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.