“Cody has a sharp, dark voice and he’s crafted an often brutal but entertaining novel.” - Doubleday

 

“Walt Cody has written a finely executed crime novel. The crime is enticingly outlined. The cops go about their business with acumen and style. And the investigation has self-generating momentum.” - Henry Holt

 

“I was so impressed by this author, his confident voice, and the way he kept me on edge and unsure throughout.” - Atria

 

“He’s an awfully good writer, He’s very insightful. And the dialogue is both cutting and engaging.” - St. Martin’s

 

“..a very strong crime novel.” - Dutton

 

“He’s a very talented storyteller...[His hero] is an engaging character with a unique perspective...” - Grand Central

 

“Cody’s vision of romance and crime in contemporary New York City is intriguing, reminiscent of noir classics...I can only imagine what a great director could do with this material.” - Harper Collins

Back cover blurbs: "Stunning...Kudos for an incredible explosion of language, insight into character, treatment of every cop and perp as dimensional, and a story that leaves no loose ends.” - Harvey Jacobs, award-winning author of “American Goliath” “A page-turner. Written with style, plotted with precision and peopled by a cast of believable and truly memorable characters.” - Robert Masello, best-selling author, “The Einstein Prophecy” “Slyly realistic...mordantly funny. A dead-on portrait of The Way We Are Now but with the promise that ‘the fundamental things still apply.’” - Linda Stewart, Edgar and Agatha Award nominated author More Reviews ««««« The Way We Love (And Kill) Now By Richard B. Schwartz February 15,2016 This is a fresh new novel by a writer who’s worked in multiple formats. It appears to be a serial killer novel as male victims are found throughout Manhattan, all mutilated in a similar fashion. Sgt. Burt Brymmer heads the Manhattan Homicide Task Force. With the help of his partner, Steve Ross, he investigates the murders while dealing with his own demons. Brymmer’s life is more or less empty, while Ross’s is filled with difficulties. Brymmer has, however, begun to establish a relationship with a reporter, but he suspects that she may be the murderer of the men (or, in another wrinkle, one of the murderers of the men). The plot is complex, with multiple victims and multiple suspects, but the book takes its energy from the dialogue between partners and lovers. This is not so much an ensemble-cast story (as with, e.g., Ed McBain’s 87th precinct series) as it is a ‘small set of individuals interacting’. The individuals are both sad and interesting, skilled and burdened. The dialogue is superb and it is peppered with occasional one-liners that are truly memorable. Manhattan is evoked very nicely. New Yorkers will love the book, even though it portrays the city’s darker elements and denizens. The narrative is ambitious and textured but not ponderous or slow. Its major theme or subtext is ‘the way we love now’, which is to say, not particularly well and not particularly lovingly. The detectives must find their way in a world in which everyone seems to have lost their’s and the result is a memorable tale of detection that is also a running commentary on our lives and our culture, the latter of which leave little room for optimism. Finding that crease of light is part of Burt Brymmer’s quest and as we get to know him we cannot help wishing him well. Highly recommended. Richard B. Schwartz is a professor of English at the University of Missouri and himself the author of several crime novels.

"...a jigsaw that builds to be a solid picture...a police procedural whose central characters are warm-bloodedly human...crime fiction with humor and sharp wit..a very satisfying read." - Mean Streets, (UK), Nov. 9,  2015

 

 

"A gritty police procedural shot through with dark and manic humor."
            - Crime Fiction Lover Mag, Feb 11, 2016

 

 

Wow!

 

A detective story that's more than "just" a detective story, though as such, it's a fine one--intriguing from the start, logical at the end with not a plot-hole in sight. But I'm one of those readers who reads for more than plot and it's there that Manhattan Roulette really scores. Or soars. The writing is terrific. Quick-witted dialogue and deft descriptions. Insightful narrative that probes inner lives. The leading characters are so fully real that after you've traveled with them through the book, you want to pick up the phone and ask them how they're doing. New York is real too. As someone who lives here, I can promise you the author's got Manhattan down pat--not through a series of set-piece locations, but rather by conveying how life here is lived. By all kinds of people --the ones who get to live in that zillion-dollar townhouse and spend their afternoons shopping at Prada, and the rest of us, paying unreasonable rents for tiny apartments and looking for something approximating love. (Speaking of which, I fell in love with Burt Brymmer, the detective sergeant who's in charge of the case. What a wonderful character! I hope Mr Cody brings him back for another round.)

 

May 21, 2016

 

Amazon Vine Reader