Description

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“Evocative, nostalgic, haunting, twisty, and true, Weizmann’s fast paced and smartly written CINNAMON GIRL is everything there is to love about a classic PI novel and more … much more." — Reed Farrel Coleman, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of SLEEPLESS CITY

From the author of the acclaimed The Last Songbird, Lyft driver-turned-sleuth Adam Zantz returns in a neo-noir dive into the dark side of LA’s rock scene . . .

Adam Zantz is still driving for Lyft, struggling to make ends meet, when his beloved former piano teacher makes a deathbed request: He wants Zantz to prove his son’s innocence in a decades-earlier murder case.  

There doesn’t seem to be much hope of solving such a cold case—until Zantz stumbles onto a test pressing of a never-released vinyl LP. The recording is of a high school garage band lost to the tides of the Paisley Underground, the acid-fueled early ’80s music scene that spawned the Bangles and the Three O'Clock. 

Down the psychedelic rabbit hole Adam falls, tracing the band's journey from the middle class garage to the precipice of fame—a twisted tale marked by crooked DJs, elder-scammers, wellness hucksters, a teen cult, and the woman who held the key to the band’s triumph and ruin.

One part Raymond Chandler, one part Ziggy Stardust, Cinnamon Girl is both an indelible, moving portrait of Los .Angeles, and a suspenseful tale of greed, lust, betrayal, and the hidden price of teenage yearning.

EXTRA! A QR code will be added for the liner notes of the album by The Daily Telegraph. These feature importantly in the novel.

About the Author

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Daniel Weizmann is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, the Guardian, AP Newswire, and more. Under the nom de plume, Shredder, Weizmann also wrote for the long running Flipside fanzine, as well as LA Weekly, which once called him “an incomparable punk stylist.” Most recently, Weizmann co-authored Game Changer by Michael Solomon and Rishon Blumberg (Harper Leadership, 2020). He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Praise For…

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“This breezy neo-noir whizzes by like a familiar old song…Enjoyable.” - Publishers Weekly

“Evocative, nostalgic, haunting, twisty, and true, Weizmann’s fast paced and smartly written CINNAMON GIRL is everything there is to love about a classic PI novel and more … much more." — Reed Farrel Coleman, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of Sleepless City

“The backdrop is the music scene of the ’80s, territory that author Weizmann knows well. The road to the mystery is murky and dangerous . . . Weizmann’s Cinnamon Girl is intense, satisfying, and a great read.” —JOE IDE, author of IQ
 
“The weight of the past permeates Cinnamon Girl. As Weizmann’s living-at-the-margins detective searches for truths long buried, a Southland is revealed in the harsh glare of the flamed out and velvet-frocked lyrics. A rockin’ good read.”—GARY PHILLIPS, author of One-Shot Harry
 
“Cinnamon Girl is a musical joyride through the strange and deadly cul de sacs of Los Angeles. This book is effortlessly cool, delightfully weird, and wholly satisfying. I’d go anywhere with Weizmann at the wheel.” —NINA SIMON, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night

Praise for THE LAST SONGBIRD

A Sunday Times of London Best Mystery of 2023
Open Letters Review Best Mystery Books of 2023

"Weizmann’s music bona fides inform the novel’s tone and purpose, but it’s equally clear how steeped he is in the styles of detective fiction past and present...This is a story of murder, but also of vivid life." -- The New York Times

"A moving neonoir cruise through Los Angeles…In hard-boiled language with an added layer of humor and psychological insight, Weizmann tells a tale reliant on the thrill, and pathos, of popular music... At turns thrilling and poignant, this is fine, thoughtful entertainment." -- Kirkus, STARRED review

"Weizmann seamlessly weaves vibrant L.A. music industry personalities into the suspenseful plot. This tense whodunit deserves a sequel." -- Publishers Weekly

"a story of broken, damaged families and long-held secrets that’s straight out of a Ross Macdonald novel. THE LAST SONGBIRD is also an incisive examination of toxic masculinity..." -- Bookreporter

"Props to Daniel Weizmann for respecting older women as artists and for his clear dedication to writing about music in an evocative and intelligent manner." -- CrimeReads

"This debut mystery has a good storyline... worth the read." -- Library Journal

“The Last Songbird is my favorite kind of neo-noir - blending the bright lights of celebrity and fame with the primal urges and darkness that come with any good noir novel. Weizmann is a confident, polished storyteller who honors his influences while weaving his amateur detective through a complex mystery that will keep you turning the pages until you’ve reached the haunting finale. A sharp, memorable debut.” -- Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity

"The Last Songbird is rock noir at its best.  It sneaks up on you like a hook line, and when it's over, you can't get it out of your head. Hapless hero/songwriter Addy Zantz is witty, gritty and determined to solve the murder of his idol and muse, the legendary rock star, Annie Linden. Daniel Weizmann's L.A. is half Warren Zevon and half Raymond Chandler. Bravo.” -- T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author

“Weizmann skillfully crafts a gritty, unstoppable detective thriller rife with sleaze and sea foam and broken dreams set against a crumbling LA backdrop. It’s Sunset Boulevard meets Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.” -- Katie Tallo, author of Dark August

“Weizmann’s fiction is informed by his past as a highly influential and precocious young veteran of the punk scene, as well as by his lifelong passion for music, his career in journalism and his love of noir and Los Angeles. This book is funny, poetic, gripping, and beautifully tackles themes of creativity, fame and family.” -- Francesca Lia Block, author of Dangerous Angels: the Weetzie Bat Books

“A terrific ride through the troubled, tangled lives surrounding a murdered LA music legend, told with the energy of the Germs, the urgency of X, with a captivating narrator who drives headlong in crime-fueled pursuit.” -- Gregory Galloway, author of Just Thieves

“Propulsive and pitch perfect, The Last Songbird is a smart, fast-paced read about the costs of fame to both the spectacularly gifted and those left dazzled and dazed in their wake. In crackling prose, Daniel Weizmann masterfully takes the reader through the midnight precincts of LA to tell a gripping story of human fallibility – of triumph and failure, generosity and greed, love and disappointment – and the drive, against all odds, to set things right. A stunning debut.” -- Joan Leegant, author of An Hour in Paradise

"Daniel Weizmann’s The Last Songbird is a gripping, fast-paced, neo-noir mystery whose intriguing characters populate the streets of Los Angeles.  When a ‘70’s music icon suddenly disappears, her driver and friend, begins a frantic search that leads him in pursuit of the truth.  In turn, he will discover just as much about himself.  Weizmann has written a smart, unforgettable, page-turner of the best kind." -- Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Color of Air

"Take everything you know about the noir detective and chuck it out the window of a moving car on the Pacific Coast Highway. Weizmann's Adam Zantz is a uniquely relatable amateur sleuth. His flaws and, more importantly, his empathy make him a Lew Archer for the millennial age. Fortunately, The Last Songbird only feels like the beginning." -- Kyle Decker, author of This Rancid Mill