Customer Reviews

Burning Garbo: A Nina Zero Novel

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This is Eversz' third book in the "noir punk" Nina Zero series. The hero, Nina, is a sardonic, violent loser who has a serious problem with authority or any type of oppression. That's why she is so likeable. She goes too far in resisting attempts by bad guys to dominate, but she always has justification.

Nina always seems to stumble onto nasty conspiracies and corruption, which she investigates with tenacity. Her range of emotions is limited, blunted by her years in prison and betrayal by her family and friends. Still she is able to demonstrate loyalty to her dog which somehow buys her some points with her parole officer.

This is a quick read which may spoil you for more conventional detective mystery characters. I suggest starting from the beginning to see the development of this character's major "chip on the shoulder".

Nina Zero, on parole after imprisonment for a (justified) manslaughter -- for the details of which you need to read the previous two novels -- is trying hard to stay straight and make a living as a paparazza for a Los Angeles tabloid, but by now there's virtually none of the original good-girl Mary Alice Baker left. Deep down, she's a good person, but she's also quite capable of dealing with the county slammer when she gets picked up "on suspicion" (which happens to parolees on a regular basis). The first novel, _Shooting Elvis,_ was very, very good as a character study; the second one, _Killing Paparazzi,_ was okay but more of a straight detective story. This third installment sports the brand label "A Nino Zero Novel" on the front cover, which is not a good sign. The plot revolves around the death by arson of a reclusive movie star in the Malibu hills, which the cops like Nina for, since she was conveniently present. The deceased actress's estranged neice and sort-of stepfather (himself a crusty retired cop who takes a shine to Nina) want to find out whodunit and Nina, with the help of her equally crusty editor boss, needs to clear herself in order to stay on the outside. The action is complicated by additional deaths, but the real interest here is in the way Eversz draws his characters -- not only Nina but all the supporting cast. I had my doubts before whether this could survive as a series, and I still have them, but Nina is a fascinating portrait and I'll keep reading.

Paparazzi Nina Zero needs a break to change her finances that live up to her name. She decides to make one for herself by photographing the Hollywood legendary recluse, Angela Doubleday. A picture of Angela goes for about $50K and Nina plans to obtain that cash.

Nina heads to the Malibu Hills and climbs a barrier to gain entrance to the Doubleday estate. Almost immediately, a man assaults her knocking her out and destroying her camera. When she regains consciousness, Nina sees that the Doubleday house is on fire and the cops and an arson investigator want to question her as the torch suspect. Nina flees the scene anyway knowing that her parole (see manslaughter in KILLING PAPARAZZI) is shaky and only she has reason to prove her innocence. When a burned to the crisp humans remains are found, Nina knows that she better leave no doubt to her innocence with her only ally Dog the toothless Rottweiler.

The third Zero novel is an exciting Hollywood tale that crime thriller fans will enjoy though not as out of the box as Nina's previous excellent adventures. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action as Nina watches her world spin out of control, but refuses to idly wait for the big crunch. Nina remains a strong protagonist, but her fans anticipating the unexpected will find BURNING GARBO a well written sleuthing 101 tale.

Harriet Klausner

If you thought you hated paparazzi, this book humanizes them by taking you into the life of a woman celebrity photographer who is one of the walking wounded. Trying to do her job, ex-con Nina Zero gets involved in a murder case and ends up with cops and killers pursuing her. At the same time, she goes deeper into herself, and her psychic struggles feel organic to the book, not tacked on as a "problem" to give the book variety. This mystery-thriller has it all: well-wrought plot, superb protagonist, beautifully realized settings, terrific action scenes & emotional depth.

Lev Raphael ........