Westport

Nora Carleton, the prosecutor who starred in Comey's debut novel Central Park West (2023), has left the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and taken a new job in Westport, Connecticut, as general counsel for a hedge fund. She wanted a slower-paced, quieter life, and she gets it--until an old friend is found murdered. Nora is shocked to learn that she is the prime suspect (well, the woman's body was found in Nora's canoe . . . ). Within the first few pages, Comey, former director of the FBI, proves that the success of Central Park West wasn't a lucky accident. He can write well, and more than that, he can tell a good story. Nora and the other characters are well developed, their dialogue is natural, and the author certainly knows how to ratchet up the suspense. Like his first novel, this one is intricately constructed with plenty of surprises: readers will often think they know exactly what's going on and where the story is going, until something happens that forces them to reconsider what they thought they knew. A sterling follow-up to Comey's smashing debut.

Former FBI director Comey follows up Central Park West with an entertaining second whodunit featuring former assistant U.S. attorney Nora Carleton, now employed as general counsel for Saugatuck Associates of Westport, Conn. Saugatuck, the largest hedge fund in the world, is known for its rigid moral principles. Recently, however, COO Helen Carmichael has been casting doubt on that reputation, sharing concerns with Nora that someone may be leaking the company's secrets. When Helen is brutally murdered and the scene staged so Nora appears to be the primary suspect, she fears the allegations of a corporate mole were true. Facing a murder charge, Nora reaches out to her old friend Benny Dugan, a mafia investigator with the U.S. attorney's office, and her former boss, Carmen Garcia, for help. In the process of clearing her name, they find that Helen made enemies too numerous to count and may have been less of a friend to Nora than she appeared. Comey's done a fine job of polishing his dialogue and smoothing out Central Park West's other miscues, delivering a sufficiently crowd-pleasing blend of financial thriller and Agatha Christie-esque whodunit. A third entry in the series would be welcome. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)