Central Park West
Author: James Comey
Publisher: Head of Zeus
ISBN: 9781837932689
After having written several books, James Comey made his debut in fiction with Central Park West. And it is a commendable effort. He uses his experiences, both as a lawyer and as an agent for the FBI, and eventually its Director, to provide the reader with an inside look at the thinking of a defence lawyer, a prosecutor, and the inner workings of FBI agents as they bring a killer to justice.
And as mysteries go, Central Park West is a fairly straightforward story. We don't have to worry for one of the four main characters' safety, and neither are there any red herring sub plots to throw at either the reader or those working to bring the actual murderer to justice. Instead, the story is very much a process of seeking out the killer and then setting the punishment for the crime. Hence, it is a pleasurable, fast read.
The story kicks off when someone murdered former governor Tony Burke, and his ex-wife Kyra is on trial for the crime. Her lawyer, Matty Parker, is convinced she is innocent despite the fact that the killer looked very much like her, according to some witnesses. At the same time in another courtroom, Nora Carleton is the prosecutor of the trial of Dom "the Nose" D'Amico for his actions as head of one of New York's crime families. Seeing the writing on the wall, D'Amico slips a note to Benny Dugan, part of Nora's team, that the Burke murder was a professional hit. Nora's team then goes to work on this tip. Meanwhile, Kyra's trial ends with a hung jury. And the chase is on, not literally, since most of the chase is a study in investigative technology.
There are, as one might expect, twists and crime family behaviours that take out or threaten various characters, and there are a few twists on the wrap up. Eventually, this is a very tight, well written crime story.
The various plot twists keep the reader wanting to learn just a little more as they make their way through the story. For his first work of fiction, Comey has all the elements of a great storyteller. It makes one wonder if there will be more Nora Carleton or another powerful protagonist in the coming editions. Without a doubt, readers will be keeping an eye out for more books by Comey, as he is one of the acclaimed authors of his game in this crowded genre.