Impressive and enjoyable debut! Plenty of suspense, hard to guess whodunnit, and a complex, interesting plot.

I was so excited when I learned that there was a second Nora Carleton book. James Comey is a surprisingly delightful author—his insider’s take on the mystery genre keeps the action humming and the legal drama exciting. His main characters are three-dimensional people you’d like to meet (and/or have on your side if you find yourself in a bind). I especially like Benny Dugan, investigator par excellence and all around mensch. Westport was expertly narrated by one of the best in the biz, Cassandra Campbell. Already can’t wait for book three!

This is book two focusing on Nora Carleton, but I didn’t read the first book and wasn’t lot and enjoyed this one. I enjoyed it enough that I will be looking up the first book. I listened to the audiobook and really thought the narrator did a great job especially with voices for different characters. It really brought the whole story to life. It was a fun mystery, I think it was technically a thriller, but I didn’t find it quite thrilling enough to think of it like that. I did figure out who the bad guy was really early, but I still liked the mystery quite a bit. Nora is the head counselor for a rich hedge fund. She is caught off guard when her friend and boss was murdered and left in Nora’s canoe. Nora is quickly the prime suspect, but luckily she has friends talented in law and investigation who drop everything to come and support her. I hope there is a new adventure with Nora and her friends after this. There were definitely some blooming relationships that would make another book interesting.

James Comey, former FBI director, and author, returns with his popular Nora Carleton series Central Park with #2, WESTPORT, where he continues the saga with a world of high finance, corporate espionage, and murder in his latest crime thriller.

About...
A woman is found dead in a canoe on Seymour Rock on the Saugatuck River and the Long Island Sound. Did the woman know too much that cost her life?

It has been two years since Nora Carleton left her job at the US Attorney's Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and a relocation to Westport, Connecticut, fifty miles north of New York City. She wanted to get out of the city with her eight-year-old daughter, Sophie.

With her expert investigative skills, Nora Carleton was recruited by CFO Helen Carmichael as their legal counsel. Helen suspects someone inside Saugatuck is using the company's secrets, putting the company at risk.

When she is murdered, Nora is sure Helen got too close to the truth, but what she does not suspect is that she will be the prime suspect and calls her old colleagues from the US Attorney's office for help. Did someone set her up to take the fall? Who is the insider? What was the motive for the murder? In a race against time, they must find the real murderer. Secrets can be deadly.

The audiobook...
The audiobook was riveting and narrated by the fabulously talented Cassandra Campbell, a perfect voice for Nora, and delivered an outstanding performance!

My thoughts...
WESTPORT is an engaging and suspenseful crime thriller, and of course, the author knows his way around these topics and settings for a gripping whodunit mystery.

Fast-paced, strong characterization, well-plotted, intriguing, packed with tension and suspense. I enjoyed Benny, Teresa (her mother), and Nora's characters. The author's experience in this genre truly shines as he builds complex layers of riveting twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat! Both novels can be read as a standalone. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Comey.

Recs...
For fans of David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Robert Dugoni, and Michael Connelly.

Thanks to Highbridge Audio and Netgalley for a gifted, advanced listening copy for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
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May 2024 Must-Read Books

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Westport
By: James Comey
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Pub Date: 5/21/2024
This is book two in James Comey’s Nora Carleton series. Nora who previously worked in the US attorney’s in New York City has enter the private sector as in house counsel for a large hedge fund. When her supervisor is found murdered in Nora’s canoes the police have questions but the situation gets even worse when they find blood on her car. As the company and Nora’s friends try to help figure out who’s setting her up, they find lots of dirt on just about every employee. Will they get the pieces put together before Nora is indicted?
I love the “Grisham” feel these books have. I honestly can’t think of a more perfect person to write a thriller than the former director of the FBI.
Cassandra Campbell is one of my favorite narrators. She does a fantastic job bringing Nora to life!

I really like the books by James Comey and am glad to see he is using his personal and professional experiences to good use. I like the Nora Carleton character however, the ex-husband and his new wife were unnecessary characters in this book which took away from the suspense of it. They added nothing to the story. However, Benny and Nora's mom were great together and I loved that part. The daughter Sophie came in handy in the storyline in this book. Overall, I found it a quick and enjoyable read.

First I've read by this author.
There is A LOT of information in this one. Lots of characters. Lots of plays. Lots of moves. Lots to keep your eyes on!

The FMC (Nora) was recently hired to be a lawyer for a large, wealthy, hedge fund company. She is now making a lot of money...
We see interactions with MANY people at the firm, and shortly after the book begins, there is a murder. We spend the rest of the book trying to figure out who did it??!!
And, she calls in some friends from her old FBI job in NYC. One of them is Benny. He's supposed to be a big, tough, Brooklyn guy...and being originally from Brooklyn myself, the audiobook narrator for him was spot on!!
Nora also has a young daughter Sophie who is adorable...
And her mother Theresa is always around to help them out.

Once the murder happens, we follow them as they try to figure out who did it and why...
And boy, do they open up some cans of worms....

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#Westport by #JamesComey. Narrated beautifully by #CassandraCampbell (and now I realize that it was only ONE narrator doing all the voices! Incredible!!)

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which was released yesterday, 5.21.24.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

Nora is lead counsel for a hedge fund company, Saugatuck Associates. When her friend and colleague is found murdered and all the evidence points towards Nora, she calls in some old friends from the US Attorney’s office, Benny and Carmen. These two leave no stone unturned in trying to clear Nora’s name.

I enjoyed this author’s last novel, Central Park West. So, when this book became available for review, I jumped on it. And it did not disappoint!

Nora is a cool customer. She knows she is in trouble but she keeps her wits about her. But her friend Benny is my absolute favorite! He is someone I want in my corner all the time!

This author is so smart when it comes to the law and police procedure (I mean…look at his background!). So, I am always taken a bit by surprise by some of the law aspects during his novels. I always learn something new.

Need an all around good drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.

mystery, crime-fiction, thriller, friends, friendship, frustration, family, family-dynamics, murder, investigations, framed, local-law-enforcement, contemporary, lawyers, audiobook, wealthy, off-duty-law-enforcement, trust-issues, unpleasant-co-worker, unpleasant-suspect, unputdownable, secrets, lies, dossiers*****

The lawyers and law enforcement get to be the good guys.
*Nora is Corp Counsel for a firm that prides itself on truth/transparency. Until one of the major players is murdered and Nora is in the frame with impossibly unrealistic "evidence". The "good guys (any gender) come out of the woodwork to help her and one even finds evidence of wrongdoing by the victim that smells a lot like fodder for blackmail. Now the investigation really heats up! Great read!
*Cassandra Campbell demonstrates her abilities as a voice actor by mimicry of accents, differentiation of characters, and interpretation of character's emotions.
*I requested and received a free temporary audio ARC from HighBridge Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
#NoraCarletonBk2

James Comey’s most recent novel, Westport, is a binge worthy crime thriller. I switched back and forth between the e-book and audiobook so I finished this book in less than 24 hours!

The main character, Nora Carleton, is the type of female protagonist that I love - smart, strong, and not afraid to voice her opinions. She is lead council at the world’s largest hedge fund when a coworker is murdered. She is set up to become the police’s main suspect so she must figure out who the real killer is!

If you read Central Park West, some characters will be familiar, however either book can be read as a standalone novel. I really enjoyed both books and this seals Comey as a must read author for me.

Thank you @highbridgeaudio and @mysteriouspress for allowing me to read and listen to this book/audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Westport is a followup to the first in the series: Central Park West. I had read Central Park West at the beginning of May without even realizing that there was a sequel coming up so soon. I was glad to go back into the world of (former) prosecutor Nora Carleton to see what she was up to after leaving the New York U.S. Attorney’s office.

Even though Nora has left the big city for an investment firm ($$$) in Connecticut, there are still major crimes. Someone is trying to frame her for another murder, and she has to rely on her friends to figure out who is the real culprit.

The murder victim is Helen, who is Nora’s recruiter, boss, mentor, and good friend.i

I think it’s so interesting to read books written by public figures who have inside knowledge of things like this, to get their perspective on how the system works. I would definitely keep reading more books in this series.

Special thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub Date: May 21 2024

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this audio eARC. Westport by James Comey follows Nora who left her job at the US Attorney's office for what she thought was a quiet life as counsel for Saugatuck Associates a hedge fund firm in Westport, CT. This was not the case. Her friend and superior Helen was murdered and Nora is being framed for it. Nora calls in help from a close friend, Benny to take the reins and try to solve the murder before she is arrested for it. This was a really fast paced crime thriller that I enjoyed. I think there were a lot of characters that really didn't evolve so I had some trouble keeping them all straight listening to the audiobook. That being said, as someone who lived in the Saugatuck neighborhood of Westport this was a walk down memory lane and I really loved that. 3.5 Stars rounded to 4!

I think people who enjoy this genre will like it more than I did. I liked it but it wasn’t something I felt the urge to keep reading. I could have quit. i remain impressed this was written by the former FBI director!

Other things that reduced my rating: felt slow and redundant at time.

I loathed the long confessional at the end and had more or less guessed the bad guy was.

Former FBI Director James Comey has written another nice piece of crime fiction. There is murder, assault, kidnapping, and financial crime all throughout this book. I have read all of Comey's fiction works as well as his non-fiction titles. I really like his writing style in both genres. In this book he creates wonderful characters and keeps developing them. The pacing of the writing is solid and it keeps that pace throughout and doesn't have a quick wrap-up ending, which is one of my pet peeves. I think that the characters from this book could easily be turned into a successful series.

Since I received an ARC audiobook, I also wanted to mention the narrator, Cassandra Campbell. She does a great job with both male and female voices and it makes the characters that much more lifelike. Thank you for your contribution Ms. Campbell.

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

Westport is a fast-paced and captivating thriller, and proved that the success of Comey’s debut, Central Park West, was no fluke. I was thrilled to see the principal characters from that book return, especially Nora, now the general counsel at a hedge fund. While this may seem like a gig far more tame than her previous work, when her favorite colleague is murdered things get hot and she calls in reinforcements. The financial complexities of the hedge fund world create a thoughtful plot, and there are some interesting twists that made for an engaging read. The audiobook is narrated by the amazing Cassandra Campbell. I’m already looking forward to Comey’s next book! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio book.

I wasn't sure what to expect from James Comey, but this was well structured and Nora, as a main character, was a strong female protagonist. And the addition of showing the multitude of ways that war vets move through the world, was a subtle reminder to not see them as a monolith or to forget them altogether.

Perhaps I'll try another Comey book.