It's always a gamble to pick up a book in mid-series these days. Sometimes a story relies on the reader's prior knowledge of previous books and sometimes you can jump right in and get everything you need through the course of the story. David A. Poulsen's mystery, Last Song Sung, falls somewhere in between.

Freelance journalist Adam Cullen and cop-turned-private detective Mike Cobb are hired by a young woman to track down her grandmother. The problem ... the grandmother, Ellie Foster, disappeared 50 years ago.

Ellie had been a rising star in the music scene in Calgary during the late 1960's. One night, during a ruckus in which gunshots happened, Ellie went missing and there had been no sign of her since then. But recently her grand-daughter found that someone had broken into her car and left a CD with a previously never-before-heard recording of Ellie. Could Ellie still be alive? Why else would her once-missing music start to turn up? Cullen and Cobb's search reveals some unexpected political tie-ins.

It's pretty common for me to gravitate toward a book with some music theme and that's what initially drew me to this book. That music theme doesn't play as central a role as I had hoped, but I quite enjoyed this read none-the-less. The story built up nicely and the mystery adds layers and reveals bits of information at a nice pace. It was easy to be hooked on the story and want to read just one more chapter each time I sat down to read.

The book is written in first person, from Cullen's point of view. This makes a certain amount of sense since he is a journalist and tells a story, but I would have liked getting the detective's insight through more than just table talk.

This story, of Ellie Foster, is clear and concise and we get everything need to follow this story, and we learn a bit about Cullen and Cobb along the way. But there is also another story that is running in the background - something that clearly began in an earlier book and is not yet resolved. This was a little bit irksome since I wasn't familiar with it, and some of it feels important enough that I should know more. Though it is an interesting bit of character and plot development. I'm not likely to go back and read the first couple of volumes, but I hope more is explained if I should read future books.

Looking for a good book? <em>Last Song Sung</em> by David A. Poulsen is a fun, modern mystery that looks back at a fifty-year-old incident. This is great for mystery and cozy mystery lovers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Last Song Sung by David A Poulsen

4 stars

There are cold cases and really cold cases

A detective procedural set in Calgary, Canada, brings together again the team of ex-cop Mike Cobb and freelance journalist Adam Cullen in Poulsen’s third book of the series.

When a young woman arrives at Cobb’s office asking them to find out what happened to her grandmother, Ellie Foster, who was kidnapped after a shooting fifty-one years ago, our two heroes are doubtful whether they will be able to help. In 1965 Ellie, a singer who was expected to rival Joni Mitchell took a cigarette break in the alley outside The Depression coffee house. With her were two of her backing group. Out of nowhere a car speeds into the alley, two men get out and the two men are shot dead before Ellie is bundled into the car and is never seen again.

Mike and Adam agree to take on the case for one week to see whether they can find out anything at all; unlike many PIs they are unwilling to take a client’s money if they are unable to help.

Despite the amount of time which has elapsed and the fact that there was only one, unreliable, witness they do make some headway and decide to continue.

Along the way, they touch base with another ex-cop who has been unable to let go of another cold case which has haunted him ever since.

What follows is an enjoyable read where we are introduced to Mike and Adam’s families who add a realism to the story. This is needed as the leads they obtain are very tenuous and one could be forgiven for deciding that their quest is less about detective work and more down to sheer dumb luck.

There is plenty to think about as the plot diverts in different directions, and despite some doubts over the credibility as the mystery unravels, it is an interesting and absorbing read.


Pashtpaws


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Freelance journalist Adam Cullen and PI Mike Cobb are hired to solve a 50-year old cold case. On February 28, 1965, singer Ellie Foster is on a smoke break in the alley behind The Depression, a Calgary folk club, when she is forced into a car after her bandmates were shot and killed. Ellie was never seen again and her granddaughter Monica wants answers. The trail leads Cullen and Cobb into researching more about Ellie's past gigs at other music venues including one at an Ottawa coffee house called the Tumbling Mustard. Sinister plans involving Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson are somehow tied into the mystery.

This was another solid entertaining read in the Cullen and Cobb mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Dundurn with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

It took me a minute to take to Cullen's voice - the detective who is approached to solve an ancient mystery of the disappearance of a singer. - 'ancient' is fifty years. This was my era when I was younger so it intrigued me to learn of early Joni Mitchell;s ambience for example, alongside the unraveling of the mystery of the disappearance of the client's grandmother. The wit and reliance on direct dialogue is not always my favorite narrative style to read - I like a bit more description, it can begin to pall. But in this case I was so intrigued by the turns and twists of the story, I did not mind ... and further the narrator is witty and his humour hits home. There are nods to other detective fiction but if you don't know it, you won't care. The results of the search are surprising and actually satisfying .. so although it takes a bit of time, and there are a few implausiblilities along the way, i was amply relieved when it all resolved. Recommendable

Disclosure: I read this book as an ARC from Dundurn who is also my publisher.

I've enjoyed David Poulsen's mystery series Cullen and Cobb before, and this one was no different.
This detective and journalist team take on a 50-year-old cold case of murder for the victim's granddaughter. It's devishly difficult leading them through multiple twists and turns.
Well written and fast paced, Last Song Sung is a satisfying read and a page-turner.
Recommended for all mystery afficiandos.

Adam Cullen is a freelance writer/former newspaper journalist and Mike Cobb is an ex-cop, now a private detective. Mike has been hired to find Ellie Foster, a folk singer from Ontario who disappeared more than fifty years ago. She had been performing at a club in Calgary and had gone outside for a smoke with the members in her band. They were shot and Ellie was dragged into a car, never to be seen again. Ellie's granddaughter would like to know what happened to her grandmother. Mike and Adam aren't sure if they will find anything after all these years but they are willing to try.

I liked the writing style and liked this story. It is written in first person perspective in Adam's voice. The editing could have been tighter, though, as there are some typos. Plus Jay, a character from the past, is referred to as "Clay". As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this story is set in Calgary and the author doesn't try to hide the fact that the story is happening in Canada. There are numerous references to Calgary, plus Mike and Adam travel to Ottawa. In addition, there are many many references to Canadian musicians as Adam is a big music fan and has quite an extensive collection of Canadian music.

I liked the characters and their interactions ... Adam and Mike, Adam and Jill (Adam's girlfriend of almost a year), Adam and Kyla (Jill's young daughter) and we meet Mike's family.

This is the third and latest in the Cobb and Cullen series and I've read them all. Hopefully there will be future books in the series.

This story grabbed my attention from page one. I am old enough to have been a part of the folk music period when the early part of the action took place. The characters are all very interesting and well-described. The style of writing definitely added to the suspense by brief descriptions that set the environment like an artist's brush stroke. The plot was imaginative, but realistic. The ending was somewhat surprising, but satisfying. I definitely want to read more from Poulsen.

Thank you Netgalley and Dundurn for the eARC.
Cullen and Cobb are approached by the granddaughter of Ellie Foster. Someone had left a CD in her (locked) car and she's sure the song on it is sung by her grandmother. She wants to hire Cullen and Cobb to find out what happened to her. Is she still alive or was she too killed? Ellie Foster was a young and talented singer who was on the same bill as Joni Mitchell (then still known as Joni Anderson) at The Depression, a Calgary folk club. The year was 1965. Ellie, on a cigarette break with two of her band members, was kidnapped that night, while the 2 band members were shot dead. She was never seen again and the police could not solve the case.
Since it's a very cold case, more than 50 years old, there is little hope the duo can solve it, but they decide to at least try.
This was a great read for me. As a fan of Joni Mitchell and many of the other Canadian artists mentioned in the book, I was taken back to the nostalgic time I arrived in Canada when the music scene was so exciting.
The mystery of Ellie's disappearance takes an unexpected, political turn, expertly weaving fiction with history. The ending is unexpected and quite well done, it left me both satisfied and eager to read the next book...the few hints at what we can expect are enticing!

This sang to me on so many levels and not jus because it's got a musical theme and set at the heart of 1960s music. Joni Mitchell is in the story as the girl who gets shot at the start of the book is playing with her at the time in one of the most iconic coffee houses in Calgary. As well as being a fine cold case mystery, this novel has so much more - intrigue wrapped in a story few know perhaps knowabout and the way in which the author wraps the true life mystery into a fictional story is quite something. I now have an urge to put on a Joni Mitchell CD and go to Calgary in the search for coffee bars like this one. The dark atmosphere, the old fashioned times, the coffee houses and the whole idea about how and why the place was set up in the first place just really intrigued me from the start.
As well as this, the characters and plot really are intriguing too and the comedy is also interwoven in this crime story which gave it a real sense that you were there with the characters, knew them well and were part of the case itself. Yeah, I like this one. A great Canadian set read with a great sense of a misunderstood city.

Thank you Netgalley and Dundurn for the ARC.

Modern day Holmes-Watson accept a new case to find a folk singer who disappeared 50 years ago. A very cold case begging for answers. Will the mystery song unfold its clues? This attractive story is a fast paced exciting read with a good twist in the end. Recommended reading.

Enjoyable and well-written, with an interesting premise, however one glaring error: the Murano is a Nissan, not a Toyota.