For some reason it seems appropriate that it’s been a few years since Matt Goldman’s last Nils Shapiro novel. It’s been two years since Shapiro’s wife,, the Minneapolis police chief, was gunned down in a parking garage. Nils has patiently given all of law enforcement the time to find Sammy Sykes, the drug dealer responsible for Gabby’s death. Now, in Dark Humor, the PI turned stay-at-home dad is ready to go after his wife’s killer.
Nils could have let it go, but when he visited Sykes’s daughter, Anna, in prison, he caught a hint. Anna was a dirty cop, and Sykes’ team was trying to prevent her arrest when Gabby was killed. He’s been patient for two years, but the police and FBI are no closer to tracking down Sykes. However, Shapiro notices one guard paying close attention when he’s at the prison, and he knows that guard is communicating with Sykes’ team.
Although Nils’ best friend and partner in Stone Arch Investigations, Anders Ellegaard, warns him not to go after Sykes, Shapiro puts a plan in place to leave for Europe unnoticed. With a little help, he’s tracked Sykes to Amsterdam. He thinks he’s lone-wolfing it, but within a couple days there, he has three assistants, a hotel bellhop, a Dutch PI, and Casey Van der Van, a wealth manager from Vancouver who sat next to him on the plane, and has a proposition of her own.
On a dangerous trip that takes Shapiro from Minneapolis to LA, then to Amsterdam, Munich and Salzburg, he plots to take down the man who killed his wife. Dark Humor does have Goldman’s witty comments, but it’s most memorable for Nils Shapiro and his friends. Nils is unforgettable, determined to avenge his wife’s murder. And, his friends, both in the U.S. and his new acquaintances in Europe, are supportive, despite their fear for his safety. There are twists, and a surprise that seems out of character for Shapiro. But, like Sykes, he’d do anything for his daughter.
Dark Humor can be read as a standalone, but I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series, Gone to Dust. Meet Nils Shapiro, the PI who seems unassuming and quiet.
Matt Goldman’s website is https://www.mattgoldman.com/
Dark Humor by Matt Goldman. Severn House, 2025. 256p.
FTC Full Disclosure – My digital ARC came by way of Severn House, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
