Central Park West (Inscribed First Edition, First Printing)

A Newsweek and Reader's Digest most-anticipated read of 2023.

In the thrilling first crime novel from the former director of the FBI, a murder investigation reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia.



The gripping crime fiction debut from former FBI director James Comey takes readers deep inside the world of lawyers and investigators working to solve a murder while navigating the treacherous currents of modern politics and the mob.

When a years-long case against a powerful mobster finally cracks and an unimpeachable witness takes the stand, federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is looking forward to putting the defendant away for good. The mobster, though, has other plans. As the witness's testimony concludes, a note is passed to the prosecution offering up information into the assassination of a disgraced former New York governor, murdered in his penthouse apartment just days before. It's enough to blow the case wide open, and to send Nora into a high-stakes investigation of conspiracy, corruption, and danger.

Drawing from the author's decades in federal law enforcement, including his years in Manhattan as a mob prosecutor and later the chief federal prosecutor, Central Park West is a fast-paced legal thriller with an intriguing plot enriched by real-life details and experiences. That unique perspective gives the novel much of its allure, but it's the unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and courtroom scenes as authentic as they are dramatic that will leave readers looking forward to more from this bold new talent in the genre.

Since graduating from the College of William and Mary—where he was an award-winning journalist—and the University of Chicago Law School, James Comey has been a prosecutor, defense lawyer, general counsel, teacher, writer, and leader. He most recently served in government as Director of the FBI. His best-selling book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership was published in 2018 and was made into a 2020 television limited series. His second book, Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust, also a New York Times best-seller, was published in 2021.

Comey is also the author of the Nora Carleton series of legal thrillers, inspired by his long and varied career, including his years as a prosecutor and his leadership roles at the FBI and the Department of Justice, as well as his work as the general counsel of the world’s largest hedge fund and the world’s biggest defense contractor. His standalone thriller The Weight of Evidence draws from his work as a federal prosecutor in Richmond, Virginia.