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Nora Carleton #1
Central Park West
One chance to crack the case. A million ways to lose.
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton has spent years building a case against a powerful New York mobster. She finally has a star witness whose testimony will lock the defendant away for good.
But the courtroom is an unpredictable place. While the killing of a disgraced former governor appears unconnected to the trial, the fallout from his death means a guilty verdict hangs in the balance.
Desperate to stop the mobster walking free, Nora investigates the darker side of the city to find out how everything connects. The more she uncovers, the deeper the corruption runs. And Nora knows better than most that the truth is a fragile thing – especially in court.
Drawing on James Comey's thirty years in federal law enforcement, Central Park West is a fast-paced thriller, bursting with tension and authenticity – perfect for fans of John Grisham.
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton has spent years building a case against a powerful New York mobster. She finally has a star witness whose testimony will lock the defendant away for good.
But the courtroom is an unpredictable place. While the killing of a disgraced former governor appears unconnected to the trial, the fallout from his death means a guilty verdict hangs in the balance.
Desperate to stop the mobster walking free, Nora investigates the darker side of the city to find out how everything connects. The more she uncovers, the deeper the corruption runs. And Nora knows better than most that the truth is a fragile thing – especially in court.
Drawing on James Comey's thirty years in federal law enforcement, Central Park West is a fast-paced thriller, bursting with tension and authenticity – perfect for fans of John Grisham.
Paperback
First published May 30, 2023
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About the author
James B. Comey
11 books718 followersJames Brien Comey Jr. (born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who served as the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from September 4, 2013 until his dismissal on May 9, 2017. Comey was a registered Republican for most of his life, but has recently described himself as unaffiliated.
Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from January 2002 to December 2003, and subsequently the United States Deputy Attorney General from December 2003 to August 2005 in the administration of President George W. Bush. Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to be the Special Counsel to head the grand jury investigation into the Plame affair after Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself.
In August 2005, Comey left the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and became general counsel and senior vice president of Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2010, he became general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, based in Westport, Connecticut. In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become a Senior Research Scholar and Hertog Fellow on National Security Law at Columbia Law School. He served on the board of directors of HSBC Holdings until July 2013.
In September 2013, Comey was appointed Director of the FBI by President Barack Obama. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the FBI's investigation of the Hillary Clinton email controversy. His role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, particularly with regard to his public communications, was highly controversial. His decisions are viewed by some analysts as having possibly cost Clinton the election. Comey also received heavy criticism from Republicans, in part after it was revealed that he had begun drafting an exoneration letter for Clinton before the investigation was complete.
Comey was dismissed by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Statements from Trump and the White House suggested that he had been dismissed to ease the "pressure" Trump was under due to the Russia investigation. On May 16 Comey released his internal FBI memo he had written after a February 14 private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end the FBI's investigation into Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor. The dismissal, the memo, and Comey's subsequent Congressional testimony were interpreted by some commentators as evidence of obstruction of justice and became part of a widening investigation by Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel appointed to probe Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from January 2002 to December 2003, and subsequently the United States Deputy Attorney General from December 2003 to August 2005 in the administration of President George W. Bush. Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to be the Special Counsel to head the grand jury investigation into the Plame affair after Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself.
In August 2005, Comey left the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and became general counsel and senior vice president of Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2010, he became general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, based in Westport, Connecticut. In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become a Senior Research Scholar and Hertog Fellow on National Security Law at Columbia Law School. He served on the board of directors of HSBC Holdings until July 2013.
In September 2013, Comey was appointed Director of the FBI by President Barack Obama. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the FBI's investigation of the Hillary Clinton email controversy. His role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, particularly with regard to his public communications, was highly controversial. His decisions are viewed by some analysts as having possibly cost Clinton the election. Comey also received heavy criticism from Republicans, in part after it was revealed that he had begun drafting an exoneration letter for Clinton before the investigation was complete.
Comey was dismissed by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Statements from Trump and the White House suggested that he had been dismissed to ease the "pressure" Trump was under due to the Russia investigation. On May 16 Comey released his internal FBI memo he had written after a February 14 private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end the FBI's investigation into Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor. The dismissal, the memo, and Comey's subsequent Congressional testimony were interpreted by some commentators as evidence of obstruction of justice and became part of a widening investigation by Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel appointed to probe Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 859 reviews
June 5, 2023
It would be hard to find someone more qualified to write a legal thriller than James Comey. Comey was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; a U.S. Attorney in charge of the Southern District of New York; a Deputy Attorney General in the Department of Justice; and a Director of the FBI.
Author James Comey
After leaving the FBI, Comey wrote several non-fiction books, then decided to try his hand at novels. In an interview with NPR, Comey acknowledged, "An editor of non-fiction nudged me to, and at first I resisted. And the farther I got from the work, the easier it became to think about giving it a shot. And so I decided to try, and found it addictive. And now I want this to be my job. It's not a hobby for me. I need to have a job. And I found this harder than nonfiction, but a lot more fun." Luckily, Comey's first novel, Central Park West. is fun for the reader as well.
*****
The Story
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Nora Carleton has her dream job. Nora is six-feet-tall, with a chin-length auburn bob, and what her dad calls BBB eyes - Big, Brown, and Beautiful. Nora also has a 5-year-old daughter named Sophie, and amicably shares custody with Sophie's dad Nick.
After Nora drops Sophie off at school, she hurries to her office at Manhattan's St. Andrew's Plaza.....
.....where she's preparing to prosecute Dominic "The Nose" D'Amico, a recently made member of the Mafia's Gambino Crime Family.
The key witness against D'Amico is a thief nicknamed Frenchie, who stole high-end artworks for The Nose. Frenchie is scheduled to testify today, after which he'll enter the witness protection (WITSEC) program.
Meanwhile, in another Manhattan courtroom, a woman named Kyra Burke.....
.....will be tried for murdering her estranged husband Antonio "Tony" Burke, the former governor of New York. Tony was a sexual predator who was rumored to do favors for 'bad people', and Nora is on CCTV entering Tony's building right before he was killed.
In the Mafia trial, when it appears that Frenchie's evidence will convict D'Amico, the mobster secretly passes a note to the prosecution team, in an effort to make a deal. The missive says D'Amico has information about who REALLY killed former governor Tony Burke.....and it's not Tony's wife Kyra but rather a Mafia assassin. Unfortunately D'Amico is shot before he can spill the beans, and he's found with a dead canary in his mouth - a warning to those who might cooperate with law enforcement.
Thus, Kyra Burke is put on trial for murdering her politician husband Tony Burke. However, prosecutor Nora Carleton and her team proceed to investigate the former governor's homicide anyway, in an attempt to identify 'the real killer', presumably a mob hitter. Nora's colleagues include: Benny Dugan - a six-foot-five, 250 pound detective who's been investigating the Mafia for 30 years;
FBI Special Agent Jessica Watson - a fresh-out-of-Quantico agent with smooth dark skin and a short afro;
and Carmen Garcia - the chief of Violent and Organized Crime at St. Andrew's Plaza.
In addition to showing some of the the inner workings of the Southern District of New York, Comey's novel highlights the rivalry between the Manhattan D.A. and the U.S. Attorney's Office, who compete to prosecute the same high profile cases, for the credit and the glory. In an interview with NPR, Comey puts it as follows, "I used to describe it to people as blood sworn enemies, except when they're living together and having a baby. So there was a lot that we did together and a lot we fought over. I used to try and take the D.A. [Robert] Morgenthau to lunch on a regular basis to try and build, repair, whatever damage was done." Comey also observed, "From my upbringing and my professional experience [the] FBI and NYPD are Godzilla and King Kong. They're like siblings — sometimes they play really well together, sometimes not so much."
Besides all the squabbling among the D.A., U.S. Attorney, and FBI, real world law enforcement isn't as neat and clean as seen on television series. Comey gives us the real scoop in a scene where investigator Benny Dugan tells federal prosecutor Nora Carleton, "I worry you're aiming at the wrong target, with all this 'truth' stuff. Our job is to lock up bad people to protect good people....Sometimes that means we gotta use other bad people to do it. Sometimes that means people we know are motherless fucks are gonna get away....so [all the people sleeping soundly] can stay that way."
Along with a wealth of colorful characters and fascinating police procedural details (Hint to the criminally inclined: Be careful about ordering from Starbucks], the book has great courtroom scenes. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to more books in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley, James Comey, and Mysterious Press for a copy of the manuscript.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
May 9, 2023
A mobster’s trial and the murder of a former New York governor reveal a possible intersection between the Mafia and politics. The governor has something in common with Andrew Cuomo, since they both had to leave office due to sexual harassment charges. However, the murdered governor has an estranged and disgruntled wife who has excellent motives for killing him. And maybe there are others with equally strong motives.
I’ve read nonfiction by this author but this is his first book of fiction. It was surprisingly good. The plot is unpredictable and original. The characters are interesting and believable and the dialogue is very good. The author makes excellent use of his extensive experience with the FBI and as a federal prosecutor. For example, he described the use of “ghosts” in surveillance. These agents blend into the background to such an extent that it’s possible that half of the people in a restaurant are there to eavesdrop on the conversation of a suspect, and all of the vehicles on the street are there to follow him when he leaves. Maybe the bad guys already knew this, but it was news to me.
There is definitely authenticity in the way he writes about the inner workings of the legal system and investigation techniques. There are three trials, and the thoughts of the attorneys as their witnesses implode on the stand are priceless. The descriptions of the law were clear and helpful. Occasionally, I thought he was a little too descriptive. I didn’t need to know the address of every courthouse in Manhattan, but that is an insignificant quibble. I liked the fact that the ending wasn’t tidy. It doesn’t seem that there will be a sequel, but I really hope that the author writes more fiction. I want to read it.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
I’ve read nonfiction by this author but this is his first book of fiction. It was surprisingly good. The plot is unpredictable and original. The characters are interesting and believable and the dialogue is very good. The author makes excellent use of his extensive experience with the FBI and as a federal prosecutor. For example, he described the use of “ghosts” in surveillance. These agents blend into the background to such an extent that it’s possible that half of the people in a restaurant are there to eavesdrop on the conversation of a suspect, and all of the vehicles on the street are there to follow him when he leaves. Maybe the bad guys already knew this, but it was news to me.
There is definitely authenticity in the way he writes about the inner workings of the legal system and investigation techniques. There are three trials, and the thoughts of the attorneys as their witnesses implode on the stand are priceless. The descriptions of the law were clear and helpful. Occasionally, I thought he was a little too descriptive. I didn’t need to know the address of every courthouse in Manhattan, but that is an insignificant quibble. I liked the fact that the ending wasn’t tidy. It doesn’t seem that there will be a sequel, but I really hope that the author writes more fiction. I want to read it.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
April 24, 2023
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is leading the high-profile mafia affiliated case against Dominic “The Nose” D’Amico. However, things take a puzzling turn when D’Amico offers evidence in another prominent case. Kyra Burke is facing life imprisonment for the murder of her disgraced predator of a husband, ex-Governor Antonio (Tony), Burke. Can what D’Amico has to say blow the case against Kyra Burke out of the water?
I admit to curiosity to see what the infamous James Comey, former director of the FBI, could come up with in this genre. First and foremost, his credentials and knowledge definitely add layers of authenticity to the storytelling. I do like the character of Nora and those that work for her, especially Benny Dugan. Some of the courtroom scenes are good, especially later on in the book and the ending is also a good one with well thought out twists and is what raises my rating to three stars.
However, the definition of a thriller is a play, film or novel with an exciting plot involving crime or espionage. Well, we have the crime, we have a decent premise but the excitement gets lost for me as does the pace. Why? Well, first of all Mr Comey is very wordy and I mean very wordy to the point of being pedantic. He has clearly consumed a great deal of Alphabetti spaghetti with the amount of acronym after acronym which is laboriously explained so I glaze over. I think it’s a case of knowing too much and wanting to get it all in with painstaking precision. There are a lot of characters to get your head around and a couple of them feel like stereotypes. My eyes go to the ceiling on several occasions as he repeatedly gives us the style of characters pronunciation of certain words so it becomes ga-bidge.
So, you’ll gather that James Comey’s foray into fiction isn’t a resounding success for me but others disagreed so be sure to check the more positive reviews.
Ps. What is it with the rugs?? An in FBI joke?
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Aria and Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
I admit to curiosity to see what the infamous James Comey, former director of the FBI, could come up with in this genre. First and foremost, his credentials and knowledge definitely add layers of authenticity to the storytelling. I do like the character of Nora and those that work for her, especially Benny Dugan. Some of the courtroom scenes are good, especially later on in the book and the ending is also a good one with well thought out twists and is what raises my rating to three stars.
However, the definition of a thriller is a play, film or novel with an exciting plot involving crime or espionage. Well, we have the crime, we have a decent premise but the excitement gets lost for me as does the pace. Why? Well, first of all Mr Comey is very wordy and I mean very wordy to the point of being pedantic. He has clearly consumed a great deal of Alphabetti spaghetti with the amount of acronym after acronym which is laboriously explained so I glaze over. I think it’s a case of knowing too much and wanting to get it all in with painstaking precision. There are a lot of characters to get your head around and a couple of them feel like stereotypes. My eyes go to the ceiling on several occasions as he repeatedly gives us the style of characters pronunciation of certain words so it becomes ga-bidge.
So, you’ll gather that James Comey’s foray into fiction isn’t a resounding success for me but others disagreed so be sure to check the more positive reviews.
Ps. What is it with the rugs?? An in FBI joke?
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Aria and Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
![Profile Image for Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 21, 2024
3.5-Stars I Liked It - but not enough for 4-Stars
Review to follow ... soon :)
Sorry, this is another 'missed review', although the musings I noted during my listening activity can suffice as a review.
I don't think I had any more of interest to add - the book didn't really excite me. :)
From my Reading Activity:
Commenced 16/06/2023 @ 10%:
"I'm halfway through chapter 3 and it's probably too soon to be making negative comments about James Comey's ability to write fiction, but I hope this 'crime novel' effort will start to impress me positively as my listening progresses."
June 18, 2023 @ 50%:
"Half-way and I am still unimpressed by the author's first fictional output. The non-stop description of everything and anything hasn't helped, other than to fluff out the story. The trial scene was an exception, as it appeared to be written with the benefit of knowledge and experience."
June 19, 2023 @ 71%:
"I wish I was enjoying this audiobook a lot more than I am :(("
June 21, 2023 @99%:
"I am seriously unsure what rating to give this book. This situation is not all bad, because my experience with the book had +'s and -'s and I need to think more about my reading of it. Pretty safe to say it's not a 5 or a 4, neither is it a 1 or a 2, so probably 3 - let's see. :)"
Sorry, this is another 'missed review', although the musings I noted during my listening activity can suffice as a review.
I don't think I had any more of interest to add - the book didn't really excite me. :)
From my Reading Activity:
Commenced 16/06/2023 @ 10%:
"I'm halfway through chapter 3 and it's probably too soon to be making negative comments about James Comey's ability to write fiction, but I hope this 'crime novel' effort will start to impress me positively as my listening progresses."
June 18, 2023 @ 50%:
"Half-way and I am still unimpressed by the author's first fictional output. The non-stop description of everything and anything hasn't helped, other than to fluff out the story. The trial scene was an exception, as it appeared to be written with the benefit of knowledge and experience."
June 19, 2023 @ 71%:
"I wish I was enjoying this audiobook a lot more than I am :(("
June 21, 2023 @99%:
"I am seriously unsure what rating to give this book. This situation is not all bad, because my experience with the book had +'s and -'s and I need to think more about my reading of it. Pretty safe to say it's not a 5 or a 4, neither is it a 1 or a 2, so probably 3 - let's see. :)"
April 1, 2023
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, James Comey, and The Mysterious Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
James Comey made many headlines during the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential election, and the fallout with former President Trump. Now, Comey has moved into writing fiction and hoped to make a splash, ending up on the New York Times bestseller list and away from a place above the fold. A great crime thriller that pulls on some great policing, as well as strong courtroom drama, Comey keeps the reader hooked as the story progresses. Wonderful writing and laying the groundwork for something series-based, Comey is sure to garner some great publicity, as Trump remains above the fold in shackles.
Having worked on a case against a powerful mobster that has spanned many years, Assistant US Attorney Nora Carleton feels that she can finally put things to rest with this one witness. However, things take a turn when the defendant passes along a note, promising some information on a local case. The murder of a former New York governor, pinned on the man’s current wife, could see a new accused, should the mobster’s intel be substantiated. Nora cannot ignore this and approaches the news delicately, but with vigour. What follows is an investigation that could change the direction of these two cases significantly.
When the murder of Dominic “The Nose” D’Amico comes to light, Nora is sure that this is a message that his leaking information could not go without notice. Nora works to find the real killer of the disgraced former governor, apparently a mob hit, even as the evidence points to the wife. When she is able to nail something down, she will not only have to convince her superiors, but the prosecution, who are sure they can get a conviction in state court. Working all the angles, Nora secures an arrest, but will have to take the case to trial, in hopes of showing that the deception and treachery committed were all part of a larger scheme to enforce a message on a politician who had deep pockets and no morals.
As the case reaches its climax, Nora’s family is threatened and a new tactic must be taken to ensure a conviction. Nora works her courtroom magic, while keeping an eye over her shoulder as the pressure mounts. With a drastic change coming to her personal life and an attempt to process everything taking place, Nora will have to find a way to convict the accused and bring this mess to a close before anyone else dies. Comey does a great job, illustrating the investigative and judicial side of a case throughout, keeping the best for last in this stunning debut thriller.
There are many who have had their time in the limelight that try their hand at writing. Some are successful, while others fall flat. James Comey had a wonderful history working within the FBI on both criminal and legal matters, though his firing left him with a fair bit of time on his hands. This venture into writing has shown that he is capable of spinning a story and keeping the reader enthralled. A powerful narrative that moves at a swift pace, balancing courtroom drama with the underlying investigative prowess, proves to be the cornerstone of this great piece. Strong characters, some of whom with great roots that could develop into a strong series, emerge throughout the book, leaving the reader begging to know more. There are various plots twists that build and keep the reader wanting to learn just a little more as they make their way through the story. For his first work of fiction, James Comey has all the elements of a great novel. I can only wonder if there will be more, Nora Carleton or another powerful protagonist. Whatever the future holds, I will keep an eye out for more by Comey, as he is surely at the top of his game in this crowded genre.
Kudos, Mr. Comey, for a great debut piece of fiction. I am eager to see where things go and how you will impress readers with your next published work.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
James Comey made many headlines during the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential election, and the fallout with former President Trump. Now, Comey has moved into writing fiction and hoped to make a splash, ending up on the New York Times bestseller list and away from a place above the fold. A great crime thriller that pulls on some great policing, as well as strong courtroom drama, Comey keeps the reader hooked as the story progresses. Wonderful writing and laying the groundwork for something series-based, Comey is sure to garner some great publicity, as Trump remains above the fold in shackles.
Having worked on a case against a powerful mobster that has spanned many years, Assistant US Attorney Nora Carleton feels that she can finally put things to rest with this one witness. However, things take a turn when the defendant passes along a note, promising some information on a local case. The murder of a former New York governor, pinned on the man’s current wife, could see a new accused, should the mobster’s intel be substantiated. Nora cannot ignore this and approaches the news delicately, but with vigour. What follows is an investigation that could change the direction of these two cases significantly.
When the murder of Dominic “The Nose” D’Amico comes to light, Nora is sure that this is a message that his leaking information could not go without notice. Nora works to find the real killer of the disgraced former governor, apparently a mob hit, even as the evidence points to the wife. When she is able to nail something down, she will not only have to convince her superiors, but the prosecution, who are sure they can get a conviction in state court. Working all the angles, Nora secures an arrest, but will have to take the case to trial, in hopes of showing that the deception and treachery committed were all part of a larger scheme to enforce a message on a politician who had deep pockets and no morals.
As the case reaches its climax, Nora’s family is threatened and a new tactic must be taken to ensure a conviction. Nora works her courtroom magic, while keeping an eye over her shoulder as the pressure mounts. With a drastic change coming to her personal life and an attempt to process everything taking place, Nora will have to find a way to convict the accused and bring this mess to a close before anyone else dies. Comey does a great job, illustrating the investigative and judicial side of a case throughout, keeping the best for last in this stunning debut thriller.
There are many who have had their time in the limelight that try their hand at writing. Some are successful, while others fall flat. James Comey had a wonderful history working within the FBI on both criminal and legal matters, though his firing left him with a fair bit of time on his hands. This venture into writing has shown that he is capable of spinning a story and keeping the reader enthralled. A powerful narrative that moves at a swift pace, balancing courtroom drama with the underlying investigative prowess, proves to be the cornerstone of this great piece. Strong characters, some of whom with great roots that could develop into a strong series, emerge throughout the book, leaving the reader begging to know more. There are various plots twists that build and keep the reader wanting to learn just a little more as they make their way through the story. For his first work of fiction, James Comey has all the elements of a great novel. I can only wonder if there will be more, Nora Carleton or another powerful protagonist. Whatever the future holds, I will keep an eye out for more by Comey, as he is surely at the top of his game in this crowded genre.
Kudos, Mr. Comey, for a great debut piece of fiction. I am eager to see where things go and how you will impress readers with your next published work.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
February 21, 2025
Some will remember James Comey as the Obama-appointed Director of the FBI. Some will recall Hillary's e-mails, the Mueller investigation, the Trump firing, more leaked e-mails, and on and on. Mr. Comey, in the private sector, has come to experiment with the writing of crime novels. Because, you know, why not? If I wanted to, I'm sure I could experiment with being a lawyer and just show up one day in court imagining I could make up the law as I went along, whatever fit and sounded right in any particular moment, since that's the way we seem to be doing things these days. Of course, people would start calling me a sovereign citizen and judges would start ordering mental health evaluations, there's that.
Around here we simply write reviews.
So let's get on with this, shall we?
First lines:
The doorman barely glanced up as she breezed past, bright blonde hair spilling from under her navy blue Hermes scarf, fancy Jackie O sunglasses on even at night, black Prada gabardine raincoat...
And there will be ladder-backed chairs in butcher block kitchens, "not-on-sale" Brooks Brothers 100 percent cotton white shirts, cast-ivory bowl-pendant lights, grey-on-black marble wainscotting, Persian rugs that perfectly tie the oxblood couch and armchairs to the royal blue carpet. (All this while Jackie Collins is barely gone and barely missed and that's just sort of amusing.) And this is how we start because this is what Mr. Comey is under the impression is meant by the instruction to "set a scene." Thumb through a catalog or two, rifle through the labels in a closet on your way back from the bathroom; get some names on paper, some architectural bling. The crime is just, my gosh, this ancillary thing.
Mr. Comey, you are fictionally taking the life of a (very) thinly-disguised Andrew Cuomo. Eye on the ball, dude.
Introduced we are in very short order to lawyers, and lawyers, and more lawyers - and this is fine (I liked The Firm), only someone told our author these attorneys should be relatable, which he has translated to mean dopey, so they're all dopey, so dopey in fact that I'm taking offense on behalf of the many lawyers I know whom, I must confess, are private practice sharks, so I might be talking out of my hat here. Still, this is present-day Manhattan and when your whiplash-inducing mob-defendant-turned-informant-turned-star-witness shows up, in less than a minute, with a bullet in his head and a dead canary in his mouth, well, I just think we're stretching this out of all recognizable proportion.
To be fair, Mr. Comey does manage to drive a story through this mess. There are twists and turns and, if you can ignore everyone's personal lives, and personalities, and what they're wearing and how they're living, secrets are uncovered in the dopeyness that are solid secrets upon which can be built solid prosecutions - because we do finally arrive at Mr. Comey's bailiwick in terms of law.
I suppose one could say you have to start somewhere.
Mr. Comey's career as a crime novelist starts with this.
Around here we simply write reviews.
So let's get on with this, shall we?
First lines:
The doorman barely glanced up as she breezed past, bright blonde hair spilling from under her navy blue Hermes scarf, fancy Jackie O sunglasses on even at night, black Prada gabardine raincoat...
And there will be ladder-backed chairs in butcher block kitchens, "not-on-sale" Brooks Brothers 100 percent cotton white shirts, cast-ivory bowl-pendant lights, grey-on-black marble wainscotting, Persian rugs that perfectly tie the oxblood couch and armchairs to the royal blue carpet. (All this while Jackie Collins is barely gone and barely missed and that's just sort of amusing.) And this is how we start because this is what Mr. Comey is under the impression is meant by the instruction to "set a scene." Thumb through a catalog or two, rifle through the labels in a closet on your way back from the bathroom; get some names on paper, some architectural bling. The crime is just, my gosh, this ancillary thing.
Mr. Comey, you are fictionally taking the life of a (very) thinly-disguised Andrew Cuomo. Eye on the ball, dude.
Introduced we are in very short order to lawyers, and lawyers, and more lawyers - and this is fine (I liked The Firm), only someone told our author these attorneys should be relatable, which he has translated to mean dopey, so they're all dopey, so dopey in fact that I'm taking offense on behalf of the many lawyers I know whom, I must confess, are private practice sharks, so I might be talking out of my hat here. Still, this is present-day Manhattan and when your whiplash-inducing mob-defendant-turned-informant-turned-star-witness shows up, in less than a minute, with a bullet in his head and a dead canary in his mouth, well, I just think we're stretching this out of all recognizable proportion.
To be fair, Mr. Comey does manage to drive a story through this mess. There are twists and turns and, if you can ignore everyone's personal lives, and personalities, and what they're wearing and how they're living, secrets are uncovered in the dopeyness that are solid secrets upon which can be built solid prosecutions - because we do finally arrive at Mr. Comey's bailiwick in terms of law.
I suppose one could say you have to start somewhere.
Mr. Comey's career as a crime novelist starts with this.
May 25, 2023
How could I resist reading a debut crime novel written by the former Director of the FBI, James Comey? And it turns out the story is quite good! With courtroom drama and the mob, how could it not be?
The plot: Kyra Burke, the wife of Tony Burke, the disgraced former governor of NY, is accused of murdering him in their penthouse suite. She is in the process of divorcing him but is on camera entering and leaving the building around the time of his death and was also seen by the doorman. Slam dunk case, right? What happens then when an informant discloses that the Mafia was involved in the hit? Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton wants to pursue that angle and involve the FBI while the DA's office continues their trial against Kyra Burke.
Lots of authentic detail and realistic characters flesh out this story. The ending wasn't what I expected or hoped for but I won't quibble about that. I would definitely enjoy reading more from newly-fledged crime novelist, James Comey.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
The plot: Kyra Burke, the wife of Tony Burke, the disgraced former governor of NY, is accused of murdering him in their penthouse suite. She is in the process of divorcing him but is on camera entering and leaving the building around the time of his death and was also seen by the doorman. Slam dunk case, right? What happens then when an informant discloses that the Mafia was involved in the hit? Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton wants to pursue that angle and involve the FBI while the DA's office continues their trial against Kyra Burke.
Lots of authentic detail and realistic characters flesh out this story. The ending wasn't what I expected or hoped for but I won't quibble about that. I would definitely enjoy reading more from newly-fledged crime novelist, James Comey.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 3, 2025
I was drawn to Central Park West because of James Comey being the author. Certainly, he should be able to write an interesting legal thriller. And it was definitely an interesting premise. The former governor of New York is killed and his ex-wife is accused. It would appear that the prosecution has her dead to rights. But a high up mafia mobster, on trial for his own crimes, looks to strike a deal based on info he has that the mafia was behind the murder.
This isn’t a fast paced story and at times, it does get bogged down. The characters are pretty basic. And therein lies the main fault of the book. If it’s not going to rely on action, it needs characters that engage. The one strength here is in the believability of the legal and investigatory details. I hadn’t realized until I read the blurb that Comey’s CV included time as a mob prosecutor.
It wasn’t that this was a bad book, it was just too bland with nothing much to recommend it. There were some decent twists at the end. I won’t be pursuing any more of Comey’s literary endeavors.
I listened to this and it didn’t help that Cassandra Campbell’s narration veered between dry and irritating.
This isn’t a fast paced story and at times, it does get bogged down. The characters are pretty basic. And therein lies the main fault of the book. If it’s not going to rely on action, it needs characters that engage. The one strength here is in the believability of the legal and investigatory details. I hadn’t realized until I read the blurb that Comey’s CV included time as a mob prosecutor.
It wasn’t that this was a bad book, it was just too bland with nothing much to recommend it. There were some decent twists at the end. I won’t be pursuing any more of Comey’s literary endeavors.
I listened to this and it didn’t help that Cassandra Campbell’s narration veered between dry and irritating.
May 24, 2023
“Central Park West” starts promisingly enough: The philandering former governor of New York, Tony Burke, is confronted by his estranged wife, Kyra, in their luxury apartment. At gunpoint, she forces him to write a brief suicide note, apologizing to all the people he’s hurt. Then she kills him with a syringe full of insulin.
The perfect crime? Hardly. The killer was greeted by the doorman and caught on videotape. The case sparks a media circus. At the time of his death, the former governor was denying multiple accusations of sexual abuse leveled by women willing to break his notorious nondisclosure agreements. Now “Killer Kyra” faces life in prison for putting down “the Harvey Weinstein of politics.” The Daily News screams, “LUV GUV SLAY TRIAL.”
Kyra, “a strikingly beautiful thirty-nine-year old woman,” says killing her husband was a “public service,” but she insists she didn’t do it. In a weirdly cute, banter-filled meeting with her defense lawyer — whose 6-foot-2 frame is, of course, “toned by hours on a Peloton” — Kyra insists that the killer must have been someone disguised to look just like her. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
The perfect crime? Hardly. The killer was greeted by the doorman and caught on videotape. The case sparks a media circus. At the time of his death, the former governor was denying multiple accusations of sexual abuse leveled by women willing to break his notorious nondisclosure agreements. Now “Killer Kyra” faces life in prison for putting down “the Harvey Weinstein of politics.” The Daily News screams, “LUV GUV SLAY TRIAL.”
Kyra, “a strikingly beautiful thirty-nine-year old woman,” says killing her husband was a “public service,” but she insists she didn’t do it. In a weirdly cute, banter-filled meeting with her defense lawyer — whose 6-foot-2 frame is, of course, “toned by hours on a Peloton” — Kyra insists that the killer must have been someone disguised to look just like her. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
March 22, 2023
Okay, I must 'fess up. When I opened this book on my Kindle, my first thought was this: Please, Lord, let this be good; I really, really don't want to be the one to tell the former director of the FBI - especially one who's at least a foot and a half taller than I am - that his first-ever fiction book stinks.
And it doesn't (whew). In fact, joking aside, I very much enjoyed it. It's a well-written, well-crafted story, but more than that, perhaps, it provides insights into the legal system, from both inside and outside the courtroom, that could come only from someone who's spent the lion's share of a professional lifetime working within it. The most important takeaway, though - at least for me - is if the FBI wants you, there aren't many places you can hide (not even a Starbucks).
The primary characters are U.S. Atty. Nora Carleton, a single mom struggling a bit to make ends meet while she takes on the world of organized crime, and her very personable (and formidable) investigator, Benny Dugan. Early on, a former state governor - one who keeps his lips zipped but articles of his clothing not so much - is found dead of a suicide that turns out to be murder. Maybe, just maybe, his permanent silence was a mob hit; but that's only conjecture, since his ex-wife Kyra has been charged with, and is on trial for, the killing.
The two trials - Nora's and the one against Kyra - play off each other as the investigations (and trial witnesses) begin to reveal in-common details. The back-and-forths also showcase the conflict among federal and state prosecutors, none of whom seem to much enjoy sharing (again, a nod, I'm sure, to reality but something I've never quite understood; if our goals are the same, why can't we all hold hands and play nice)?
Of course, I can't reveal any details without spoiling the whole thing for other readers, but I sure do recommend it to those who enjoy stories about crimes and courtrooms. If I must carp a bit, I'll say the transition could use a little improvement - in spots, it jumps around a bit. I also can't say I was thrilled with the ending, but that's not a negative - I'm pretty sure it reflects reality more often than not (sometimes bad people do good things, sometimes good people do bad things, sometimes neither gets found out). It also, it seems to me, makes great starting fodder for a next book - to which I'm definitely looking forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to dive into a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!
And it doesn't (whew). In fact, joking aside, I very much enjoyed it. It's a well-written, well-crafted story, but more than that, perhaps, it provides insights into the legal system, from both inside and outside the courtroom, that could come only from someone who's spent the lion's share of a professional lifetime working within it. The most important takeaway, though - at least for me - is if the FBI wants you, there aren't many places you can hide (not even a Starbucks).
The primary characters are U.S. Atty. Nora Carleton, a single mom struggling a bit to make ends meet while she takes on the world of organized crime, and her very personable (and formidable) investigator, Benny Dugan. Early on, a former state governor - one who keeps his lips zipped but articles of his clothing not so much - is found dead of a suicide that turns out to be murder. Maybe, just maybe, his permanent silence was a mob hit; but that's only conjecture, since his ex-wife Kyra has been charged with, and is on trial for, the killing.
The two trials - Nora's and the one against Kyra - play off each other as the investigations (and trial witnesses) begin to reveal in-common details. The back-and-forths also showcase the conflict among federal and state prosecutors, none of whom seem to much enjoy sharing (again, a nod, I'm sure, to reality but something I've never quite understood; if our goals are the same, why can't we all hold hands and play nice)?
Of course, I can't reveal any details without spoiling the whole thing for other readers, but I sure do recommend it to those who enjoy stories about crimes and courtrooms. If I must carp a bit, I'll say the transition could use a little improvement - in spots, it jumps around a bit. I also can't say I was thrilled with the ending, but that's not a negative - I'm pretty sure it reflects reality more often than not (sometimes bad people do good things, sometimes good people do bad things, sometimes neither gets found out). It also, it seems to me, makes great starting fodder for a next book - to which I'm definitely looking forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to dive into a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!
June 29, 2023
When I aheard that former FBI director, James Comey, had written a crime novel I was intrigued. I mean, who is better placed and knowledgeable about the US legal system. I was pleasantly impressed with Central Park West, it has all the elements of a great crime/legal thriller and it all worked so well together. I am a fan and hope he will continue to write fiction.
We have a murdered governor who had plenty of enemies. But of course, it is always the spouse, and his soon to be ex wife is arrested and standing trial for murder. She is adamant she is innocent. At the same time, a high ranking member of the mafia is on trial. How are these cases connected? Well, you will have to read it to find out.
I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes, the back and forth and not knowing who was telling the truth, if anyone. I am a big police procedural fan, and loved all the insider information that the author gave us. It was addictive and a fast read for me.
If you enjoy legal and crime fiction then give this one a go. Thanks so ,I h to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book to read. It is out now.
We have a murdered governor who had plenty of enemies. But of course, it is always the spouse, and his soon to be ex wife is arrested and standing trial for murder. She is adamant she is innocent. At the same time, a high ranking member of the mafia is on trial. How are these cases connected? Well, you will have to read it to find out.
I really enjoyed the courtroom scenes, the back and forth and not knowing who was telling the truth, if anyone. I am a big police procedural fan, and loved all the insider information that the author gave us. It was addictive and a fast read for me.
If you enjoy legal and crime fiction then give this one a go. Thanks so ,I h to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book to read. It is out now.
October 28, 2023
This was pretty good! Sometimes the best fiction is formulated by those who have lived the reality. And James Comey, as you probably know, spent many years as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and later as Director of the FBI. So I think he knows what he's talking about and maybe has so many more stories up his sleeve he'll be rivaling Grisham someday.
(I won't say he always knew what he was doing as Director... Or maybe he did.).
I wasn't completely enthralled with Cassandra Campbell as the narrator. The females all had high-pitched voices like ten or twelve year olds. She herself has such a lovely voice when simply narrating, I don't get why her females are so annoying to me.
(I won't say he always knew what he was doing as Director... Or maybe he did.).
I wasn't completely enthralled with Cassandra Campbell as the narrator. The females all had high-pitched voices like ten or twelve year olds. She herself has such a lovely voice when simply narrating, I don't get why her females are so annoying to me.
January 8, 2023
This I learned from the former FBI Director: if you consistently order from the Starbucks secret menu, even while in disguise, using a burner phone, and paying cash, the FBI can find you.
Let’s welcome James Comey to the group of crime novelists who really know what goes on behind the scenes — his knowledgeable descriptions in this debut novel assure you that he has insider knowledge about the way federal attorneys and FBI agents really work (not as lone wolves with secret past personal histories driving them forward).
This is a legal thriller that primarily follows Nora Carleton, a US Attorney, dealing with organized crime, whose latest case has a connection to the murder of a Harvey Weinstein-ish ex-governor. The “Luv Guv’s” ex-wife has been accused of the murder, but Nora’s federal defendant in another case opens a suspicion that maybe the swine-ish politician was knocked off by the mob. Included on Nora’s team is a seasoned ex-cop investigator, Benny, and a fresh out of Quantico FBI agent, Jessica. She also has Carmen, an experienced boss, supporting her. There is some warring between the FBI and NYPD and their respective attorneys, so it is necessary to keep a scorecard. For whatever reason, the Manhattan DA does not want the feds affecting the sensational murder case, so it’s up to the United States Attorney team to determine if Kyra Burke is being framed even as the trial is ongoing.
I appreciated the lengthy procedural and acronym explanations that lended to the authenticity and complicity of the novel. (No yarn strings for the FBI, just different colored Expo markers). This is a psychological drama about whether the justice system will work properly (is there a “nexus” or we can’t prosecute even though we have a pile of evidence?) provides as much suspense as the whodunit. And, surprisingly, from a new male author, women are the primary good guys (Nora, Jessica, Carmen, Kyra) and integral to the plot. Comey’s insider knowledge can also be scary — as when he talks about the digital dust we all leave behind (not just from our phones) with likes, logins, Starbucks orders (!), Uber rides, Google geolocations, that the government can sweep into a pile and collect a “pretty detailed picture of a life.”
This turns out to be a suspenseful, believable story, very worthy of a continuing series, if Comey chooses to reunite this team in the future. 5 stars.
Thank you to Mysterious Press/ W.W. Norton and Company and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Dominic “The Nose” D’Amico has penetrating green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But I had to look up the garden-like Pomander Walk to see if it was a real place.
Let’s welcome James Comey to the group of crime novelists who really know what goes on behind the scenes — his knowledgeable descriptions in this debut novel assure you that he has insider knowledge about the way federal attorneys and FBI agents really work (not as lone wolves with secret past personal histories driving them forward).
This is a legal thriller that primarily follows Nora Carleton, a US Attorney, dealing with organized crime, whose latest case has a connection to the murder of a Harvey Weinstein-ish ex-governor. The “Luv Guv’s” ex-wife has been accused of the murder, but Nora’s federal defendant in another case opens a suspicion that maybe the swine-ish politician was knocked off by the mob. Included on Nora’s team is a seasoned ex-cop investigator, Benny, and a fresh out of Quantico FBI agent, Jessica. She also has Carmen, an experienced boss, supporting her. There is some warring between the FBI and NYPD and their respective attorneys, so it is necessary to keep a scorecard. For whatever reason, the Manhattan DA does not want the feds affecting the sensational murder case, so it’s up to the United States Attorney team to determine if Kyra Burke is being framed even as the trial is ongoing.
I appreciated the lengthy procedural and acronym explanations that lended to the authenticity and complicity of the novel. (No yarn strings for the FBI, just different colored Expo markers). This is a psychological drama about whether the justice system will work properly (is there a “nexus” or we can’t prosecute even though we have a pile of evidence?) provides as much suspense as the whodunit. And, surprisingly, from a new male author, women are the primary good guys (Nora, Jessica, Carmen, Kyra) and integral to the plot. Comey’s insider knowledge can also be scary — as when he talks about the digital dust we all leave behind (not just from our phones) with likes, logins, Starbucks orders (!), Uber rides, Google geolocations, that the government can sweep into a pile and collect a “pretty detailed picture of a life.”
This turns out to be a suspenseful, believable story, very worthy of a continuing series, if Comey chooses to reunite this team in the future. 5 stars.
Thank you to Mysterious Press/ W.W. Norton and Company and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Dominic “The Nose” D’Amico has penetrating green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But I had to look up the garden-like Pomander Walk to see if it was a real place.
August 30, 2023
Сполучлив писателски дебют на бившия директор на ФБР. Успял е да не изпада в крайности и да покаже човешкото лице на службите и на съдебната система в САЩ. Това е история за "мафията", но представена от човек, който, наистина, се е сблъсквал с нея. Следователно не очаквайте "екшън", престрелки в ресторанти и т. н. Смятам, че Коми има какво да даде на жанра и дано това не е последната му книга.
February 4, 2024
3.5
Един доста реалистичен съдебен трилър. Без невероятни обрати, преследвания и драма.
Самите персонажи стояха леко изкуствени, което беше по-слабата част.
"Струва ми се, че си поставяш погрешни цели, както си се вторачила в истината и пак истината. Нашата работа е да вкарваме в затвора лошите, за да пазим добрите, стига да имаме реални за целта доказателства. Понякога това означава да ползваме лоши хора за целта. Понякога това означава, че хора, за които знаем, че са безбожни копелета, ще се измъкват невредими. Но аз никога не съм смятал нашата работа за "търсене на истината". Системата не е предвидена за това. Нашата работа е да живеем в сивата зона, да издирваме онези, които са навлезли в черната, и да ги смачкаме, за може онези, които са в бялата, да спят спокойно нощем."
Един доста реалистичен съдебен трилър. Без невероятни обрати, преследвания и драма.
Самите персонажи стояха леко изкуствени, което беше по-слабата част.
"Струва ми се, че си поставяш погрешни цели, както си се вторачила в истината и пак истината. Нашата работа е да вкарваме в затвора лошите, за да пазим добрите, стига да имаме реални за целта доказателства. Понякога това означава да ползваме лоши хора за целта. Понякога това означава, че хора, за които знаем, че са безбожни копелета, ще се измъкват невредими. Но аз никога не съм смятал нашата работа за "търсене на истината". Системата не е предвидена за това. Нашата работа е да живеем в сивата зона, да издирваме онези, които са навлезли в черната, и да ги смачкаме, за може онези, които са в бялата, да спят спокойно нощем."
June 23, 2024
If you like a lot of acronyms, FBI investigations and courtroom settings then this would be a perfect book for you. I found it all too much when this became the whole book. The writing was good but I found myself skimming the entire book because it was a lot of the same from beginning to end.
April 17, 2023
High profile death investigation
Intriguing criminal procedural mystery where the Governor of New York, Tony Burke, is found dead in his apartment supposedly killed by his wife. The doorman places Burk’s estranged wife Kyra at the scene shortly after his death.
Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District Nora Carleton is currently prosecuting a case against Dominic D’Amico of the Gambino Mafia Family. When D’Amico passes Nora a note about Tony Burke’s death and mob involvement, Nora asks for protection for D’Amico. The court refuses. D’Amico meets an untimely end.
Whilst the case against Kyra goes ahead, Nora and others strengthen their efforts to get to the truth. Kyra’s guilt is seemingly assured from the court antics. The Judge is informed that “the federal authorities are actively investigating to determine who killed Tony Burke…the feds told some or all of this to the DA’s office, which has not provided anything about it to the defense.”
Where does this leave the defense?
I’m blown away by what can be tracked by various agencies, including loyalty card usage. Wow!
The investigative group disappears down several rabbit holes before the evidence they need surfaces.
The ending was not surprising to me but the getting there was fascinating.
A W.W. Norton ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Intriguing criminal procedural mystery where the Governor of New York, Tony Burke, is found dead in his apartment supposedly killed by his wife. The doorman places Burk’s estranged wife Kyra at the scene shortly after his death.
Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District Nora Carleton is currently prosecuting a case against Dominic D’Amico of the Gambino Mafia Family. When D’Amico passes Nora a note about Tony Burke’s death and mob involvement, Nora asks for protection for D’Amico. The court refuses. D’Amico meets an untimely end.
Whilst the case against Kyra goes ahead, Nora and others strengthen their efforts to get to the truth. Kyra’s guilt is seemingly assured from the court antics. The Judge is informed that “the federal authorities are actively investigating to determine who killed Tony Burke…the feds told some or all of this to the DA’s office, which has not provided anything about it to the defense.”
Where does this leave the defense?
I’m blown away by what can be tracked by various agencies, including loyalty card usage. Wow!
The investigative group disappears down several rabbit holes before the evidence they need surfaces.
The ending was not surprising to me but the getting there was fascinating.
A W.W. Norton ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
June 3, 2023
CENTRAL PARK WEST
James Corney
Ok... I loved this. I was drawn in from page one and stayed engaged until I closed the book.
I loved the organized crime aspect, the feds against the locals, the loyalty of the mobsters to each other... the legal jousting. I think the plot was well done, realistic and engaging, and if it dragged on in places then so do real investigations. The characters were great, layered, and flawed in places... people you might know.
Way to go!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
James Corney
Ok... I loved this. I was drawn in from page one and stayed engaged until I closed the book.
I loved the organized crime aspect, the feds against the locals, the loyalty of the mobsters to each other... the legal jousting. I think the plot was well done, realistic and engaging, and if it dragged on in places then so do real investigations. The characters were great, layered, and flawed in places... people you might know.
Way to go!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
August 8, 2023
📕 One chance to crack the case. A million ways to lose.
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton has spent years building a case against a powerful New York mobster. She finally has a star witness whose testimony will lock the defendant away for good.
But the courtroom is an unpredictable place. While the killing of a disgraced former governor appears unconnected to the trial, the fallout from his death means a guilty verdict hangs in the balance.
Desperate to stop the mobster walking free, Nora investigates the darker side of the city to find out how everything connects. The more she uncovers, the deeper the corruption runs. And Nora knows better than most that the truth is a fragile thing –especially in court.
🤩 Who is better than a former FBI director to pen a crime/legal thriller! This gritty debut was actually really good. The authors extensive experience of the judicial and legal system was evident throughout the novel. Well paced with a powerful narrative it expertly balanced two separate trials. Both with high stakes, lots of action and lots of courtroom drama.
The story contains plenty of authentic details and an array of colourful and scary characters that I could almost envision. This would actually make for a great TV adaptation. At times a little ‘wordy’, it was easy to forgive for the entertainment factor and twists kept me invested right up the exciting ending.
Many thanks to the wonderful team @bloomsbury for an advanced reading copy 💌
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton has spent years building a case against a powerful New York mobster. She finally has a star witness whose testimony will lock the defendant away for good.
But the courtroom is an unpredictable place. While the killing of a disgraced former governor appears unconnected to the trial, the fallout from his death means a guilty verdict hangs in the balance.
Desperate to stop the mobster walking free, Nora investigates the darker side of the city to find out how everything connects. The more she uncovers, the deeper the corruption runs. And Nora knows better than most that the truth is a fragile thing –especially in court.
🤩 Who is better than a former FBI director to pen a crime/legal thriller! This gritty debut was actually really good. The authors extensive experience of the judicial and legal system was evident throughout the novel. Well paced with a powerful narrative it expertly balanced two separate trials. Both with high stakes, lots of action and lots of courtroom drama.
The story contains plenty of authentic details and an array of colourful and scary characters that I could almost envision. This would actually make for a great TV adaptation. At times a little ‘wordy’, it was easy to forgive for the entertainment factor and twists kept me invested right up the exciting ending.
Many thanks to the wonderful team @bloomsbury for an advanced reading copy 💌
February 12, 2023
I was curious about Former FBI Director James Comey’s novel (Central Park West), and when I saw the blurb describing it as “…a masterful blend of legal thriller, police procedural and psychological drama,” I was REALLY intrigued because those are among my very favorite genres for escapist fiction.
A couple of things Comey knows VERY well are mobsters and politics. In this novel, the former governor, who had to resign in disgrace, is murdered. An extremely powerful mob boss has decided to tell the Feds everything, claiming the former governor's death was actually an assassination ordered by the mob. The mob boss sends a note to the Feds offering to tell them EVERYTHING. Then all kinds of fun things happen!
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is thrown into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy, corruption, and danger. Comey’s own experience as a mob prosecutor, then the chief federal prosecutor, make him well qualified to tell the story. The book has fascinating characters (some of which I am sure are thinly disguised people from Comey’s own career), a fast-paced plot including lots of juicy tales of corruption, and terrific legal storytelling.There are also a couple of unexpected twists, and an ending I didn’t see coming (not unusual for me). I liked this book A LOT. Four stars, almost five – and I look forward to Mr. Comey’s next novel. Many thanks to Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review.
A couple of things Comey knows VERY well are mobsters and politics. In this novel, the former governor, who had to resign in disgrace, is murdered. An extremely powerful mob boss has decided to tell the Feds everything, claiming the former governor's death was actually an assassination ordered by the mob. The mob boss sends a note to the Feds offering to tell them EVERYTHING. Then all kinds of fun things happen!
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is thrown into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy, corruption, and danger. Comey’s own experience as a mob prosecutor, then the chief federal prosecutor, make him well qualified to tell the story. The book has fascinating characters (some of which I am sure are thinly disguised people from Comey’s own career), a fast-paced plot including lots of juicy tales of corruption, and terrific legal storytelling.There are also a couple of unexpected twists, and an ending I didn’t see coming (not unusual for me). I liked this book A LOT. Four stars, almost five – and I look forward to Mr. Comey’s next novel. Many thanks to Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review.
don-t-count
February 12, 2025I usually suffer mild allergies toward this genre, but I had heard Great Things about it, so I thought I'd give it a try and pass it on to mom. Interestingly, I was right, it didn't work, but for reasons other than expected. Comey was trying--oh, was he trying--but the ghostwriter, if there was one, just could not spice up the writing who is used to writing reports. Here's the deal with Official Reports: you are supposed to be factual. You know the kind of reports I mean: ambulance reports, police calls, fire incidents, etc. I tried to teach ambulance volunteers how to write better reports by leaving out adjectives, avoiding assumptions, and including as many specific details as possible. That style of writing is opposite of what thriller and mystery writers do: they hint, imply character defaults, wrongly attribute motives, and generally invest themselves into making dark and stormy nights come alive.
This was a shockingly uninteresting book. I think I set it down after five or six chapters and never picked it up again. Alternating viewpoints (including someone who was killed off), dry-as-dust writing, and tropey sides (naive heroine; our team gets to keep the case because of a little infidelity blackmail) left me bored. Interestingly, mom never progressed very far in it either. Color us unimpressed.
This was a shockingly uninteresting book. I think I set it down after five or six chapters and never picked it up again. Alternating viewpoints (including someone who was killed off), dry-as-dust writing, and tropey sides (naive heroine; our team gets to keep the case because of a little infidelity blackmail) left me bored. Interestingly, mom never progressed very far in it either. Color us unimpressed.
October 14, 2023
I guess if you’ve been head of the FBI you’re going to write an incredibly authentic crime novel. I really enjoyed this and once I found time raced through it in a day. Political intrigue, money, power, crime, the law - it had it all. There were a couple of really charming characters - Benny, the long term FBI agent and Frenchie, the criminal associate of the NY mob who endeared himself to the jury and showed off his knowledge of the work of Marc Chagall. Although there were various crimes it was never gruesome or gratuitous. I appreciated that.
A funny twist was The Lucerne Hotel featured in the novel - the very hotel I stayed in on my 2014 trip to New York.
A funny twist was The Lucerne Hotel featured in the novel - the very hotel I stayed in on my 2014 trip to New York.
July 4, 2023
Мафиот издава кой е убил бивш губернатор: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/c...
Както си е редно, книгата започва с убийство – бивш губернатор е убит, а деянието е неуспешно прикрито като самоубийство. За престъплението е обвинена неговата бивша съпруга, срещу която са всички доказателства и свидетелски показания – и не твърде изненадващо, медиите я осъждат предварително с яростна кампания (тук се сетих за “Съучастници” на Стив Кавана), а властите охотно се готвят да я осъдят и да отметнат това дело като приключено. От най-неочаквано място обаче долита шанс за спасение – друг подсъдим, знаков мафиот, който не е покрил добре следите си и се оказва под неочаквана заплаха да бъде вкаран на топло, решава да се опита да облекчи положението си, като даде на властите информация за убийството на губернатора, която рязко противоречи на прокурорската версия. Въпреки всички предпазни мерки, това му действие, което нарушава законите на Коза Ностра, го обрича на смърт – и налага разследващите да започнат да сглобяват картината бавно парче по парче.
Издателство Обсидиан
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/c...
Както си е редно, книгата започва с убийство – бивш губернатор е убит, а деянието е неуспешно прикрито като самоубийство. За престъплението е обвинена неговата бивша съпруга, срещу която са всички доказателства и свидетелски показания – и не твърде изненадващо, медиите я осъждат предварително с яростна кампания (тук се сетих за “Съучастници” на Стив Кавана), а властите охотно се готвят да я осъдят и да отметнат това дело като приключено. От най-неочаквано място обаче долита шанс за спасение – друг подсъдим, знаков мафиот, който не е покрил добре следите си и се оказва под неочаквана заплаха да бъде вкаран на топло, решава да се опита да облекчи положението си, като даде на властите информация за убийството на губернатора, която рязко противоречи на прокурорската версия. Въпреки всички предпазни мерки, това му действие, което нарушава законите на Коза Ностра, го обрича на смърт – и налага разследващите да започнат да сглобяват картината бавно парче по парче.
Издателство Обсидиан
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/c...
January 18, 2023
Central Park West: A Crime Novel is the debut novel by James Comey. It's about a murder investigation that reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia.
This was just an okay read for me. The story had lots of exposition of explaining, which I felt was unnecessary and weighed down the action.
There were lots of suspects to keep track of. I did like Nora as the main character. But, by the time I got to the last third of the book, I really didn't care too much about how it was going to turn out. I did keep at it, though, and finished. The courtroom scenes are good, but it was just an okay legal thriller.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
#CentralParkWest #NetGalley @wwnorton
This was just an okay read for me. The story had lots of exposition of explaining, which I felt was unnecessary and weighed down the action.
There were lots of suspects to keep track of. I did like Nora as the main character. But, by the time I got to the last third of the book, I really didn't care too much about how it was going to turn out. I did keep at it, though, and finished. The courtroom scenes are good, but it was just an okay legal thriller.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
#CentralParkWest #NetGalley @wwnorton
July 13, 2023
Decent story and the writing and insights about prosecution were good.
But Comey needs work on his characters and dialogue. Some of the interactions were a bit cringey. This is the problem with celebrity authors - and Comey just about falls into that - in that they take short cuts to the top. He hasn't had to grind at fiction like pure writers before he gets a £20 hardback with big promotion behind it.
I liked Central Park West, but he's got a long way to go before he's Grisham or Connolly or Lehane, and I doubt he's committed enough to it to get there.
But Comey needs work on his characters and dialogue. Some of the interactions were a bit cringey. This is the problem with celebrity authors - and Comey just about falls into that - in that they take short cuts to the top. He hasn't had to grind at fiction like pure writers before he gets a £20 hardback with big promotion behind it.
I liked Central Park West, but he's got a long way to go before he's Grisham or Connolly or Lehane, and I doubt he's committed enough to it to get there.
July 14, 2023
I thought this was a very fast-paced, easily readable and unputdownable debut crime thriller from former FBI director James Comey.
Sorry about the italics, but the overuse of that word (along with "poignant", for instance) kind of drive me crazy. Yet at other times, I feel there aren't really many appropriate synonyms for them, so here we are. Now, before I get off track, let me just sum up what I think of the book as quickly as I can. I do have a tendency to go off on tangents, but I'm working on it!
The newly divorced Kyra Burke stands accused of murdering her ex-husband, former (disgraced) governor of New York, Tony Burke. A doorman who has known the Burkes for years has identified her as being there at his penthouse apartment (along with some damning CCTV footage of a woman who looks identical to her, wearing exact items of clothing she owns) during the exact time the murder would have taken place, and departing shortly before the body was found. Things are not looking good for Kyra.
Of course, there are a couple of twists - rather predictable twists, really, but still exciting and entertaining, nonetheless. I haven't read as much as I'd have liked to in the past couple weeks because I've been trying to concentrate on the LSAT, but I got through this one in about three sit-downs. So even if it wasn't phenomenal, obviously I highly enjoyed it.
I'm obviously not a writer (wish I was, but I know I can't compete with you lot) yet I do know that they tell new writers to "write what they know." Well, Comey certainly took that advice to heart. If anyone knows anything about working for the US District Attorney's office along with the SDNY and the FBI, as well as its most innerworkings, it's Comey. The main character was a female ADA prosecutor and given the mob's involvement with the case, the FBI is brought in for the federal charges. I enjoyed the little-known-facts that "Nora" (Comey) gave us about little-known FBI secrets. One of my favorite being that if you are high on their list of wanted criminals, they will quite literally make your life into a movie.
Meaning, let's say you're third on the FBI's most wanted list. You can enter a Miami restaurant and every person in that restaurant literally works for the FBI. It's apparently called a "ballet", with all of the professionals knowing their roles and wearing super tiny ear buds to stay on top of things or to communicate with the main director of the whole show. So if you're wanted by the law that badly, they will go out of their way to set up an entire restaurant where the other "patrons", "waiters", "chefs", etc. are ALL FBI agents. Even the couple fighting about a very realistic and mundane concern is FBI. Pretty crazy shit.
I also liked that he used female main characters and while they were pretty badass, it also didn't feel too forced. You know, like the whole "rah-rah-rah, women supporting women!" nonsense. I don't think women need to cheerlead for other women; we just don't need to actively encourage and support one another's downfalls. That's all. Compete against women like you would against men. That's true equality. I'm sure we have James's wife and several daughters (I believe he has at least 3 or 4, out of 5 kids!) to thank for nailing the female perspective.
The only complaints I had about the book were more attributable to the book's editors and not the author himself. Which is really unforgivable, given this wasn't some indie publishing group. I mean, you're only working for the former (and very recognizable and famous) director of the FBI. So yes, errors like calling the federal court Judge Whitney (who was very much a male) "she" from time to time, or the mistake of calling the Mob's go-to defense attorney, Sal Butler, Sal "Cutler" (and on the exact same page, only one paragraph or two away from one another, no less!) is really quite unforgiveable.
I'm kind of wondering how the editors and proofreaders could have missed this. Maybe he needs to go with a better publishing house next time? I don't know. It was a bit simple too, but I think overall he stuck to what he knew, and that worked for him. You don't really want to push too far out of your comfort zone on your debut novel.
Good for him for moving past the whole scandal nonsense and finding something else he could enjoy. I'll definitely be reading any future books he works on and I do recommend this one for fans of legal thrillers and the whole world of FBI agents, mob bosses, and federal prosecutors. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.
Sorry about the italics, but the overuse of that word (along with "poignant", for instance) kind of drive me crazy. Yet at other times, I feel there aren't really many appropriate synonyms for them, so here we are. Now, before I get off track, let me just sum up what I think of the book as quickly as I can. I do have a tendency to go off on tangents, but I'm working on it!
The newly divorced Kyra Burke stands accused of murdering her ex-husband, former (disgraced) governor of New York, Tony Burke. A doorman who has known the Burkes for years has identified her as being there at his penthouse apartment (along with some damning CCTV footage of a woman who looks identical to her, wearing exact items of clothing she owns) during the exact time the murder would have taken place, and departing shortly before the body was found. Things are not looking good for Kyra.
Of course, there are a couple of twists - rather predictable twists, really, but still exciting and entertaining, nonetheless. I haven't read as much as I'd have liked to in the past couple weeks because I've been trying to concentrate on the LSAT, but I got through this one in about three sit-downs. So even if it wasn't phenomenal, obviously I highly enjoyed it.
I'm obviously not a writer (wish I was, but I know I can't compete with you lot) yet I do know that they tell new writers to "write what they know." Well, Comey certainly took that advice to heart. If anyone knows anything about working for the US District Attorney's office along with the SDNY and the FBI, as well as its most innerworkings, it's Comey. The main character was a female ADA prosecutor and given the mob's involvement with the case, the FBI is brought in for the federal charges. I enjoyed the little-known-facts that "Nora" (Comey) gave us about little-known FBI secrets. One of my favorite being that if you are high on their list of wanted criminals, they will quite literally make your life into a movie.
Meaning, let's say you're third on the FBI's most wanted list. You can enter a Miami restaurant and every person in that restaurant literally works for the FBI. It's apparently called a "ballet", with all of the professionals knowing their roles and wearing super tiny ear buds to stay on top of things or to communicate with the main director of the whole show. So if you're wanted by the law that badly, they will go out of their way to set up an entire restaurant where the other "patrons", "waiters", "chefs", etc. are ALL FBI agents. Even the couple fighting about a very realistic and mundane concern is FBI. Pretty crazy shit.
I also liked that he used female main characters and while they were pretty badass, it also didn't feel too forced. You know, like the whole "rah-rah-rah, women supporting women!" nonsense. I don't think women need to cheerlead for other women; we just don't need to actively encourage and support one another's downfalls. That's all. Compete against women like you would against men. That's true equality. I'm sure we have James's wife and several daughters (I believe he has at least 3 or 4, out of 5 kids!) to thank for nailing the female perspective.
The only complaints I had about the book were more attributable to the book's editors and not the author himself. Which is really unforgivable, given this wasn't some indie publishing group. I mean, you're only working for the former (and very recognizable and famous) director of the FBI. So yes, errors like calling the federal court Judge Whitney (who was very much a male) "she" from time to time, or the mistake of calling the Mob's go-to defense attorney, Sal Butler, Sal "Cutler" (and on the exact same page, only one paragraph or two away from one another, no less!) is really quite unforgiveable.
I'm kind of wondering how the editors and proofreaders could have missed this. Maybe he needs to go with a better publishing house next time? I don't know. It was a bit simple too, but I think overall he stuck to what he knew, and that worked for him. You don't really want to push too far out of your comfort zone on your debut novel.
Good for him for moving past the whole scandal nonsense and finding something else he could enjoy. I'll definitely be reading any future books he works on and I do recommend this one for fans of legal thrillers and the whole world of FBI agents, mob bosses, and federal prosecutors. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.
February 24, 2025
O livro Central Park West é o primeiro romance de James Comey, um ex-agente do FBI, conhecido por ter servido como diretor da mesma instituição governamental desde 2013 até 2017. Como o autor teve uma vasta experiência na àrea de investigação, resolveu escrever o seu primeiro livro de ficção, mais especificamente um thriller jurídico, criando assim uma atmosfera mais natural e fidedigno possível, graças ao seu currículo.
O livro trata-se de uma investigação de assassinato revelando ligações perigosas entre políticos de alto escalão e a máfia. A narrativa é ambientada em Nova Iorque e tem como protagonista a personagem Nora, que se envolve profundamente na busca por justiça, enfrentando vários desafios enquanto desmantela uma rede de corrupção.
A obra mistura elementos de thriller legal e drama, explorando temas como poder, corrupção e a complexidade do sistema judicial. A história continha muita explicação desnecessária, o que prejudicou a ação, o desenvolvimento da história e obrigou me a tentar acompanhar um leque de suspeitos ao longo da narrativa.
Gostei da Nora como protagonista, mas quando cheguei à parte final do livro, já não me importava muito com o desfecho. A minha conclusão deste thriller foi bom, mas podia ter sido melhor, apesar das cenas de tribunal terem sido boas.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
O livro trata-se de uma investigação de assassinato revelando ligações perigosas entre políticos de alto escalão e a máfia. A narrativa é ambientada em Nova Iorque e tem como protagonista a personagem Nora, que se envolve profundamente na busca por justiça, enfrentando vários desafios enquanto desmantela uma rede de corrupção.
A obra mistura elementos de thriller legal e drama, explorando temas como poder, corrupção e a complexidade do sistema judicial. A história continha muita explicação desnecessária, o que prejudicou a ação, o desenvolvimento da história e obrigou me a tentar acompanhar um leque de suspeitos ao longo da narrativa.
Gostei da Nora como protagonista, mas quando cheguei à parte final do livro, já não me importava muito com o desfecho. A minha conclusão deste thriller foi bom, mas podia ter sido melhor, apesar das cenas de tribunal terem sido boas.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 15, 2024
Adoro ver séries policiais americanas, entender os jogos políticos e motivações por detrás de determinados crimes...
Este livro marca o início da série Nora Carleton e é tal e qual como um episódio (mega longo) de uma série policial de TV americana, algo do estilo F.B.I.
É estranho mas casos como o aqui retratado, eu prefiro ver do que ler 😅 sinto que teve demasiada descrição de tudo, foi demais...claro que entendo a relevância das coisas, mas honestamente cansou-me ler isto assim.
Não é um mau livro, a verdade é que é deveras inteligente e interessante, mas...não me fascinou nem cativou.
Este livro marca o início da série Nora Carleton e é tal e qual como um episódio (mega longo) de uma série policial de TV americana, algo do estilo F.B.I.
É estranho mas casos como o aqui retratado, eu prefiro ver do que ler 😅 sinto que teve demasiada descrição de tudo, foi demais...claro que entendo a relevância das coisas, mas honestamente cansou-me ler isto assim.
Não é um mau livro, a verdade é que é deveras inteligente e interessante, mas...não me fascinou nem cativou.
December 14, 2024
Никак не лошо съдебно криминале!Съдебни дела,Коза Ностра,наемен убиец,адвокати,прокурори,съдии и разследващи-има от всичко.Авторът е бил директор на ФБР и има знания от "кухнята".Можело е малко да съкрати обясненията и описанията,но предполагам,че ги е написал,за да може читателя по-добре да разбере съдебната система на САЩ,а и за да придобие представа за местата,където се развива действието на историята.Има какво още да се желае,но определено ще продължа с втората книга.
June 5, 2023
I was very impressed with Mr. Comey's memoir, A Higher Loyalty. He proved himself to be a fine storyteller, with a life that had given him plenty of fodder for stories. Therefore, I find the assertion he's been making all over cable television fairly believable. In short, he was approached by an editor saying, " Give fiction a try." Name recognition and curiosity alone will sell enough books to recoup investment.
Alas, Mr. Comey's gift for memoir doesn't carry over to his debut thriller. His characters are overly broad and almost cartoonish. There were a few revelations in the plot, but they weren't all that thrilling. Other revelations were telegraphed.
Don't get me wrong, I've read far worse debut novels. But if I'm being completely honest, the thing I liked best about Central Park West were the details. The telling little details that indicated just how well Mr. Comey knows this world. He seems to be quite sincere about making thriller writer his new career. This novel won't guarantee his success, but I'd probably be willing to read a second effort.
Alas, Mr. Comey's gift for memoir doesn't carry over to his debut thriller. His characters are overly broad and almost cartoonish. There were a few revelations in the plot, but they weren't all that thrilling. Other revelations were telegraphed.
Don't get me wrong, I've read far worse debut novels. But if I'm being completely honest, the thing I liked best about Central Park West were the details. The telling little details that indicated just how well Mr. Comey knows this world. He seems to be quite sincere about making thriller writer his new career. This novel won't guarantee his success, but I'd probably be willing to read a second effort.
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