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Hard Feelings
For fans of Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep, Hard Feelings is a gripping, original novel of paranoia, obsession, and revenge... For computer-networking salesman Richard Segal, life has been tough lately. He hasn't made a sale in months, his wife might be sleeping with an old boyfriend, and he's starting to drink again. On his way home from work one evening, he spots a familiar face across Fifth Avenue - Michael Rudnick, a guy who grew up across the street from him in Brooklyn. What seems like a harmless encounter becomes anything but when Richard is haunted by a terrifying memory. As the stress in Richard's life builds, he becomes obsessed with two questions: What exactly happened in Michael Rudnick's basement twenty-two years ago? and what is he going to do about it now?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
63 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Jason Starr
116 books248 followersJason Starr is the international bestselling author of many crime novels and thrillers, including Cold Caller, The Follower, The Pack and The Next Time I Die. He also writes comics for Marvel (Wolverine, The Punisher) and DC (Batman, The Avenger) and original graphic novels such as Red Border and Casual Fling. In addition, he writes film and TV tie-in novels including an official Ant-Man novel and the Gotham novels based on the hit TV show. His books have been published in sixteen languages and several of his novels are in development for film and TV. He has won the Anthony Award for mystery fiction twice, as well as a Barry Award. Starr lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 10, 2014
What I don’t like is when I find the first chapter of the author’s next book added on to the end of the book I’m reading, like a free download or like junk mail. You don’t see Marcel Proust or Margaret Atwood doing that. It’s really not classy.
What I do like is another tale of a guy coming apart at the seams as the pressure builds up and up and UP. We’ve seen it many times before, in movies like Fargo, Locke and Bad Lieutenant, and in novels like Casino Moon, Bonfire of the Vanities and What I Lived For. This one is a solid addition, nothing too fancy. But I think survivors of childhood sexual abuse might not appreciate how the horrible memories bubble up, poison and wreck the life of our unravelling computer systems salesman Richard Segal here. It’s completely bleak.
Richard Segal is a very unpleasant protagonist but he suffers so much you’re reading through your fingers sometimes. Jason Starr is an interesting writer – I wonder what other ideas he’s had for plots? Hmm – I think I’ll read the first chapter of Tough Luck that they were kind enough to include….
July 8, 2020
4,5*
October 11, 2011
falls einem die welt wieder einmal unsagbar ungerecht vorkommt ist dieses buch ein gutes gegenmittel. der unsympathler in der hauptrolle bekommt was er verdient. und wieder eine gescheiterte biographie mehr die starr hier knochentrocken in szene setzt. bei meinem dritten buch von starr hab ich allerdings dann doch das gefühl dass der gute jason nur einen charakter beschreibt, nicht mehrere...aber noch werfe ich ihm das nicht vor, dazu schreibt er einfach zu unterhaltsam. aufzeichnungen aus dem banalen psychopathen-alltag.
December 31, 2018
Having finished Jason starr’s too far novel I couldn’t wait to jump into hard feelings- it lived up to my expectations so much so I inhaled the book within two days, I love Jason’s books, he definitely knows how to engage his readers, you really understand the characters and I felt I knew them personally, I enjoy the build up and tension of Jason’s plots and that he leaves you struggling to put the book down. Few pages suddenly turn into chapter after chapter, he’s definitely one of my new favourite authors!!
October 1, 2018
In the first two Starr books I've read, through everything there were still periods where I was rooting for the main character no matter the trouble they go themselves into. In Hard Feelings, however, I found it difficult to muster any such support for Richie Segal. His decisions at times are mind boggling and unjustifiable and he is a difficult character to follow through a first person narrative. That difficulty is negated by the fact that Starr is a true master of suspense and once again had me rattling through his novel in around 24 hours for the third consecutive read.
March 15, 2010
Richard Segal was a successful network system salesman and consultant who changed jobs and, overnight, became not so successful, successful and....well that's the story. He's married to Paula, a rising star with a Wall Street investment research firm who "has a past." Richard struggles with his alcohol addiction and, apparently, Paula struggles with a sex addiction. The couple argues frequently and the arguments inevitably involve their addictions. Jason Starr writes about middle class people living in New York City and struggling to make ends meet. The stories usually go along at an easy pace when suddenly, what seems to be an innocent plot turns ugly and the ending usually leaves the reader wondering. Hard Feelings is no different from his other novels in this regard. Be prepared to be left with an unsettled feeling when you read the last page of this novel. I will say that Starr's books do catch your attention and do compel you to keep reading. But that's what books are for: To be read and to entertain.
August 12, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Richie Segal
SETTING: New York City
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Richie Segal was a successful salesman who changed jobs and hasn't made a sale in months. He's drinking again, but his problems really start when he accidentally sees his childhood abuser, Michael Rudnick, on the street. He rapidly spirals out of control, assaulting Rudnick and wrecking his marriage. Every page brings more disaster. It's like watching 2 trains rushing toward each other--no matter how horrible you know it's going to be, you can't stop looking.
SETTING: New York City
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Richie Segal was a successful salesman who changed jobs and hasn't made a sale in months. He's drinking again, but his problems really start when he accidentally sees his childhood abuser, Michael Rudnick, on the street. He rapidly spirals out of control, assaulting Rudnick and wrecking his marriage. Every page brings more disaster. It's like watching 2 trains rushing toward each other--no matter how horrible you know it's going to be, you can't stop looking.
September 18, 2013
"Hard Feelings" is the second Jason Starr novel I've read this month, and I am officially a major fan. I read this book in a single evening, and I can't remember the last time I've done that. The writing is straightforward and stripped down, never coy, overbearing, or enamored with itself. There is a lot of dark humor here, especially in the scenes of Richard struggling to thrive in his cut-throat sales job. It's painful, yet riveting to watch Richard unravel.
November 19, 2013
Cannot understand why this one doesn't have a higher score and more ratings - thought it was great and almost a 5 star read for me (take half a star off for not quite being believable). Descriptions of corporate life and dialogue with his wife all seemed very authentic and there were a couple of unexpected twists and what I thought was a great ending. Will definitely track down more by this author.
October 27, 2021
Hurt people hurt people …
January 14, 2021
Wow, I mean WOW! What an ending.
4 stars. Being a thrifter and trader, oftentimes I end up with "take what I can get" reads rather than what's on my current TBR list. They either end up as duds or an unexpected, lifelong favorite! Hard Feelings is the latter!
Watch how Richard Segal's mundane and monotonous life unravels when he encounters an old peer from his past life. How could this one person cause a comfortable and conforming man to go down a path of paranoia and violence. It's a steady ascent into madness and recollection. I've seen some reviewers describe our protagonist as being "happy" before this encounter. But it was pretty obvious he was sluggish and miserable not only with his work but with his marriage and social life as well. He's in a mid-life crisis - filled with feelings of betrayal and regret. It's the classic story of what an ordinary guy can be capable of when pushed to his limits.
This is definitely a read in one-shot! A reading slump cure. It's somehow fast-paced while managing to unfold the backstory throughout each chapter without feeling rushed. The writing is sharp and straight-forward, not boring but not trying too hard to be clever either. There is plenty of dark, dark humor to go around all throughout the story. I have dark humor myself, so this was right up my alley. Trigger Warning! If you're uncomfortable with themes of or graphic, deathly depictions. Skip this one.
4 stars. Being a thrifter and trader, oftentimes I end up with "take what I can get" reads rather than what's on my current TBR list. They either end up as duds or an unexpected, lifelong favorite! Hard Feelings is the latter!
Watch how Richard Segal's mundane and monotonous life unravels when he encounters an old peer from his past life. How could this one person cause a comfortable and conforming man to go down a path of paranoia and violence. It's a steady ascent into madness and recollection. I've seen some reviewers describe our protagonist as being "happy" before this encounter. But it was pretty obvious he was sluggish and miserable not only with his work but with his marriage and social life as well. He's in a mid-life crisis - filled with feelings of betrayal and regret. It's the classic story of what an ordinary guy can be capable of when pushed to his limits.
This is definitely a read in one-shot! A reading slump cure. It's somehow fast-paced while managing to unfold the backstory throughout each chapter without feeling rushed. The writing is sharp and straight-forward, not boring but not trying too hard to be clever either. There is plenty of dark, dark humor to go around all throughout the story. I have dark humor myself, so this was right up my alley. Trigger Warning! If you're uncomfortable with themes of or graphic, deathly depictions. Skip this one.
April 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of character driven stories and I like spending time inside the heads of messy characters and this one didn't disappoint. There were times when I disliked him, thinking he was just an asshole; but other times I appreciated that he was on a downward spiral, a guy whose mental health was declining due to his past trauma. The author straddled the fine line and brought dark humour to the story and that was a tricky accomplishment. I loved the ending also. At first I thought WTF, it was abrupt. But then I thought it was perfect.
September 12, 2021
Four stars for the plot and the dialogue and the typically thorough deep dive into a cracking pysche. Starr is an absolute master at page turning psycho-noir but he has one glaring flaw: the writing is average at best. I just wish his books were better written cos often they're a bit basic: "I had a splitting headache and I knew I was going to feel worse tomorrow."
But anyway, because the stories are so good, pure noir, I can pretty much let him off the hook for that.
But anyway, because the stories are so good, pure noir, I can pretty much let him off the hook for that.
December 17, 2019
Jason Starr schreibt so, wie wenn man sich im Fernsehen einen spannenden Thriller anschaut. Ich mag seinen Schreibstil sehr! Der Plot ist jetzt nicht der originellste und bahnbrechendste aller Zeiten, aber ich hab dieses Buch so oder so regelrecht verschlungen. Endlich mal wieder ein richtig guter Krimi von einem sehr talentierten Autor! Gerne mehr von ihm!
June 16, 2023
I had forgotten how much I like this guy's stuff. Great modern city people noir (yuppie), full of twist and turns right down to the last page. Also is plot driven not the sex & violence formula of so many mainstream writers that use it in a cookie cutter way as filler and to sell poorly written books.
August 26, 2024
Fast-paced, shallow thriller about a IT consultant who's life spirals into mania as he sucks at his job, has a lacklustre relationship with his wife and meets his childhood assailant who sexually abused him. Cue, a mess. (Perfect commute book)
December 3, 2018
Not the delivery I was hoping for with the build up.
February 1, 2019
Dark noir like tale about a seemingly average guy with a hidden amoral streak that once exposed leads him down a violent path of destruction. Full review attached below.
https://johngrecoauthor.com/2019/02/0...
https://johngrecoauthor.com/2019/02/0...
May 31, 2020
Jim Thompson in NYC. Amazing
July 18, 2020
His interior monologues are just the best!
December 15, 2020
This fast read goes off the rails quickly and is dark. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did.
July 9, 2023
Easy read, disappointed by the ending a little bit. Seemed rushed.
October 16, 2025
Another dark descent into self destruction, this was another great read. Dark and foreboding, an excellent if grim tale. Loved it.
November 18, 2012
Average guy with few friends makes one bad decision after another, alienating himself even more. It all snowballs until it explodes in a spectacular ending. You feel for the guy, shouting at him as he takes the wrong fork in the road yet again. As a reader, you see what's happening, hear the self-rationalization, yet are helpless to stop it. And that's what makes this such a compelling read. I've complained about books where too much time is spent on day-to-day lives of main characters, and not enough on the crime elements of the story. Even though the same could be said about this book - nothing really criminal happens until you're about half done - the largely downward spiral of the character is what drives it. Simple plot and lean writing also keeps it speeding along. Absolute pageturner. Lent it to a guy at work the day I finished it. He read it within 24 hours. Loved it, too.
July 30, 2009
Crime Fiction
Richie Segal is going through a rough patch in his life. He's a computer network salesman, and his recent job change has seen him hit a terrible sales slump. His wife, Paula, is an MBA with a new promotion. Richie and Paula are arguing alot, and are $20,000 in debt thanks to credit cards.
Richie is seeking relief in alcohol, but that just makes everything worse.
One day at lunch Richie sees Michael Rudnick, who as a teenager bullied Richie. As memories return, Richie gets angrier and seeks revenge.
Jason Starr's hard boiled, gritty crime novels are thrilling and unpredictible. As usual, events spiral out of control, leaving you eagerly turning the pages.
Hard Feelings ends, like the other JS books I've read, with events the reader could never predict!
Richie Segal is going through a rough patch in his life. He's a computer network salesman, and his recent job change has seen him hit a terrible sales slump. His wife, Paula, is an MBA with a new promotion. Richie and Paula are arguing alot, and are $20,000 in debt thanks to credit cards.
Richie is seeking relief in alcohol, but that just makes everything worse.
One day at lunch Richie sees Michael Rudnick, who as a teenager bullied Richie. As memories return, Richie gets angrier and seeks revenge.
Jason Starr's hard boiled, gritty crime novels are thrilling and unpredictible. As usual, events spiral out of control, leaving you eagerly turning the pages.
Hard Feelings ends, like the other JS books I've read, with events the reader could never predict!
October 20, 2008
The best American crime writer operating today and this is one of his best books. You really feel that you know the seamy underside of Brooklyn or Queens when you've read a Jason Starr novel. As an admirer of the kitchen sink novels e.g. of Alan Sillitoe and Ted Lewis (as well as the crime thriller genre) and committed to fusing the two in my own work, I really like the fact that Starr's characters are usually disempowered nobodies who inhabit the real world. I've also met Jason and he's a really sound bloke. And to coin a Jason Starr joke, my mother is the OTHER IRish woman who can't cook!
October 13, 2016
Loved it. The way the author describes the lead character's thought process- the self centeredness, the impulsiveness, the self justification. The story of a so so married NYC man who comes across a man who abused him as a child and takes decisive action in retribution and slowly spins out of control. Excellent portrayal of the cruel spin of fortuna (with his job and wife). Rather distressing conclusion to the back but I was willing to go with it. Left unanswered: Did the wife have the affair with that tennis jerk or not... is that supposed to be left open?
February 8, 2008
Fun enough book that pulls you along - about a falling apart type life. Bit of crime, workplace hi-jinks, and relationship terrors combined. Didn't think the wife was entirely realistic. The author works with Ken Bruen on some noir pulp.
March 22, 2010
I really enjoyed this noir novel. I am actually giving it 3.5 stars for the sheer cringe-worthy enjoyment of reading this. You know Richard Segal's tale will end badly and it does. But the narrator's voice is an easy, "rational" one and takes the reader through his downward slide with authority.
March 15, 2010
This twisty plot sounds familiar to me. I'm sure I've read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews