A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

I'm not a fan of disaster stories, apocalyptic narratives can only go one way.. 'up' .. so I hate the delusion that it won't end 'alright' ... the trek to an ending that delivers that up-beat is tedious for me. Ruminations about her relationship to daughter didn't grab me either .. I think I'm just wrong reader.

This was a fast paced and enjoyable book that kept me hooked to the end. Very easy to visualise, I can see this being made into a film. The storyline was different to anything I’d read before and the characters had good depth and I liked how the concepts of good and evil were intertwined.

Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy is an exhilarating and thought-provoking thriller set in a world on the brink of collapse. The novel opens on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, as New York swelters under a scorching heatwave. Global leaders at the United Nations, gathered to discuss the climate crisis, are forced to confront the reality that the planet is on the edge of catastrophe. Amidst this mounting tension, an inexplicable event occurs at precisely 5:25 p.m. – every single person on Manhattan Island, from everyday citizens to world leaders, falls unconscious. The only ones unaffected are Samantha Rossi, a single mother reeling from personal tragedy, and Nick Lockwood, an NYPD detective recovering from a coma.

With the city plunged into chaos, Rossi’s first concern is the safety of her daughter, while Lockwood feels the weight of the city’s fate on his shoulders. As the night unfolds, the two must navigate a strange and dangerous new reality, working together to uncover the mystery behind the mass blackout. The novel’s premise is gripping – a world leaderless, vulnerable, and at the mercy of an unknown force – and Cordy wastes no time throwing the characters and the reader into a pulse-pounding race against time.

Cordy’s writing is fast-paced and immersive, making Manhattan Down a thrilling read from start to finish. The characters are relatable and grounded, with Rossi’s maternal instincts and Lockwood’s determination to protect his city driving the narrative forward. The stakes are high, as the novel explores themes of survival, loyalty, and sacrifice in a world that has lost its direction. There’s also an underlying critique of the influence of billionaires and corporate greed, particularly in relation to climate change and the future of the planet.

The plot is filled with twists, audacious heists, and political intrigue, making it a thrilling ride. Yet, it also raises pertinent questions about the direction humanity is heading, both in terms of environmental issues and the unchecked power of the wealthy elite. The action is balanced with moments of introspection, as the characters grapple with the choices they must make in order to save what matters most to them.

Manhattan Down is not just a typical thriller; it is a sobering exploration of how easily the world could fall into chaos and the lengths to which ordinary individuals will go to protect their loved ones and their city. Cordy masterfully combines heart-racing suspense with a powerful message about the urgency of addressing climate change and the societal imbalance of power. The book is an adrenaline-filled journey that will leave readers questioning the future of our world while being entertained by its relentless pace and intrigue.

For fans of high-stakes thrillers with a timely, socially relevant message, Manhattan Down is a must-read. It’s a novel that asks difficult questions, challenges the status quo, and presents a vision of a world teetering on the edge – a world where every decision could have catastrophic consequences.

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An enjoyable apocalyptic sci-fi thriller which felt like it had been inspired in part by The Day of the Triffids and also by Die Hard, with the climate emergency, cryptocurrency and the rise of a Bond-type villain also thrown into the mix. All handled well by a master craftsman.

Wow! this should be made into a film, for sure.
I started this book thinking I wasn't going to enjoy it as it seemed to be a disaster movie like story. How wrong I was. The characters develop so that you become invested in their futures. The story starts with the shutting down of Manhattan and every chapter leads you through the lives of different characters enabling you to build a picture of exactly what is going on - with twists and turns along the way.
Exciting, gripping, sometimes scary, occasionally hopeful, this is a must read.

Not sure about this book for me. It is set on the eve of 9/11 in Manhattan. People start to fall asleep except for the odd few who turn out to have something neurological wrong with them. Samantha has just found out she has some sort of brain issue and stays awake. She then panics as her daughter, Zoe, is in Manhattan with friends. Samantha starts looking for her daughter and notices weird things happening around her. Nick Lockwood is in hospital in a coma and suddenly wakes up and leaves hospital wondering what is going on. The story plots the path of the ones who make everyone fall asleep and the ones who do not succumb to their plot. I am sure there are many people who will love this book but for me I am not keen on books when these things could so easily happen in my lifetime. On saying this I did not struggle to get to the end

Cleverly written fast paced tense thriller set in the near future. What happens when someone disables the whole of Manhatten, and has the means to do an awful lot worse. I loved this book - it kept me totally immersed from start to finish!

I was intrigued by the blurb on this book as it sounded like a plot for a movie and it reads like one too! I was glued to the pages from the first chapter all the way to the last! A wonderfully inventive storyline which makes you not only consider your own place in the world but questions what you would do in tricky situations. Pulse racing reading and twists that I didn’t see coming! A must read for speculative thriller fans and anyone who enjoys high stakes storylines and crazy twists.

The Waking eye, a group of environmental activists, use radio wave technology to make everyone in Manhattan fall asleep, including all the world's political leaders who are at a meeting at the United Nations. They send their ransom demands to the US Vice president who leads the negotiations.
Sam and Nick are not affected by the radio waves and get caught up with the gang, who have more audacious plans than first appears, and it is up to Sam and Nick to try and save Manhattan.
The plot is great, twisty, with lots of surprises.
Recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7089405332

Very much enjoyed this: great concept, great build up of suspense, couldn't stop turning the pages. My only gripes are the usual ones with thrillers like this - a little bit too twisty and turny, to the point that it all starts to become a bit silly, and not huge amounts in the way of character development. A cracking read though, and great if you want a distraction over the holidays.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Stunning read, very creative story line, written in a brilliant and fast pace with lots of surprises, every page was a delight, so unusual in my experience for an author to have such a grasp on both creating well developed locations and characters who are so compelling in action and complexity. As you can tell I loved this book and certainly intend to read more of Mr Corey’s work. He is an author you will hear more about in the coming years, thank you for such an entertaining read!

I absolutely loved this suspense novel.
I thought the plot premise and characters were very well written and it was a real page turner. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. Sometimes books can be masterpieces, with perfect prose, plot and setting, but for whatever reason, you just don't gel with it - and unfortunately for me, this was one of those books. From looking at the other reviews, I can see that it has been enjoyed by many so I'd encourage if you are reading my review, to go read one from someone who has completed the whole piece.
What I can say, from what I read (around 45%), is that the characters are believable, the description and dialogue was well-written and the plot premise was exciting. It would be unfair for me to judge a book as a whole, on the segment that I read.
I really appreciate being allowed this arc, and I apologise that it wasn't for me.

I don’t think I’ve read any other books by this author. The premise appealed and overall, it’s a fairly enjoyable romp. But it didn’t quite hit the spot and I’m not sure why. It’s certainly well written and the story sounded intriguing. It’s well paced but I think the real issue is that the characters are a bit stereotypical. I bought into most of them, but it was easy to know who would come together as ‘good’ and those that were on the other side. Those clichés along with a few too many plot contrivances ended up taking much of the drama away from this. Maybe I was hoping for more of a dystopian sci fi thriller and it didn’t fulfil that expectation. I’m torn between a 3 and 4 and on this occasion I’m erring on the lower side.

OK, let's start with the good bits. It's a great story: the whole of Manhattan just falls asleep, except for a handful of people. The pacing was great; all twisty and turny. It definitely kept me reading to the end. Although I had kind of guessed the main twist about halfway through, there were other little strands that kept things exciting. I had been lured into reading this with its "end of the world" synopsis, but it's definitely more of a speculative fiction thriller.

I found the cast of characters rather cliched. Those who save the day are the all-American "good immigrants": the ex-Army veteran, the cop, then Italian-American woman with her baseball playing daughter. All the "bad guys" seem to be some kind of ethnic bingo cards: black people, Indian, Chinese (ok, maybe the Norwegian here doesn't pan out but still…). I get that some of the activists are doing it for "good" reasons but did the author never step back at any point and think, hmm, maybe this might be a little skewed?

Also, I wasn't sure of the point of Maynard. He's never quite in the thick of things and is used more as a bridge between the Manhattan action and the stand-in world leaders. I was waiting for his plot point to be explained but it never was.

The ending was tied up really quickly and neatly, rather too much for my liking. If it has ended with a corny "and they all lived happily ever after," I would not have been surprised.

Overall, a good but not a great read for me. Thanks to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a thrilling book from start to end. It was filled with such interesting characters that you couldn't help but be enthralled with them.

I thought this would be more like a dystopian thriller but it read like an action film with sci-fi element. I liked the first third of the book where we don't know what has happened and by whom, but everything afterwards felt like a script with poor acting and too many conveniently timed events.

I love an end of the world book and this didn’t disappoint. I felt connected to the characters and was genuinely surprised at one point by the unexpected plot twist. When then conclusion came it was a little too tidy for me but overall I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this.

I was in the right mood for a fast paced and intellegent thriller when I started Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy. It didn't ket me down. It does exactly what is required of such a book. It was a quick read and I liked the main characters, especially the teenage girl who was really well written. (This isn't always the case,.) I found myself engrossed and invested in the people working to save Manhattan.
The technological side was undersrandable for an absolute novice, and I liked the environmental and anti-billionaire message. (If only it were a true story!) I'd definitely recomend this for lovers of thrillers and disater fiction.