Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Last Good Man-A.J. Kazinski, Tiina Nunnally (translator)

The Last Good Man


A.J. Kazinski, Tiina Nunnally (translator)

Scribner, Mar 6 2012, $26.00

ISBN 9781451640755



In the Yonghegong Temple in Beijing, Ling the monk drops dead with an inflamed etching across his back. Italian police officer Tommaso di Barbara sends Giuseppe Locatelli to Suvarna Hospital in Mumbai to confirm what he expects with the death of economist Raj Bairoliya. The same thing had occurred in Hanoi and elsewhere. Tommaso believes someone is murdering humanitarians around the globe.



Stunned, Tommaso links thirty-four identical deaths of good people by a serial killer, which leads him to Jewish scripture of the pious thirty-six preventing the end of humanity. As the world climate summit comes to Copenhagen, Tommaso enlists Danish detective Niels Bentzon to help him save the last two standing. Niels finds nobody worthy until he obtains the help of grieving scientist Hannah Lund, who struggles with her son’s suicide. She finds the pattern in which the last two homicides will occur in Venice and Copenhagen very soon.



Based on the Jewish belief of the thirty six righteous but unenlightened people who prevent the end of the world, The Last Good Man is an exhilarating thriller. The prime trio is fully developed with flaws and disbeliefs making them human. Their desperation to identify and keep safe the last two good people standing is fun to follow. Although the Jewish scripture of pre-determined chosen ones is fascinating, this insight slows down the pace of an otherwise exciting running out of time biblical doomsday countdown.



Harriet Klausner



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