RED VERDICT

4 stars out of 5

Ever since I started my working life 60-plus years ago as a legal secretary (for a whopping $250 a month), I’ve had a keen interest in the law. Never wanted to be a lawyer, mind you – it was the research side that called out to me. That career never happened, but even after many years as a print journalist, legal matters (and of course, books that included courtroom strategies), have remained a priority. What I’m saying is that it’s really hard for me to get bogged down in trial goings-on, but I felt that way a couple of times in this story (apparently the judge in the depicted trial did as well, admonishing attorneys for both sides to get a move on more than once). Mind you, that didn’t much dampen my personal enthusiasm for the book – I’m simply pointing out that this series entry is a bit more technical than its predecessors.

This is the fourth book featuring Nora Carleton, assistant district attorney for the Southern District of New York; I’ve now read – and recommended – all three. Every one has been an interesting, intriguing story (and, of course, scratched my legal itch).

As it opens, a frequent diner at a New York restaurant is fatally stricken during his meal. An astute hospital doctor suspects he was done in by a hard-to-detect nerve agent popular with Russian assassins. Not long after, other diners succumb to the same thing; quick action saves their lives and confirms the suspicion that the original victim had, in fact, been targeted. Nora and her long-time FBI Special Agent Benny Dugan (the latter married to Nora’s mother) begin an investigation, only to learn somebody messed up big-time; the dead guy isn’t the one they were supposed to eliminate.

Still more investigation points to someone close to the victim as being the intended target, and meetings with other agencies that have enough acronyms to make your head swim determine that the real target – and perhaps the victim himself – are Russian spies and that something went wrong. That, in turn, prompts visits to a private residence in Las Vegas reminiscent of a Jeffrey Epstein getaway (complete with young victims and links to at least one highly placed Washington, D.C., government official – who, understandably, will do what he can to make sure the public doesn’t start demanding to see files).

Finally, there’s that detailed trial – interesting in and of itself. But that’s not all Nora has on her plate; In the midst of everything job-related, she must deal with her beloved daughter, Sophie, who lives with her father during the week and is going through some issues of her own. None of the details are mine to share, of course, but I can say there’s never a dull moment (well, except when the trial attorneys get a little carried away). Everything gets resolved at the end, though, making for an entertaining and fast-paced adventure. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get my latest legal “fix” by way of a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Red Verdict by James Comey (The Mysterious Press, May 2026); 352 pp.

FDR DRIVE

4 stars out of 5

New York City Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nora Carleton, at least for me, wasn't an immediately lovable character when I "met" her in the first book of this series (this is the third). But by now, I enjoy her so much that I'd be delighted to sit, chat and have a beer or two with her (accompanied, hopefully, by her investigator Benny Dugan, whom I adored from the git-go).

With Nora are her mother (who, BTW, has a particularly special love interest) and young daughter Sophie. The plot centers around a wildly popular radio show host/podcaster who makes Paul Harvey sound like a flaming liberal. Samuel Buchanan is known for singling out specific people he believes are so far left that they'd fall off the earth if it were square, but even coming from one of those flaming liberals like me, so what? He's got a right to speak his opinion. Except, perhaps, when those people he names turn up dead almost immediately after he singles them out. That's the challenge for Nora and her team, then - to convince a judge Buchanan should face trial and, if that happens, offer up enough evidence to get him convicted. Meanwhile, the police - some of whom are Nora's good friends - will try their best to find who's actually committing the murders.

It all adds up to an intriguing (not to mention timely) situation, making the pages fly by. Admittedly, I'm a fan of legal thrillers, so anything that happens in a court of law always gets my undivided attention. At times, I'll admit I felt a bit "talked down to" with explanations of things that really didn't need explaining, but on the other hand, making sure everyone who reads the book fully comprehends what's going on isn't a bad thing. Along the way readers get an up-close-and-personal look at the workings of the legal system as well as a closer look at Nora's personal life (complete with an event that bodes well for the next book in the series).

And speaking of that, I hope another one will be forthcoming soon. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this one. Well done once again!

FDR Drive by James Comey (Mysterious Press, May 2025); 334 pp.

WESTPORT

4 stars out of 5

This, the second in the former FBI director's series featuring U.S. Attorney Nora Carleton, takes her from her high-stakes, high-pressure New York job to posher-than-posh Long Island Sound, where she's been named lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. Joining her is her young daughter, Sophie. The hedge fund leaders are a quirky bunch, but they seem to like and appreciate Nora - especially one friend, Helen Carpenter, who recruited her - so all's right with the world.

Until it isn't. One not-so-fine day, a fisherman finds a dead body in a canoe, and it's Helen. Of course, Nora is devastated; but when evidence puts Nora in the role of prime suspect, she - together with her New York friend and investigator, Benny Dugan - realize that someone is out to get Nora as well by framing her for Helen's murder.

Nora's work with Helen included sleuthing in hopes of determining who, if anyone, inside the company has been using top-secret company information to make lucrative trades on his or her own, thus undercutting the company's profits. Beyond that, though, there apparently was more - much more - to Helen than met Nora's eye. In fact, she'd been collecting "dirt" on all the firm's top brass - giving more than one person at the firm good reason to want her dead and gone.

The investigation offers plenty of action that ensured my reluctance to put the book down; that said, it was fairly easy to make an educated (and ultimately accurate) guess early on as to the culprit's identity. I was also a little annoyed at Nora's actions near the end - a bit uncharacteristic in my mind - but overall it was a well-crafted adventure I thoroughly enjoyed. I certainly look forward to seeing more of Nora, Benny and (hopefully) a couple of other intriguing characters. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this one. Well done!

Westport by James Comey (Mysterious Press, May 2024); 351 pp.

CENTRAL PARK WEST

5 stars out of 5

Okay, I must 'fess up. When I opened this book on my Kindle, my first thought was this: Please, Lord, let this be good; I really, really don't want to be the one to tell the former director of the FBI - especially one who's at least a foot and a half taller than I am - that his first-ever fiction book stinks.

And it doesn't (whew). In fact, joking aside, I very much enjoyed it. It's a well-written, well-crafted story, but more than that, perhaps, it provides insights into the legal system, from both inside and outside the courtroom, that could come only from someone who's spent the lion's share of a professional lifetime working within it. The most important takeaway, though - at least for me - is if the FBI wants you, there aren't many places you can hide (not even a Starbucks).

The primary characters are U.S. Atty. Nora Carleton, a single mom struggling a bit to make ends meet while she takes on the world of organized crime, and her very personable (and formidable) investigator, Benny Dugan. Early on, a former state governor - one who keeps his lips zipped but articles of his clothing not so much - is found dead of a suicide that turns out to be murder. Maybe, just maybe, his permanent silence was a mob hit; but that's only conjecture, since his ex-wife Kyra has been charged with, and is on trial for, the killing.

The two trials - Nora's and the one against Kyra - play off each other as the investigations (and trial witnesses) begin to reveal in-common details. The back-and-forths also showcase the conflict among federal and state prosecutors, none of whom seem to much enjoy sharing (again, a nod, I'm sure, to reality but something I've never quite understood; if our goals are the same, why can't we all hold hands and play nice)?

Of course, I can't reveal any details without spoiling the whole thing for other readers, but I sure do recommend it to those who enjoy stories about crimes and courtrooms. If I must carp a bit, I'll say the transition could use a little improvement - in spots, it jumps around a bit. I also can't say I was thrilled with the ending, but that's not a negative - I'm pretty sure it reflects reality more often than not (sometimes bad people do good things, sometimes good people do bad things, sometimes neither gets found out). It also, it seems to me, makes great starting fodder for a next book - to which I'm definitely looking forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to dive into a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

Central Park West by James Comey (Mysterious Press, May 2023); 384 pp.