The Interceptor

by Richard Herschlag

An aspiring film director bludgeoned to death and found in the tunnels under Fourteenth Street . . . A sly real estate mogul with a four-billion-dollar deal at stake . . . A ruthless candidate for mayor in a heated election year . . . And a lone civil engineer who uncovers a secret that could rock the lives of seven million New Yorkers. . . .

A former chief borough engineer, Richard Herschlag weaves an explosive, fast-moving thriller, played out against the glamour and grime of Manhattan--and the dark, intricate world that pulses deep beneath the cold concrete.

While helping two homicide detectives with a murder investigation, Chief Borough Engineer Jon Kessler unwittingly discovers a massive environmental disaster brewing below the Big Apple--driving him into the midst of seamy corruption, hardball politics, cold-blooded murder, and a shady cover-up as dirty as the sewers themselves.

For Kessler, time is running out. To expose the most horrifying deception in the city's history. And to save his own life. . . .

Genres: Fiction

423 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sam Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning starts off a little confusing about what the role of the characters is, but once you get into it around page 40 or so, the action begins to take off. You follow two main characters around: Jon Kessler and Detective James Mercado, both employees of the City of New York, as they unwind a major development conspiracy (no more spoilers) using information from the NYC sewer system. yes, the sewer system. The author is a sanitation engineer and knew a lot about how the sewage system, including the corruption, works in the city, especially Manhattan, where the novel takes place.

I can't think of any other murder mystery thriller based on knowledge of any city's sewer system, so for that reason this book stands out if you want something different. The narration is a little heavy to read at times (meaning too much of it) but overall I found this to be a great book.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book was written by an engineer, and it reads like it. I imagine him snoozing at his desk, imagining a thriller based around the most unlikely subject - sewers - then adding the sexy intern, villains, and motley crew of good guys. It was okay, unrealistic in behavior and overly realistic in engineering terms.