Central Park West : a crime novel / James Comey.

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Title:

Central Park West : a crime novel / James Comey.

Author:

Comey, James B., Jr., 1960- author.

ISBN:

9781613164037

Edition:

First Mysterious Press edition.

Physical Description:

329 pages ; 24 cm.

Abstract:

A federal prosecutor, Nora Carleton, enters into a high-stakes investigation involving conspiracy, corruption, and danger when a mobster she is trying to convict offers information about an assassination in the first crime novel from the former director of the FBI.

When a years-long case against a powerful mobster finally cracks and an unimpeachable witness takes the stand, federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is looking forward to putting the defendant away for good. The mobster has other plans, and a note is passed to the prosecution offering information into the assassination of a disgraced former New York governor, murdered in his penthouse apartment. Now Nora is drawn into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy and corruption. -- adapted from jacket

Subject Term:

Women lawyers -- Fiction.

Public prosecutors -- Fiction.

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Organized crime -- Fiction.

Corruption -- Fiction.

Conspiracies -- Fiction.

Murder -- Investigation. (OCoLC)fst01029788

Organized crime. (OCoLC)fst01047884

Women lawyers. (OCoLC)fst01178096

Legal stories.

Homicide -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction.

New York (State) -- New York. (OCoLC)fst01204333

Genre:

Suspense fiction.

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

Legal fiction (Literature) (OCoLC)fst01921711

Novels. (OCoLC)fst01921742

Thrillers (Fiction) (OCoLC)fst01726755

Thrillers (Fiction)

Legal fiction (Literature)

Detective and mystery fiction.

Novels.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Fiction Book Hardback	120791003046287	F COM	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A Newsweek and Reader's Digest most-anticipated read of 2023.

In the thrilling first crime novel from the former director of the FBI, a murder investigation reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia.

The gripping crime fiction debut from former FBI director James Comey takes readers deep inside the world of lawyers and investigators working to solve a murder while navigating the treacherous currents of modern politics and the mob.

When a years-long case against a powerful mobster finally cracks and an unimpeachable witness takes the stand, federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is looking forward to putting the defendant away for good. The mobster, though, has other plans. As the witness's testimony concludes, a note is passed to the prosecution offering up information into the assassination of a disgraced former New York governor, murdered in his penthouse apartment just days before. It's enough to blow the case wide open, and to send Nora into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy, corruption, and danger.

Drawing from the author's decades in federal law enforcement, including his years in Manhattan as a mob prosecutor and later the chief federal prosecutor, Central Park West is a fast-paced legal thriller with an intriguing plot enriched by real-life details and experiences. That unique perspective gives the novel much of its allure, but it's the unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and courtroom scenes as authentic as they are dramatic that will leave readers looking forward to more from this bold new talent in the genre.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

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)

Kirkus Review

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.

Booklist Review

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.