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Final Seconds
For eighteen years, Will Harper, the NYPD Bomb Squad's number one man, lived by the motto, Assume the worst and you'll be ready for it." Luckily, most bomb threats turned out to be false alarms.....until nthe law of averages finally caught up with him, causing his young partner, Jimmy Fahey, to lose his nerve, and Harper to lose three fingers and his career.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1998
39 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
John Lutz
234 books300 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 20, 2013
I have to say, as popular as John Lutz is, I found this book not be full of "suspense", "twists" and "turns" like a number of professional reviews said, and it most certainly didn't make me "shiver". The plot was pretty clear early on and didn't vary much. Some of the story line was somewhat unbelievable, like a respected national media crush (the protagonist) getting thrown out FBI HQ on the day they were giving him an award for disagreeing with an agent (into the alley, no less, when he had been brought there by limo) and that agent then leaving a nasty message at the hotel saying they were no longer paying for his one night stay there. I won't be doing any additional spoiler alerts, but those little things that delay the suspension of reality when you're engrossed in a book tend to take the wind out of the sails. In fact, many of them seemed orchestrated just to make the book longer, and since this is the second addition were maybe added without consideration of the original context and just dropped in. Three or four chapters in the final third seem to echo this same lack of reader intellect and common sense, repeating concepts about the characters already introduced early in the book. The protagonist asks himself the same questions with the same answers so frequently in those chapters that you wonder if you fell asleep and woke up with your finger stuck in the wrong page. I rated the book three stars because overall I did enjoy it. I felt it did a reasonable job introducing people to the plight and experience of being a bomb expert, and it had a number of well defined characters and relationships between them. Just don't expect to be unable to close it and go to sleep like with some other "suspense" writers.
October 11, 2012
Final Seconds is the first book that I have read by Lutz, and I found it to be a great read. Going into the book, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but Lutz delivers an action packed, thrilling, suspenseful read that keeps the reader on their toes. The book begins with Harper getting injured on the job and having to retire from the bomb squad. Things change however when his former partner is the victim of bombing. Harper and an old friend from the FBI are the only two people that see a pattern between this bomb and a past bombing. When they go to the FBI, they are turned away forced to investigate on their own. Lutz does a great job with the development of the Harper character as he struggles to solve this mystery, consider his wife's fears over his investigation, play cat and mouse with a serial bomber, and deal with the red tape of not being an official law enforcement officer. Overall this was a great read that I would definitely recommend.
December 31, 2019
Daughter picked this book up for me at a thrift shop in Pittsburgh for a dollar because she knows how much I love second hand books. Not something I thought I’d normally read, but I enjoyed it so much that I read it within 24 hours.
December 28, 2010
This was an interesting book but it seemed to lack the excitement of the content--a serial bomber with an agenda. He, of course, was a flawed personality, with a great amount of expertise in fashioning bombs. There are two men determined terformanceo find and stop him--Addleman, a former FBI employee, and Harper, a former bomb expert, retired after he lost part of his right hand in a bomb mishap. They encounter resistence to their advice and help. Can they stop him before his last spectacular performance? What do you think?
September 12, 2018
As many of you who read my posts may know, I don’t really read much fiction. I prefer non-fiction greatly over fiction. But after I listened to “A Confederacy of Dunces” for a second time this year, I scoured audible and audiobooks.com for audiobooks by probably my most favorite narrator in the audiobook world: Barrett Whitener. If you’ve never heard of him, go look him up and pick up one of his books. They are amazing. That’s what led me to Final Seconds. I thought the premise of the book looked intriguing and I am already low on fiction novels this year so I thought I could knock out a quick one in between what I’m reading now.
Note: this review contains a few spoilers, but nothing that will spoil the ending.
Final Seconds is focused on a former NYPD bomb squad agent (is that what they are called?), Will Harper. At the beginning of the book, Harper and partner Fahey find a bomb at a high school and Harper has his right hand blown off. Spending time in retirement, Harper visits Fahey who is working for a Tom Clancy-like author in Florida. Upon Harper’s departure, a bomb kills Fahey and the author. This project’s Harper onto an investigation. His old NYPD buddies refuse to help him, the FBI closes the case, and no one will take the threat seriously except one disgraced FBI agent living in Philadelphia. Harper and Addleman begin working on the case to discover that resolved bombing cases in the past seem to be connected. And the chase is on. The book is full of twists and turns as the plot thickens. There is a countdown to May 15th when the bomber will kill a massive amount of people in his sick game, and Harper and Addleman have to work quickly before more lives are killed by the man who becomes known as the “celebrity bomber.”
I really enjoyed this book, as it gave me a chance to recover from some of the heavier literature I’ve been reading. Here are some themes I found throughout this book:
More than anything, I think one of the major themes from this book is the idea to do what is right even when it is unpopular. Harper and Addleman run into roadblock after roadblock as the FBI refuses to help them. Knowing that this is the right thing to do, Harper and Addleman continue to pursue a course of action that will save lives. There are some unfortunate points along the way, but their spirit never diminishes. They continue on doing the right thing not because it’s popular, but simply because they have the tools and knowledge that will allow them to bring justice upon a deranged man.
I think there is also a pervasive theme of the incompetence of bureaucracy. Addleman has connections in the FBI and he and Harper try to bring their case to them and yet, it gets blundered time and time again. Their refusal to help them makes things more difficult. In addition, their obstinance in proving Harper wrong puts more lives at danger. It seems like the main reasons why people refuse to help them is because it will hurt future promotions. I unfortunately know about this all too well, working for the Federal Government. Sometimes an easy solution is bogged down by a process or a signature that prevents things from getting done. It’s a difficult situation and yet, both men are able to overcome some of the incompetency.
As I explained, Harper was a former member of the NYPD bomb squad. Everyday he carries around a memorial to the service to that unit in the form of his disfigured hand. I think there is something to be said about members of the police force, firefighters, members of the armed services, and others who sacrifice so much by placing themselves in the line of danger. There is an appreciation for these people that sometimes we don’t always recognize because it is so much unnatural from our every day way of life. Even after Harper is off the squad, he demonstrates his willingness to perhaps sacrifice his life to bring the celebrity bomber to justice. This is a virtue that can be appreciated and emulated.
If you like a fast paced novel with lots of twists and turns, I’d recommend this thriller.
Note: this review contains a few spoilers, but nothing that will spoil the ending.
Final Seconds is focused on a former NYPD bomb squad agent (is that what they are called?), Will Harper. At the beginning of the book, Harper and partner Fahey find a bomb at a high school and Harper has his right hand blown off. Spending time in retirement, Harper visits Fahey who is working for a Tom Clancy-like author in Florida. Upon Harper’s departure, a bomb kills Fahey and the author. This project’s Harper onto an investigation. His old NYPD buddies refuse to help him, the FBI closes the case, and no one will take the threat seriously except one disgraced FBI agent living in Philadelphia. Harper and Addleman begin working on the case to discover that resolved bombing cases in the past seem to be connected. And the chase is on. The book is full of twists and turns as the plot thickens. There is a countdown to May 15th when the bomber will kill a massive amount of people in his sick game, and Harper and Addleman have to work quickly before more lives are killed by the man who becomes known as the “celebrity bomber.”
I really enjoyed this book, as it gave me a chance to recover from some of the heavier literature I’ve been reading. Here are some themes I found throughout this book:
More than anything, I think one of the major themes from this book is the idea to do what is right even when it is unpopular. Harper and Addleman run into roadblock after roadblock as the FBI refuses to help them. Knowing that this is the right thing to do, Harper and Addleman continue to pursue a course of action that will save lives. There are some unfortunate points along the way, but their spirit never diminishes. They continue on doing the right thing not because it’s popular, but simply because they have the tools and knowledge that will allow them to bring justice upon a deranged man.
I think there is also a pervasive theme of the incompetence of bureaucracy. Addleman has connections in the FBI and he and Harper try to bring their case to them and yet, it gets blundered time and time again. Their refusal to help them makes things more difficult. In addition, their obstinance in proving Harper wrong puts more lives at danger. It seems like the main reasons why people refuse to help them is because it will hurt future promotions. I unfortunately know about this all too well, working for the Federal Government. Sometimes an easy solution is bogged down by a process or a signature that prevents things from getting done. It’s a difficult situation and yet, both men are able to overcome some of the incompetency.
As I explained, Harper was a former member of the NYPD bomb squad. Everyday he carries around a memorial to the service to that unit in the form of his disfigured hand. I think there is something to be said about members of the police force, firefighters, members of the armed services, and others who sacrifice so much by placing themselves in the line of danger. There is an appreciation for these people that sometimes we don’t always recognize because it is so much unnatural from our every day way of life. Even after Harper is off the squad, he demonstrates his willingness to perhaps sacrifice his life to bring the celebrity bomber to justice. This is a virtue that can be appreciated and emulated.
If you like a fast paced novel with lots of twists and turns, I’d recommend this thriller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2023
Will Harper understands firsthand the damage a bomb can do. When he worked on the bomb squad as a cop, an explosive device went off before he could disarm it, and it destroyed part of his right hand. That led to retirement.
His wife, Laura, continues to work as a night nurse at a local hospital. Theres is a solid marriage worth protecting. You’d think Harper wouldn’t be interested in bombs and explosions, but when he visits an old friend in Florida, a friend who dies that same day in an explosion while working a security detail for a famous writer, Harper begins to wonder about the motive for the bombing.
Harold Adleman used to work for the FBI as a profiler before the booze and his self-destructive life combined to show him the exit. When he learned of Harper’s friend’s death, he, too, wondered about the motivation of the bomber.
As the two of them dig into the past, they realize the bomber seeks to murder famous people, and that he has killed numerous times before. If you read this, you’ll learn why. As you learn more about the serial bomber, you’ll continually be surprised by the plot. I didn’t find anything in here that gave things away far too early. The climax is sweaty-palms memorable, and you’ll love the ending to which the title alludes.
His wife, Laura, continues to work as a night nurse at a local hospital. Theres is a solid marriage worth protecting. You’d think Harper wouldn’t be interested in bombs and explosions, but when he visits an old friend in Florida, a friend who dies that same day in an explosion while working a security detail for a famous writer, Harper begins to wonder about the motive for the bombing.
Harold Adleman used to work for the FBI as a profiler before the booze and his self-destructive life combined to show him the exit. When he learned of Harper’s friend’s death, he, too, wondered about the motivation of the bomber.
As the two of them dig into the past, they realize the bomber seeks to murder famous people, and that he has killed numerous times before. If you read this, you’ll learn why. As you learn more about the serial bomber, you’ll continually be surprised by the plot. I didn’t find anything in here that gave things away far too early. The climax is sweaty-palms memorable, and you’ll love the ending to which the title alludes.
August 1, 2019
3 1/4 stars
I liked the protagonist Will Harper but the story progressed slowly.
That being said, I did this on audio and the narrator did a great job. The suspense kicks in towards the middle
In the middle, something happens & I was on the edge of my seat for a bit.
it did move quickly that way. In fact, I was almost done listening to most of it at the end of my workday.
I liked the protagonist Will Harper but the story progressed slowly.
That being said, I did this on audio and the narrator did a great job. The suspense kicks in towards the middle
In the middle, something happens & I was on the edge of my seat for a bit.
it did move quickly that way. In fact, I was almost done listening to most of it at the end of my workday.
July 5, 2022
Audiobook/Crime Thriller/Will Harper is on New York Police Department's bomb squad. He injures his right hand on a bomb which detonates prematurely. Will's career is in tatters when he has to retire.
August 24, 2022
The final seconds, the moments before a bomb goes off and the absolute calm as one who disassembles the devices counts down. Pretty steady tension. Didn't realize Lutz was so prolific until seeing his line up here.
July 26, 2018
Ok.not as good as most of his books.
Ok not as good as his earlier work, I've read all of them.This was a disappointment to me.thought earlier books were more exciting
Ok not as good as his earlier work, I've read all of them.This was a disappointment to me.thought earlier books were more exciting
September 8, 2019
Not a lot of depth and the evil character was too weak and way too predictable, even to the other characters.
October 16, 2020
Great charaters, great plot with a twist
January 24, 2021
Interesting plot and well assembled.
May 13, 2017
Want to read a good thriller were the characters are believable then you need to read this book.
I don't know who I found more interesting the protagonist or the antagonist I have never felt this way about the villain before.
I don't know who I found more interesting the protagonist or the antagonist I have never felt this way about the villain before.
December 18, 2008
This was very different than the "Night" series, but just as enjoyable. It took me longer to read as I have been working like crazy, not because I found the book hard to read. I like the blend of John Lutz and David August. I found the Bomb Squad to be really likeable, and the mix of the ex-FBI guy and the ex-Bomb Squad guy to be perfect. I heard there was a second book and if that is true I'll have to try and hunt this down.
This book was re-released and was originally written in the 80s. It has been updated and I feel there is nothing missing when it was refabbed. This book was cheap and new and I would recommend it for any Lutz lover.
This book was re-released and was originally written in the 80s. It has been updated and I feel there is nothing missing when it was refabbed. This book was cheap and new and I would recommend it for any Lutz lover.
October 31, 2012
Fast-paced thriller about a former NY bomb squad cop, Harper, and a former FBI profiler, Alderman, going after the "Celebrity Bomber" who has been killing celebrities by a series of more and more sophisticated bombs over the last several years. When Harper and Alderman approach the FBI about the bomber, they are disbelieved until the next victim is killed. Then it is Harper and Alderman working pretty much on their own to try to save the final target. I would give this one a high recommendation for anyone who likes fast-paced crime novels. I'll be reading more of Lutz!
December 25, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. A down and out FBI agent and a maimed ex-NYPD bomb specialist team up together to unravel the mystery of what appears to be a serial bomber's plot. The book was well written, although there are numerous typographical errors in the Kindle edition during the transition from paper to electronic reader. This novel was co-authored by David August and John Lutz and is quite different from the previous Lutz novels that I'm familiar with. Recommended reading.
January 8, 2016
The premise was a little shaky -- ex-bomb squad Harper whose had most of one hand blown off by a bomb, Addleman, who's weird and out of a job (how does he survive again?), and a very smart bomber who eludes them - and everyone - throughout the book. Only Harper's wife seems normal - refreshing!
NOBODY will listen to Harper or Addleman, despite hard evidence. The "Celebrities" are nobody I every heard of. BUT. The book moves along very cleverly, things just squeak by the people in charge despite the signs, and Harper and Addleman emerge in the last pages as heros. Yaaaah!
NOBODY will listen to Harper or Addleman, despite hard evidence. The "Celebrities" are nobody I every heard of. BUT. The book moves along very cleverly, things just squeak by the people in charge despite the signs, and Harper and Addleman emerge in the last pages as heros. Yaaaah!
February 25, 2016
I ran out of books on my most recent vacation, and found this one on the bookshelf of free books at the hotel. It isn't a typical book that I would read, but I'm glad I picked it up. I found the story really good, the characters very interesting, and the plot was intriguing.
At one point I wondered how the author was going to keep the story moving for another 100 pages or so, I was not disappointed with how it worked out, or how it ended. I sort of saw the end coming, but regardless, it was a good ending. Overall, I would suggest it.
At one point I wondered how the author was going to keep the story moving for another 100 pages or so, I was not disappointed with how it worked out, or how it ended. I sort of saw the end coming, but regardless, it was a good ending. Overall, I would suggest it.
January 23, 2011
It's the usual bomb scare story, but this time, the people who uncovered the terrorist/bomber are people who were both ex's - ex-FBI and ex-bomb expert. How they got through, or rather behind the authorities in solving the case takes a big part of the story. I like the factoring in of the ex-bomb expert's wife - it makes him seem more real, more human. I'll definitely check out John Lutz's other books, but just like this one, I'll read the reviews first.
April 25, 2013
This book is about a former NYPD hero who became disgraced after a job gone wrong. Now he’s been pulled back into the game (vomit) by a serial killer that the FBI is denying exists. dun dun duuuuunnnnn. Anyway, this book was eh. Hope that was helpful!
FINAL REVIEW
If you like long books about bombs and retired cops, then this is for you. If you dont like long books about bombs and retired cops, then it isnt. There you go!
FINAL REVIEW
If you like long books about bombs and retired cops, then this is for you. If you dont like long books about bombs and retired cops, then it isnt. There you go!
December 8, 2009
I liked this book alot, but I was listening to the Audio version...It was fabulous! The only thing that was bad was every now and again you would hear all sound stop and then it would start again and the vioce would change...same guy, just louder, or more garbled...that type of thing. It really took away from the experience. The book itself was awesome!
July 4, 2012
I read this a few years back.
The book was different than some of the chick lit mysteries I was used to reading and so by comparison I think I really got into it more. The book is written by a man and from a male perspective - neither of which I typically read - so that was also a nice change of pace.
The book was different than some of the chick lit mysteries I was used to reading and so by comparison I think I really got into it more. The book is written by a man and from a male perspective - neither of which I typically read - so that was also a nice change of pace.
October 4, 2010
Will Harper, a member of the NYPD bomb squad who is injured when a bomb goes off, is pulled into an investigation that involves bombings targeted at celebrities. Likable, sensible characters. Good plot that keeps the reader on edge. Things go boom! What more could you want?
Read
August 5, 2011Great book for men and women----a page turner for sure---the paperback has small print and some typos but the educated person can figure it out---has motivated me to see the movie The Hurt Locker.....
February 22, 2012
This was a fine detective novel, but nothing spectacular. The clues were a little too obvious, and yet the final part of the mystery a little too far-fetched. The character development was OK, but a bit too stereotypical and flat.
March 25, 2014
This was my first Lutz book and I loved it. Great detective stuff, very clever villain, great bureaucracy bumbling to get in the way of resolution.
In my opinion, Lutz is hands down the equal of baldacci and I am glad to have discovered him.
In my opinion, Lutz is hands down the equal of baldacci and I am glad to have discovered him.
September 4, 2008
A good listen (on CD), entertaining action story.
October 22, 2008
this is second in a series featuring former NYD explosives expert. in this one, lutz shares author credit with david august. promising beginning to maybe a new series.
April 14, 2010
Another new author and of course, I see I read the second in the series. It took me a little longer than usual to 'get into' the book but once I did I didn't want to put it down!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews