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Cooperative Lives
A landmarked midtown Manhattan address. Carnegie Hall and Central Park at your feet. Three hundred units. Thirty-two full-time employees. Five hundred neighbors. You’ve hit the big time. Joined the elite. But what do you know about them, the neighbors? Have you ever met them? Really engaged with them? Or do you gaze down in the elevator, the same way you do on the subway and the street?
Oh sure, you’ve heard a famous writer lives on the fourteenth floor, a retired US senator on the eighteenth. You’ve witnessed so many Broadway impresarios glide through the lobby you’ve lost count. But what about your real neighbors – the couple in 7H, for instance, or the family in 8B? Did you know they once harbored the most wanted fugitive in America?
No? It was in the papers for weeks; nearly tore the co-op apart. Even that famous writer on fourteen got involved. And all because an M7 bus side-swiped a resident-shareholder while turning down Seventh Avenue.
You’re busy? Oh, I’m sorry. Just thought you should know something about the co-op’s history. And buy more insurance, lots more; I’ve got a friend named Stanley.
FROM THE PREFACE:
It is perhaps unorthodox to declare a story which transpired 6-8 years ago in the country’s largest metropolis historical fiction but labelling it otherwise would be a deception. The election of a bilious talk show host to the world’s highest office, the NSA-sponsored surveillance, cataloging and storage of millions of Americans’ phone logs and recordings, the petulant, self-imposed withdrawal of Great Britain from the EU, the global contagion of anti-immigrant nationalism – no pundit could have predicted these developments in 2013. And no one would have believed him.
I intended this book as a work of contemporary fiction. It described, I think accurately, the city and world I lived in. Just six years have elapsed since its completion, but I might as well have described ancient China. The world and New York City of 2013 no longer exist. I hereby present, for better or worse, the world’s most contemporary historical novel.
350 pages, ebook
First published March 18, 2019
13 people are currently reading
2134 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Finegan
2 books42 followersPatrick Finegan was born during the latter half of the Eisenhower Administration and graduated during the Carter and Reagan Administrations from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Law School and Graduate School of Business. He worked more than thirty years in law, corporate finance, management consulting and risk management. He has a wife and grown daughter and has lived in the New York metropolitan area his entire professional life – most of it in the same residential cooperative.
Cooperative Lives was Mr. Finegan's first work of fiction. It won more than twenty domestic and international awards, including:
Grand Prize Finalist - 2019 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition | Category Winner (Literary Fiction) & Grand Prize Short List - 2019 Millennium Book Award | Category Winner (General Fiction) - 2019-20 Reader Views Literary Awards | Category Winner (Contemporary Fiction) - 2019 Literary Classics International Book Awards | Category Winner (Literary Fiction) - 2020 Independent Press Award | 2020 Jack Eadon Memorial Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama | 2020 Author Marketing Experts Award for Best Fiction Début | Reviewer's Choice Award - 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards | Silver Medal, Best First Book - 2020 IPPYs
To learn more about the author, check out some of his interviews: Reader Views | Feathered Quill | Shelf Unbound | Literary Titan | DR J Reads | Self-Publishing Review
Thank you for visiting this page!
Please check out my website - TWOSKATES.COM - or contact me via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Goodreads. I love to chat.
Cooperative Lives was Mr. Finegan's first work of fiction. It won more than twenty domestic and international awards, including:
Grand Prize Finalist - 2019 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition | Category Winner (Literary Fiction) & Grand Prize Short List - 2019 Millennium Book Award | Category Winner (General Fiction) - 2019-20 Reader Views Literary Awards | Category Winner (Contemporary Fiction) - 2019 Literary Classics International Book Awards | Category Winner (Literary Fiction) - 2020 Independent Press Award | 2020 Jack Eadon Memorial Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama | 2020 Author Marketing Experts Award for Best Fiction Début | Reviewer's Choice Award - 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards | Silver Medal, Best First Book - 2020 IPPYs
To learn more about the author, check out some of his interviews: Reader Views | Feathered Quill | Shelf Unbound | Literary Titan | DR J Reads | Self-Publishing Review
Thank you for visiting this page!
Please check out my website - TWOSKATES.COM - or contact me via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Goodreads. I love to chat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 7, 2019
Filled with twisty turns, shocking revelations, and provocative portrayals of institutionalized power inequities, “Cooperative Lives” is a precisely engineered cautionary tale that entertains.
Read full review in the 2019 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
August 24, 2019
Impressive debut novel!!!
How well do we know our neighbors and do we really want to?!
In this long book, we get a bunch of intertwined characters from lawyers, residents, kids, press to law agents. They all live in a co-op. And all are somehow connected. You will have to pay attention to all the details from page one. The premise deals with a lot of heavy subjects like losing a loved one, divorce, family secrets, and betrayal.
This is not a quick or easy read. The constant switching of points of view makes it difficult to follow the plotline at times. Still, the details were impressive. And in the end, everything has reveled and all loose ends were tied.
This is a character-driven novel.
Perfect for the readers of books with espionage and conspiracy.
This book will remind you how we all are connected and how our actions affect people around us.
And how at times the only thing left is trying to do our best!
Highly recommend read!
How well do we know our neighbors and do we really want to?!
In this long book, we get a bunch of intertwined characters from lawyers, residents, kids, press to law agents. They all live in a co-op. And all are somehow connected. You will have to pay attention to all the details from page one. The premise deals with a lot of heavy subjects like losing a loved one, divorce, family secrets, and betrayal.
This is not a quick or easy read. The constant switching of points of view makes it difficult to follow the plotline at times. Still, the details were impressive. And in the end, everything has reveled and all loose ends were tied.
This is a character-driven novel.
Perfect for the readers of books with espionage and conspiracy.
This book will remind you how we all are connected and how our actions affect people around us.
And how at times the only thing left is trying to do our best!
Highly recommend read!
September 13, 2019
Cooperative Lives
Patrick Finegan
Mar 2019
350 pages
General Fiction, Mystery
Provided by Rep
⭐
I found the cover to be quite interesting with the pencil sketch of the city and the block lettering for the title and author’s name like you might see on architectural drawings. Then right in the middle the scribble with the red, yellow, and green circles representative of the traffic light. It really appealed to the graphic designer in me.
The story was a different kettle of fish altogether. It started with a power failure and a guy getting locked out of his apartment because of his key card locks. No one in the condo coop would ever forget that he was the guy that got locked out during a power failure because of his key card locks. That’s how they thought of him. Others were known for their divorces or cars or fancy this or that. The residents knew each other for their pretensions, not for who they were. Even if they socialized with each other, they really didn’t know each other as people. And I suppose that’s what made the whole story possible. No one really knew anybody.
The story turns into a mystery of espionage, theft, and murder with several of the tenants involved in the commitment of the crimes and the solution of the crimes. Some got caught. Some got dead. Some got rich. Some didn’t. It was the craziest thing I think I’ve ever read. I was quite often lost and had no idea what the heck was going on or who was doing what or why. It’s not exactly a book I can recommend based on my own reading of it. Maybe someone else will have a better experience with it because their mind works differently than mine does and they’ll understand it better than I did. But this is my review and I didn’t.
Patrick Finegan
Mar 2019
350 pages
General Fiction, Mystery
Provided by Rep
⭐
I found the cover to be quite interesting with the pencil sketch of the city and the block lettering for the title and author’s name like you might see on architectural drawings. Then right in the middle the scribble with the red, yellow, and green circles representative of the traffic light. It really appealed to the graphic designer in me.
The story was a different kettle of fish altogether. It started with a power failure and a guy getting locked out of his apartment because of his key card locks. No one in the condo coop would ever forget that he was the guy that got locked out during a power failure because of his key card locks. That’s how they thought of him. Others were known for their divorces or cars or fancy this or that. The residents knew each other for their pretensions, not for who they were. Even if they socialized with each other, they really didn’t know each other as people. And I suppose that’s what made the whole story possible. No one really knew anybody.
The story turns into a mystery of espionage, theft, and murder with several of the tenants involved in the commitment of the crimes and the solution of the crimes. Some got caught. Some got dead. Some got rich. Some didn’t. It was the craziest thing I think I’ve ever read. I was quite often lost and had no idea what the heck was going on or who was doing what or why. It’s not exactly a book I can recommend based on my own reading of it. Maybe someone else will have a better experience with it because their mind works differently than mine does and they’ll understand it better than I did. But this is my review and I didn’t.
February 10, 2020
“Cooperative Lives” by Patrick Finegan begins when the city of Manhattan is hit by a huge power failure. One of the residents, who is already down on his luck, finds himself locked out of his apartment because of his dependence on technology. Glimpses are given in the lives of others who reside there during this time. As the story evolves, connections are made and there is a greater understanding of how the main characters are linked.
Each person has his or her own story to tell, and these stories reveal a great deal of their imperfections. As the author takes us further into the main plot, the links between the characters tighten even further which adds to the intrigue. The residents range from a famous romance novelist, to a lawyer, to a recently fired IT specialist whose wife was a friend of the CIA. The drama really takes off when an elderly investor’s error on the account of one of the resident’s is discovered. He assumed to have committed fraud. The stakes go even higher when the woman’s million-dollar account is emptied. Coincidences link two of the key players in this novel to the fraud. When the story goes public, it becomes even more convoluted because the men are immediately judged to be guilty by their peers in public, not in a court of law. One of the men works behind the scenes to clear their names. Their personal relationships also continue to be heavily impacted. This creates a great deal of tension in between the walls of this old building.
If you are looking to sink yourself into a good novel, “Cooperative Lives” would be an excellent choice. The author, Patrick Finegan, has done an amazing job of creating a complex contemporary story full of intrigue and suspense. The characters are eccentric and delightfully flawed. Their interactions are fascinating to view because they come from a variety of backgrounds, yet their lives all lead them to be living together in this building at this particular moment in time.
I have often driven by huge high rises in New York and wondered about the people who live inside them. Finegan helps feed my musings, because his people are very real, and their motivations are all strikingly different from each other. Secrets from the past reveal many truths that would be better off left unsaid in the real world, however, in the world of fiction, they make for a great story!
I highly recommend reading “Cooperative Lives” by Patrick Finegan. I also recommend doing so slowly as the timelines flow out of order, so you have to pay attention. The author does this intentionally to tell his story – pay attention so you don’t get lost! “Cooperative Lives,” will stay with you long after you put it down.
Each person has his or her own story to tell, and these stories reveal a great deal of their imperfections. As the author takes us further into the main plot, the links between the characters tighten even further which adds to the intrigue. The residents range from a famous romance novelist, to a lawyer, to a recently fired IT specialist whose wife was a friend of the CIA. The drama really takes off when an elderly investor’s error on the account of one of the resident’s is discovered. He assumed to have committed fraud. The stakes go even higher when the woman’s million-dollar account is emptied. Coincidences link two of the key players in this novel to the fraud. When the story goes public, it becomes even more convoluted because the men are immediately judged to be guilty by their peers in public, not in a court of law. One of the men works behind the scenes to clear their names. Their personal relationships also continue to be heavily impacted. This creates a great deal of tension in between the walls of this old building.
If you are looking to sink yourself into a good novel, “Cooperative Lives” would be an excellent choice. The author, Patrick Finegan, has done an amazing job of creating a complex contemporary story full of intrigue and suspense. The characters are eccentric and delightfully flawed. Their interactions are fascinating to view because they come from a variety of backgrounds, yet their lives all lead them to be living together in this building at this particular moment in time.
I have often driven by huge high rises in New York and wondered about the people who live inside them. Finegan helps feed my musings, because his people are very real, and their motivations are all strikingly different from each other. Secrets from the past reveal many truths that would be better off left unsaid in the real world, however, in the world of fiction, they make for a great story!
I highly recommend reading “Cooperative Lives” by Patrick Finegan. I also recommend doing so slowly as the timelines flow out of order, so you have to pay attention. The author does this intentionally to tell his story – pay attention so you don’t get lost! “Cooperative Lives,” will stay with you long after you put it down.
June 18, 2019
Kudos to Patrick Finegan on his very first novel! The synopsis of Cooperative Lives enamored me. I especially love a story or film where you are continually surprised at how individual lives are staggeringly connected. Some of these revelations were heart-stopping as Finegan doesn't allow you to see these disclosures coming. Finegan's style of writing is, at times, so tremendously detailed, I felt as though I were interpreting poetry. I value Finegan's expert command in the New York pedestrian's experience, life insurance, religion, medicine, skiing, investments, and information technology. While I did find myself re-reading particular sentences and passages to guarantee I had clarity, the storylines will drive you to read until its finale.
July 20, 2019
‘It’s crazy, Everyone’s gone nuts, a if it’s Mardi Gras.’
New York author Patrick Finegan makes an impressive writing debut with COOPERATIVE LIVES. He earned his degrees from Northwestern University and University of Chicago Law School and practiced law, corporate finance, management consulting and risk management. Now he writes. Living in a situation that he describes in his novel offers credibility to the messages of this book.
A hint of the immediacy of this novel is well scribed in the author’s Preface – ‘It is perhaps unorthodox to declare a story which transpired 6-8 years ago in the country’s largest metropolis historical fiction but labelling it otherwise would be a deception. The election of a bilious talk show host to the world’s highest office, the NSA-sponsored surveillance, cataloging and storage of millions of Americans’ phone logs and recordings, the petulant, self-imposed withdrawal of Great Britain from the EU, the global contagion of anti-immigrant nationalism – no pundit could have predicted these developments in 2013. And no one would have believed him. I intended this book as a work of contemporary fiction. It described, I think accurately, the city and world I lived in. Just six years have elapsed since its completion, but I might as well have described ancient China. The world and New York City of 2013 no longer exist. I hereby present, for better or worse, the world’s most contemporary historical novel.’
The novel is immensely entertaining to read - well-developed characters (residents, relatives, staff, press, doctors, lawyers, suit and suitors, agents) with some of the finest interactions in the plot development. But another aspect of the power of this novel is the impact it makes on our self-imposed anonymity we have created to separate ourselves from involvement with our fellow man, as we inhabit this chaotic world. Patrick’s story holds a magnifying glass to the way of life in metropolitan cooperative living, and the view is not always gratifying!
The grace of Patrick’s near poetic prose is suggested in this brief opening passage: ‘The hand flickered then vanished – the void suffused by a momentary blue afterimage. Foot commuters massed into the intersection and motorized ones lurched against them. There was no mistaking the simultaneous cue – neither the darkened red orb now the burn-in of the remonstrating hand. Fenders were thumped, oaths sworn, and heeled and wheeled travelers scuffed for possession of the asphalt.’ Then we encounter divorced Wallace, struggling to survive during a power outage, and the plot sweeps on.
The multifaceted tale of characters so well delineated that they seem like acquaintances – and perhaps they could be… The flourishes of ordinary and extraordinary circumstances and events in this iatrogenically disordered co-op make for a novel of great breadth and insight, leaving the reader with s study of human behavior per excellence. Highly recommended.
New York author Patrick Finegan makes an impressive writing debut with COOPERATIVE LIVES. He earned his degrees from Northwestern University and University of Chicago Law School and practiced law, corporate finance, management consulting and risk management. Now he writes. Living in a situation that he describes in his novel offers credibility to the messages of this book.
A hint of the immediacy of this novel is well scribed in the author’s Preface – ‘It is perhaps unorthodox to declare a story which transpired 6-8 years ago in the country’s largest metropolis historical fiction but labelling it otherwise would be a deception. The election of a bilious talk show host to the world’s highest office, the NSA-sponsored surveillance, cataloging and storage of millions of Americans’ phone logs and recordings, the petulant, self-imposed withdrawal of Great Britain from the EU, the global contagion of anti-immigrant nationalism – no pundit could have predicted these developments in 2013. And no one would have believed him. I intended this book as a work of contemporary fiction. It described, I think accurately, the city and world I lived in. Just six years have elapsed since its completion, but I might as well have described ancient China. The world and New York City of 2013 no longer exist. I hereby present, for better or worse, the world’s most contemporary historical novel.’
The novel is immensely entertaining to read - well-developed characters (residents, relatives, staff, press, doctors, lawyers, suit and suitors, agents) with some of the finest interactions in the plot development. But another aspect of the power of this novel is the impact it makes on our self-imposed anonymity we have created to separate ourselves from involvement with our fellow man, as we inhabit this chaotic world. Patrick’s story holds a magnifying glass to the way of life in metropolitan cooperative living, and the view is not always gratifying!
The grace of Patrick’s near poetic prose is suggested in this brief opening passage: ‘The hand flickered then vanished – the void suffused by a momentary blue afterimage. Foot commuters massed into the intersection and motorized ones lurched against them. There was no mistaking the simultaneous cue – neither the darkened red orb now the burn-in of the remonstrating hand. Fenders were thumped, oaths sworn, and heeled and wheeled travelers scuffed for possession of the asphalt.’ Then we encounter divorced Wallace, struggling to survive during a power outage, and the plot sweeps on.
The multifaceted tale of characters so well delineated that they seem like acquaintances – and perhaps they could be… The flourishes of ordinary and extraordinary circumstances and events in this iatrogenically disordered co-op make for a novel of great breadth and insight, leaving the reader with s study of human behavior per excellence. Highly recommended.
July 28, 2019
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
27th July, 2019
TITLE: Cooperative Lives
AUTHOR: Patrick Finegan
Star Rating: 5
CATCHY QUOTE
‘A literary work of art. A look at life and how it was; how, in many ways, it still is. Very enjoyable.’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
This novel is a rich tapestry, strong on character - and range of characters – and almost as strong on plot. Set in New York only a few years ago, it is a story written with a gold-tipped pen; a story full of complex characters, many, if not all of them, inherently imperfect and distrustful of others. And, I must say, I enjoyed it very much.
The reader is introduced to a large number of characters – you will have to work a little to keep on top of who is who – and a cleverly written, complex plot. All of the characters, even the secondary, jump off the page. So much so, I was sympathising with many and rooting for the rest. The plot looks at many different topics, from family secrets to love, from loss to the agony of divorce. It is a story of sentiments and feelings; a story of how what we do can effect so many others.
Is there a plot? Yes, there is. It’s in there. But if you are looking for a plot-driven story, this is probably not for you. But what you will find is a host of splendidly-developed characters that will not only fascinate you but will also force you to think. There’s a lot of commentary hidden in here, on how the world works or, indeed, how it’s not working. But the author’s sly and has such competent writing skills, he can put over his message without the reader ever feeling overwhelmed.
The author, Patrick Finegan, works particularly well with setting. He understands how important it is not to just simply describe the setting but, rather, have the characters interact with it in a natural and unobtrusive way. There’s a lot of imagery here as the author, very successfully, helps the reader to get to know the New York setting.
So, to sum up, do I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely! If you enjoy a ‘thoughtful’ tale, the sort of story that keeps you guessing, a story populated with well-constructed characters, then this is for you. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I’m now going to recommend it to my husband.
I so love it when I discover a new author to enjoy!
Editing: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
To Sum Up: A gripping, character-driven novel.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
27th July, 2019
TITLE: Cooperative Lives
AUTHOR: Patrick Finegan
Star Rating: 5
CATCHY QUOTE
‘A literary work of art. A look at life and how it was; how, in many ways, it still is. Very enjoyable.’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
This novel is a rich tapestry, strong on character - and range of characters – and almost as strong on plot. Set in New York only a few years ago, it is a story written with a gold-tipped pen; a story full of complex characters, many, if not all of them, inherently imperfect and distrustful of others. And, I must say, I enjoyed it very much.
The reader is introduced to a large number of characters – you will have to work a little to keep on top of who is who – and a cleverly written, complex plot. All of the characters, even the secondary, jump off the page. So much so, I was sympathising with many and rooting for the rest. The plot looks at many different topics, from family secrets to love, from loss to the agony of divorce. It is a story of sentiments and feelings; a story of how what we do can effect so many others.
Is there a plot? Yes, there is. It’s in there. But if you are looking for a plot-driven story, this is probably not for you. But what you will find is a host of splendidly-developed characters that will not only fascinate you but will also force you to think. There’s a lot of commentary hidden in here, on how the world works or, indeed, how it’s not working. But the author’s sly and has such competent writing skills, he can put over his message without the reader ever feeling overwhelmed.
The author, Patrick Finegan, works particularly well with setting. He understands how important it is not to just simply describe the setting but, rather, have the characters interact with it in a natural and unobtrusive way. There’s a lot of imagery here as the author, very successfully, helps the reader to get to know the New York setting.
So, to sum up, do I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely! If you enjoy a ‘thoughtful’ tale, the sort of story that keeps you guessing, a story populated with well-constructed characters, then this is for you. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I’m now going to recommend it to my husband.
I so love it when I discover a new author to enjoy!
Editing: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
To Sum Up: A gripping, character-driven novel.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
Read
September 4, 2019Who fully knows who their neighbors are and what they do day to day? Just how intertwined is your life with your neighbors? Probably a lot deeper than you could ever imagine. This is just what Patrick Finegan’s Cooperative Lives takes a comprehensive investigative look into, pulling the reader into an apartment building in New York City and the lives of its residents.
Cooperative Lives is a true slice of life novel and is so exquisitely detailed that the reader cannot help but feel as if they are living right amongst them. Finegan takes you on tour through the lives of several people who appear on the surface to only be connected through their residential location. The careful web that is created from chapter to chapter delves deeper into their relationships showing just how interwoven their lives really are; everything from financial advisors to saving a neighbor’s life, no stone is left unturned by Patrick Finegan.
The author keeps the freshness of the narrative flowing throughout from chapter to chapter by changing the point of view, giving fresh eyes to the situations that bind the characters together. However, rather than it being a quick flit from person to person, the reader is granted an in-depth look into each character’s life, drives, passions, motivations and the hurdles they have had to overcome to get where they are. From this it is hard to not connect to each character and be completely consumed by their lives.
Cooperative Lives is a true testament of Finegan’s pure literary creative skill that casts a huge shadow over all things that have come before in the genre. This is not a book that a reader can blitz through in a matter of hours and that is good as the immense quality of writing needs to be savored from word to word. With heart-stopping revelations that the reader simply will not see coming and the most detailed character development that could ever find its way into literature, this is a novel to be savored and revisited again and again in the future.
For those who haven’t been a part of the New York City world and society, Cooperative Lives will have them feeling as if they had been right there all this time. Finegan skillfully intertwines the full experience of a New York life including religion, medicine, investments, and information technology for the reader to enjoy and experience at their leisure. New York City is literally brought to life on the page; the reader can walk the streets without even leaving the comfort of their home. Every aspect of this novel is so carefully thought out, explained and described that it is a truly immersive narrative that will leave the reader fully satisfied at the end. Finegan couldn’t have asked for a better outcome and a more interesting read for his readers than Cooperative Lives and no doubt he has them begging for the next installment of literary work.
Cooperative Lives is a true slice of life novel and is so exquisitely detailed that the reader cannot help but feel as if they are living right amongst them. Finegan takes you on tour through the lives of several people who appear on the surface to only be connected through their residential location. The careful web that is created from chapter to chapter delves deeper into their relationships showing just how interwoven their lives really are; everything from financial advisors to saving a neighbor’s life, no stone is left unturned by Patrick Finegan.
The author keeps the freshness of the narrative flowing throughout from chapter to chapter by changing the point of view, giving fresh eyes to the situations that bind the characters together. However, rather than it being a quick flit from person to person, the reader is granted an in-depth look into each character’s life, drives, passions, motivations and the hurdles they have had to overcome to get where they are. From this it is hard to not connect to each character and be completely consumed by their lives.
Cooperative Lives is a true testament of Finegan’s pure literary creative skill that casts a huge shadow over all things that have come before in the genre. This is not a book that a reader can blitz through in a matter of hours and that is good as the immense quality of writing needs to be savored from word to word. With heart-stopping revelations that the reader simply will not see coming and the most detailed character development that could ever find its way into literature, this is a novel to be savored and revisited again and again in the future.
For those who haven’t been a part of the New York City world and society, Cooperative Lives will have them feeling as if they had been right there all this time. Finegan skillfully intertwines the full experience of a New York life including religion, medicine, investments, and information technology for the reader to enjoy and experience at their leisure. New York City is literally brought to life on the page; the reader can walk the streets without even leaving the comfort of their home. Every aspect of this novel is so carefully thought out, explained and described that it is a truly immersive narrative that will leave the reader fully satisfied at the end. Finegan couldn’t have asked for a better outcome and a more interesting read for his readers than Cooperative Lives and no doubt he has them begging for the next installment of literary work.
August 28, 2019
A Very Realistic Book
Patrick Finegan did a fine job at making a fiction. He gives the reader an insight into the big city life. The author gives vivid descriptions of cities and locations within New York City. Reference is also made to popular personalities in the book that really keeps you engaged.
I really enjoy reading books that I can very much relate with and this book definitely gives me just what I want. There is a range of vividly described characters in this novel to keep you engaged until the end. There is a bit of romance in this book and also a lot about money and some relationships that are somewhat questionable.
Two interesting characters in this book are Wallace and Sheldon. Wallace is the man at the middle of a major power outage in New York City while Sheldon is our favorite business investment manager. The story is centered on these two and their connection with the other citizens of New York.
This book stirs up different emotions and points a finger to ideas such as the betrayal of on both personal and national level.
I would definitely be reading this book more than twice.
Patrick Finegan did a fine job at making a fiction. He gives the reader an insight into the big city life. The author gives vivid descriptions of cities and locations within New York City. Reference is also made to popular personalities in the book that really keeps you engaged.
I really enjoy reading books that I can very much relate with and this book definitely gives me just what I want. There is a range of vividly described characters in this novel to keep you engaged until the end. There is a bit of romance in this book and also a lot about money and some relationships that are somewhat questionable.
Two interesting characters in this book are Wallace and Sheldon. Wallace is the man at the middle of a major power outage in New York City while Sheldon is our favorite business investment manager. The story is centered on these two and their connection with the other citizens of New York.
This book stirs up different emotions and points a finger to ideas such as the betrayal of on both personal and national level.
I would definitely be reading this book more than twice.
July 22, 2019
Patrick Finegan captures the intricate lives and personalities within the walls of this Manhattan apartment building. Cooperative Lives is mesmerizing as the characters come alive as they interact with each other. You get the author’s view of interaction with others in one of the larger cities in the U.S. His characters are just like your neighbors, some you enjoy and others you wish would move along.
Cooperative Lives is exceptional as the author pulls back the walls and let us view the lives of his characters. They could be your neighbors, but how well do we know the people within our neighborhood? As Patrick Finegan’s first work of fiction; this is impressive in presenting the characters, using a plot he is familiar with, and remarkable editing. I loved the cut-throat attitudes, family secrets, disclosed love, and karma woven within the pages. This will be an author to watch and I hope he continues to write.
Cooperative Lives is exceptional as the author pulls back the walls and let us view the lives of his characters. They could be your neighbors, but how well do we know the people within our neighborhood? As Patrick Finegan’s first work of fiction; this is impressive in presenting the characters, using a plot he is familiar with, and remarkable editing. I loved the cut-throat attitudes, family secrets, disclosed love, and karma woven within the pages. This will be an author to watch and I hope he continues to write.
August 3, 2019
Beautifully descriptive and Reminder that we are connected.
This book is a perfect reminder that we are all linked and our actions and words can affect everyone around us even those who we do not necessarily know. The author does an exceptional job building the characters and storyline. Each character is equally as important as the next person and they are all connected in a web of stories, lies, malpractice, and politics.
Finegan created a world that is real and makes the reader feel like they are part of the story and know everyone in it personally. He describes New York in detail so even if you’ve never been there you can see it in your mind and know exactly where everything is. If I have one complaint it would be that it moved a bit slow at times but at the same time it felt like those times were necessary to get to where you needed to be in the story. Overall it was a fantastic read!
This book is a perfect reminder that we are all linked and our actions and words can affect everyone around us even those who we do not necessarily know. The author does an exceptional job building the characters and storyline. Each character is equally as important as the next person and they are all connected in a web of stories, lies, malpractice, and politics.
Finegan created a world that is real and makes the reader feel like they are part of the story and know everyone in it personally. He describes New York in detail so even if you’ve never been there you can see it in your mind and know exactly where everything is. If I have one complaint it would be that it moved a bit slow at times but at the same time it felt like those times were necessary to get to where you needed to be in the story. Overall it was a fantastic read!
October 29, 2019
Residents in a Manhattan co-op near Central Park, come and go, rarely acknowledging one another. But each of their stories are intertwined; some more so than others. At the core of the story is Sheldon, an investment manager, and Wallace who is in IT. The two have known each other for some time through their daughters. But tragedy and misfortune throw them together in ways they never could have foreseen. With a generous helping of plot twists and well fleshed-out characters, this book is an intricate study in the forces of human nature. The story is skillfully woven together to create intricate layers of intrigue that will keep readers enthralled clear through to the unexpected conclusion. Author Patrick Finegan's Cooperative Lives is recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
June 26, 2019
This is a book you will savor word for word!
I really appreciate a book that I cannot rip through in 3 or 4 hours! It is well-written, with carefully-crafted sentences, excellent character development and scene setting. I absolutely got lost in the story. Rather than skipping over frivolous phrasing, I found myself re-reading sentences to make sure I absorbed everything or to revisit the clever wording.
It has been a very long time since I was able to truly enjoy a book and have a vested interest in the characters. Thank you Patrick Finnegan for your fine work! I look forward to your next effort!
I really appreciate a book that I cannot rip through in 3 or 4 hours! It is well-written, with carefully-crafted sentences, excellent character development and scene setting. I absolutely got lost in the story. Rather than skipping over frivolous phrasing, I found myself re-reading sentences to make sure I absorbed everything or to revisit the clever wording.
It has been a very long time since I was able to truly enjoy a book and have a vested interest in the characters. Thank you Patrick Finnegan for your fine work! I look forward to your next effort!
August 6, 2019
So intricately laid out and weaved
Cooperative Lives is the soap opera book I didn’t know I needed. It’s about a group of big city dwellers who live in the same co-op, and how their lives - while appearing to be separate - are really are interconnected. The characters themselves were totally real and relatable. The plot was so well thought out that it reminds me of game of thrones (in detail planning not blood and gore). It was a little on the long side but I enjoyed every minute of it. You really need to sit and focus on the novel as there are a lot of things you will overlook if you don’t. One of my favorite books this year for sure!
Cooperative Lives is the soap opera book I didn’t know I needed. It’s about a group of big city dwellers who live in the same co-op, and how their lives - while appearing to be separate - are really are interconnected. The characters themselves were totally real and relatable. The plot was so well thought out that it reminds me of game of thrones (in detail planning not blood and gore). It was a little on the long side but I enjoyed every minute of it. You really need to sit and focus on the novel as there are a lot of things you will overlook if you don’t. One of my favorite books this year for sure!
August 15, 2019
Historical fiction with an original adventure
This story is about the people who live in a downtown Manhattan high rise. They range from famous to infamous to unknown. With multiple careers from writer to senator and more, these residents all have one thing in common. They have found themselves in the middle of a scandal. The author creates a great storyline and describes the scene with an easy style that pulls you right in to the days events. The characters are developed and relatable while certain characters will draw on your deepest emotions. I enjoyed the story and think you will to. Take this one for a read and let me know your thoughts.
This story is about the people who live in a downtown Manhattan high rise. They range from famous to infamous to unknown. With multiple careers from writer to senator and more, these residents all have one thing in common. They have found themselves in the middle of a scandal. The author creates a great storyline and describes the scene with an easy style that pulls you right in to the days events. The characters are developed and relatable while certain characters will draw on your deepest emotions. I enjoyed the story and think you will to. Take this one for a read and let me know your thoughts.
December 5, 2019
Congratulations to Mr. Finegan for an impressive first novel. Nabokovian detail, the horrifying existential twists of JP Sartre and the deep and rich vocabulary of Fitzgerald. Impressive read.
The story lines were layered, and complex (due to the intricate detail) but all very real, recognized or recognizable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The author should write adapt it into a film.
Again, well done!
The story lines were layered, and complex (due to the intricate detail) but all very real, recognized or recognizable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! The author should write adapt it into a film.
Again, well done!
June 10, 2019
Cooperative Lives is Patrick Finegan's first work of fiction and is, as he describes it, "the world's most contemporary historical novel." He isn't incorrect in saying that the New York of 6-8 years ago is vastly different from New York today. And while that may throw some readers off, the book still holds up. It's a well constructed piece of story-telling. Finegan meticulously shows the reader each puzzle piece throughout the book before connecting them all in a rather thrilling conclusion.
Although the narrative can sometime seem to lose it's focus (particularly in the middle third of the book) well-researched details and quirky characters make this book an entertaining read. It's an interesting commentary on how connected strangers can be and on a metropolis that now seems distant.
Although the narrative can sometime seem to lose it's focus (particularly in the middle third of the book) well-researched details and quirky characters make this book an entertaining read. It's an interesting commentary on how connected strangers can be and on a metropolis that now seems distant.
September 9, 2019
We are proud to announce that COOPERATIVE LIVES by Patrick Finegan is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
May 7, 2019
Cooperative Lives attempts to use multiple perspectives to dig into the lives of one residential co-op in downtown New York. Finegan manages to interweave the lives of most of his characters into one story and the novel’s strength lay in its poetic language and unique, well-developed characters. However, it failed to focus, leaving me frustrated and confused.
Rich prose and impressive description carries us through past and present. The book opens on a summer blackout, following as George Wallace - our first of nearly a half dozen central characters - prepares for the worst. I got an immediate sense of George’s character, and his perspective on life guided the narration. When the story eventually switched to a new narrator, their perspective and background took over, and the novel did the best it could to fully explore each new voice.
However, despite the initial hook, the novel soon lost me.
The novel struggled to focus. This manifested mostly in a constant switching of point of view. I craved consistency. If each chapter, or even each scene, had stuck to one character’s perspective the story would have regained some stability. However, this felt like too much to ask of a story switching narrators in the middle of paragraphs. Omniscient narration can be effective — assuming the narrator is a separate figure, not one of the characters. This was not the case with Cooperative Lives.
The cast of characters was bloated. This contributed to the confusing POV switching, because almost every character in a scene was allowed not only page space, but narration. I appreciate the author’s commitment to fully developed characters, but I know there are ways to achieve this without letting every character take over. I eventually lost track of who was who. New characters continued to be introduced, squeezing my attention ever thinner. By the end, I had entirely confused two of the novel’s central characters. The excess of narrators and extensive flashbacks gave the novel a disordered sense of time and place. Some sections were one partial conversation truncated with long bits of narration or flashback.
Cooperative Lives needed to strike a balance between its building sized cast and a central focus. The theme of the novel - “everything is not what it seems” - got lost in keeping tabs on what had happened. If each chapter had simply focused on one character and used the novel’s obvious strength of creating interesting characters with rich description, I would have had a firmer grip.
I will say that by the end, I felt like I had some sense of what had happened. This is a basic sounding compliment, but near the middle I worried the pieces would never come together. The ending itself was mostly emotionally satisfying, and I didn’t feel there were too many loose threads. That said, I don’t know if I can recommend a book that I almost didn’t finish.
Rich prose and impressive description carries us through past and present. The book opens on a summer blackout, following as George Wallace - our first of nearly a half dozen central characters - prepares for the worst. I got an immediate sense of George’s character, and his perspective on life guided the narration. When the story eventually switched to a new narrator, their perspective and background took over, and the novel did the best it could to fully explore each new voice.
However, despite the initial hook, the novel soon lost me.
The novel struggled to focus. This manifested mostly in a constant switching of point of view. I craved consistency. If each chapter, or even each scene, had stuck to one character’s perspective the story would have regained some stability. However, this felt like too much to ask of a story switching narrators in the middle of paragraphs. Omniscient narration can be effective — assuming the narrator is a separate figure, not one of the characters. This was not the case with Cooperative Lives.
The cast of characters was bloated. This contributed to the confusing POV switching, because almost every character in a scene was allowed not only page space, but narration. I appreciate the author’s commitment to fully developed characters, but I know there are ways to achieve this without letting every character take over. I eventually lost track of who was who. New characters continued to be introduced, squeezing my attention ever thinner. By the end, I had entirely confused two of the novel’s central characters. The excess of narrators and extensive flashbacks gave the novel a disordered sense of time and place. Some sections were one partial conversation truncated with long bits of narration or flashback.
Cooperative Lives needed to strike a balance between its building sized cast and a central focus. The theme of the novel - “everything is not what it seems” - got lost in keeping tabs on what had happened. If each chapter had simply focused on one character and used the novel’s obvious strength of creating interesting characters with rich description, I would have had a firmer grip.
I will say that by the end, I felt like I had some sense of what had happened. This is a basic sounding compliment, but near the middle I worried the pieces would never come together. The ending itself was mostly emotionally satisfying, and I didn’t feel there were too many loose threads. That said, I don’t know if I can recommend a book that I almost didn’t finish.
May 17, 2019
This book just doesn’t stop. From the first page to the last, I found myself tumbling through an accelerating world of espionage, romance; coincidence at its most absolutely consequential. The story largely takes place in New York City, a setting that is really brought to life (if you’ll excuse the cliche) in this novel. In a place so densely packed with such a diverse population, Finegan has imagined how closely interconnected people really can be: the effect of strangers on one another’s lives can truly be monumental.
Whoever you are, and whatever your expectations, this book will surprise you. It’s such an intricate web of different experiences that it can’t help but turn when you least expect it. The characters are all relatable, and represent a vast range of lives and experiences, which made for a refreshing read, too.
An easy five stars.
Whoever you are, and whatever your expectations, this book will surprise you. It’s such an intricate web of different experiences that it can’t help but turn when you least expect it. The characters are all relatable, and represent a vast range of lives and experiences, which made for a refreshing read, too.
An easy five stars.
May 10, 2019
Patrick Finegan’s Cooperative Lives is a novel centered on the lives of a number of inhabitants of a mid-town Manhattan Co-op – some famous, others infamous, but all caught up in some degree in an unexpected, nationally newsworthy scandal. Finegan weaves a tale of betrayal on both the personal and national level so well that one hardly notices the threads as the story unfolds. Usually in novels of this sort there are many tell-tale signs which lead readers to at least come close to guessing the endgame, but this is one work that holds onto surprises right up until the very end. With its cast of characters who delightfully maneuver around each other causing chaos for each other along the way, this intricately woven plot is a wonderful read. Its adherence to themes like the “spider web theory” wherein one touch of the spider web starts a wave which effects all other parts of the web, is a technique utilized throughout the book to great advantage making for very interesting events and conclusions.
Memorable characters cast in unforgettable circumstances make this potboiler a great read. There’s something for everyone here: intrigue, espionage, love, deceit, despair. The novel runs the full extent of the emotional landscape and everyone within it is effected once the wheels are put in motion. A good choice for those who enjoy figuring out how things come together. A wonderfully fulfilling read and an excellent offering by a first-time author.
May 13, 2019
Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan is a tragicomedy thriller about two interracial families (IT director Wallace and his Kurdish wife Hanni and corporate lawyer Jack and his wife Susan) and their elderly neighbors living in a cooperative on posh Central Park South. The novel contains more twists and turns than The Guggenheim. Not only are the lives of the main characters at risk but also many of the shocking surprises in the novel are almost heart-stopping to read. Finegan worked for many years as a corporate lawyer and skillfully puts the reader in the world of unintentional financial errors, diminishing corporate careers, and sudden financial collapse. The novel also contains international intrigue in the medical profession. Much of the novel is set in 2012 and in his forward Finegan laments about how changes since Trump’s presidency have turned his contemporary novel into a work of historical fiction. However, the novel does touch on how economic sanctions, conspiracy theories, and the influence of Fox News would change the country.
May 4, 2019
A superb big city/small neighborhood story
I really, unexpectedly, enjoyed this book!
To explain…I'm very particular about my reading choices. Books that pass through my hard-to-define filter are a crazy mix of history (fact and fiction), crime (fact and fiction), sailing, mountain climbing, spaceships, dragons and sales processes. The common thread is that they were in-synch with whatever my state of mind was at the point I added them to my Kindle queue. A gifted book is rarely in-synch and usually gets a perpetual pass to the end of the line. Sort of like being gifted a pair of shoes.
Nevertheless, a gifted Cooperative Lives somehow sequenced to the front of my queue…ahead of a sure-to-be captivating recount of a doomed K2 climb…and I'm quite happy.
Cooperative Lives is 100% big city. I'm not a big city kind of guy, so keeping me reading is alone worth a few stars.
The first quarter of the book is an artful setting of a stage where I imagined my rural, strolling, self accelerating to breakneck speed along the streets and crosswalks bordering Central Park. Characters are wonderfully developed as well as their unique 'cooperative' relationships
Momentum builds with an expanding list of character imperfections and a complex story emerges of death, dollars, misplaced trust, government intrigue…the list is long. Fascinating is that the story's inhabitants are, for the most part, neighbors in the same building (whether they know it or not). Several great twists keep the pages turning.
The author mentioned Cooperative Lives was a many-year project that was nearly mothballed. I am glad he pushed through and shared a view of his old neighborhood. This country tourist enjoyed the visit.
I really, unexpectedly, enjoyed this book!
To explain…I'm very particular about my reading choices. Books that pass through my hard-to-define filter are a crazy mix of history (fact and fiction), crime (fact and fiction), sailing, mountain climbing, spaceships, dragons and sales processes. The common thread is that they were in-synch with whatever my state of mind was at the point I added them to my Kindle queue. A gifted book is rarely in-synch and usually gets a perpetual pass to the end of the line. Sort of like being gifted a pair of shoes.
Nevertheless, a gifted Cooperative Lives somehow sequenced to the front of my queue…ahead of a sure-to-be captivating recount of a doomed K2 climb…and I'm quite happy.
Cooperative Lives is 100% big city. I'm not a big city kind of guy, so keeping me reading is alone worth a few stars.
The first quarter of the book is an artful setting of a stage where I imagined my rural, strolling, self accelerating to breakneck speed along the streets and crosswalks bordering Central Park. Characters are wonderfully developed as well as their unique 'cooperative' relationships
Momentum builds with an expanding list of character imperfections and a complex story emerges of death, dollars, misplaced trust, government intrigue…the list is long. Fascinating is that the story's inhabitants are, for the most part, neighbors in the same building (whether they know it or not). Several great twists keep the pages turning.
The author mentioned Cooperative Lives was a many-year project that was nearly mothballed. I am glad he pushed through and shared a view of his old neighborhood. This country tourist enjoyed the visit.
May 2, 2019
This book was jam packed with information. It was a never ending adventure that kept me enticed the whole time.
The story takes place mainly in New York City, and focuses on the lives of a few residents of a co-op across from Central Park. The character development and setting descriptions are very developed and it’s amazing how every character matters to this story. In some way, everyone is connected. The character list at the beginning of the story was very helpful in keeping track of everyone as the story progressed.
“Cooperative Lives” was filled with tales of espionage, corruption, malpractice, death, politics, and everything else in between. Patrick Finegan developed a world that felt real, and it could quite possibly be. I felt like I knew the characters and related to some of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it was a never ending roller coaster of emotion and edge of your seat storyline.
The story takes place mainly in New York City, and focuses on the lives of a few residents of a co-op across from Central Park. The character development and setting descriptions are very developed and it’s amazing how every character matters to this story. In some way, everyone is connected. The character list at the beginning of the story was very helpful in keeping track of everyone as the story progressed.
“Cooperative Lives” was filled with tales of espionage, corruption, malpractice, death, politics, and everything else in between. Patrick Finegan developed a world that felt real, and it could quite possibly be. I felt like I knew the characters and related to some of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it was a never ending roller coaster of emotion and edge of your seat storyline.
May 6, 2019
I thought Cooperative Lives was an excellent examination into how we're all more connected than we really know. The book focuses on the residents of a co-op building. The setting was richly New York City and I thought both the setting and the characters were incredibly developed. It made me miss living in a really big city and also convinced me I would like New York if I ever get the chance to visit. I struggled a bit with the differing points of view, but that's just my hangup sometimes. I loved how this was sold as a modern historical fiction novel. It did feel a bit slow at times, but the richness in the world kept me going back.
July 7, 2019
Patrick Finegan shows a talent for description and realistic storytelling in Cooperative Lives — an enjoyable literary title.
July 19, 2019
This book is about our world from only 6 years ago. The author strives to recount how different our lives were only 6 short years ago. So much about our world has changed and we wouldn’t believe some of the changes we have seen back then. Set in New York City and following a host of characters, we get a first-row ticket to see how their lives intersect and influence each other in even the smallest of ways.
The writing was very fluid and eloquent, and the stories were interesting, but I think maybe a second book would be in order where half the characters were in one and the other half in the other book? The frequent switching of the point of view did not help me in reading this novel. Because there were so many people, it quickly became hard to remember who was who and how their lives intersected. So nice story, but hard to follow the multitude of characters..
The writing was very fluid and eloquent, and the stories were interesting, but I think maybe a second book would be in order where half the characters were in one and the other half in the other book? The frequent switching of the point of view did not help me in reading this novel. Because there were so many people, it quickly became hard to remember who was who and how their lives intersected. So nice story, but hard to follow the multitude of characters..
September 11, 2019
This story revolves around several characters who live in a coop in New York City. Their lives are intertwined in interesting ways, even though they do not know it.
I loved the beautiful language in this book. It is an engaging character-driven story with a surprising ending. All the characters are well developed.
The book moves seamlessly from the present-day to the past as the author gives us the backstories of the various characters.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My full review is available at
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
I loved the beautiful language in this book. It is an engaging character-driven story with a surprising ending. All the characters are well developed.
The book moves seamlessly from the present-day to the past as the author gives us the backstories of the various characters.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My full review is available at
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
May 1, 2019
Have you ever wondered how exciting your life is? Well after reading this book, I believe our lives are secluded, boring, and our society just doesn’t care about anything but themselves. The author has crafted this contemporary fiction story about a co-op where residents don’t really know each other despite being neighbors. While this book has its place in literature, I found it to be slow moving and lacked excitement. At the end of this story, I did better understand how we are all weaved together in some way.
Read
August 11, 2019Thought provoking
The way the book is set up is jogging between past and present. It outlines certain events in the lives of the characters. Toward the end of I couldn’t help but become introspective and thinking about life in general. This story made me feel particularly emotional because of how raw and real it’s presented. “Cooperative Lives” is beautifully written.
The way the book is set up is jogging between past and present. It outlines certain events in the lives of the characters. Toward the end of I couldn’t help but become introspective and thinking about life in general. This story made me feel particularly emotional because of how raw and real it’s presented. “Cooperative Lives” is beautifully written.
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