A Psalm for Cock Robin: A Harp and His (Dead) Mother Mystery
A Psalm for Cock Robin is the most innovative murder mystery you will ever read. It features a gentle young man named Harp who lives under the Santa Monica pier after he was accidentally released from a mental hospital. When he wakes up one morning to find another homeless man lying dead right next to him, he runs away but soon becomes the main suspect in the murder. Harp must find the killer before the police find him. Sound like a familiar murder mystery plot? Not really. Harp is clearly not much of a detective, but his caustic, sarcastic, Bible-quoting mother is. The only problem is she's dead. But when Harp gets into trouble, she comes into his head to guide him (and harass him) as he searches among a wild assortment of Venice Beach crazies for clues about who the murderer might be. She becomes a sort of second protagonist, always there in Harp's head to keep him on the straight and narrow (often by quoting the grimmest of Grimm's fairy tales, the only thing she let Harp read when he was a child). As weird as this book may sound, it's actually very funny. You'll find yourself laughing out loud, whether you want to or not. It's a classic murder mystery, with a postmodern twist, one you'll never forget.