A five star crime drama! As I expected, James Comey has delivered a novel with plenty of legal maneuvering, dramatic courtroom scenes, and heated interactions between alleged criminals and lawyers/law enforcement personnel. The plot is complex—with multiple crimes, investigations, and trials taking places—and the connections are at times obvious and at other points less obvious. I listened to this on audiobook and it was very engaging. I was fascinated by most of the characters, even those who were not especially likeable, and how the various aspects of the crimes (involving the mafia, #metoo scandals, and extremely interesting investigative techniques) played out. I found the novel to be well-written and well-paced and would highly recommend it. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

What a fast-paced ride! I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I have given up on legal thrillers because the courtroom drama tends to drag on and gets technical. That was not a problem with this one at all. I loved Nora and found the rest of the characters believable and likeable. The story itself is fascinating and kept me interested the whole way through. Highly recommended for when you have lots of time to read because it’s hard to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Highbridge Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book. This is my honest feedback.

First, I'd like to say something about the audio. This book was narrated by Cassandra Campbell who attempted to changed voices for every singer character. I'm no expert on audio narration but it seems to me that the narrative voice and the character voices should be seamless, that the story is taking centre stage and the listener isn't thinking about the voice, is it any good, why does it sound that way? and realise she has lost a thread in the story. Ms. Campbell did quite a job of so many voices. I didn't NOT like them, it's just that I was thinking about them too much, some sounded so similar to each other. A number didn't sound authentic. In the end, it bothered me and I wondered if she had just read the story and not tried to do so much if it would have been an easier listen.

I believe this is James Comey's first book, first thriller anyway. He did write a book after he was booted from the Trump Administration as head of the FBI. A TV mockumentary was made of that book which was quite good.
This story feels like a freshman start. It's an interesting story although the ending was way too obvious very early on. The characters of Benny and Nora were well-done and likeable in a very human way. The rest of the 'crew' were not fleshed out at all.

But I think the thing that made it freshman to me was that there wasn't enough tension -- no obstacles during either trial. The reader is pretty sure who will win and it felt all too easy. It was as if Comey was trying to get to a "surprise" ending which wasn't at all a surprise and made no effort to up the stakes during the trials.

Since everyone moved on to other jobs, it doesn't seem like there will be a sequel to this book. Comey has seen a lot in his day and I would love to read something really tense in his next effort.

Central Park West by James Comey
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Central Park West by James Comey is an unexpected treasure! I found this book to be captivating! I loved the story and found the characters to be well-developed and fascinating!

This fast read was one that I did not want to stop reading! I had to know what was going to happen next! I was hooked right from the start! Loved it!!!!

The narration by Cassandra Campbell was amazing! I loved how she brought this book to life!

I highly recommend reading this book and look forward to see what comes next!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In all honesty I just couldn't finish this one. I was really excited to see that Comey decided to write fiction but it was too cheesy and stereotypical of a novel. It gave me former prosecutor Linda Fairstein vibes and I didn't care for her books either. I get it that you write what you know but it went on far too long and the sidestories weren't that interesting either. The main characters were not like likeable so I wasn't invested in the story at all. Also, the whole mafia angle is just too played out.

James Comey's first novel is a definite hit. Though I didn't get the ending I expected, I wasn't too far off the mark, and the journey from beginning to end was fascinating. Lots of bad guys/gals in this story of a murder that turned out not to be as simple as it appeared, and an interesting portrayal of some all-too-close connections between politicians and criminal. Well done!

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This was a really good book by James Comey. I had read him before and enjoyed. His fiction work was enjoyable. Definitely awaiting his next thriller.

Central Park West is the first work of fiction by former FBI director James Comey, and I hope it is not his last novel. The crime drama brought the worlds of the Mafia and politics together with interesting characters who kept me guessing until the end. Federal prosecutor Nora and her NYPD partner Benny made an enjoyable team, with his volatile take-no prisoners attitude and her quiet, calm professionalism as they investigate the lead that the accused murderer, Kyra Burke, estranged wife of New York's former governor, was framed. I would love to see this crime-fighting pair reappear in another novel together.

I typically am not a fan of courtroom proceedings in novels, but I found Comey's interesting, perhaps because I felt with the author's experience that these scenes were more authentic. I look forward to reading more crime novels by Comey in the future.

As I listened to the audiobook version of this story, I would like to leave feedback on the narrator, Cassandra Campbell. I did find her voice a bit slow and breathy, therefore I chose to listen at 1.2x rate and that improved the experience. Campbell's New York accent is spot on, and she has a great ability to create distinct voices for the good amount of characters in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook copy of Central Park West by James Comey in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid read. Good plot and characters. It kept my interest and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to more from the author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Thank you to NetGalley, James Comey, and The Mysterious Press for my advanced listening copy.
I think anyone who loves courtroom drama and legal procedures will enjoy and appreciate this book. The author, James Comey, severed years as the Director of the FBI. His knowledge and experience is evident. Given the authors past, I was worried the story wouldn't be relayed in layman's terms. However, everything was well explained making it easy to understand the legal procedures. More on this in a moment.
A former governor is murdered. His estranged wife is on trial for the murder. A mob boss, who is also on trial for his own doings, tips off the officials that the mafia ordered the assassination on the governor. This leaves Nora Carleton, the federal prosecutor, on a high stakes chase for the truth.
This book covers the criminal world, courtroom procedure, and corruption,
By Chapter 6, I was hooked. Unfortunately, around 60% it began to slow down and feel very wordy, leaving me unable to justify the length of the book. I appreciated the extra details and over-explaining in the beginning chapters but after a while it seemed like too much. A faster pace would have held my interest more. Despite that, this is a believable story with easily likeable characters and James Comey clearly has writing talent.

Great crime mystery! 4.5 🌟 rounded up.

Fast-paced with plenty of suspense. Short, digestable chapters. Not too long...Finished at 2x speed (5 hours).

There are tons of twists and turns so the plot remains unpredictable.

Enjoyed the modern-day references to sociopoltical climate. Also gives insights into the legal world and life as an FBI insider. Shows Comey's breadth/depth and creativity as a writer.

The ending tees up for future books centered around the single-mom attorney Norah who just might take on Wall Street.

The award-winning actor Cassandra Campbell is a star narrator, as expected. She was especially brilliant with her tough-talking Italian accents. Lots of mafia and NY characters.

Special thanks to HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books, for an advanced listener copy via the NetGalley app. Highly recommend!

A mobster’s trial and the murder of a former New York governor reveal a possible intersection between the Mafia and politics. The governor has something in common with Andrew Cuomo, since they both had to leave office due to sexual harassment charges. However, the murdered governor has an estranged and disgruntled wife who has excellent motives for killing him. And maybe there are others with equally strong motives.

I’ve read nonfiction by this author but this is his first book of fiction. It was surprisingly good. The plot is unpredictable and original. The characters are interesting and believable and the dialogue is very good. The author makes excellent use of his extensive experience with the FBI and as a federal prosecutor. For example, he described the use of “ghosts” in surveillance. These agents blend into the background to such an extent that it’s possible that half of the people in a restaurant are there to eavesdrop on the conversation of a suspect, and all of the vehicles on the street are there to follow him when he leaves. Maybe the bad guys already knew this, but it was news to me.

There is definitely authenticity in the way he writes about the inner workings of the legal system and investigation techniques. There are three trials, and the thoughts of the attorneys as their witnesses implode on the stand are priceless. The descriptions of the law were clear and helpful. Occasionally, I thought he was a little too descriptive. I didn’t need to know the address of every courthouse in Manhattan, but that is an insignificant quibble. I liked the fact that the ending wasn’t tidy. It doesn’t seem that there will be a sequel, but I really hope that the author writes more fiction. I want to read it.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this first fiction novel from former FBI Director James Comey. It didn't sound like a first novel, but rather that of a seasoned novelist. The plot was well thought out, the characters were developed and believable, and the action was exciting.

You definitely can tell that Comey drew from his many years in law enforcement at all levels. It made the story believable and very interesting. The ways law enforcement investigates and prosecutes crimes was on full display.

I hope Mr. Comey continues to write fiction. It was very enjoyable.

Thank you to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.