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cseibs's review against another edition
1.0
Disappointing. I'm at a loss as to why this made the NYTimes Notable List. The gruesomeness of the plot is unnecessary. None of the characters are likable, especially the damsel in distress whom we're supposed to be so concerned about. And far too much of the plot was outlandishly implausible, to the point of being laughable. Definitely not worth the read.
pierceinverarity's review against another edition
3.0
Harrison's portrait of Manhattan's breadth and nuanced class ladders is the best element of this novel. The plotting is good, the characters middling, and the prose fairly pedestrian. I found this to be a smart, engaging thriller, but not really quite top shelf literary noir.
blackoxford's review against another edition
3.0
Buildings & Boobs
Below the marble foyers and plush offices of mid-town Manhattan are of course the sewers: Two worlds. One world is visible, impressive, ornamental and confident; but that’s only a façade for what lies beneath. It is the hidden world of the sewers which is essential, not the marble foyers. If the visible weren’t properly maintained, there might be complaints. If the invisible stopped working, life itself becomes impossible.
As it is with buildings, so is it with people. Those above don’t think at all about those below. And this provides great opportunity. One man’s trash is another man’s inside information. Hence the real contradictions of modern high-tech capitalism: “CorpServe's clients were paying it extra money to more efficiently steal the very information they most wanted destroyed.”
It is women, of course, who inhabit and maintain the nether regions of buildings and the lower reaches of society. They are, as it were, the plumbing that connects upper and lower. Women have made advances in society but not where it counts in New York City, that place “Where blood gets turned into money!.” The reason? “The permanent government of New York City, the true and lasting power, is found in the quietly firm handshake between the banking and real estate industries.” Those handshakes are almost exclusively among men. This is a world of marginalised women, “A corporate world so close they could reach out and touch it with their cherry-colored fingernails. Yet given the stratifications of American society, it is a world they are unlikely ever to know from within.”
Women exist in that government for the two things which Harrison makes very clear: sex and the removal, medical examination and cleansing of excrement. But don’t believe him, just ask Trump (who gets a mention as the ‘great American trickster’ in this book of 2008 which aptly captures his two interests: buildings and boobs). Otherwise “they are faceless, nameless, and invisible.” They live in a parallel universe, something like Red Hook in Brooklyn, which has nothing to do with the high-tech paperless office but through which that office is connected to the moral excrement as well as to the money it creates. What goes around, comes around, as it were. When the plumbing starts backing up, everyone eventually notices. A blessing really. There may be some justice after all.
Below the marble foyers and plush offices of mid-town Manhattan are of course the sewers: Two worlds. One world is visible, impressive, ornamental and confident; but that’s only a façade for what lies beneath. It is the hidden world of the sewers which is essential, not the marble foyers. If the visible weren’t properly maintained, there might be complaints. If the invisible stopped working, life itself becomes impossible.
As it is with buildings, so is it with people. Those above don’t think at all about those below. And this provides great opportunity. One man’s trash is another man’s inside information. Hence the real contradictions of modern high-tech capitalism: “CorpServe's clients were paying it extra money to more efficiently steal the very information they most wanted destroyed.”
It is women, of course, who inhabit and maintain the nether regions of buildings and the lower reaches of society. They are, as it were, the plumbing that connects upper and lower. Women have made advances in society but not where it counts in New York City, that place “Where blood gets turned into money!.” The reason? “The permanent government of New York City, the true and lasting power, is found in the quietly firm handshake between the banking and real estate industries.” Those handshakes are almost exclusively among men. This is a world of marginalised women, “A corporate world so close they could reach out and touch it with their cherry-colored fingernails. Yet given the stratifications of American society, it is a world they are unlikely ever to know from within.”
Women exist in that government for the two things which Harrison makes very clear: sex and the removal, medical examination and cleansing of excrement. But don’t believe him, just ask Trump (who gets a mention as the ‘great American trickster’ in this book of 2008 which aptly captures his two interests: buildings and boobs). Otherwise “they are faceless, nameless, and invisible.” They live in a parallel universe, something like Red Hook in Brooklyn, which has nothing to do with the high-tech paperless office but through which that office is connected to the moral excrement as well as to the money it creates. What goes around, comes around, as it were. When the plumbing starts backing up, everyone eventually notices. A blessing really. There may be some justice after all.
emilybryk's review against another edition
1.0
5 pages in, a car is filled with raw sewage and several minor characters drown in it. The subsequent 250 pages don’t really follow through on the promise of that particular premise. Make of that what you will.
vsobaka05's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. It was a fast enjoyable read and though I probably won't reread it, I didn't feel like I was wasting my time reading it to begin with.
The treatment of women was pretty one-dimensional, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but the plot was pretty interesting and very fast moving.
The treatment of women was pretty one-dimensional, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but the plot was pretty interesting and very fast moving.
carolsnotebook's review
3.0
Gritty, graphic thriller. It was engrossing, but I can't say I necessarily enjoyed it.
Full review at Carol's Notebook
Full review at Carol's Notebook
matthew_p's review
4.0
A little too straight-forward to be a true thriller, still an interesting read.
vsobaka05's review
3.0
This book wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. It was a fast enjoyable read and though I probably won't reread it, I didn't feel like I was wasting my time reading it to begin with.
The treatment of women was pretty one-dimensional, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but the plot was pretty interesting and very fast moving.
The treatment of women was pretty one-dimensional, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but the plot was pretty interesting and very fast moving.
blackoxford's review
3.0
Buildings & Boobs
Below the marble foyers and plush offices of mid-town Manhattan are of course the sewers: Two worlds. One world is visible, impressive, ornamental and confident; but that’s only a façade for what lies beneath. It is the hidden world of the sewers which is essential, not the marble foyers. If the visible weren’t properly maintained, there might be complaints. If the invisible stopped working, life itself becomes impossible.
As it is with buildings, so is it with people. Those above don’t think at all about those below. And this provides great opportunity. One man’s trash is another man’s inside information. Hence the real contradictions of modern high-tech capitalism: “CorpServe's clients were paying it extra money to more efficiently steal the very information they most wanted destroyed.”
It is women, of course, who inhabit and maintain the nether regions of buildings and the lower reaches of society. They are, as it were, the plumbing that connects upper and lower. Women have made advances in society but not where it counts in New York City, that place “Where blood gets turned into money!.” The reason? “The permanent government of New York City, the true and lasting power, is found in the quietly firm handshake between the banking and real estate industries.” Those handshakes are almost exclusively among men. This is a world of marginalised women, “A corporate world so close they could reach out and touch it with their cherry-colored fingernails. Yet given the stratifications of American society, it is a world they are unlikely ever to know from within.”
Women exist in that government for the two things which Harrison makes very clear: sex and the removal, medical examination and cleansing of excrement. But don’t believe him, just ask Trump (who gets a mention as the ‘great American trickster’ in this book of 2008 which aptly captures his two interests: buildings and boobs). Otherwise “they are faceless, nameless, and invisible.” They live in a parallel universe, something like Red Hook in Brooklyn, which has nothing to do with the high-tech paperless office but through which that office is connected to the moral excrement as well as to the money it creates. What goes around, comes around, as it were. When the plumbing starts backing up, everyone eventually notices. A blessing really. There may be some justice after all.
Below the marble foyers and plush offices of mid-town Manhattan are of course the sewers: Two worlds. One world is visible, impressive, ornamental and confident; but that’s only a façade for what lies beneath. It is the hidden world of the sewers which is essential, not the marble foyers. If the visible weren’t properly maintained, there might be complaints. If the invisible stopped working, life itself becomes impossible.
As it is with buildings, so is it with people. Those above don’t think at all about those below. And this provides great opportunity. One man’s trash is another man’s inside information. Hence the real contradictions of modern high-tech capitalism: “CorpServe's clients were paying it extra money to more efficiently steal the very information they most wanted destroyed.”
It is women, of course, who inhabit and maintain the nether regions of buildings and the lower reaches of society. They are, as it were, the plumbing that connects upper and lower. Women have made advances in society but not where it counts in New York City, that place “Where blood gets turned into money!.” The reason? “The permanent government of New York City, the true and lasting power, is found in the quietly firm handshake between the banking and real estate industries.” Those handshakes are almost exclusively among men. This is a world of marginalised women, “A corporate world so close they could reach out and touch it with their cherry-colored fingernails. Yet given the stratifications of American society, it is a world they are unlikely ever to know from within.”
Women exist in that government for the two things which Harrison makes very clear: sex and the removal, medical examination and cleansing of excrement. But don’t believe him, just ask Trump (who gets a mention as the ‘great American trickster’ in this book of 2008 which aptly captures his two interests: buildings and boobs). Otherwise “they are faceless, nameless, and invisible.” They live in a parallel universe, something like Red Hook in Brooklyn, which has nothing to do with the high-tech paperless office but through which that office is connected to the moral excrement as well as to the money it creates. What goes around, comes around, as it were. When the plumbing starts backing up, everyone eventually notices. A blessing really. There may be some justice after all.
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
All you have to do to realize how differently each books affects each individual is to read reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Clearly some books resonate for a whole variety of different reasons. This book is a good example of that.
Ray's relationship to his dying father is done, I think, in a very sensitive and emotional manner that resonated more than a few of my chords as I had gone through similar experiences with my father last fall. I suspect for many people, it would have been just boring. For me it was the opposite, if almost unreadable because it struck so close to home. Ray's farther is an ex-cop who wants desperately to help his son in the quest to locate his girlfriend. In the end he locates some key information in his old files.
Ray is an ex-fireman who was almost crushed with his partner (who did not survive) when the WTC collapsed. I must say that the description of Ray trying to stay alive while his partner dies is horrifying in the extreme and very realistic. I got claustrophobic while listening. One unusual method for murder is how the two Mexican immigrants are killed: their car is pumped full of sewage and they suffocate.
This is the third Colin Harrison I have read. This one is a tad different in that the protagonist is perhaps less ordinary - or should I say more extraordinary - than in the other two. On the other hand, his abilities are well within the range of normal considering his métier. Not quite as well done as the others, I think. The Peter Blake character seems superfluous; some of the character's motivations seem bizarre. Still an above average mystery/thriller.
Ray's relationship to his dying father is done, I think, in a very sensitive and emotional manner that resonated more than a few of my chords as I had gone through similar experiences with my father last fall. I suspect for many people, it would have been just boring. For me it was the opposite, if almost unreadable because it struck so close to home. Ray's farther is an ex-cop who wants desperately to help his son in the quest to locate his girlfriend. In the end he locates some key information in his old files.
Ray is an ex-fireman who was almost crushed with his partner (who did not survive) when the WTC collapsed. I must say that the description of Ray trying to stay alive while his partner dies is horrifying in the extreme and very realistic. I got claustrophobic while listening. One unusual method for murder is how the two Mexican immigrants are killed: their car is pumped full of sewage and they suffocate.
This is the third Colin Harrison I have read. This one is a tad different in that the protagonist is perhaps less ordinary - or should I say more extraordinary - than in the other two. On the other hand, his abilities are well within the range of normal considering his métier. Not quite as well done as the others, I think. The Peter Blake character seems superfluous; some of the character's motivations seem bizarre. Still an above average mystery/thriller.