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Clean Hands: A Novel
Corporate lawyer Elizabeth Carlyle is under a lot of pressure. Her prestigious New York law firm is working on the most high-stakes case in company history, defending a prominent bank. When Elizabeth gets the news that one of her junior associates has lost his phone―and the secret documents that were on it―she needs help. Badly. Enter ex-CIA officer Valencia Walker, a high-priced fixer who gets called in when governments, corporations, and plutocrats need their problems solved discretely. But things get complicated when the missing phone is somebody has already copied the documents, and now they’re blackmailing the firm. The situation gets murkier still when stories about the documents start appearing in the press and a tragic suicide seems staged, hinting that darker forces may be churning below the surface. With billions of dollars on the line, Elizabeth and Valencia must maneuver and outmaneuver whomever is behind this, and, most importantly, keep their hands clean. This is a world of private security, private diplomacy, and private justice. A sharply drawn cast of characters―dirty lawyers, black-market traders, Russian criminals, and extra-judicial actors, all take part in this breakneck tour through New York. Authentic, tense, and impossible to put down, Clean Hands gives a vivid look at the connections between corporations, government, and the underworld.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2020
307 people are currently reading
2775 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Hoffman
4 books179 followersPatrick Hoffman is a novelist and private investigator based in Brooklyn, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
July 2, 2020
Patrick Hoffman writes an intense, fast paced and exciting thriller set in New York, so very twisted and where nothing is as it appears. Young gay lawyer, Chris Cowley, apparently loses his phone to a skilful pickpocket, an event that is to derail his life and threatens his career at the prestigious Wall Street law firm of Carlyle, Driscoll and Hathaway. On his phone are incendiary private documents that relate to the firm's most lucrative client, the Calcott Bank, whose planned merger with another bank, Emerson, fell apart. The banks are now in the process of litigation, with Calcott represented by the high powered lawyer and partner, Elizabeth Carlyle. Carlyle knows that both she and the firm are in deep trouble, she makes the decision to not use in-house security to ensure they keep their hands clean, opting instead to employ the specialist expertise of the ex-CIA Valencia Walker, an exclusive high priced fixer, used by the government, corporations and the wealthy to make their problems go away.
With the help of her regular employees, Milton Frazier and Billy Sharrock, Valencia manages to locate the phone, and Carlyle breathes a sigh of relief, thinking the problem has been resolved. However, this is premature as the firm find themselves being blackmailed, receiving a demand for a large sum of money. Valencia takes over the operation, in charge of the ransom drop, assuming the blackmailers are amateur opportunists, only to find they are outsmarted. In the meantime, they can find no leads whatsoever on the original pickpocket, he has no online presence and appears to be a ghost. In a narrative where Elizabeth begins to feel her hard won career is on the cusp of going down the drain, her worst scenario begins to materialise as the documents begin to be slowly drip fed to the media, can Valencia save her?
Hoffman writes an intense, dark, tense and highly suspenseful thriller that grabbed my attention right from the start to the last pages of the novel. There is a well drawn, large and wide ranging cast of characters from a variety of backgrounds, from low level street players, to Russian criminals, and off the books black ops groups. In what is a rarity for this popular genre, the two central protagonists are women, both extremely capable, who stand heads and shoulders above the men they are surrounded by. In this twisted story of the below the radar connections between the government, intelligence agencies, law firms, corporations and the criminal underworld, justice too turns out to be a private affair. This is a great read, with one minor flaw, the author is a trifle sloppy in his use of the same repetitive adjectives to describe far too many characters, otherwise a highly compelling thriller that many will enjoy. Many thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC.
With the help of her regular employees, Milton Frazier and Billy Sharrock, Valencia manages to locate the phone, and Carlyle breathes a sigh of relief, thinking the problem has been resolved. However, this is premature as the firm find themselves being blackmailed, receiving a demand for a large sum of money. Valencia takes over the operation, in charge of the ransom drop, assuming the blackmailers are amateur opportunists, only to find they are outsmarted. In the meantime, they can find no leads whatsoever on the original pickpocket, he has no online presence and appears to be a ghost. In a narrative where Elizabeth begins to feel her hard won career is on the cusp of going down the drain, her worst scenario begins to materialise as the documents begin to be slowly drip fed to the media, can Valencia save her?
Hoffman writes an intense, dark, tense and highly suspenseful thriller that grabbed my attention right from the start to the last pages of the novel. There is a well drawn, large and wide ranging cast of characters from a variety of backgrounds, from low level street players, to Russian criminals, and off the books black ops groups. In what is a rarity for this popular genre, the two central protagonists are women, both extremely capable, who stand heads and shoulders above the men they are surrounded by. In this twisted story of the below the radar connections between the government, intelligence agencies, law firms, corporations and the criminal underworld, justice too turns out to be a private affair. This is a great read, with one minor flaw, the author is a trifle sloppy in his use of the same repetitive adjectives to describe far too many characters, otherwise a highly compelling thriller that many will enjoy. Many thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC.
August 16, 2020
Clean Hands Patrick Hoffman Aug 2020
Gave up on this one, DNF at page 182, less than a hundred pages left. Loved, The White Van by this author and highly recommend it. Clean Hands, for me didn’t work. Part of it was stylistic construction. There are no chapters and there is only one plotline. For me the book suffered from plotline fatigue and I bogged down in what I call the wallow, others call it the fearsome middle. It was at the end of the complications (four c’s conflict complication, crisis, conclusion). There was also an issue with the business or choreography of the scenes, the business of the scenes overpowered the forward motion of the story. I liked The White Van so much I will definitely pick up the author’s next book.
David Putnam Author of The Bruno Johnson Series.
Gave up on this one, DNF at page 182, less than a hundred pages left. Loved, The White Van by this author and highly recommend it. Clean Hands, for me didn’t work. Part of it was stylistic construction. There are no chapters and there is only one plotline. For me the book suffered from plotline fatigue and I bogged down in what I call the wallow, others call it the fearsome middle. It was at the end of the complications (four c’s conflict complication, crisis, conclusion). There was also an issue with the business or choreography of the scenes, the business of the scenes overpowered the forward motion of the story. I liked The White Van so much I will definitely pick up the author’s next book.
David Putnam Author of The Bruno Johnson Series.
May 23, 2020
This felt like half a novel masquerading as a full book.
Allow me to explain: I was really enjoying this for the first 3/4 of the book. Compelling plot, fascinating detail, good trajectory. And then it just ended rather abruptly, seemingly in the middle of the story.
The feel was much like reading half a book and then skipping to the last chapter. The carefully crafted, slowly but enthrallingly unfolding plot comes to a sudden halt, punctuated by a neat and tidy concluding chapter. I actually checked to make sure my galley wasn’t missing pages.
This is all a shame because the plot of this had great promise, and I loved the minutiae and painstaking detail paid to tracing the stolen cell phone that started it all.
The author introduces a large cast of characters early, seemingly to give us a long list of suspects to ponder when deciding who is really behind all this. Unfortunately, most of them turn out to be mere plot device archetypes whose stories don’t go anywhere (even in service of the greater plot), and the villain is a shadow figure who has little to do with the rest of the book prior to when the person is introduced.
Hoffman’s accounts of both the crime and the tracing of it are excellent, but not enough to save a story that seems spectacularly incomplete.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Allow me to explain: I was really enjoying this for the first 3/4 of the book. Compelling plot, fascinating detail, good trajectory. And then it just ended rather abruptly, seemingly in the middle of the story.
The feel was much like reading half a book and then skipping to the last chapter. The carefully crafted, slowly but enthrallingly unfolding plot comes to a sudden halt, punctuated by a neat and tidy concluding chapter. I actually checked to make sure my galley wasn’t missing pages.
This is all a shame because the plot of this had great promise, and I loved the minutiae and painstaking detail paid to tracing the stolen cell phone that started it all.
The author introduces a large cast of characters early, seemingly to give us a long list of suspects to ponder when deciding who is really behind all this. Unfortunately, most of them turn out to be mere plot device archetypes whose stories don’t go anywhere (even in service of the greater plot), and the villain is a shadow figure who has little to do with the rest of the book prior to when the person is introduced.
Hoffman’s accounts of both the crime and the tracing of it are excellent, but not enough to save a story that seems spectacularly incomplete.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
May 17, 2020
Have you ever seen that TV commercial for spaghetti sauce - Ragu, if I recall correctly? "It's in there," the narrator says. Well, somewhere in this book is a story, I'm sure, but most of it went over my head in the jumble of endless characters, excessively lengthy chapters that switched gears several times with no warning and an ending that, to put it mildly, was abrupt.
That's not to say there's nothing going on, although sometimes it was hard to tell who was doing what to whom. Here's what I know (or think I know): A merger between two banks goes south, creating two mortal enemies who are planning to fight it out in court. One of those banks is represented by a heavyweight law firm and one of its high-powered attorneys, Elizabeth Carlyle. One of their younger associates screws up big-time by putting sensitive documents related to the lawsuit on his cell phone, which then gets stolen as he moves through Grand Central Station on his way somewhere.
Worried that the documents would be damaging to the firm if they fell into the wrong hands, Elizabeth hires a woman named Valencia, who appears to be some kind of professional mercenary, to find the phone and the thief. But then, the bottom falls out when Elizabeth gets a threat: The documents will be made public unless her firm pays a hefty ransom. Elizabeth agrees, with Valencia in turn agreeing to follow the money surreptitiously and, hopefully, get it back along with those pesky documents.
From that point on, things got so convoluted and ridden with characters, those characters' relatives and relatives of their relatives that I really couldn't follow it (although I did deduce that almost everyone involved was following almost everyone else to varying degrees of success). It might have gone more smoothly had the chapters been shorter. It's not a lengthy book, but there are only four chapters, so just about every "set" of characters gets a place in each one, but with zero transition. Many times I had to flip back a page or two in my Kindle when I realized I wasn't reading about the characters I thought I was.
In the end, although technically the writing (as in grammar, punctuation and spelling) had no noticeable glitches, I'm afraid this one just didn't click with me. Just the same, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-publication copy.
That's not to say there's nothing going on, although sometimes it was hard to tell who was doing what to whom. Here's what I know (or think I know): A merger between two banks goes south, creating two mortal enemies who are planning to fight it out in court. One of those banks is represented by a heavyweight law firm and one of its high-powered attorneys, Elizabeth Carlyle. One of their younger associates screws up big-time by putting sensitive documents related to the lawsuit on his cell phone, which then gets stolen as he moves through Grand Central Station on his way somewhere.
Worried that the documents would be damaging to the firm if they fell into the wrong hands, Elizabeth hires a woman named Valencia, who appears to be some kind of professional mercenary, to find the phone and the thief. But then, the bottom falls out when Elizabeth gets a threat: The documents will be made public unless her firm pays a hefty ransom. Elizabeth agrees, with Valencia in turn agreeing to follow the money surreptitiously and, hopefully, get it back along with those pesky documents.
From that point on, things got so convoluted and ridden with characters, those characters' relatives and relatives of their relatives that I really couldn't follow it (although I did deduce that almost everyone involved was following almost everyone else to varying degrees of success). It might have gone more smoothly had the chapters been shorter. It's not a lengthy book, but there are only four chapters, so just about every "set" of characters gets a place in each one, but with zero transition. Many times I had to flip back a page or two in my Kindle when I realized I wasn't reading about the characters I thought I was.
In the end, although technically the writing (as in grammar, punctuation and spelling) had no noticeable glitches, I'm afraid this one just didn't click with me. Just the same, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-publication copy.
April 18, 2020
I did not enjoy it, in fact I felt very let down by it. I started to give it a 3 star rating and then reconsidered. I had looked forward to reading this book but I struggled to get end. It was gritty but seemed full of holes.
Usually I pick one of the characters that I like at the beginning of the book and I am in his or her corner cheering them on through all the twists and turns but not this I latched onto Elizabeth Carlisle but ended up not feeling anything for her. Rarely do I ever feel pity for a character, but I did this time. he was in an impossible situation but he did not realize that he had very bad problem and needed help with it. The very attractive Valerie Walker seemed cold and detached late in the book. Near the end of the book, I basically wanted to escape the story. Too many characters and I did not understand why some acted the way that they did.
The end came out from nowhere and seemed very strange.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher from a win on First Reads.
Usually I pick one of the characters that I like at the beginning of the book and I am in his or her corner cheering them on through all the twists and turns but not this I latched onto Elizabeth Carlisle but ended up not feeling anything for her. Rarely do I ever feel pity for a character, but I did this time. he was in an impossible situation but he did not realize that he had very bad problem and needed help with it. The very attractive Valerie Walker seemed cold and detached late in the book. Near the end of the book, I basically wanted to escape the story. Too many characters and I did not understand why some acted the way that they did.
The end came out from nowhere and seemed very strange.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher from a win on First Reads.
June 21, 2020
I wonder if Patrick Hoffman chose CLEAN HANDS as the title of his latest thriller for its irony. The term refers to a legal principle that one party cannot seek equitable relief or claim an equitable defense if that party has itself engaged in inappropriate behavior. In courts of equity, the clean hands doctrine is as old as the law itself. On the pages of Hoffman’s fast-moving novel, readers may ponder if any of these unique characters have anything other than the dirtiest of hands as well as hearts and minds.
The book begins one typical weekday morning when Chris Crowley, a young associate attorney at the Wall Street law firm of Carlyle, Driscoll, and Hathaway, is the apparent victim of a random pickpocket. The theft turns out to be more than an ordinary street crime; it is a targeted attack on Crowley’s cell phone, which contains copies of important documents from a major lawsuit that he and his firm are litigating. This high-stakes case involves two major banks, one of which is part of the Calcott Corporation, Carlyle’s biggest client. Without the enormous fees that Calcott pays out, the firm probably would not exist.
Large law firms engaging in million-dollar litigation are prepared to confront the daily disasters that regularly occur as they get ready for trial. Elizabeth Carlyle, the managing partner of Carlyle, Driscoll, and Hathaway, springs into action. Even though Carlyle has her own in-house investigators, including veterans of the FBI, she knows that she needs to seek outside assistance from what lawyers might refer to as an “off-the-books” team. So she enlists the services of Valencia Walker, a former CIA agent with a talented team of co-workers who earn huge fees discreetly helping governments, corporations and wealthy individuals solve problems by working outside the normal course of business.
CLEAN HANDS is a noir journey through the streets and neighborhoods of New York, where characters ranging from Russian mobsters to black-market traders all become involved in the search for Crowley’s cell phone and its contents. At multiple junctures in the investigation, readers may believe that the threat has been averted, but soon will discover that is not the case. The twists and turns will bend your reading mind into a pretzel, but it will be enjoyable.
Mystery novels come in all shapes, sizes, forms and plots, as do the detectives and villains who occupy their pages. There is no violence, car chases through city streets, gun duels or sadistic killers in CLEAN HANDS. Still, this is a fast-paced story with entertaining dialogue and a cast of unforgettable characters. And the end will leave you with just enough unanswered questions that you may want to go back to the beginning to see what you might have missed.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
The book begins one typical weekday morning when Chris Crowley, a young associate attorney at the Wall Street law firm of Carlyle, Driscoll, and Hathaway, is the apparent victim of a random pickpocket. The theft turns out to be more than an ordinary street crime; it is a targeted attack on Crowley’s cell phone, which contains copies of important documents from a major lawsuit that he and his firm are litigating. This high-stakes case involves two major banks, one of which is part of the Calcott Corporation, Carlyle’s biggest client. Without the enormous fees that Calcott pays out, the firm probably would not exist.
Large law firms engaging in million-dollar litigation are prepared to confront the daily disasters that regularly occur as they get ready for trial. Elizabeth Carlyle, the managing partner of Carlyle, Driscoll, and Hathaway, springs into action. Even though Carlyle has her own in-house investigators, including veterans of the FBI, she knows that she needs to seek outside assistance from what lawyers might refer to as an “off-the-books” team. So she enlists the services of Valencia Walker, a former CIA agent with a talented team of co-workers who earn huge fees discreetly helping governments, corporations and wealthy individuals solve problems by working outside the normal course of business.
CLEAN HANDS is a noir journey through the streets and neighborhoods of New York, where characters ranging from Russian mobsters to black-market traders all become involved in the search for Crowley’s cell phone and its contents. At multiple junctures in the investigation, readers may believe that the threat has been averted, but soon will discover that is not the case. The twists and turns will bend your reading mind into a pretzel, but it will be enjoyable.
Mystery novels come in all shapes, sizes, forms and plots, as do the detectives and villains who occupy their pages. There is no violence, car chases through city streets, gun duels or sadistic killers in CLEAN HANDS. Still, this is a fast-paced story with entertaining dialogue and a cast of unforgettable characters. And the end will leave you with just enough unanswered questions that you may want to go back to the beginning to see what you might have missed.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
September 18, 2020
Have you ever read a book where you turned the page and found out it actually just ended? That’s what happened to me here. I thought maybe the eBook was missing pages or that I just read half. I usually don’t spend a lot of time in my reviews with plot info since you can find that elsewhere. But in this case I really can’t tell you what the heck was going on! Only reason for 2 stars is that it is well written and I was enjoying what I did understand. There are way too many characters so that was challenge number one. Then there was the challenge to understand who everyone was and how they intersected with each other. What I thought was the main plot about a legal corporate case and a stolen phone with incriminating info on it suddenly turned into a secret extrajudicial organization doing god knows what for unknown reasons. I actually went to Goodreads after I finished and hoped I’d find reviews with spoilers just so someone can tell me what I just read! The more I type the more I want to reduce my rating so I’ll just hit “Done”.
December 27, 2020
listen i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but people who didn't like this book are wrong.*
maybe i'm just more of a subtext gal, but this cast is more complex than most characters in 500-page crime novels i've read this year, or in the past five years.
the next thing that's gonna stay with me is Elizabeth and Valencia. all i've ever wanted in brutal crime fiction like this is for writers to start writing women like they would write men; without giving them gendered motivations or exclusively gendered issues; write them as shitty people with selfish reasons for doing horrible things. you wouldn't think that would be as hard to find as it is. not in this one - these two female legends carried the book by being complex and barely moral.
for that and many other reasons, i will read everything this man ever produces. someone keep me from reading his backlog in the 4 days i have before the start of the new year.
*humble opinion
maybe i'm just more of a subtext gal, but this cast is more complex than most characters in 500-page crime novels i've read this year, or in the past five years.
the next thing that's gonna stay with me is Elizabeth and Valencia. all i've ever wanted in brutal crime fiction like this is for writers to start writing women like they would write men; without giving them gendered motivations or exclusively gendered issues; write them as shitty people with selfish reasons for doing horrible things. you wouldn't think that would be as hard to find as it is. not in this one - these two female legends carried the book by being complex and barely moral.
for that and many other reasons, i will read everything this man ever produces. someone keep me from reading his backlog in the 4 days i have before the start of the new year.
*humble opinion
June 4, 2020
This book takes off like a rocket and is a darn exciting read. This is totally a MacGuffin book, what it's actually about is never made clear. The ending falls apart a bit as things come to an ending, but you still don't know who these people represent. If you can accept it for the fun ride it is, go for it. If you expect a book to make sense, look for something else.
I received an eARC through NetGalley.
I received an eARC through NetGalley.
May 12, 2020
This book could not be more timely, with news of groups like Black Cube (exposed by Ronan Farrow's reporting) show how slippery private investigation can be. In CLEAN HANDS, two woman -- a fixer named Valencia and a powerful lawyer named Elizabeth -- face down a multitude of foes, from corrupt NSA types to Russian mobsters, and sometimes, each other. Could not put down.
July 30, 2020
Clean Hands was just what I needed to get out of a little reading funk I'd been in. This is a short, punchy novel that is almost entirely plot-driven, but with enough thoughtful character work to make it all hold together.
Following a stolen cell phone holding sensitive legal documents relating to a failed bank merger, the cast of characters is wide with lawyers, mobsters, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, low-level criminals, and more. They all come together to form a complex web of intrigue and danger that kept me on my toes throughout.
Patrick Hoffman has a razor-sharp style that worked perfectly with the novel's narrative. It is dry and straight-forward, but never devolves to the point where it feels like you are just reading a draft of a screenplay. I will definitely be seeking out his other work.
Following a stolen cell phone holding sensitive legal documents relating to a failed bank merger, the cast of characters is wide with lawyers, mobsters, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, low-level criminals, and more. They all come together to form a complex web of intrigue and danger that kept me on my toes throughout.
Patrick Hoffman has a razor-sharp style that worked perfectly with the novel's narrative. It is dry and straight-forward, but never devolves to the point where it feels like you are just reading a draft of a screenplay. I will definitely be seeking out his other work.
February 21, 2024
At first I found this disappointingly procedural, but it gradually builds and leans into Hoffman's strength (an intricate web of crime unfolded via multiple perspectives) . Would've been another 5 star from me alongside Every Man A Menace -- if he had just stuck the landing --but I found the ending untidy and implausible.
October 10, 2020
It’s complex. It’s technical. A million details. A hundred characters. It’s spare but it sprawls.
And I loved it. Hoffman’s among my new faves.
And I loved it. Hoffman’s among my new faves.
July 22, 2022
Thriller set in NEW YORK
“She’ll make the dirt disappear at all costs”
Clean Hands is a thriller, written by award-winning author and private investigator, Patrick Hoffman. It opens with a mundane crime: a young employee at a top corporate law firm has his phone stolen. On it, he had stored sensitive documents about a case involving a major bank accused of fraud, and soon a ransom demand is made. His boss, Elizabeth Carlyle, is out of her depth and she calls on the services of Valencia Walker, a glamorous and experienced private investigator and “fixer”, who will make the problem go away for a price. Valencia is able to call on all the right people, in the police, secret services and others with hi-tech skills to recover the phone. Things rapidly escalate and the tension ramps up when even Valencia finds herself challenged as further demands are made. It becomes clear she must use all her skills and contacts to overcome the powerful people who are blackmailing her client.
The title of the book, Clean Hands, is a legal term meaning that the claimant in a case cannot benefit if they have resorted to illegal methods in relation to the case. The title relates to the bank merger that’s the centre of the blackmail plot, but it could equally be a slogan for Valencia’s business, since she solves her clients’ problems and leaves them appearing squeaky clean.
This is a fast-paced thriller with a complex plot that centres on crime, power and money. At various levels people make mistakes – from small indiscretions to corporate fraud – and no bad deed goes unpunished. It is a novel about deception and appearances, where even Valencia – a calm and beautiful swan – is paddling furiously beneath the surface to preserve herself, her client and those working alongside her. The book proves to be a delight as it takes many twists and turns and I empathised with the varied cast of characters; even the baddies proved fascinating. My heart ached for the young lawyer whose initial mistake escalated disproportionately into a career-threatening drama, but there was also empathy for the equally the trio of hapless, young, Jewish gangsters and for Valencia herself.
As I neared the end of the book, I began to wonder how it was all going to be wrapped up in the rapidly diminishing number of pages. And how did it end? The answer is – quickly! I found myself a bit puzzled and disappointed that the end came so abruptly, when the rest of the book had been engrossing and very enjoyable.
Does the book describe New York? Yes it does! There is a great deal of detail about the city itself, from the routes that are taken by travellers in trains and taxis, to the scenes of the action. The places described range from upmarket city law offices in Manhattan to modest apartments and seedy backstreet businesses in boroughs such as Brooklyn.
We learn about New York not just from descriptions of the places but also the wide variety of its fictional inhabitants from all walks of life; Russian criminals and students stealing phones to make some cash, affluent lawyers, and the owners of everyday businesses. Hoffman is very particular about the details when introducing his characters, which reminded me of Patricia Cornwell’s style. He describes how they dress, the meals they prepare, their homes and everything about them in cinematic detail. Some of the neighbourhoods that feature might not be on the tourist route, but the book certainly gives a full flavour of New York city. I’d recommend reading it on the flight!
“She’ll make the dirt disappear at all costs”
Clean Hands is a thriller, written by award-winning author and private investigator, Patrick Hoffman. It opens with a mundane crime: a young employee at a top corporate law firm has his phone stolen. On it, he had stored sensitive documents about a case involving a major bank accused of fraud, and soon a ransom demand is made. His boss, Elizabeth Carlyle, is out of her depth and she calls on the services of Valencia Walker, a glamorous and experienced private investigator and “fixer”, who will make the problem go away for a price. Valencia is able to call on all the right people, in the police, secret services and others with hi-tech skills to recover the phone. Things rapidly escalate and the tension ramps up when even Valencia finds herself challenged as further demands are made. It becomes clear she must use all her skills and contacts to overcome the powerful people who are blackmailing her client.
The title of the book, Clean Hands, is a legal term meaning that the claimant in a case cannot benefit if they have resorted to illegal methods in relation to the case. The title relates to the bank merger that’s the centre of the blackmail plot, but it could equally be a slogan for Valencia’s business, since she solves her clients’ problems and leaves them appearing squeaky clean.
This is a fast-paced thriller with a complex plot that centres on crime, power and money. At various levels people make mistakes – from small indiscretions to corporate fraud – and no bad deed goes unpunished. It is a novel about deception and appearances, where even Valencia – a calm and beautiful swan – is paddling furiously beneath the surface to preserve herself, her client and those working alongside her. The book proves to be a delight as it takes many twists and turns and I empathised with the varied cast of characters; even the baddies proved fascinating. My heart ached for the young lawyer whose initial mistake escalated disproportionately into a career-threatening drama, but there was also empathy for the equally the trio of hapless, young, Jewish gangsters and for Valencia herself.
As I neared the end of the book, I began to wonder how it was all going to be wrapped up in the rapidly diminishing number of pages. And how did it end? The answer is – quickly! I found myself a bit puzzled and disappointed that the end came so abruptly, when the rest of the book had been engrossing and very enjoyable.
Does the book describe New York? Yes it does! There is a great deal of detail about the city itself, from the routes that are taken by travellers in trains and taxis, to the scenes of the action. The places described range from upmarket city law offices in Manhattan to modest apartments and seedy backstreet businesses in boroughs such as Brooklyn.
We learn about New York not just from descriptions of the places but also the wide variety of its fictional inhabitants from all walks of life; Russian criminals and students stealing phones to make some cash, affluent lawyers, and the owners of everyday businesses. Hoffman is very particular about the details when introducing his characters, which reminded me of Patricia Cornwell’s style. He describes how they dress, the meals they prepare, their homes and everything about them in cinematic detail. Some of the neighbourhoods that feature might not be on the tourist route, but the book certainly gives a full flavour of New York city. I’d recommend reading it on the flight!
March 1, 2022
I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed both of Patrick Hoffman’s previous novels, especially ‘Every Man A Menace’ which I also gave a five star rating.In ‘Clean Hands’, Hoffman delves into the world of big business and the dirty tricks employed by outside forces to try and influence events in order to gain an advantage for their clients.
Chris Cowley is a lawyer who is pickpocketed on the New York subway and whose mobile phone contains sensitive documents relating to a multimillion pound case that his employer is handling. Valencia Walker is an ex CIA officer, who is now self employed and is called in by the law firm to track down the missing phone and the documents, before they fall into the wrong hands and irreparable damage is done to the companies reputation.
This is a real page turner and I found it absolutely unputdownable. The novel starts with the theft of the phone and continues at breakneck speed as we follow it’s journey through various hands until it’s ultimate destination. Then we follow Valencia Walker’s team’s investigation and how they track down the stolen phone , using all the legitimate and illegal means at their disposal. The story is told from multiple points of view and as the story unravels more revelations are revealed which casts a different light on the proceedings. The story involves high powered lawyers, petty criminals, Russian mobsters, crooked cops and dark ops operatives. The story also contains its fair share of action but a lot of the violence is mainly implied via threats and this at times is more menacing and scary than actual physical violence. For me one of the most scary and disturbing passages was where a victim is coerced into taking his own life. You know what’s happening, as does the victim but they are incapable of doing anything and the perpetrator does it so coldly and clinically. You are never quite sure where the story is headed next, as I was continually wrong footed by the various twists and turns but it eventually ends in a satisfying conclusion where one of the most chilling fictional ‘baddies’ gets his just desserts.
Chris Cowley is a lawyer who is pickpocketed on the New York subway and whose mobile phone contains sensitive documents relating to a multimillion pound case that his employer is handling. Valencia Walker is an ex CIA officer, who is now self employed and is called in by the law firm to track down the missing phone and the documents, before they fall into the wrong hands and irreparable damage is done to the companies reputation.
This is a real page turner and I found it absolutely unputdownable. The novel starts with the theft of the phone and continues at breakneck speed as we follow it’s journey through various hands until it’s ultimate destination. Then we follow Valencia Walker’s team’s investigation and how they track down the stolen phone , using all the legitimate and illegal means at their disposal. The story is told from multiple points of view and as the story unravels more revelations are revealed which casts a different light on the proceedings. The story involves high powered lawyers, petty criminals, Russian mobsters, crooked cops and dark ops operatives. The story also contains its fair share of action but a lot of the violence is mainly implied via threats and this at times is more menacing and scary than actual physical violence. For me one of the most scary and disturbing passages was where a victim is coerced into taking his own life. You know what’s happening, as does the victim but they are incapable of doing anything and the perpetrator does it so coldly and clinically. You are never quite sure where the story is headed next, as I was continually wrong footed by the various twists and turns but it eventually ends in a satisfying conclusion where one of the most chilling fictional ‘baddies’ gets his just desserts.
August 14, 2022
I've enjoyed Patrick Hoffman's work in the past and 'Clean Hands' is a nice addition to his catalog. It's a fast moving, sometimes complicated, crime novel that touches both big business and the legal profession in the world capital of those professions, New York.
Clean Hands begins with the pick-pocketing of the unlocked cellphone of a young attorney employed by one of the largest and most respected law firms on the planet. Although that's not the first time something like that has happened in NYC, in this case it was especially problematic since the phone contained super-confidential documents related to a gigantic lawsuit the firm is working on. If the information contained on the phone gets out, the dollar impact could be in the billions. Elizabeth Carlyle, the big shot attorney running the lawsuit, contacts Valencia Walker, her 'fixer', to track down the phone and ensure the info contained within doesn't get into the open. Valencia, ex-CIA with an organization of talented ex-spooks/LEOs, gets to work and quickly makes progress, but after paying a ransom for the phone it becomes apparent that the thieves were not only more sophisticated than first thought but also that the phone's return doesn't necessarily mean its content was intact.
Hoffman's writing is first-rate and he's great with dialogue. I liked the setting, the characters were believable for the most part, and the pace of the story was very quick. None of the characters, however, were what I'd consider to be likeable and the corporate entities involved (giant law firms, mega banks) weren't sympathetic in the least. Clean Hands is a mercifully short, fast-paced heist story that left me wishing it'd been written with a little more depth.
Clean Hands begins with the pick-pocketing of the unlocked cellphone of a young attorney employed by one of the largest and most respected law firms on the planet. Although that's not the first time something like that has happened in NYC, in this case it was especially problematic since the phone contained super-confidential documents related to a gigantic lawsuit the firm is working on. If the information contained on the phone gets out, the dollar impact could be in the billions. Elizabeth Carlyle, the big shot attorney running the lawsuit, contacts Valencia Walker, her 'fixer', to track down the phone and ensure the info contained within doesn't get into the open. Valencia, ex-CIA with an organization of talented ex-spooks/LEOs, gets to work and quickly makes progress, but after paying a ransom for the phone it becomes apparent that the thieves were not only more sophisticated than first thought but also that the phone's return doesn't necessarily mean its content was intact.
Hoffman's writing is first-rate and he's great with dialogue. I liked the setting, the characters were believable for the most part, and the pace of the story was very quick. None of the characters, however, were what I'd consider to be likeable and the corporate entities involved (giant law firms, mega banks) weren't sympathetic in the least. Clean Hands is a mercifully short, fast-paced heist story that left me wishing it'd been written with a little more depth.
August 1, 2020
A lawyer Elizabeth Carlyle is devastated when she is informed that a junior colleague has lost his phone with important documents on it.
Ex CIA officer Valencia Walker is enlisted to "fix" the problem quickly and cleanly.
But there is a problem, the files have already been copied and passed on leading to blackmail for the firm and Valencia has to sort out the tangled web.
This started off really good, a story of corporate misconduct but then for me I found it quickly lost pace.
I never have issues with keeping track of characters, situations etc but I felt there were just TOO many characters and after a while I began to lose track of the story or see where it was going and the ending was inconclusive.
The blurb sounded fantastic but it just didn't live up to it.
Think this is going to be a Marmite novel, you either love it or hate it and I just didn't.
Ex CIA officer Valencia Walker is enlisted to "fix" the problem quickly and cleanly.
But there is a problem, the files have already been copied and passed on leading to blackmail for the firm and Valencia has to sort out the tangled web.
This started off really good, a story of corporate misconduct but then for me I found it quickly lost pace.
I never have issues with keeping track of characters, situations etc but I felt there were just TOO many characters and after a while I began to lose track of the story or see where it was going and the ending was inconclusive.
The blurb sounded fantastic but it just didn't live up to it.
Think this is going to be a Marmite novel, you either love it or hate it and I just didn't.
August 9, 2020
So this book... I didn't love it but it doesn't deserve a super low rating because I did enjoy parts of it so I feel 3 stars is fair. It just fell a little short for me. This has a great premise but it just didn't completely work for me and it also struggled to keep me engaged, I've been reading this one for weeks now even though it's only 277 pages. I feel like there were too many characters involved in this that really didn't need to be, I get that they were in there to keep you guessing on who the main troublemaker is but because there wasn't much thrill or suspense to this story I didn't really feel like a mystery to me, I think this just wasn't exciting enough for me and not particularly gripping, it didn't meet the expectations I had for it.
January 5, 2021
I haven’t read a legal thriller in a while so when I saw this one reviewed in WSJ, I thought “ why not ?” It was pretty good. I had no trouble getting interested in it but about 3/4 of the way through , I realized there is NO character development. Just action and more action. A young associate at a big law firm has his cell phone stolen. On it are sensitive documents concerning a big case. Ex CIA officers following people around New York. Russian bad guys blackmailing high powered lawyers. There are powerful woman galore- always checking their teeth for lipstick stains. If you like John Grisham, pick this one up. It is really better than most of his.
May 22, 2021
I struggled to rate this book because I’m not sure how I feel about it! I really enjoyed the writing style, and thought the plot was interesting, engaging, and very intriguing! However, there are far too many characters and the story gets very very complicated! I struggled to follow it at times (although I wonder if having a better knowledge of legal terms would’ve helped with this?!) and wasn’t fully committed to the story.
Thank you to Grove Press and Grove Atlantic for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Grove Press and Grove Atlantic for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2020
The storyline was not engaging at all. There were waaaaay to many characters and none of them were developed very well either. Each paragraph was written from a different persons perspective which made the book really hard to follow and it did not flow well. There wasn't any of the twists & turns that I expected from reading the blurb. I was disappointed with this book.
March 21, 2021
This book has everything except a plot that you can understand--a powerful female lawyer, a powerful female fixer (Like Olivia Pope), Russian mobsters, Jewish mobsters, and gay guy, and a plot by a secret US government agency. The final chapter is supposed to tie it all together, but it would have involved me going back over it and the book wasn't worth it.
July 10, 2020
Absolute page turner, the rare book that you wish was longer.
July 22, 2020
Being brutally honest here, this was not a book for me. A few chapters in and I was totally confused, there were so many characters introduced- one after another- I couldn't possibly see how they could all be relevant to the narrative.
Basically it's the story of a man who lost his phone. It was picked from his pocket in a crowded railway station. The man was a lawyer and the phone contained sensitive material in the case his company was handling, a big case between two major banks. Firstly you've got to ask yourself, would any good lawyer transfer such work to a device that leaves the office? I would sack any that did if I ran a law firm.
The head of the firm then bypasses the in house detective and hires a firm of fixers.... yet more characters. While they're blagging their way round the city, commiting fraud while posing as cops, FBI agents, etc, there's a ransom demand. Pay up or the papers go public.
Add to them all the hands the phone passes through, Chinese street gangs, Russian mob, a Jewish jeweller. To be honest, after the third lot I'd given up caring.
Sorry and all that, but I just skimmed the rest until I fell asleep.
Basically it's the story of a man who lost his phone. It was picked from his pocket in a crowded railway station. The man was a lawyer and the phone contained sensitive material in the case his company was handling, a big case between two major banks. Firstly you've got to ask yourself, would any good lawyer transfer such work to a device that leaves the office? I would sack any that did if I ran a law firm.
The head of the firm then bypasses the in house detective and hires a firm of fixers.... yet more characters. While they're blagging their way round the city, commiting fraud while posing as cops, FBI agents, etc, there's a ransom demand. Pay up or the papers go public.
Add to them all the hands the phone passes through, Chinese street gangs, Russian mob, a Jewish jeweller. To be honest, after the third lot I'd given up caring.
Sorry and all that, but I just skimmed the rest until I fell asleep.
May 3, 2025
Fun little escapist read. Not shocked by any of the twists but good for what it is. The kind of book you’d pick up in the airport book shop on holiday
July 14, 2020
In the early days of detective fiction, investigators such as Poe’s Auguste Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes solved cases through sheer deductive brilliance. Later came the tough guys of the hardboiled school of detective fiction (Hammett’s Sam Spade, Chandler’s Philip Marlow, more recently Child’s Jack Reacher). They were all more inclined to use their fists and sometimes a pistol to force a case to its solution. Now, in the era of the Information Revolution, we’re beginning to see the character of the detective updated to master the technology that circumscribes our lives. Patrick Hoffman introduces us to the new species in his clever thriller about corporate espionage, Clean Hands.
An investigator wedded to technology rather than fists and guns
In this diabolically clever novel, Chris Cowley, a junior associate for a corporate law firm in New York, reports that his phone has been stolen. Panic ensues at the firm, since the young lawyer had uploaded extremely sensitive files onto the phone that expose criminal behavior by its largest client.
Managing partner Elizabeth Carlyle decides that her in-house chief of security isn’t up to the task of chasing down the phone. Instead she calls in her go-to troubleshooter, Valencia Walker, a former CIA case officer who heads her own investigative firm. Walker speedily swings into action, mobilizing her small staff and a network of contractors and calling in favors from law enforcement and the intelligence community. Using every high-tech trick in the book as well as an abundance of shoe leather, Walker identifies the thief and chases down the path the phone took after he’d lifted it from Chris Cowley’s jacket at Grand Central Station.
A mystery within a mystery within . . . well, another mystery in this clever thriller
Was the thief a random pickpocket? Was Cowley in on the theft? What will happen to those sensitive files after the phone is handed off and then wholesaled? In a traditional spy thriller, answering those questions would likely lead to a predatory foreign power or a big corporation on a path to become even bigger. Not so in Clean Hands. What’s happening won’t become clear even when the Russian mob gets involved. Hoffman at length supplies the answers—but they’re only the beginning. All the pieces fit together in this clever thriller, but just how is a mystery.
This is one book where you absolutely, positively will not understand what’s going on until you reach the end. Do not—I repeat, do not—read the final chapter to learn in advance what happens. You’ll be sorry if you do.
About the author
Patrick Hoffman runs his own private detective agency based in Brooklyn, having spent many years previously as a private investigator and an investigator for the San Francisco pubic defender’s office. Clean Hands is his third novel.
An investigator wedded to technology rather than fists and guns
In this diabolically clever novel, Chris Cowley, a junior associate for a corporate law firm in New York, reports that his phone has been stolen. Panic ensues at the firm, since the young lawyer had uploaded extremely sensitive files onto the phone that expose criminal behavior by its largest client.
Managing partner Elizabeth Carlyle decides that her in-house chief of security isn’t up to the task of chasing down the phone. Instead she calls in her go-to troubleshooter, Valencia Walker, a former CIA case officer who heads her own investigative firm. Walker speedily swings into action, mobilizing her small staff and a network of contractors and calling in favors from law enforcement and the intelligence community. Using every high-tech trick in the book as well as an abundance of shoe leather, Walker identifies the thief and chases down the path the phone took after he’d lifted it from Chris Cowley’s jacket at Grand Central Station.
A mystery within a mystery within . . . well, another mystery in this clever thriller
Was the thief a random pickpocket? Was Cowley in on the theft? What will happen to those sensitive files after the phone is handed off and then wholesaled? In a traditional spy thriller, answering those questions would likely lead to a predatory foreign power or a big corporation on a path to become even bigger. Not so in Clean Hands. What’s happening won’t become clear even when the Russian mob gets involved. Hoffman at length supplies the answers—but they’re only the beginning. All the pieces fit together in this clever thriller, but just how is a mystery.
This is one book where you absolutely, positively will not understand what’s going on until you reach the end. Do not—I repeat, do not—read the final chapter to learn in advance what happens. You’ll be sorry if you do.
About the author
Patrick Hoffman runs his own private detective agency based in Brooklyn, having spent many years previously as a private investigator and an investigator for the San Francisco pubic defender’s office. Clean Hands is his third novel.
July 28, 2020
High finance, billion dollar banks and a Wall Street law firm on the brink of disaster . . . combined with a talented fixer, a determined, urbane and experienced warrior woman known for her smooth style, velvet touch and iron fist . . . and you’ll have just a few of the elements of a recent thriller.
Big mergers between mega corporations involve billions of dollars in cash, accounts receivable and debt. They’re full of big risks, big paydays and big problems, that, once completed successfully, are cause for big celebrations as well as big congratulations. It’s when things go wrong, right in the midst of negotiations however, that the crying starts and the heartache begins. It’s when the recriminations, finger-pointing, denials and calls go out for “lawyers, guns and money.” It’s also where the pulse-pounding Clean Hands begins.
The mega-merger between two multi-billion dollar banks has collapsed and a lawsuit has been filed, followed by an even larger counter claim. It’s the most high-stakes lawsuit the prominent Wall Street law firm has ever filed in its entire history and survival—as well as the personal wealth of the partners—hangs in the balance. A successful outcome is the only possible option. So, when a junior associate loses his cellphone with a significant number of the firms secret case files on it, panic sets in at the highest levels. Senior partner Elizabeth Carlyle, the lead lawyer, is under extreme duress to get the phone back . . . or else. The threat of ruination is imminent, should the pilfered Iphone fall into the wrong hands. Ms. Carlyle needs help, and deniability, as fast as she can get it. She calls an ex-CIA officer named Valencia Walker, a “high-priced fixer,” whose clients include governments, corporations and millionaire tycoons, all handled with the utmost discretion. She retrieves the phone, but finds that it’s been copied, and now the law firm is being blackmailed. Negative stories start to run in the press, a lawyer appears to have killed himself, and rumors begin to swirl about dark, and even darker deeds.
This fast-paced, electrifying thriller has it all: gangsters, hit men, shady lawyers, backstabbers, sneaky government agents, corruption in high places, super-patriots and enough bad-assery to fill up a ten-wheel dump truck. It’ll keep you enthralled all afternoon during these hot August days of COVID-19 induced shut-in and strife.
Big mergers between mega corporations involve billions of dollars in cash, accounts receivable and debt. They’re full of big risks, big paydays and big problems, that, once completed successfully, are cause for big celebrations as well as big congratulations. It’s when things go wrong, right in the midst of negotiations however, that the crying starts and the heartache begins. It’s when the recriminations, finger-pointing, denials and calls go out for “lawyers, guns and money.” It’s also where the pulse-pounding Clean Hands begins.
The mega-merger between two multi-billion dollar banks has collapsed and a lawsuit has been filed, followed by an even larger counter claim. It’s the most high-stakes lawsuit the prominent Wall Street law firm has ever filed in its entire history and survival—as well as the personal wealth of the partners—hangs in the balance. A successful outcome is the only possible option. So, when a junior associate loses his cellphone with a significant number of the firms secret case files on it, panic sets in at the highest levels. Senior partner Elizabeth Carlyle, the lead lawyer, is under extreme duress to get the phone back . . . or else. The threat of ruination is imminent, should the pilfered Iphone fall into the wrong hands. Ms. Carlyle needs help, and deniability, as fast as she can get it. She calls an ex-CIA officer named Valencia Walker, a “high-priced fixer,” whose clients include governments, corporations and millionaire tycoons, all handled with the utmost discretion. She retrieves the phone, but finds that it’s been copied, and now the law firm is being blackmailed. Negative stories start to run in the press, a lawyer appears to have killed himself, and rumors begin to swirl about dark, and even darker deeds.
This fast-paced, electrifying thriller has it all: gangsters, hit men, shady lawyers, backstabbers, sneaky government agents, corruption in high places, super-patriots and enough bad-assery to fill up a ten-wheel dump truck. It’ll keep you enthralled all afternoon during these hot August days of COVID-19 induced shut-in and strife.
August 14, 2020
Taut and gripping, as my mother would say. I want to be annoyed that in place of characterization, every major character at some point closes their eyes and thinks of their mother, and then the scene ends (Valencia, Elizabeth, Chris, Yuri, at least). But in the final acknowledgement I read that the author's mother died while he was writing this, so okay, I see you, and I see how you put a Russian auntie in to deliver a message to visit with your elderly relatives. Okay, okay.
One twist is a government-backed network of identitiless spies/murderers called N14. It's too much like B613 from Scandal. What government history or conspiracy theory don't I know, that both these spy networks must be based on?
In fact, the whole thing felt like an NYC/law-firm-based episode of Scandal. A lot of disillusioned people in settings where Power is located, with just enough focus on their clothes. And then the references to specific NYC locations, which I sort of enjoyed (hey I know that corner of Washington Square Park, this subway line, etc.), although maybe I'm just not cool enough to know that there are any clubs in Greenpoint like the one where a character goes all night.
I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, but I still can't say it pulled me through. The minor characters, Milton and Billy: their lives never quite made sense to me. Valencia's glamour and beauty were forced and annoying. Elizabeth is powerful so her husband is emasculated and uninterested in sex. He clearly needed some women to help him write women. (Red is not a Sensible nail polish color, it's Powerful, Vixeny!) And please, give a girl without Valencia's Porcelain Skin a break, stop emphasizing that the main baddie has "pockmarked skin." It's a truly defining feature, apparently. Oh, and SO many characters undertaking "countersurveillance maneuvers." Sounds like a fancy term for dodging in and out of bathrooms.
Okay, that ends my complaints. I don't read a lot of thrillers. Not bad.
One twist is a government-backed network of identitiless spies/murderers called N14. It's too much like B613 from Scandal. What government history or conspiracy theory don't I know, that both these spy networks must be based on?
In fact, the whole thing felt like an NYC/law-firm-based episode of Scandal. A lot of disillusioned people in settings where Power is located, with just enough focus on their clothes. And then the references to specific NYC locations, which I sort of enjoyed (hey I know that corner of Washington Square Park, this subway line, etc.), although maybe I'm just not cool enough to know that there are any clubs in Greenpoint like the one where a character goes all night.
I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, but I still can't say it pulled me through. The minor characters, Milton and Billy: their lives never quite made sense to me. Valencia's glamour and beauty were forced and annoying. Elizabeth is powerful so her husband is emasculated and uninterested in sex. He clearly needed some women to help him write women. (Red is not a Sensible nail polish color, it's Powerful, Vixeny!) And please, give a girl without Valencia's Porcelain Skin a break, stop emphasizing that the main baddie has "pockmarked skin." It's a truly defining feature, apparently. Oh, and SO many characters undertaking "countersurveillance maneuvers." Sounds like a fancy term for dodging in and out of bathrooms.
Okay, that ends my complaints. I don't read a lot of thrillers. Not bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2020
I'm not really sure if it was my version, as I received an eARC from netgalley, but this book was choppy and pieced together in odd ways and out of sequence.
I'm really hoping it was a formatting issue. As for the overall story, I thought some parts were very interesting and I couldn't wait to uncover the truths of what was what. The journey taken was quite entertaining and suspenseful, and I kept wishing I had read some pieces in order but my mind was able to rearrange to see the entirety.
I didn't like the ending. Now again, it could have been the version I received but it was just cut off. Just felt like mid chapter and no real resolution in the end. Anticlimatic.
*thank you to netgalley for the earc*
I'm really hoping it was a formatting issue. As for the overall story, I thought some parts were very interesting and I couldn't wait to uncover the truths of what was what. The journey taken was quite entertaining and suspenseful, and I kept wishing I had read some pieces in order but my mind was able to rearrange to see the entirety.
I didn't like the ending. Now again, it could have been the version I received but it was just cut off. Just felt like mid chapter and no real resolution in the end. Anticlimatic.
*thank you to netgalley for the earc*
March 14, 2020
This is a review of an ARC from NetGalley.
OK, I'm one chapter in and there have already been roughly 583 characters introduced, each of whom gets a multi-paragraph back story, and half of whom get a page or so told from their point of view. This had better settled down quick - curious, does Atlantic Monthly Press have editors?
UPDATE: I'm half-way through, and if anything, it's gotten more tedious. Just tons of extra description that doesn't need to be there, zero character development, and, for a thriller, a remarkably slow plot.
OK, I'm one chapter in and there have already been roughly 583 characters introduced, each of whom gets a multi-paragraph back story, and half of whom get a page or so told from their point of view. This had better settled down quick - curious, does Atlantic Monthly Press have editors?
UPDATE: I'm half-way through, and if anything, it's gotten more tedious. Just tons of extra description that doesn't need to be there, zero character development, and, for a thriller, a remarkably slow plot.
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