBI*****Bought this audio on sale, actually twice (by accident). Money well spent for me.While I have never actually lived in or around the Twin Cities, several family members and a few friends have lived and gone to university there while I remained near Milwaukee. Point being the nostalgia of listening to all the directions, neighborhoods, roadways, and winter weather.As a procedural it was very well done and kept me guessing through the plot twists and red herrings. Lots of attention to detail in many aspects, including the characters. The tale is told as a narrative by Nils Shapiro, PI who is a very likeable, regular guy with personal problems like the rest of us. I am going to hunt down the rest of the series.The narration is well done by voice actor MacLeod Andrews and I truly enjoyed listening to him.
    • 4/5
      First in the Nils Shapiro mystery series. Not great literature, but a good read.
    • 4/5
      Fun, easy read by a new local author. It was very reminiscent of Sandford's novels. I loved that it was set here in the Twin Cities and there was so much detail in the descriptions of the area. Most of the action took place within a few miles of where I grew up, I could picture everything perfectly!!! The plot twists were great and kept you in the dark until the last minute. Everything I love in a mystery novel!!!

    Book preview

    Gone to Dust - Matt Goldman

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