Man of The Year is a well written story with enough intrigue to keep you hooked. Kept me guessing till the very end. A must read.

The outstanding, suspense novel, Man of the Year, catapults the reader into the dark, paranoid mind of Dr. Robert Hart (Bobby). Caroline Louise Walker writes in a sophisticated style that that lures the reader into the storyline, then adds masterfully developed, devious characters that make this debut novel a pleasure to read.

Man of the Year is a slow burn that kept me wondering what the heck I was reading. Be warned there is little to no real action in this book, but something far better and more challenging to achieve, pure suspense. The author gets the reader deep into the inner workings of the mind of the main character, Bobby but also his wife Elizabeth and his son Jonah.

The first part of the book told from Bobby’s point of view where Walker uses a series of internal monologs that exposes just what an egotistical, paranoid person he truly is, thus setting him down a path of self-destruction. Bobby’s paranoia has him seeing faults in the people he once loved unconditionally. Walker also gives the reader a glimpse into the minds of Elizabeth and Jonah. We get to know their innermost thoughts, secrets, and of course, the lies and they harbor.

When Elizabeth suggests that Nick, Jonah’s best friend, spend the summer with them, this propels Bobby’s mind to imagine situations that may or may not be there. There are multiple twists and turns, lies, and hidden feelings from all the characters that explode into a domestic fray that has the ability to take down the whole family.

The one thing that you can expect from this book is that everyone in this book is lying and has a hidden agenda. You will not know whom to believe or whom to trust. So my advice is to trust no one, assume everyone is lying, and expect the unexpected.
I was utterly blindsided for most of the book, and the ending was phenomenal. I will be looking forward to reading more from this author.


***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***

To me this book felt like a struggle to read. I finally gave up and maybe I try it again at a later date to finish. I generally like a psychological thriller but the quick introduction of various characters without much context left me often wandering who this person was. I do see there are a lot of five star reviews so it might just be my personal taste.

I gave this book two separate tries. I could not get into the story but after reading other reviews thought it might get better if I continued. Sadly for m, I could not finish the book. I wanted to like it and the premise sounded great but for me, it dragged on. There were the characters I didn't care for and the odd chapters told by random characters.

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker sounded like a book I'd enjoy, with its description of a too-perfect-to-be-true doctor and his downward spiral. The first half of the book really dragged for me. Robert Hart is respected, and envied, and wealthy. Wealthy enough that his charitable contributions bought him that award mentioned in the book's title. People envy his boat and his career and the historic widow's walk on the roof of his house... but things aren't as they seem.



I don't have to like a character to enjoy reading about him, but there has to be something to keep me turning pages. In this case, it was my refusal to give up on many books before the end. About halfway through the pace picked up and the plot started to twist. Then it just kept twisted and turning until an end that I don't think many readers are going to see coming.

Caroline Louise Walker's "Man of the Year" had some pretty glowing reviews, and was even compared to novels by Hermann Koch, one of my favorite authors for dark/twisted/generally unlikeable and unredeemable characters. But, unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me, especially having multiple narrators. 2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.


Dr. Hart gets his award for Man of the Year. However, his charmed life begins to slowly collapse in on itself when he becomes obsessed with one thought.
He thinks the friend, from collage, that his son brought home for the summer,
is having an affair with his wife. When someone decides that telling a white lie or two won’t hurt anyone, things become complicated. Pretty soon, each character has a few lies of their own. The lies don’t ever get untangled as each person ‘promises not to tell’. Everyone has their own version of the story making it difficult to determine what the true story is. Even at the end of the book it is difficult to determine what the truth was.

Dr. Robert Hart has just been named Man of the Year in the cozy village of Sag Harbor, New York. A fundraiser event is held in his honor and his photo and bio grace the newspaper. He’s a successful private-practice doctor with a beautiful wife everyone admires, and he owns a lovely old home, tastefully updated and furnished, with quaint touches like a cupola and widow’s walk. He has one son, Jonah, a college student, who had struggled a bit for a time at college but is doing well now. Sure, Robert went through a divorce because he was unfaithful, but he was one of the rare ones whose affair turned into the successful 10-year marriage he now enjoys. He is living many people’s ideal life.
But little things start getting to him, and Robert’s thoughts turn to what may be paranoia. Jonah’s best friend and roommate from college, who is much of the reason Jonah found his footing since being at school, has come to visit with Jonah now that it’s summer, and the presence of both young men in the household that’s normally just Robert and his wife, Elizabeth, sets things off-balance. Elizabeth seems to be enjoying having the two young men around, even though she’s never wanted to have a child of her own, and the three are joking and talking and connecting —over some of her favorite literature, of all things — while Robert observes mostly from the outside. Nick seems to be particularly cozy with Elizabeth, and Robert worries if something might be going on that he doesn’t see. Elizabeth, after all, had an affair with him; what’s to stop her from having a little fling with a “boy toy”?
One dangerous thought leads to another, and Robert begins questioning himself and his family, and he begins to think he needs to be the man of the house and take action to keep his family safe and happy. More paranoid thoughts and questionable actions follow, one by one, until Robert is in a downward spiral that could have unthinkable consequences.
Man of the Year is told mostly from Robert’s perspective, but it also shares the perspectives of various other characters, including several important women in his life: his wife; the office manager who keeps everything running like a well-oiled machine; a friend from his youth who is married to another close friend from his youth — the only two people still in his life who knew him before he became such a success. They support him unfailingly, but every friendship has its limits when one person does things they can’t come back from.
The story is a series of questions: What’s going to happen when Robert really comes apart at the seams? Who’s going to be hurt? What really is going on, if anything, that Robert either senses as truth or is misinterpreting? Will his life completely implode, just days and weeks after he was named Man of the Year?
I thought I knew the truth of the story, and then I amended that thought, and amended it again. Turns out I was right in one part, but I did not see the revelations coming that unfolded — and then the real truth behind even those. I’m still pondering over the characters, the men and the women, and who they turned out to be inside, as opposed to how others saw them. Motivations, inner lives … some fascinating stuff here. A satisfying book of suspense that hinges on the characters and their views of life. This is one I want to discuss with others who have read it to see what their take was on the ending(s), told from the perspectives of a few of the characters.

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker is a recommended character driven psychological thriller.

Dr. Robert Hart has just been named Man of the Year in Sag Harbor, but that award may have been premature. His beautiful second wife, Elizabeth, is there to witness his acceptance speech, along with his son, Jonah, and Jonah's friend, Nick. But when Robert notices that Nick may be paying a bit too much attention to Elizabeth, and that she is responding, he is not thrilled when Elizabeth invites Nick to stay in their guest house for the summer. Robert needs to take matters into his own hands and get Nick out. One lie seems to lead to another and before long Robert is trying to cover his tracks.

The first part of Man of the Year is told exclusively through Robert's voice, which makes it challenging because the man is not a likeable or compelling character. His paranoia can be over-the-top. After a shocking event, the second part of the novel takes over. At this point other voices add to the narrative and make the totality a more fascinating and intricate web of details and lies. In the end, none of the characters are particularity likeable, but the complicated lies and subtle threats they all undertake certainly will hold your attention. I liked the different voices relating what happened and their own deceits through their point-of-view. This added a nice layer to the story that was desperately needed after so many chapters of Robert's narrative.

This would be a good choice for a summer vacation read or an airplane book. It will hold your attention, but you aren't going to cry if you should lose or misplace the book and never finish it. The writing is good enough to take note of Walker as an author to watch.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Gallery Books

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Unfortunately I did not enjoy this novel. I tried to push through what seemed like all the nonsense in the Man of the Year's head, but there was just too many thoughts that seemed like filler and not enough substance.

3.5*
Dr. Robert Hart has it all. A successful career and a new, young beautiful wife. When his son Jonah comes home he’s accompanied by his strikingly good looking friend Nick. Does the good doctor have any reason for concern? Nonsense, his wife wouldn’t actually cheat on him...would she?

I loved being a fly on the wall witnessing the unraveling of the Man of The Year.
Caroline Louise Walker writes a crafty thriller filled with delusion, paranoia and lies.
None of the characters are very likable...some downright despicable. But for this book it worked perfectly!
This is a good solid read, though somewhat predictable but still sure to entertain you.

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to Jessica Roth at Gallery Books via NetGalley and Caroline Louise Walker for an ARC to read and review.

Enjoyable domestic thriller with good multi-faceted characters. I did find it a bit wordy at times, but overall, very enjoyable. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Captivating thriller. Though some of the plot turns were a bit far-flung, I was staying up late because I couldn't put the book down, which is the best compliment in my book. Great twists and characters.

Recommended. I'll be looking for this author's future books.

3.75 stars.

"And still, in that moment, I knew that [He] saw me as fragile, which made him feel powerful, which makes him happy; and happy is easier to live with...and so I chose to sit there looking fragile, so he could recharge, so we could get back to normal."

Damn. As someone who's spent years with someone suffering from paranoid personality disorder, this plot was very intriguing to me. How does someone living with paranoia see you? What prompts them to act the way they do? How to act towards them?

Robert is haunted by this obsessive idea that his son's best friend is having an affair with his wife. The book takes us on that journey and the spotlight is shone on Robert's way of thinking, plotting...until something terrible happens. The fear and the lies follow. Readers who loved Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith will devour Man Of The Year.

I liked this book. The first 50% was like observing a calm sea. Nothing too crazy. It picks up halfway through. The ending though...Who's the culprit? That revelation, I didn't see coming. It was a little soap-opera-y for me, but overall a cool twist.

What I was craving more of was the wife's POV - I started reading her part towards the end and I couldn't get enough of her. I feel like if the author put her into a psychological thriller, it would be bomb.

I love the author's writing, especially when it comes to perfecting the perspective of each character: The paranoid husband, the frustrated wife, the nosy friends, the son...
I'll definitely be following the author's steps to see what she writes next.

Internist, Dr. Robert Hart was named Sag Harbor Citizen of the Year. Everyone seems to be jealous of him and his charismatic wife, Elizabeth. But do they really know them?

 Robert’s son, Jonah comes back from college, and brings home his friend, twenty-year-old Nick Carpenter.  When Elizabeth invites Nick to stay in their guesthouse,  Robert’s imagination runs amuck and paranoia takes over his life.

It’s not just about Robert though. Some chapters are in the perspective of other characters and the neurosis of Elizabeth, Jonah, friends and co-workers  take a central part. Yes, there are a lot of characters, but they all play a significant role in the story. We also learn about their pasts, family and relationships and how these factors shape who they are today.

So, you want to know more about the story? I don’t want to say too much in fear that I’ll spoil it for you. Let’s just say that there's a tragic death along with  surprises at every turn.  All of this  will keep you engrossed until the end. I wasn’t emotionally invested in any of the characters, but surprisingly that didn’t make a difference.

Even though the book hinges on these surprises as well as the introspection and insecurities of the characters, I didn’t understand the motivations of many of them. The intentions are spelled out in black and white, but were just not convincing to me. I realize that life can be messy and often doesn’t make sense, but I was still disappointed in the ending.

That said, the journey was worth my time and quite enjoyable. So, whether you buy into, accept or love the ending or not, I think fans of literary fiction will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Caroline Louise Walker for the opportunity to read her debut novel - great read and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Oh what a tangled web do we weave when first we practice to deceive! That pretty much sums up this book but it's a delicious tale along the way.

Dr Robert Hart is indeed the Man of the Year, as he was voted in the upscale Sag Harbor community where he lives with his second wife. He has a thriving practice, a beautiful home and boat and is the envy of all. He's trying to get his relationship with Jonah, his son with his first wife, back on track after the marriage to his mother imploded. Jonah was struggling at school and brings home a friend, Nick, to stay with him for the summer with his dad. Nick has his own baggage - both parents deceased until tragic circumstances. Dr Hart feels like he and Elizabeth are doing Nick a huge favor by letting him stay in their perfect world. Until Robert starts feeling like there is something going on between Nick and Elizabeth. He becomes paranoid and desperate. And that's just the beginning of the troubles that lie ahead.

I devoured this book and got into these messy characters. Wonderful writing and it all kept me guessing until the end - highly recommended!

SUSPICION. LIES. DECEIT. “Man of the Year” is a story made up of all three. It’s also a tale that’s as twisted as it is compelling. It’s a character-driven story that will elicit a myriad of emotions, as the reader is drawn into the protagonist’s suspicions regarding his wife’s fidelity.

Boasting a unique premise and a few well-placed surprises, I enjoyed this intriguing story from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I am giving Man of the Year three stars, but I’m honestly rounding up. Caroline Louise Walker is a wordsmith—creative as all get out with the ability to conceptualize a complex narrative with the best of them. Without the talent of the actual writing...this would be a two-star book for me.

As someone who works in the healthcare industry surrounding the topic of narcissism, I was looking forward to reading this book from the perspective of Dr. Robert Hart. What I will say is that Caroline Louise Walker writes Dr. Hart perfectly—perfectly in that he is definitely a paranoid narcissist with an inflated sense of self. Based on my experience, her rendition of the character was spot=on.

That's as connected as I became to any of the characters. I enjoy the first=person perspective immensely; however, it was too much. I found myself skimming through pages of inner monologue and, honestly, getting a little bit bored. Writing from the various perspectives of the characters was a good idea to break up the monotony of, say, reading through 1-2 characters' constant thought processes, but the perspectives did nothing for the framework or plot. At the end of the book, I found myself asking, "What was the point?"

Raymond was my favorite character by far, and the most relatable. The characters of Luna and Simone could have been done away with completely, in my opinion. And I would have liked to have heard from Elizabeth sooner.

In the end, this is really a 2.5-star read for me. The writing itself is wonderful (I never felt as if an author was telling me a story...it felt very much the character's own narratives unfolding in front of me); my disappointment lies with the slow pace and overly-developed monologues. It was psychological, yes, but I would hardly call this a suspense.

That said, I will definitely try another novel by this author.

The picture perfect family, successful and popular doctor and his beautiful professor wife and his son......and his son’s darkly tragic friend, who is found dead, presumably a suicide. Everyone is holding suspicions and secrets about and from each other and the medical examiner has questions they will need to conspire on in order to get through. Surprising facts emerge as each chapter gives us a separate character’s point of view. Excellent read!

Do you want to know a secret? Well, this family is full of them and they get more fabricated and onerous as time goes on. Who's sleeping with who, who's hiding a murder, or is it a suicide?

This is a character-driven story told through various perspectives and just when you think you buy into the paranoia of one character, a wrench is thrown in the mix when the story changes by reading the perspective of another character.

A debut psychological thriller that plays with your head to the very end!

Thank you to Ms. Walker, Gallery Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectations of a positive review given.