RED VERDICT

JAMES COMEY

Red Verdict by former FBI Director James Comey has everything an exciting, unpredictable thriller should have. When you start it, it feels like you are behind the wheel of an F1 automobile. As the story opens, a well-to-do and powerful businessman drops dead while eating in an Italian restaurant in New York City. Older readers may be reminded of the infamous scene in Mario Puzo's The Godfather. Nora Carlton returns as the no-nonsense deputy US attorney. Comey has sculpted a compelling character in this hard-charging attorney, and readers will read this book just to be in the same environment as Ms.Carlton. Special agent Benny Duggan assists her. Soon, both investigators realize there is more to the poisoning at the Italian restaurant. It looks like politics, power manipulation, and of course, the almighty dollar.

What readers will also enjoy is the internecine battles between the various law enforcement agencies. Of course, the FBI wants the case, as does the C.I.A., even though that agency is allegedly not sanctioned to work domestically. The dialogue between attorney Carlton and her investigator is attention-grabbing and, some might say, realistic. Who would know better than a former FBI director? The book is like taking your blood pressure every second, as the tension mounts until you feel you can no longer bear to continue. Comey has shown remarkable progress since his first novel, Central Park West, and readers will cross their fingers that he continues to make strides toward becoming one of the more agile and adept thriller writers in the business.