Central Park West: a crime novel

This book is sure to get a lot of attention, considering the notoriety of its author, but regardless of what potential readers might think about the former FBI director, one thing is sure: his debut novel is a fine thriller. Nora Carleton is a federal prosecutor. She's close to putting a New York City organized crime boss behind bars, but a seemingly unconnected crime, the murder of a former governor, threatens to blow up her case. As she desperately tries to rebuild, she uncovers corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of her profession. Comey, a former federal prosecutor before the FBI gig, certainly knows the world he's writing about, but readers might be surprised by his skills as a novelist. This isn't one of those books that's "pretty good for a guy who isn't a real writer." It's very well executed: the characters are richly detailed, the dialogue is impressively realistic, and the plot is genuinely suspenseful. Two more titles are planned in the series, and for once in the world of celebrity-authored thrillers, that's not a bad thing.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Readers who deign to take a look only for the Comey name are likely to be surprised--in a good way.

Former FBI director Comey (A Higher Loyalty) makes a sturdy crime fiction debut with this twisting account of the murder of a disgraced former New York governor. The novel opens as Tony Burke, who left office tainted by a #MeToo scandal, is murdered in his Central Park West apartment. With the assassin having dressed up like Tony's estranged wife, Kyra, to gain access to the building, Kyra herself is soon hauled up on murder charges. Meanwhile, assistant U.S. attorney Nora Carleton is prosecuting a mob case that gets derailed after her star witness tells her the mafia was involved in Burke's death--shortly before turning up dead himself. The stakes climb as the wheels of justice churn, with Kyra's case hanging in the balance while a team of investigators works to identify the killer who framed her. Comey draws on his vast experience in the criminal justice world to bring a sense of authenticity to the setting and plot machinations, though he's occasionally guilty of leaning a bit too much toward education over entertainment. A sequel would be welcome. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)

In Comey's first novel in a planned series, the prosecution of a powerful mob figure is upended by a revelation of ties between the Mafia and the recently murdered ex-governor of New York. The mob ties come as a shock to the prosecutor, Nora Carleton, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Comey's old haunts). She was poised to put away the mobster known as The Nose for good--and, in another ongoing case, nail the ex-wife of the creepy former governor for his murder. With the possibility that the murder was committed by a member of the Gambino crime family--a hit woman impersonating the ex-wife, Kyra Burke--a legal free-for-all breaks out. At one point, there's a chance that the Manhattan district attorney will prosecute Kyra while Nora prosecutes someone else for the same murder. Drawing on his experience as a mob prosecutor, Comey is comfortable with the technicalities and unspoken truths of a high-level case, including the battles among the Department of Justice and the Manhattan DA and the FBI and the NYPD. He's a bit too eager to show off all he knows: For all the lively tidbits in the book, including the possibility of digitally tracking a suspect through her Starbucks orders, there are as many drops of useless information, such as state criminal trials not happening "where the movie-going public thought they did." Readers of legal thrillers know more than he gives them credit for. Ultimately, Comey's first crack at fiction is more efficient than exciting. Perhaps the juice it's missing might have come, in the post--Andrew Cuomo era, from a closer examination of the book's disgraced ex-governor. A capable but predictable fiction debut by the former FBI chief. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This book is sure to get a lot of attention, considering the notoriety of its author, but regardless of what potential readers might think about the former FBI director, one thing is sure: his debut novel is a fine thriller. Nora Carleton is a federal prosecutor. She's close to putting a New York City organized crime boss behind bars, but a seemingly unconnected crime, the murder of a former governor, threatens to blow up her case. As she desperately tries to rebuild, she uncovers corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of her profession. Comey, a former federal prosecutor before the FBI gig, certainly knows the world he's writing about, but readers might be surprised by his skills as a novelist. This isn't one of those books that's pretty good for a guy who isn't a real writer. It's very well executed: the characters are richly detailed, the dialogue is impressively realistic, and the plot is genuinely suspenseful. Two more titles are planned in the series, and for once in the world of celebrity-authored thrillers, that's not a bad thing.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Readers who deign to take a look only for the Comey name are likely to be surprised—in a good way. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.

Former FBI director Comey (A Higher Loyalty) makes a sturdy crime fiction debut with this twisting account of the murder of a disgraced former New York governor. The novel opens as Tony Burke, who left office tainted by a #MeToo scandal, is murdered in his Central Park West apartment. With the assassin having dressed up like Tony's estranged wife, Kyra, to gain access to the building, Kyra herself is soon hauled up on murder charges. Meanwhile, assistant U.S. attorney Nora Carleton is prosecuting a mob case that gets derailed after her star witness tells her the mafia was involved in Burke's death—shortly before turning up dead himself. The stakes climb as the wheels of justice churn, with Kyra's case hanging in the balance while a team of investigators works to identify the killer who framed her. Comey draws on his vast experience in the criminal justice world to bring a sense of authenticity to the setting and plot machinations, though he's occasionally guilty of leaning a bit too much toward education over entertainment. A sequel would be welcome. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)