Special Victim

by Tom Coffey

Sheila Devine is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker from a troubled background who yearns to win an Oscar. When she receives what could be the offer of a lifetime – unlimited access to do a movie about four young men who claim they were wrongly convicted in the brutal attack of a female runner in New York City – she also knows there's one gigantic the prosecutor in the case was her brother, Michael, who is now the Manhattan district attorney. But the convicted men are represented by Rolando Ortega, the best lawyer in the city, and she takes the job because she fears that any other filmmaker will turn the project into a hatchet job.

When she digs into the case, Sheila uncovers angles and developments that turn its circumstances even murkier. The attack left the victim with permanent damage, but the woman has carved a life for herself, and the new uproar threatens to upend everything she's achieved. Meanwhile, Michael's role as the lead prosecutor becomes the overriding issue in his campaign to win a full term as district attorney. With the election drawing near, and the list of suspects growing longer, Sheila races against time to secure a measure of justice.

SPECIAL VICTIM is the explosive sequel to Tom Coffey's widely praised PUBLIC MORALS, which examined the dynamics of a family that was shattered by a police corruption scandal. In SPECIAL VICTIM, which is loosely based on the Central Park Jogger case, Coffey dives even deeper into questions of love, truth and loyalty, and of how the past is always present in our lives.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Tom Coffey grew up on Staten Island, where he attended Catholic schools. His first novel, THE SERPENT CLUB, was published in 1999 by Pocket Books. His second novel, MIAMI TWILIGHT, came out two years later. In 2008 Toby Press printed BLOOD ALLEY, which also earned a starred review from PW. In 2015 the independent Oak Tree Press published BRIGHT MORNING STAR.

Tom graduated from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and attended film school at the University of Southern California. After a long career in journalism that included stints at The Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and New York Newsday, Tom recently retired from The New York Times. He lives in Lower Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable!

Special Victim is a heavily plot-driven mystery that is based on the Central Park Five Jogger case from 1989. Coffey does a good job in maintaining reader attention in the plot from beginning to end, making it a decent page-pager. However, despite finding it to be quite readable, Special Victim is not a book I’d recommend you put at the top of your “must read”list. My two reasons for feeling this way are that: (1) I found Coffey’s character development skills to be just serviceable at best, in that I really never got a strong sense of what the characters physically looked like or their motivations for their thoughts and actions, and (2) I found the so-called surprise ending to be predictable well before approaching the book’s ending.

#Special Victim #Net Galley

[TheLisaD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Special Victim by Tom Coffey

Tom Coffey’s Special Victim tackles a deeply sensitive and challenging topic: sexual assault. The author approaches the subject with care and respect, weaving a gripping narrative that is as emotionally charged as it is thought-provoking. The story is undeniably intense, yet Coffey’s measured writing ensures that the gravity of the subject matter is never overshadowed by sensationalism.

One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its ability to pull the reader in, much like an episode of Law & Order: SVU. The pacing is sharp, the dialogue crisp, and the characters—particularly the investigators and victims—are rendered with emotional depth and nuance. Coffey’s attention to detail in portraying the complexities of the legal and emotional aftermath of assault is commendable. Readers will feel the raw tension and high stakes in every chapter, making the book nearly impossible to put down.

Though the subject matter can be difficult to process, Special Victim succeeds in striking a balance between being unflinchingly honest and empathetically restrained. Coffey offers a narrative that not only entertains but also sheds light on the resilience of survivors and the dedication of those who fight for justice.

In summary, Special Victim is a compelling, powerful, and respectful portrayal of a difficult subject. It’s a book that stays with you, making it a must-read for fans of gripping crime dramas and socially conscious storytelling.

[Bonnie Kernene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read anything from this author previous to this book so I was sure what to expect. But now I do. He is an excellent writer. The book was very well written, with well developed characters and a storyline that really keeps you involved. You think it is going to go one way, but then it turns another. It is dark, but yet, respectful to the victim. It deals with sexual assault and the author does a great job in dealing with it all around, including the legal aspects. I found that very respectful and the way I hope it is actually handled in most places. One thing to note is that this book does deal with sexual assault and racism. But it is a very good book and I do recommend it.

[Samantha Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written Story with a Law and Order type Vibe.
Exposing the battles of cases related to schedule assaults.

Trigger Warnings of SA, Racism

Tom Coffey shows how a DA office was easy to jump to a conviction without fully
reviewing a case.
This story brings you through the streets showing real life struggles and how people
accepted answers to make things easier.
He brings the challenges of being colored, female in the film industry, and challenges of overcoming a major trauma in ones life.
Great Story line with explicit details to complete the story.

Would Recommend.

[Bryana Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might be my love for true crime, or the fact that I grew up a policeman’s daughter, but regardless I loved this book! It had me drawn in from the first moment. Tom wrote a really compelling storyline. It felt as though I was following a real life case.
At one point, I did figure out who the guilty party was, but it was still such a captivating read up until the end.

The book topics can be triggering for some as it deals with violence and sexual assault, but Tom handled the details with care.
This is one of those stories that will stay with me, like the true crime podcasts I listen to.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Devine is a documentary film maker. Her brother is a former prosecutor currently running for DA in New York City. When Sheila is asked by another attorney if she wants to make a film about the case of four men who claim they were wrongly convicted in the case of a woman who was brutally attacked in a park, she knows it's an opportunity of a lifetime. However, she also knows that it's the case her brother prosecuted that jump started his career. And potentially uncovering now that the wrong men were convicted, could ruin her brother's campaign for DA.

This story is loosely based on the Central Park Jogger case that actually occurred. I found the book to be well written and the story to be very intriguing. It was one that kept you guessing through most of the book (although I started figuring things out about 75% of the way in). If you like mysteries and thrillers, this is one worth picking up.


I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Glenna Turney · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as this book was, it is just too close to writing about The Central Park Five case.
The park in New York was different and four wrongly accused.
Excellent twist at the end. Have to give credit for that.
If can get past the similarities, it is a decent read.

*I won this Kindle book from Goodreads. Thank You!

[Samantha Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book although it became predictable. It reminded me of movies I’ve watched in the past about wrongly convicted. I did enjoy the back and forth chapters of the convicted sharing what happened and then flashing forward to current time to put together the storyline.

The story starts with lawyer Ortega asking Sheila to make a documentary with unlimited access to his case which he shares with her his clients were wrongly accused. The only issue is the prosecutor on the case at that time was her brother who is now running to be the DA. She ultimately decides to film the documentary and through her interviews of the four wrongly accused and other evidence that arises her and her brother ultimately figure of the truth and pressures the cops put on the wrongly accused.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.