Westport by James Comey
What’s It About?
Nora Carleton’s new life falls aside when a coworker at Saugatuck Associates is murdered and he or she turns into the lead suspect. To clear Nora’s title, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and lawyer Carmen Garcia hunt for the true killer’s motive, but it surely appears almost everybody at Saugatuck has secrets and techniques price killing for.
Except you’ve utterly prevented political information since 2016 – yeah, I do know it’s tempting – you’ve seemingly heard of James Comey, the previous FBI director fired by President Donald Trump in 2017 for causes that stay open to debate.
Since then, Comey has discovered recent pursuits, together with that of thriller-mystery author. What it’s possible you’ll not know is that earlier than turning into FBI director, Comey fought organized crime as an assistant U.S. lawyer in New York and spent 5 years doing authorized work for Bridgewater Associates, a Connecticut-based funding agency.
These latter roles served him effectively along with his newest fictional effort, Westport (Mysterious Press), through which Comey writes well about acquainted territory. It’s an Agatha Christie-style homicide thriller that options characters from his debut novel, Central Park West, however you’ll be able to simply strategy it as a stand-alone.
Connecticut-Set Homicide Thriller
The prime suspect, Nora Carleton, has left her job within the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for large bucks and a suburban life-style for her daughter at Saugatuck Associates, an enormous hedge fund primarily based in Westport, Conn. Comey, who clearly has some expertise working in weird office environments, does a superb job capturing life at Saugatuck, whose billionaire founder, David Jepson, preaches a philosophy of radical honesty within the office. For sure, Jepson’s beliefs gained’t fairly sq. with the unfolding actuality.
Helen Carmichael, a prime exec at Saugatuck, recruited Nora, and so they grew to become good pals, and we later be taught they walked again from what might have turn out to be an inappropriate relationship – or, at the least that’s what Nora will declare.
Because the story opens, we be taught that Helen is not among the many dwelling. Not solely has she been killed, she’s been discovered useless in an deserted pink canoe in a spot that makes Nora the prime suspect. Nora’s standing will get amplified when the police discover blood proof on her automotive and knife proof in her kitchen.
Nora argues that somebody set her up. As a former prosecutor herself, she argues that if she meant to homicide Helen, she’d definitely take better care to not make herself such an apparent goal. However the police chief, a sketchy character himself, notes that crimes of ardour, if that’s what that is, might be humorous that approach.
In typical Christie fashion, you’re fairly positive however not one hundred pc sure that the prime suspect didn’t do the deed and many of the e book is occupied with investigators questioning an array of different intriguing suspects in an effort to unearth who had the motive, means and alternative to kill a colleague.
Darkish Motives and an Abundance of Suspects
For assist, Nora enlists an previous good friend, Benny Dugan, a seasoned investigator who takes a depart from his work within the U.S. lawyer’s workplace to imagine the position that Christie’s detective, Hercule Poirot, occupies in her mysteries – methodically investigating and questioning the doable suspects.
Dugan learns that the highest execs at Saugatuck have a lot to cover regardless of the agency having about as squeaky-clean and punctiliously polished a public picture a hedge fund might have. Dugan, working with Saugatuck’s inner investigator, tries to maintain the cops at bay as he explores every part from underage sexual predilections to unlawful ahead buying and selling on Saugatuck’s pending offers. Everybody on Saugatuck’s prime workforce has a motive it appears, together with Jepson himself, as Dugan and Nora notice how a lot Helen knew about her colleagues.
That’s a premise for a superb yarn, and Comey has crafted a well-grounded thriller, although, at the least for me, it lacked the emotional engagement with the characters and crisp dialogue of the very best thrillers. And I discovered myself wishing for an excellent twistier ending than the one Comey offers us.
Nonetheless, you’ll undoubtedly need to preserve studying till the top. And also you’ll be grateful you don’t work at Saugatuck.
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About James Comey:
Since graduating from the Faculty of William and Mary in 1982 and the College of Chicago Legislation Faculty in 1985, James Comey has been a prosecutor, protection lawyer, normal counsel, trainer, author, and chief. He most not too long ago served in authorities as Director of the FBI. His best-selling e book, “A Increased Loyalty: Reality, Lies, and Management” was revealed in 2018 and made right into a 2020 tv limited-series. His second e book, “Saving Justice: Reality, Transparency, and Belief,” additionally a New York Instances best-seller, was revealed in 2021.
“Westport,” the second e book in a New York-based crime novel trilogy drawn from his profession, was revealed in Might 2024, following on the 2023 launch of the critically acclaimed “Central Park West.”
Jim (as he’s recognized to household and pals) and his spouse, Patrice, reside in Virginia and are the mother and father of 5 and grandparents (to this point) of 4.
Publish Date: 5/21/2024
Style: Crime, Suspense, Thrillers
Creator: James Comey
Web page Depend: 351 pages
Writer: Mysterious Press
ISBN: 9781613165249