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Love the Stranger
Ted Molloy, a Queens attorney with a troublesome penchant for noble causes, investigates the murder of a corrupt immigration lawyer in the sharply observed follow-up to the 2022 Nero Award winner Tower of Babel. Ted Molloy has hit his stride with a foreclosure investment scheme that brings him into contact with a cast of shady characters across New York’s most diverse borough, from Hollis to Howard Beach. On the side, he helps his activist girlfriend, Kenzie, with her work to halt construction on “the Spike”—a corporate-backed development project in Corona that would displace the largely immigrant communities surrounding it. Stop the Spike is heating Kenzie spends most of her waking hours fending off smear campaigns and touring community spaces in Queens to spread the word, which she can do thanks to Mohammed, Ted and Kenzie’s close friend, a recent Yemeni immigrant and most expedient cab driver. But when Kenzie learns that Mohammed’s immigration lawyer may be taking advantage of him financially, she decides to snoop around at the law offices—and comes face to face with a dead body and a shadowy figure, fleeing the scene. Now Kenzie is the sole witness to a potential murder. Can Ted and his team get to the bottom of the murder so they can stop the Spike once and for all? Explore every shady corner of Queens in this keen mystery, the second installment of award-winning author Michael Sears’s critically acclaimed series.
352 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 17, 2024
Love the Stranger is a "mystery with a cause" (or two) if you know what I mean.
Kenzie is running a campaign to prevent the building of a luxury high-rise in Queens, which will unavoidably begin the gentrification of the diverse, working class neighbor. She moves between two communities: Queens, her own neighborhood, and among wealthy New Yorkers in other parts of the city whose funding and support the campaign needs. Her partner and apartment mate, Ted is a former corporate attorney, who occasionally takes on lost (and dangers) causes pro-bono, while he keeps the books balanced by buying up foreclosed properties. Mohammed, an undocumented immigrant who often drives for them is concerned that the immigration lawyer, to whom he's making regular payments in cash, isn't really doing much on his—and his stepson's—cases.
Kenzie has convinced Ted they should check out this lawyer, but then he's found dead—by Kenzie—and the cops are trying to pin the murder on her. She's also the subject of a powerful online slander campaign, and Ted is getting close to inadvertently ticking off a very dangerous man. So, New York housing, building, and gentrification; shenanigans among the community that lives off foreclosures and other activities, like loan sharking; the continually shifting maze of immigration law and those who live in fear of deportation; and increasingly complex cyber attacks that suggest someone knows more than they should about Kenzie and Ted.
Michael Sears juggles these different subplots quite effectively, keeping Kenzie and Ted—and the reader—on their toes. If you like a good mystery that also gives you issues to ponder, you'll love Love the Stranger.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
Kenzie is running a campaign to prevent the building of a luxury high-rise in Queens, which will unavoidably begin the gentrification of the diverse, working class neighbor. She moves between two communities: Queens, her own neighborhood, and among wealthy New Yorkers in other parts of the city whose funding and support the campaign needs. Her partner and apartment mate, Ted is a former corporate attorney, who occasionally takes on lost (and dangers) causes pro-bono, while he keeps the books balanced by buying up foreclosed properties. Mohammed, an undocumented immigrant who often drives for them is concerned that the immigration lawyer, to whom he's making regular payments in cash, isn't really doing much on his—and his stepson's—cases.
Kenzie has convinced Ted they should check out this lawyer, but then he's found dead—by Kenzie—and the cops are trying to pin the murder on her. She's also the subject of a powerful online slander campaign, and Ted is getting close to inadvertently ticking off a very dangerous man. So, New York housing, building, and gentrification; shenanigans among the community that lives off foreclosures and other activities, like loan sharking; the continually shifting maze of immigration law and those who live in fear of deportation; and increasingly complex cyber attacks that suggest someone knows more than they should about Kenzie and Ted.
Michael Sears juggles these different subplots quite effectively, keeping Kenzie and Ted—and the reader—on their toes. If you like a good mystery that also gives you issues to ponder, you'll love Love the Stranger.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
December 14, 2024
There is a famous old adage that warns you not to judge a book by its’ cover. However, it was the cover of LOVE THE STRANGER from Michael Sears that initially grabbed me. The primary reason is that is depicts the famous Number 7 subway train and indicates that the novel is a Queens mystery.
I grew up and spent the formative years of my life in Flushing, Queens --- the starting point of the Number 7 subway which traverses Queens County on the way to Manhattan. The protagonist of the novel, attorney Ted Molloy, comments on the first page about how Queens, the most diverse county in the USA as well as the most diverse urban space on the planet, was not a melting pot but rather a kaleidoscope of colors, classes, and ethnicities. This description along with the enticing cover had me sold and I was firmly on board for the ride with Ted Molloy and his colleagues.
Before Michael Sears became an award-winning author he had a career in high finance, working for twenty years on Wall Street. He also has a knowledge and love of the streets of NYC and, in this case, the unique borough of Queens. The borough sings like another character in this story that is packed with plot-lines involving both murder and corporate corruption. Ted Molloy uses his free time to assist his activist girlfriend Kenzie in her various projects.
Currently, Kenzie is mounting constant protests against a mega-tower called ‘the Spike’ being planned for construction in the middle of Queens. This building will not only be a public eyesore and ruin the vibe that makes Queens the melting pot that it is but it is also being built by an organization that has a reputation for their levels of greed. Additionally, Kenzie and Ted fully support the many immigrant residents that they have assisted and befriended in their work. One of them is recent Yemeni resident Mohammed who has become their personal chauffer and also someone they consider a friend. When they learn that Mohammed has been getting dealt dirty by a local immigration attorney who has been milking exorbitant amounts of cash from him without so much as a receipt, they jump to his aid.
Unfortunately, Kenzie’s attempt to confront the shady lawyer named Spitzer on behalf of Mohammed does not go well. Once she talks her way into his office she finds Spitzer dead and his apparent killer fleeing from the space. Ted and his partner Lester now find themselves knee-deep in this struggle to not only identify and bring down a dirty immigration lawyer but also need to keep Kenzie out of jail. The NYPD Detectives on the case are instantly suspicious of Kenzie and, while they eventually recognize that she was not the murderer of Spitzer, believe she is hiding something about the alleged suspect she witnessed fleeing the crime. When their case turns its eyes on the teenaged son of one of their immigrant families they may not have enough firepower to keep that innocent team safe from both the NYPD and ICE.
Of course, this murder plot line finds a way to play into the situation with the Spire and that will cause a true snowball effect that threatens to take down Ted, Kenzie, and all those individuals the hold dear. LOVE THE STRANGER is constantly engaging and it was so cathartic to find myself back on the streets of Queens, NY, from a literary standpoint. Theres is so much to enjoy here and I look forward to my next excursion to Queens with Michael Sears and his enjoyable creations.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
I grew up and spent the formative years of my life in Flushing, Queens --- the starting point of the Number 7 subway which traverses Queens County on the way to Manhattan. The protagonist of the novel, attorney Ted Molloy, comments on the first page about how Queens, the most diverse county in the USA as well as the most diverse urban space on the planet, was not a melting pot but rather a kaleidoscope of colors, classes, and ethnicities. This description along with the enticing cover had me sold and I was firmly on board for the ride with Ted Molloy and his colleagues.
Before Michael Sears became an award-winning author he had a career in high finance, working for twenty years on Wall Street. He also has a knowledge and love of the streets of NYC and, in this case, the unique borough of Queens. The borough sings like another character in this story that is packed with plot-lines involving both murder and corporate corruption. Ted Molloy uses his free time to assist his activist girlfriend Kenzie in her various projects.
Currently, Kenzie is mounting constant protests against a mega-tower called ‘the Spike’ being planned for construction in the middle of Queens. This building will not only be a public eyesore and ruin the vibe that makes Queens the melting pot that it is but it is also being built by an organization that has a reputation for their levels of greed. Additionally, Kenzie and Ted fully support the many immigrant residents that they have assisted and befriended in their work. One of them is recent Yemeni resident Mohammed who has become their personal chauffer and also someone they consider a friend. When they learn that Mohammed has been getting dealt dirty by a local immigration attorney who has been milking exorbitant amounts of cash from him without so much as a receipt, they jump to his aid.
Unfortunately, Kenzie’s attempt to confront the shady lawyer named Spitzer on behalf of Mohammed does not go well. Once she talks her way into his office she finds Spitzer dead and his apparent killer fleeing from the space. Ted and his partner Lester now find themselves knee-deep in this struggle to not only identify and bring down a dirty immigration lawyer but also need to keep Kenzie out of jail. The NYPD Detectives on the case are instantly suspicious of Kenzie and, while they eventually recognize that she was not the murderer of Spitzer, believe she is hiding something about the alleged suspect she witnessed fleeing the crime. When their case turns its eyes on the teenaged son of one of their immigrant families they may not have enough firepower to keep that innocent team safe from both the NYPD and ICE.
Of course, this murder plot line finds a way to play into the situation with the Spire and that will cause a true snowball effect that threatens to take down Ted, Kenzie, and all those individuals the hold dear. LOVE THE STRANGER is constantly engaging and it was so cathartic to find myself back on the streets of Queens, NY, from a literary standpoint. Theres is so much to enjoy here and I look forward to my next excursion to Queens with Michael Sears and his enjoyable creations.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
January 26, 2025
4.5 stars for Love The Stranger! Set in Queens, NY, I loved the authenticity that the author Sears brought to this novel. You could tell it was written by a real New Yorker, and could picture the different streets, subways, and skylines he described. This was the perfect mix of politics, procedurals, and murder. Cozy enough where it wasn’t taken over by blood and gore, but also realistic and felt like a classic Patterson or Grisham. The books ongoing subplots allow for the series to flow nicely and keep the reader hanging on for more. I look forward to whenever the next book in this series comes out.
April 14, 2025
I did not like this book at all.
Everything about this one was not interesting
However, Sears's other books were good, but no this one
Everything about this one was not interesting
However, Sears's other books were good, but no this one
December 14, 2024
For the longest time, we have been warned not to judge a book by its cover. However, it was the cover of LOVE THE STRANGER that initially grabbed me. It depicts the famous 7 train and indicates that the book is a Queens mystery.
I grew up and spent the formative years of my life in Flushing, Queens --- the starting point of the 7 subway line, which traverses Queens County on the way to Manhattan. Attorney Ted Molloy comments on the first page that Queens, the most diverse county in the country and urban space on the planet, is not a melting pot but rather a kaleidoscope of colors, classes and ethnicities. This description, along with the enticing cover, had me sold, and I was firmly on board for the ride with Ted and his colleagues.
Before Michael Sears became an award-winning author, he had a career in high finance, working for 20 years on Wall Street. He also possesses a knowledge and love of the streets of New York City, especially Queens. This unique borough sings like another character in this book, which is packed with plotlines involving both murder and corporate corruption. Ted uses his free time to assist his activist girlfriend, Kenzie Zielinski, in her various projects.
Currently, Kenzie is mounting constant protests against a mega-tower called “the Spike,” which is being planned for construction in the middle of Queens. This building not only will be a public eyesore and ruin the vibe that makes Queens a melting pot, it is being built by an organization that has a reputation for their greed. Additionally, Ted and Kenzie fully support the many immigrants whom they have assisted and befriended in their work. One of them is Mohammed, a recent Yemeni resident who has become their personal chauffer and a friend. When they learn that Mohammed has been getting dealt dirty by an immigration attorney who has been milking exorbitant amounts of cash from him without so much as a receipt, they jump to his aid.
Unfortunately, Kenzie’s attempt to confront the shady lawyer on behalf of Mohammed does not go well. Once she talks her way into his office, she finds him dead and his apparent killer fleeing the scene. Ted and his partner, Lester McKinley, now find themselves knee-deep in a struggle not only to identify and bring down the culprit, but to keep Kenzie out of jail. The NYPD detectives on the case are instantly suspicious of Kenzie. While they eventually recognize that she is not the killer, they believe she is hiding something about the alleged suspect she saw escape.
Of course, this murder plotline finds a way to play into the situation with the Spike, which will cause a true snowball effect that threatens to take down Ted, Kenzie and all those individuals they hold dear.
LOVE THE STRANGER is constantly engaging, and it was so cathartic to find myself back on the streets of Queens from a literary standpoint. There is so much to enjoy here, and I look forward to my next excursion to Queens with Michael Sears.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
I grew up and spent the formative years of my life in Flushing, Queens --- the starting point of the 7 subway line, which traverses Queens County on the way to Manhattan. Attorney Ted Molloy comments on the first page that Queens, the most diverse county in the country and urban space on the planet, is not a melting pot but rather a kaleidoscope of colors, classes and ethnicities. This description, along with the enticing cover, had me sold, and I was firmly on board for the ride with Ted and his colleagues.
Before Michael Sears became an award-winning author, he had a career in high finance, working for 20 years on Wall Street. He also possesses a knowledge and love of the streets of New York City, especially Queens. This unique borough sings like another character in this book, which is packed with plotlines involving both murder and corporate corruption. Ted uses his free time to assist his activist girlfriend, Kenzie Zielinski, in her various projects.
Currently, Kenzie is mounting constant protests against a mega-tower called “the Spike,” which is being planned for construction in the middle of Queens. This building not only will be a public eyesore and ruin the vibe that makes Queens a melting pot, it is being built by an organization that has a reputation for their greed. Additionally, Ted and Kenzie fully support the many immigrants whom they have assisted and befriended in their work. One of them is Mohammed, a recent Yemeni resident who has become their personal chauffer and a friend. When they learn that Mohammed has been getting dealt dirty by an immigration attorney who has been milking exorbitant amounts of cash from him without so much as a receipt, they jump to his aid.
Unfortunately, Kenzie’s attempt to confront the shady lawyer on behalf of Mohammed does not go well. Once she talks her way into his office, she finds him dead and his apparent killer fleeing the scene. Ted and his partner, Lester McKinley, now find themselves knee-deep in a struggle not only to identify and bring down the culprit, but to keep Kenzie out of jail. The NYPD detectives on the case are instantly suspicious of Kenzie. While they eventually recognize that she is not the killer, they believe she is hiding something about the alleged suspect she saw escape.
Of course, this murder plotline finds a way to play into the situation with the Spike, which will cause a true snowball effect that threatens to take down Ted, Kenzie and all those individuals they hold dear.
LOVE THE STRANGER is constantly engaging, and it was so cathartic to find myself back on the streets of Queens from a literary standpoint. There is so much to enjoy here, and I look forward to my next excursion to Queens with Michael Sears.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
August 23, 2024
Queens native son and former high-powered Manhattan attorney Ted Molloy is rebuilding his once-stellar legal career. His fancy office is now Gallagher’s Pub, where he partners with Lester Young McKinley on foreclosure investment deals and represents his activist girlfriend Kenzie Zielenski’s organization in its battle to stop the construction of “the Spike,” a mega-development project threatening Corona’s immigrant communities. As the campaign against billionaire real-estate developer Ron Reisner heats up, someone attempts to sabotage Ted’s legal efforts and undermine Kenzie’s reputation. At the same time, Kenzie worries that a shady immigration lawyer is cheating Mohammed, a recent Yemeni immigrant who chauffeurs Kenzie in his cab. Dropping by the lawyer’s office one morning, she stumbles upon his body and spots a shadowy figure fleeing the scene. Could it be Mohammed’s 14-year-old stepson, Haidir? In the entertaining follow-up to his 2022 Nero Award winner Tower of Babel, Sears vividly captures the corrupt seediness of local real estate development dominated by big money and embraces the “kaleidoscope of colors, classes, and ethnicities” that marks New York’s largest borough. Fans of Dennis Lehane’s Boston-based Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro series will enjoy following the gritty adventures of a flawed but appealing sleuthing couple.
December 12, 2024
This book is NYC-centric, or more specifically, Queens-centric. You can practically feel the subway rumble by, dodge the newbies on electric bikes, join the pedestrians crossing against the lights. Mr. Sears, a former director at Paine Webber, has produced two very fine books in his second career, and has won an Edgar. The underlying theme here is real estate, and the lack of it in New York. If there's a block anywhere that is "undeveloped", you can bet the crooks and near-crooks are salivating over the possibilities. Ted Malloy is a lawyer surviving on default cases, but his sympathies are with the regular citizens, without whom the city could not function but who continually lose the battle of being able to live there. His girlfriend is a community activist, and she and Ted find themselves up against the untouchable biggies who stop at nothing. There is no such thing as a truly happy ending here.
July 12, 2025
Terrible. I liked the first book, Tower of Babel I believe, I even liked the two main characters, Ted & Kenzie. This book, not so much. Kenzie is basically a spoiled brat who thinks the world revolves around her. Ted is a milquetoast, desperate to do her biding so she won't kick him out of her bed. Two losers and unlikable.
This is my 3-4 Michael Sears book, I like the other "series" better, ythe one where the guy has the autistic son, but I will not be reading more about the stupis Spike and the insipid characters revolving around it.
Also, pretty damn WOKE, which is my pet peeve.
Not even sure why a publisher would print this. It's not like Sears is a latter day Stephen King, or John Grisham, or Ken Follett - nay, he is Michael Seras so when MS submits crap, tell him NO! Do better.
This is my 3-4 Michael Sears book, I like the other "series" better, ythe one where the guy has the autistic son, but I will not be reading more about the stupis Spike and the insipid characters revolving around it.
Also, pretty damn WOKE, which is my pet peeve.
Not even sure why a publisher would print this. It's not like Sears is a latter day Stephen King, or John Grisham, or Ken Follett - nay, he is Michael Seras so when MS submits crap, tell him NO! Do better.
November 13, 2024
Edward Molloy, better known as Ted, is back in the saddle, now living with his girlfriend, a community activist trying to stop the building of a highrise in Queens that will destroy a local neighborhood. A supposed law school student volunteers at the offices of Ted's girlfriend, Kenzie. Kenzie sends the volunteer to help Ted search through the boxes of records sent by the development company that Ted is suing. Kenzie's life begins to unravel when vicious articles about her are planted in the news media and online. As Ted and Kenzie's friends help them investigate, they are all put in danger. Lots of action and better character development in this second of the series.
December 14, 2024
It's a fast-paced mystery mixing suspense with social commentary. The story follows attorney Ted Molloy getting involved into a murder investigation ( a corrupt immigration affair and a controversial real estate development). Rich with tension, diverse characters, and urban intrigue, the book was a nice brain teaser for a rainy afternoon.
December 23, 2024
Excellent book but I’ve liked his other books too. The crime and the protesters made a nice change of pace for me. It even seemed somewhat believable that a lawyer was solving a crime that the police weren’t interested in.
January 30, 2025
Very Good; Continuing character: Ted Molloy; Molloy and girlfriend Kenzie are fighting two battles, against an unscrupulous corporation looking to build another skyscraper in Queens and against authorities who've arrested the son of a friend for murder of a lawyer
December 30, 2024
Meh. It would’ve been better if I had read the book before this one, it felt like there was SO much background info I just didn’t have to really appreciate the full story.
February 2, 2025
Another great book by Michael Sears!
February 23, 2025
Murder mystery and corporate greed with a generous dollop of social commentary about our mucked up immigration process - a winning combination!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews