Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
Danmark, København, ca 2009
Politimanden Niels Bentzon er et godt menneske og en god politimand. Han smider gerne alt tøjet for at få en gidseltager til at overgive sig. Han bliver indblandet i en sag, hvor en italiensk politimand Tommaso di Barbara i Venedig har fundet et mønster i 34 tidligere
Niels får hjælp af en meget vaks kvindelig fysiker, Hannah Lund, der er skrap til at gennemskue mønstre i alting, også mønstre, der ikke er der i virkeligheden. Hannah har været gift med et matematisk geni, Gustav Lund, og deres søn Jonathan var også superintelligent, men blev skitzofren i teenageårene og hængte sig samme dag som faderen fik Abel-prisen.
Alle ofrene har et underligt mønster på ryggen. Det er ikke tatoveret og det ser ud til bare at komme. Hannah kan se at det er tal. Fra 1 til 34 skrevet med forskellige sprogs tegn og talsystemer. Hun gennemskuer også at dødsfaldene sker i rækkefølge og med flere tusinde km imellem. Og finder en forklaring med at samle kontinenterne i et superkontinent og se at afstandene så bliver ens. De tegner atom nummer 36. De sidste to dødsfald viser sig at have Tommaso og Niels som mål. Og Hannah kan regne ud at det sidste er på Rigshospitalet, så de to flytter sig langt væk fra Rigshospitalet. Niels har en fobi overfor at rejse udenfor Danmark, så de finder et hotel i Vestjylland. Her overværer Niels en togulykke og redder nogle børn, men bliver selv kvæstet og fløjet til Rigshospitalet. Hannah er også blevet ramt og har haft hjertestop, men er blevet genoplivet. I Rigshospitalets arkiver findes optegnelser om en patient med samme slags mønster på ryggen, som Niels er begyndt at få. Han overlevede ved at gøre noget ondt ved sin kone.
Hannah får Niels til at skyde mod hende, men hun har selv pillet patronerne ud først. Alligevel er det nok til at redde Niels og dermed også redde verden fra at blive overtaget af det onde. Det er noget med Abraham og Isak.
Flotte tegninger, men handlingen er det rene vås med en gammeltestamentlig Gud, der styrer folks skæbner. A. J. Kazinski er et pseudonym for Anders Klarland og Jacob Weinreich. Undervejs er der en sidehistorie med et klimatopmøde i København og en terrorist, Abdul Hadi fra Yemen. Og noget med beløbet 80 eurocent.
Politimanden Niels Bentzon er et godt menneske og en god politimand. Han smider gerne alt tøjet for at få en gidseltager til at overgive sig. Han bliver indblandet i en sag, hvor en italiensk politimand Tommaso di Barbara i Venedig har fundet et mønster i 34 tidligere
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dødsfald. Ifølge jødisk Talmud er der i hver generation 36 gode mænd og hvis de forsvinder, vil verden gå under. Tzadikim Nistarim.Niels får hjælp af en meget vaks kvindelig fysiker, Hannah Lund, der er skrap til at gennemskue mønstre i alting, også mønstre, der ikke er der i virkeligheden. Hannah har været gift med et matematisk geni, Gustav Lund, og deres søn Jonathan var også superintelligent, men blev skitzofren i teenageårene og hængte sig samme dag som faderen fik Abel-prisen.
Alle ofrene har et underligt mønster på ryggen. Det er ikke tatoveret og det ser ud til bare at komme. Hannah kan se at det er tal. Fra 1 til 34 skrevet med forskellige sprogs tegn og talsystemer. Hun gennemskuer også at dødsfaldene sker i rækkefølge og med flere tusinde km imellem. Og finder en forklaring med at samle kontinenterne i et superkontinent og se at afstandene så bliver ens. De tegner atom nummer 36. De sidste to dødsfald viser sig at have Tommaso og Niels som mål. Og Hannah kan regne ud at det sidste er på Rigshospitalet, så de to flytter sig langt væk fra Rigshospitalet. Niels har en fobi overfor at rejse udenfor Danmark, så de finder et hotel i Vestjylland. Her overværer Niels en togulykke og redder nogle børn, men bliver selv kvæstet og fløjet til Rigshospitalet. Hannah er også blevet ramt og har haft hjertestop, men er blevet genoplivet. I Rigshospitalets arkiver findes optegnelser om en patient med samme slags mønster på ryggen, som Niels er begyndt at få. Han overlevede ved at gøre noget ondt ved sin kone.
Hannah får Niels til at skyde mod hende, men hun har selv pillet patronerne ud først. Alligevel er det nok til at redde Niels og dermed også redde verden fra at blive overtaget af det onde. Det er noget med Abraham og Isak.
Flotte tegninger, men handlingen er det rene vås med en gammeltestamentlig Gud, der styrer folks skæbner. A. J. Kazinski er et pseudonym for Anders Klarland og Jacob Weinreich. Undervejs er der en sidehistorie med et klimatopmøde i København og en terrorist, Abdul Hadi fra Yemen. Og noget med beløbet 80 eurocent.
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Genres
Publication
Kbh. : Politiken, 2017.
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML: According to Jewish legend, there are 36 righteous people on Earth at any given time. Without them, humanity would perish. But the 36 do not know they are the chosen ones, and many are dying. A monk in Beijing, an economist in Mumbai, a glassmaker in Venice and more have all perished under bizarre circumstances, with strange marks on their backs. Veteran Danish detective Niels Bentzon is called to investigate. He's ready to dismiss the assignment�??but then he meets Hannah, a brilliant astrophysicist mourning the death of her son. Together, they piece together the puzzle of these far-flung deaths, and a pattern emerges. Thirty-four have died, and only Bentzon and Hannah can predict the time and place of the final two.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member chickey1981
I won this book from Goodreads first readers giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Good Man is a thriller about 36 good people who are being eliminated around the world and the two policemen in different countries who are the only ones who believe what's going on: the main protagonist
There are a lot of great things about this book. It's fast paced, well written, and the first half of the book makes mostly the right moves. There are secrets that are revealed that I am highly impressed by. Niels is a likeable protagonist and Hannah, the physicist, is also a compelling character that adds a high level of intelligence to the book.
There are some issues, which prevent me from giving this book five stars. The big reveal in the last third of the book was anticlimactic; previous surprises were much more impressive-- this surprise was easily figured out. I also wanted to hear more about Tommaso, who was the first person to believe there was a pattern to all of these deaths. How did he come up with this pattern? We only see glimpses, and then the rest is Niels trying to figure out what Tommaso has already figured out. Also, it seems kind of ridiculous that neither of them answer their cell phones for the first half of the book. And then, from there on, I was expecting... more. The ending just seems a letdown when the opening is so grand, so big. I was really anticipating a big conspiracy to reveal itself.
That said, I blazed through the book in a day. It was a fast, fun read, especially the first half of the book, and had some great characters.
The Last Good Man is a thriller about 36 good people who are being eliminated around the world and the two policemen in different countries who are the only ones who believe what's going on: the main protagonist
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Niels in Copenhagen and Tommaso in Venice.There are a lot of great things about this book. It's fast paced, well written, and the first half of the book makes mostly the right moves. There are secrets that are revealed that I am highly impressed by. Niels is a likeable protagonist and Hannah, the physicist, is also a compelling character that adds a high level of intelligence to the book.
There are some issues, which prevent me from giving this book five stars. The big reveal in the last third of the book was anticlimactic; previous surprises were much more impressive-- this surprise was easily figured out. I also wanted to hear more about Tommaso, who was the first person to believe there was a pattern to all of these deaths. How did he come up with this pattern? We only see glimpses, and then the rest is Niels trying to figure out what Tommaso has already figured out. Also, it seems kind of ridiculous that neither of them answer their cell phones for the first half of the book. And then, from there on, I was expecting... more. The ending just seems a letdown when the opening is so grand, so big. I was really anticipating a big conspiracy to reveal itself.
That said, I blazed through the book in a day. It was a fast, fun read, especially the first half of the book, and had some great characters.
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LibraryThing member bfister
A thriller in which a Talmudic legend seems to be coming to life as an Italian detective traces the mysterious murders of good men and a tired, jaded Danish detective is dispatched to find and warn good Danes, finding instead several shallow do-gooders and a very smart woman who helps him
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understand what's going on. Starts out strong, but ends up seeming like a film treatment that goes on too long. The reveal, when it comes, has to be swallowed whole or you'll find it makes little sense. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissReadsTooMuch
The Last Good Man by A. J. Kazinski (really Anders Klarland and Jacob Weinreich - why use a pseudonym if you plan to put your real names on the book jacket anyway???)
Four stars because although it was a bit difficult to get into to swing of reading (normal for me with translations), once I was in
Four stars because although it was a bit difficult to get into to swing of reading (normal for me with translations), once I was in
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tune with the authors, I found this to be an exciting, well-written mystery with much action and plot points to figure out. I enjoyed it very much - the side plots made it more than another DaVinci Code knock off religious/conspiracy mystery and I found the characters to be truly engaging. Only four stars because I would have liked a little more information about how the math worked with the solution of places and dates they came up with and a little more clarity in the end. At times, the novel was exciting and intriguing but a little light in how the mystery was being solved. Show Less
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
A bit hard to follow initially but got better as it went along - possibly a result of being a translation.
LibraryThing member readingwithtea
"The correct interpretation of numbers determines whether we live or die. it's life or death That's something that every scientist understands. That was why Tycho Brahe got his nose sliced off in a duel."
"Because of numbers?"
"Because he claimed that so-called complex numbers existed. And his
"Who was right?"
"Tycho Brahe. But he lost his nose."
Venetian policeman Tommaso di Barbara has discovered a trend in killings around the world - every Friday at sunset, a good person is murdered. Humanitarian, lawyer, volunteer - they all die with a strange burn-like mark on their back. Niels Bentzon picks up the Interpol report - but can't bear the thought of travel and doesn't speak di Barbara's language. Only once he teams up with Hannah Lund, astrophysicist extraordinaire mourning the premature death of her son, is he able to impose a pattern and find out when the next murders will be. The question is, can he stop them?
Parts of this were really well written - as a police procedural, with all of the distractions from the climate conference and the terrorist threat, it succeeded. I kept reading, engrossed, all the way to the end with no trouble.
Niels and Hannah are both interesting characters - neither is perfect and each is dealing with their own romantic issues - but as a partnership they work very well. In particular, their weaknesses are key - Hannah's inability to deal with normal interpersonal situations, Niels' travel phobia; both are worked slyly into the story but are completely obvious as obstacles when we happen on to them.
Kazinski writes Venice and Copenhagen well - the floods, the abandoned madhouse/hospital, the cold, the ridiculous media interactions with the police at the conference, the conflicts between cyclists and cars in Copenhagen and most of all, the pervasive, penetrating, personal cold that a north European winter brings (I'm writing this with the heating on, socks and slippers, and a blanket over my knees).
However, this gets big negative marks for resorting to a fate-imposed, generational mysticism. I bought it until Niels tried to run away and whatever he did, events conspired to send him back to Copenhagen; similarly the suggested passing of the burden to a new soul at the climax dragged this novel down into Dan Brown land. Except worse because at least there, none of it is magical and spiritual and fate, it's all just bad guys.
"Because of numbers?"
"Because he claimed that so-called complex numbers existed. And his
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adversary claimed that they didn't.""Who was right?"
"Tycho Brahe. But he lost his nose."
Venetian policeman Tommaso di Barbara has discovered a trend in killings around the world - every Friday at sunset, a good person is murdered. Humanitarian, lawyer, volunteer - they all die with a strange burn-like mark on their back. Niels Bentzon picks up the Interpol report - but can't bear the thought of travel and doesn't speak di Barbara's language. Only once he teams up with Hannah Lund, astrophysicist extraordinaire mourning the premature death of her son, is he able to impose a pattern and find out when the next murders will be. The question is, can he stop them?
Parts of this were really well written - as a police procedural, with all of the distractions from the climate conference and the terrorist threat, it succeeded. I kept reading, engrossed, all the way to the end with no trouble.
Niels and Hannah are both interesting characters - neither is perfect and each is dealing with their own romantic issues - but as a partnership they work very well. In particular, their weaknesses are key - Hannah's inability to deal with normal interpersonal situations, Niels' travel phobia; both are worked slyly into the story but are completely obvious as obstacles when we happen on to them.
Kazinski writes Venice and Copenhagen well - the floods, the abandoned madhouse/hospital, the cold, the ridiculous media interactions with the police at the conference, the conflicts between cyclists and cars in Copenhagen and most of all, the pervasive, penetrating, personal cold that a north European winter brings (I'm writing this with the heating on, socks and slippers, and a blanket over my knees).
However, this gets big negative marks for resorting to a fate-imposed, generational mysticism. I bought it until Niels tried to run away and whatever he did, events conspired to send him back to Copenhagen; similarly the suggested passing of the burden to a new soul at the climax dragged this novel down into Dan Brown land. Except worse because at least there, none of it is magical and spiritual and fate, it's all just bad guys.
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LibraryThing member WeeziesBooks
The Last Good Man is a mystery/thriller about Neils and his new friend Hanna, who is a physicist, and Tommaso, an Italian policeman. Neils is an interesting character as he is afraid of flying and leaving his area of comfort and is somewhat burned out on police business and develops a relationship
The story line follows the Jewish belief that there are 36 good but not especially religious people who can save the world. As the book progresses, Neils investigates death after death while trying to stop the murders. He is trying to save the world by saving the 36 good people as they are the only ones standing in the way of evil taking control. It is a fast moving and enjoyable thriller. I give it a 3.5 star rating.
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with Hanna when he cares about another very independent woman. The story line follows the Jewish belief that there are 36 good but not especially religious people who can save the world. As the book progresses, Neils investigates death after death while trying to stop the murders. He is trying to save the world by saving the 36 good people as they are the only ones standing in the way of evil taking control. It is a fast moving and enjoyable thriller. I give it a 3.5 star rating.
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LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
The Last Good Man
By A.J. Kazinsk]
Narrated by [[Simon Vance]]
Ⓟ 2012, HighBridge Audio
13.9 hours
The "Tzadikim Nistarim" are the 36 hidden righteous people of the earth according to Jewish mystic tradition. None of the 36 people self-identify as being good or righteous, but their actions have the
The Last Good Man has all the makings of a great thriller: a touch of the occult, international settings, deadlines with dire consequences if not met, spiritual musings, flawed protagonists, and an elusive villain... and yet, it all falls a bit flat. The novel's arc is robbed of tension with its schizophrenic quality: Is this going to be a police procedural set in Italy? Or is it going to be a Scandinavian crime thriller ? Is the whole of the novel supposed to be a sort of modern, metaphorical, Talmudic commentary? A.J. Kazinski seems to have mashed three novels into one, supplying the listener with an overabundance of detail and sub-plots (e.g. eighty cents, Skype sex, an Arab terrorist, an architect...) that do nothing to advance the story and worse, weaken the overall narrative until it collapses into a series of anti-climactic events.
Simon Vance is the British-American narrator who brings his BBC4 polish and credentials as a reader of international thrillers (e.g. The Millennium Trilogy - by Steig Larsson) to The Last Good Man. His reading is clear, the pace steady, pronunciations are consistent, all characters are delineated well and credibly... all the things that listeners have come to expect as de rigueur from a seasoned professional such as he.
OTHER: I dnloaded a digital copy of The Last Good Man (by A.J. Kazinski; narrated by Simon Vance) from downpour.com. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.
By A.J. Kazinsk]
Narrated by [[Simon Vance]]
Ⓟ 2012, HighBridge Audio
13.9 hours
The "Tzadikim Nistarim" are the 36 hidden righteous people of the earth according to Jewish mystic tradition. None of the 36 people self-identify as being good or righteous, but their actions have the
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effect of being socially just or averting a greater humanitarian disaster. If all the Tzadikim Nistarim are eliminated, humanity is doomed. In 2009, a number of seemingly unrelated deaths span the globe, and one man - an Italian police detective named Tomasso di Barber in Venice, makes the connection: Someone is killing the righteous people of the world. And so begins this international thriller that races against the clock to identify and secure the eponymous man of the book.The Last Good Man has all the makings of a great thriller: a touch of the occult, international settings, deadlines with dire consequences if not met, spiritual musings, flawed protagonists, and an elusive villain... and yet, it all falls a bit flat. The novel's arc is robbed of tension with its schizophrenic quality: Is this going to be a police procedural set in Italy? Or is it going to be a Scandinavian crime thriller ? Is the whole of the novel supposed to be a sort of modern, metaphorical, Talmudic commentary? A.J. Kazinski seems to have mashed three novels into one, supplying the listener with an overabundance of detail and sub-plots (e.g. eighty cents, Skype sex, an Arab terrorist, an architect...) that do nothing to advance the story and worse, weaken the overall narrative until it collapses into a series of anti-climactic events.
Simon Vance is the British-American narrator who brings his BBC4 polish and credentials as a reader of international thrillers (e.g. The Millennium Trilogy - by Steig Larsson) to The Last Good Man. His reading is clear, the pace steady, pronunciations are consistent, all characters are delineated well and credibly... all the things that listeners have come to expect as de rigueur from a seasoned professional such as he.
OTHER: I dnloaded a digital copy of The Last Good Man (by A.J. Kazinski; narrated by Simon Vance) from downpour.com. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.
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LibraryThing member Laine-Cunningham
I selected this book because I found a number of parallels in the structure to a work I'm currently writing. I was interested to see how the author (in this case, two authors working under a single name) handled the information readers need to know to understand the plot points as well as how that
The first 100 pages were strong enough. But the middle part bogged down in elements that were repetative and, frankly, the devices used by the authors were clunky. I kept reading because I wanted to see how they finished the work and how the devices changed throughout. I can't say I would have kept reading if not for what I might learn about how to handle my own project.
I continued on because this was an "instant" bestseller in the authors' country and has received some press in the U.S. because of that. I was interested to see why this became a bestseller, and was surprised whenever I found another of those clunky devices, unnecessary repetition, and poorly executed scenes.
Then, the end matter told me what was really up. It seems the authors are both filmmakers in their home country. So the book was a bestseller pretty much because of their fame rather than any quality attributed to the book.
Was the plot interesting enough? Yes. But too many of the other elements associated with the book were poorly excuted to support its success.
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information was spread across multiple characters.The first 100 pages were strong enough. But the middle part bogged down in elements that were repetative and, frankly, the devices used by the authors were clunky. I kept reading because I wanted to see how they finished the work and how the devices changed throughout. I can't say I would have kept reading if not for what I might learn about how to handle my own project.
I continued on because this was an "instant" bestseller in the authors' country and has received some press in the U.S. because of that. I was interested to see why this became a bestseller, and was surprised whenever I found another of those clunky devices, unnecessary repetition, and poorly executed scenes.
Then, the end matter told me what was really up. It seems the authors are both filmmakers in their home country. So the book was a bestseller pretty much because of their fame rather than any quality attributed to the book.
Was the plot interesting enough? Yes. But too many of the other elements associated with the book were poorly excuted to support its success.
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LibraryThing member Eye_Gee
I am not a fan of crime or mystery novels, but the premise of this book along with the quality of the writing made it a good fit for me.
LibraryThing member sdramsey
I really enjoyed the audio version of this book. The narrator had a wonderful voice and the characters certainly came to life. I believe this is a translation but has none of the stilted feeling that translations sometimes have to overcome. The plot is intriguing and for the most part fast-paced,
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although I would have liked a bit more of an explanation at the end. It was satisfying, but only to a point. That said, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a thriller/mystery with a supernatural or speculative edge. Very enjoyable! Show Less
LibraryThing member AMKitty
Interesting story and a truly intriguing premise. It did drag in a few places and there were some loose ends left dangling. What really brought it down for me was the obvious flaws in technical knowledge about firearms. In one instance, a gun is “loaded,” but the only action to unload was
Beyond those disappointments, the story, itself, was good.
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dropping the magazine - no bullet in the chamber of a semi-auto pistol is not a loaded gun. The other instance involves a bit of a spoiler. Without giving away too much, a gun with no bullet in the chamber does not recoil when the trigger is pressed. Basic mistake the author could have avoided with a simple technical review. Beyond those disappointments, the story, itself, was good.
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Awards
Language
Original language
Danish
Physical description
138 p.; 27.8 cm
ISBN
9788740034073
Local notes
Omslag: Palle Schmidt
Omslaget viser en mand, der står i snevejr på kanten af et fladt tag på et højhus og kigger ned
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Side 17: Hvad end det er for en medicin, du er på, så virker den ikke.
Omslaget viser en mand, der står i snevejr på kanten af et fladt tag på et højhus og kigger ned
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Side 17: Hvad end det er for en medicin, du er på, så virker den ikke.
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
138
DDC/MDS
| 839.81 |