City on the Edge

by David Swinson

An American teen living abroad discovers the truth about himself and his family in this thrilling novel from "one of the best dialogue hounds in the business" ( New York Times Book Review ).

In the wake of a baffling tragedy, 13-year-old Graham moves with his family to Beirut, Lebanon, a city on the edge of the sea and cataclysmic violence. Inquisitive and restless by nature, Graham suspects his State Department father is a CIA operative, and that their family’s fragile domesticity is merely a front for American efforts along the nearby Israeli border. Over the course of one year, 1972, Graham’s life will utterly change. Two men are murdered, his parent’s marriage disintegrates, and Graham, along with his two ex-pat friends, run afoul of forces they cannot understand. 
The City on the Edge is elegiac, atmospheric, and utterly authentic. It’s the story of innocents caught within the American net of espionage, of the Lebanese transformed by such interference, of the children who ran dangerously beside the churning wheel of history. One part Stephen King’s “The Body” and another John le Carre’s A Perfect Spy , it’s a transformative crime story told with heart and genuine experience.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 25, 2021

About the author

David Swinson is the author of THE SECOND GIRL, CRIME SONG, TRIGGER and City on the Edge, by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown& Co. He is a retired DC police detective, and a former alternative and punk rock promoter in Long Beach, CA in the eighties.

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much the most perfect fiction book I've read that was 2021 published. Boys as boys are. Dramatic, gut wrenching clandestine and dangerous as it was entertaining. Eyes from a time when safe and safety had differing meanings and adventures little related to either. Reminded me of both Huck and Holden.

More after a day of thought for the voice of this chronological direct prose. This has got to be semi autobiography. Masterful.

Well, this is later. And it is SO good a read that I only add that I highly recommend it. Kids in "interesting times" and places personified. Reminds me in at least 3 or 4 extremely similar ways to our hide outs (some secret, a few not) in "the swamp" when they were building the Dan Ryan expressway and back filling the entire western edge of Beverly (Chicago) with the fill. It was a swamp before that, entirely. Complete with sinking pits. Groups fighting and hierarchy of bosses mixing in with what you could "find" besides the instant reality of pulling a young kid out of quicksand just before he went under. Losing his shoes and pants were the least of it because he had to explain their loss when he got home. Boys daring each other to get through to the other side of the viaduct without getting gang jumped etc. SO similar.

Real kids in real lives and times of conflict exist now. All over. And some of them are not in the Middle East either.

[Alisa]

DNF @50%

I guess coming of age stories aren’t for me. I was so bored I wanted to cry. I thought the 1970s in Beirut would be so interesting. Nope

I love this author’s Frank Marr series so I had high expectations for this one.

I did this on audio & the narrator was good

[Bruce Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

City on the Edge is a deftly written coming-of-age tale set amid the mounting tensions of 1970s Beirut. Swinson’s depiction of 13-year-old Graham’s odyssey of discovery is nothing short of masterful.

[Ross Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading this novel and although it's totally different from David Swinson's previous crime novels, its still a great read.
It's 1972 and Graham Sanderson is the 12 year old son of an American diplomat and him and his family have moved to Beruit, following his father's posting there. He has a younger brother and also had an older sister, who tragically died in a road traffic collision, the incident leaving a devastating impact on the family. Graham's mother tends to live in a bottle and this has put an indelible strain on the marriage. Graham no longer feels he has his mother's love but she however, is overly protective of his younger brother. The novel tells of Graham's life with his family and also with his two friends who also live in the same apartment block and also of their exploits in the immediate neighbourhood where they live. Graham's life is easygoing and fairly carefree until the tensions start to increase in the city and when he unexpectantly is witness to a crime, it turns his whole life upside down.
I've got to admit that I'm a sucker for coming of age novels and I'm not sure if its because I've reached an age now that I look back with longing to more innocent times or if I'm just becoming more nostalgic in my 'old age'. This is a big departure from Swinson's previous crime novels featuring Frank Marr but I found it no less thrilling. Swinson describes Graham's life wonderfully, in that Graham manages to manoeuvre the complexities of his family life while at home but also he has the freedom to explore the new, strange and different world when he is out with his friends. There are also the rather mysterious locals who inhabit his small world, such as Pigeon Man, who they avoid at all costs, as he apparently chops up children with his cleaver. There is also a darker edge to the book which starts to emerge as the book progresses and especially in relation to his father's dealings and also the company he keeps. From its bright sunny start of a child exploring a new world the novel becomes slowly, progressively darker, more claustrophobic and climaxes with a final bloody finale that I just didn't see coming.

[J.B. Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy. This book was outstanding. It is a coming of age story, and reminded me of "The Last Child". I think "City on the Edge" will be a strong award contender in 2021.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Swinson’s City On The Edge is described as a “transformative crime story,” set in Beirut in the 1970s. Told from the perspective of 13-year-old Graham, who lives with his State Department father, younger brother, and the mother who is apparently drunk most of the time and fights with David’s father constantly, it takes place over the course of a year. The family lives in a large apartment building with Micheline, their live-in “housekeeper, cook, nanny, sometimes friend.” Graham makes two good friends and, together, they explore and build a “fort” and generally act like early teen-aged boys, in search for adventure.

Graham isn’t really sure what his father does for a living, although he has some suspicions that Dad is more than an administrative worker (particularly when he finds the gun his father carries in his briefcase). One day, Graham and his friends are in the fort when a murder is committed RIGHT THERE in front of the shocked Graham, his friends having left for home already. The story of Graham’s interaction with the murder investigation, his run-in with a local teenage bad guy, his mixed feelings as he begins to discover how his body responds to seeing a woman undressing — all of it is incredibly well written and really held my interest.

Swinson himself is the son of a foreign service officer, and lived in various places around the world growing up (including Beirut), so his depiction of the picturesque seaside city as it begins its sad slide from being the “Paris of the Mideast” to being a violence-ridden, unsafe site of terror attacks and espionage. The impact of foreign interference in the various battles going on throughout the region is apparent, revealed gradually as the story unfolds, Graham’s parents’ marriage disintegrates, and the entire family has to leave Lebanon…except for his father, who has unfinished business there. It’s not exactly a page-turner, although I was motivated to keep reading to find out what happened to Graham and his friends and family.

The author really knows the City of Beirut and what it is like to be the son of a “foreign service officer” growing up in various newsworthy cities (Beirut, Mexico City, Saigon). I will happily read Mr. Swinson’s next book, and perhaps may try his series about a D.C.-based private investigator. Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for a copy of City On The Edge in exchange for this honest review. Four stars.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do think adolescent boys will enjoy the book and it’s a YA book. A young American boy attends the 1972 Olympics with his father. His father’s job has always been murky for his son but now he suspects that dad could be in government. A death happens and tension grows between Israel and Palestine. The novel is a bit too technical and misses the exciting story. The language seems more 2021 than 1972 even with mentions of 1972 technology from time to time. Too slight. Not as exciting as the story should be.

[Zak · Rating 5 out of 5]

City On The Edge is so compelling that I literally felt like I was on the edge of my seat from page one. I was really impressed by the various ways edges were reflected throughout the text. I also loved Graham’s narrative view-the way that he tells events as though they are happening while we already know he has experienced them and can emphasize details in the present-this makes a powerful statement about the tensions that are still ongoing and how they have roots in the past. City On The Edge is an excellent coming of age thriller with heart.

[SusanJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. First-person narrative of a 12-year-old expat American in Beirut in 1972. There's spying, and a murder mystery, but mainly it just captures the place and time and outlook of young Graham. I especially appreciated the way the historical events and tensions of the time (Israel-Palestine-Lebanon; the 1972 Olympics terrorist murders; the clandestine role of the US) were present in and relevant to the characters and plot, but didn't overwhelm. I'll be looking for more books by this author.

EDIT: Turns out the other books by this author aren't about the Middle East. He himself was an expat American boy in Beirut in the early 1980s... no wonder the book captures that point of view so well!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am most curious how this novel ended up on my list. I added it on June 6, 2021 but that doesn't help. 3 stars is somewhat a rounding up for me. The greatest flaw is a critical event late in the novel that is not explained (tried to word this so that it isn't a spoiler). The basic story is about three expat boys in Beirut Lebanon all "coming of age" as young teenagers. If I judge the book as a "teenage" read, it becomes a solid 3 stars.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+

[Charisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Great story set in the early 70’s.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe this book exists

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unreliable narrator 13-yr-old Graham describes what happened in 1970's Beirut before and after Munich while living there with his diplomat father. I found the dialogue stilted and question whether it was purposeful? Perhaps a teen's memory of what happened? His version. I did not find suspenseful but COA well done. Especially his friendships. His fear of punishment by his parents gave him the motivation for omission and lies. He wonders if his father is CIA. Graham witnesses a murder and inadvertently helps to figure it out. Pace moved along mostly due to short chapters full of dialogue. The setting of Beirut was well drawn and added to the sometimes sinister tone.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this book a lot. It is more of a rite of passage for a teenager to become an adult. It did have a murder. that was well written but it sort of took a back seat to the story of Graham's life in Lebanon.

An American teen living abroad discovers the truth about himself and his family in this thrilling novel from "one of the best dialogue hounds in the business" (New York Times Book Review).

In the wake of a baffling tragedy, 13-year-old Graham moves with his family to Beirut, Lebanon, a city on the edge of the sea and cataclysmic violence. Inquisitive and restless by nature, Graham suspects his State Department father is a CIA operative, and that their family’s fragile domesticity is merely a front for American efforts along the nearby Israeli border. Over the course of one year, 1972, Graham’s life will utterly change. Two men are murdered, his parent’s marriage disintegrates, and Graham, along with his two ex-pat friends, run afoul of forces they cannot understand.
The City on the Edge is elegiac, atmospheric, and utterly authentic. It’s the story of innocents caught within the American net of espionage, of the Lebanese transformed by such interference, of the children who ran dangerously beside the churning wheel of history. One part Stephen King’s “The Body” and another John le Carre’s A Perfect Spy, it’s a transformative crime story told with heart and genuine experience.

[Cynde · Rating 4 out of 5]

1972 Beirut, Graham and his family arrive at his father's new assignment in the Foreign Service. Their apartment building is on a hill near the sea. Graham is twelve and everything about his new home is exciting. He looks forward to snorkeling off the reefs in the sea and making friends among the other American children whose fathers serve the U.S. government. He makes two new friends, Roddy and Lenny, they have adventures, build a fort in a brush pile and spy on the neighborhood with Graham's binoculars. Until one day when playing in the fort the two friends leave and Graham is there alone. He hears two men talking near the fort(brush pile) looking out between the sticks he sees the one man stab the other man. The man falls back dead right outside the fort. Graham runs away as fast as he can.The book is a kid's eye view of a very volatile country on the edge of war and the stresses of growing up in such a place. The unfolding mystery of the murderer takes a dangerous twisting pace as seen through the boys eyes. The author's father was in the Foreign Service and live all over the world on assignments with his dad so the book has almost an autobiographical quality to it.

[Holly Gravel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written bc author had lived there.


In the wake of a baffling tragedy, 13-year-old Graham moves with his family to Beirut, Lebanon, a city on the edge of the sea and cataclysmic violence. Inquisitive and restless by nature, Graham suspects his State Department father is a CIA operative, and that their family’s fragile domesticity is merely a front for American efforts along the nearby Israeli border. Over the course of one year, 1972, Graham’s life will utterly change. Two men are murdered, his parent’s marriage disintegrates, and Graham, along with his two ex-pat friends, run afoul of forces they cannot understand.
The City on the Edge is elegiac, atmospheric, and utterly authentic. It’s the story of innocents caught within the American net of espionage, of the Lebanese transformed by such interference, of the children who ran dangerously beside the churning wheel of history. One part Stephen King’s “The Body” and another John le Carre’s A Perfect Spy, it’s a transformative crime story told with heart and genuine experience.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but didn't love it as many other reviewers did. However, I will agree with others in that the dialogue was done very well and really gave a sense of the characters involved. Set in the 1970s in Beirut, the story is largely told from the point of view of 12-year-old Graham as his family is there for his father's work. Is his father a diplomat or military or CIA? Graham wonders about it all and his relationship with his father is the basis for many of his decisions throughout the book. His father's friends/colleagues give him pause as well. It's an eye-opening world for this youngster. The people and situations he witnesses as well as the few Graham befriends are the basis for this coming-of-age novel. Written more as reflections of this time in Graham's past, I found the voice of the novel interesting but perhaps a little too passive which took away from the action for me.

[Sarnfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so disappointed when Swinson’s Frank Marr trilogy ended, really loved those books. Then for a while, nothing more from him. So I was excited to find a new stand alone from him. Cannot believe this was written by the same author. Poorly written. The characters were thinner than the paper they were printed on, the story line boring and equally as thin, and the dialogue was just painful to read. Zero excitement factor for something that was touted as a thriller. And I literally did an eye roll at each chapter break.

[Glen Guldbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first David Swinson novel. What a fantastic read. I'm a sucker for "coming of age" stories. It's the early 70s, in Beirut, through the eyes of a twelve year old American boy, whose dad works at the Embassy. Over the course of the story, young Graham will experience things that a young person shouldn't have to. I could not put this one down. I'm looking forward to reading his Frank Marr trilogy. Fans of Stephen King's novella, The Body (the movie Stand By Me), should thoroughly enjoy this book. Happy reading!

[Florence Primrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham lives with his diplomat father in Beirut when he discovers a body. He heard the killer talk. Months later he realizes the killer was the father of a friend.

Interesting story told fro. The viewpoint of a young teenager.

[John Helmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read about a boy who witnesses a murder. The story is set in Beirut in the early '70s. The kid's father is in the U.S. diplomatic service (or is it the C.I.A) and becomes friends with a couple of boys his age. The tension is good and the 12-year-old's voice is very realistic. 4/5

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Sounds like the author might have taken a lot of his own growing up experiences as a sounding board for this story. Theme of young boys getting into mischief with a mysterious murder and a surprise suspect at the ending. Looking forward to more from this author.

[Lettie Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had another book waiting for me, I would have given up on this one. It didn't grab me until after the first 50-75 pages. Slow start, but I'm glad I read it. This is my 2nd book by DS & I really like his writing.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd little book. I didn't find this was giving me much of a historical perspective on Beirut or the intelligence community. Some dumb cops and robbers stuff at the end. The interaction among the boys was probably the strongest part of the story.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good coming of age story.

[Mary Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good coming of age story.

I will look for other books by this author.

[Kristine Gerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads like a YA novel.

[Marcus Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done, hard to put down

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ this was a quick read - a coming of age story that took place in a war torn country. I liked the main character and his buddies.