Editorial Content for Westport
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Reviewer (text)
Former FBI director James Comey follows up his first novel, CENTRAL PARK WEST, with an impressive sophomore effort. Although featuring some characters from his debut, WESTPORT can be fully enjoyed as a stand-alone.
Two years ago, Nora Carleton left a top job with the US Attorney’s Office to enter the private sector. She relocated with her mother and eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, to Westport, Connecticut, to become lead counsel at the world’s largest hedge fund, Saugatuck Associates. She landed this incredible opportunity thanks to a recommendation from Helen Carmichael, a friend of the family and Saugatuck’s COO.
"Similar to an Agatha Christie mystery, WESTPORT provides many suspects and possible motives for murder. Each revelation seems to change the direction of this taut and well-plotted thriller..."
Nora admits to having a crush on Helen, and they actually shared a brief kiss prior to her first interview. But they agreed that it was not right to pursue a relationship, and Nora has settled in nicely to life at a company built on full transparency and honesty.
At the top of the novel, we are presented with a completely different narrative. A man named Ernie Sosa is taking his boat to work off the nearby Long Island Sound when he comes upon a red canoe that has washed up on the deadly Seymour Rock. He stops to investigate and uncovers the body of a woman; her throat has been slashed, and she is bleeding from a head wound. Shockingly, the victim turns out to be Helen.
It develops that the canoe belongs to Nora, even though everyone knows that she often loans it out to whoever needs it. When the police relay this information to Nora and drop her off in the company parking lot, they notice the rear bumper of her car smeared with what looks like blood. They impound the vehicle for forensic testing, but Nora has a sneaking suspicion that the blood will match Helen’s and that someone is setting her up to take the fall for this brutal crime.
Nora reaches out to her old colleague, Benny Dugan, a well-known Mafia investigator. His gruff and very New York City demeanor and way of speaking is quite contrary to the Westport suburbs and is a welcome addition to the novel. He starts conducting his own investigation under the lead of attorney and friend Carmen Garcia in an effort to clear Nora’s name and figure out who might have wanted Helen dead. Soon after, someone breaks into Nora’s house. When the police conduct a search, they discover the murder weapon in one of Nora’s utensil drawers --- a knife belonging to Helen with her blood on it.
Similar to an Agatha Christie mystery, WESTPORT provides many suspects and possible motives for murder. Each revelation seems to change the direction of this taut and well-plotted thriller, and James Comey gets to show off his firsthand knowledge of criminal investigations and the international trade industry. The novel plays out like John Grisham's THE FIRM in all the best ways, and the finale is a winner.
Teaser
It’s been two years since Nora Carleton left the job she loved at the US Attorney’s Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The career change also meant a change of scenery, relocating her to Westport, Connecticut, 50 miles north of New York City. But it was worth it to get her daughter, Sophie, away from the city. Plus, she likes the people she works with. Especially Helen, who recruited Nora because of her skills as an investigator. Then Nora's new life falls apart when a coworker is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect. Nora calls in her old colleagues from the US Attorney’s Office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia. To clear Nora’s name, Benny and Carmen hunt for the true killer's motive, but it seems nearly everyone at Saugatuck has secrets worth killing for.
Promo
It’s been two years since Nora Carleton left the job she loved at the US Attorney’s Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The career change also meant a change of scenery, relocating her to Westport, Connecticut, 50 miles north of New York City. But it was worth it to get her daughter, Sophie, away from the city. Plus, she likes the people she works with. Especially Helen, who recruited Nora because of her skills as an investigator. Then Nora's new life falls apart when a coworker is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect. Nora calls in her old colleagues from the US Attorney’s Office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia. To clear Nora’s name, Benny and Carmen hunt for the true killer's motive, but it seems nearly everyone at Saugatuck has secrets worth killing for.
About the Book
Former FBI director James Comey takes readers into the world of high finance and corporate espionage in this riveting thriller.
A red canoe sits abandoned on Seymour Rock, right where the Saugatuck River hits the Long Island Sound. The elegantly dressed corpse of a woman lies inside.
It’s been two years since Nora Carleton left the job she loved at the US Attorney’s Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The career change also meant a change of scenery, relocating her to Westport, Connecticut, 50 miles north of New York City. But it was worth it to get her daughter, Sophie, away from the city. Plus, she likes the people she works with. Especially Helen, who recruited Nora because of her skills as an investigator.
Then Nora's new life falls apart when a coworker is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect. Nora calls in her old colleagues from the US Attorney’s Office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia. To clear Nora’s name, Benny and Carmen hunt for the true killer's motive, but it seems nearly everyone at Saugatuck has secrets worth killing for. As Benny sets out to interrogate her colleagues, Nora examines her history with the company to determine who set her up to take the fall.
A suspenseful and intriguing tale of high finance and murder, WESTPORT features the characters first introduced in James Comey’s debut novel, CENTRAL PARK WEST, but also can be read on its own. It further establishes Comey as “a bold new talent in the mystery genre” (Harlan Coben).
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
