After reading Two Nights in Lisbon, I became a fan of Pavone and have read all of his wonderful thrillers. I like his intelligent plots and brilliant women characters. The Doorman felt like a departure in the sense that the thrilling element was restrained yet present in a rather understated and suspenseful manner that finally (of course!) explodes. I loved the setting of this very political, topical and extremely witty novel which marries the personal and individual stories with the greater picture in a most convincing way. There are three main characters and I was invested in all three. I have only been once personally to New York but my virtual knowledge of this great city has been (despite the myriad films and novels I love set there) been further widened in a delightful way. I found myself visualising and exploring further via my tablet, other princely residential buildings, art venues, bed linen companies!!!
The story line does not disappoint... how does it feel being married to an arms manufacturer? how do inequalities (racial, sexual, medical) feel at and feed action at different levels in the city? who is taking advantage of whom?
I totally recommend this fun, intelligent, slow-burner of a very urban thriller. Memorable too. I finished reading it three weeks ago but only now can I put fingers to keyboard (injury!) and I still remember all elements of plot and character. No spoilers from me: judge by yourself.

I have read all of Chris Pavone’s work and have always enjoyed his books, especially Two Nights in Lisbon. Initially I found this book to be quite slow and was not sure it was going to entice me to keep reading early on. I felt there were long unnecessary descriptions and repetition that could have been greatly reduced and my mind started to wander. The book centers around themes of racism and class structures, which are necessary and essential to the plot.

I preserved and I am pleased that I did as at about 40% the book started to ramp up. At this point the plot and characterization improved dramatically, and I then became much more invested. Behind all of this is a story of adultery, murder, secrets, lies and betrayal and it is the characters that bring this to life. Pavone has always written interesting characters from a fascinating standpoint, with a depth that takes the reader into their core and hence you feel something for them

By the end of the book, I was quite captivated and was more than satisfied with the outcome, even though it was a bit of a struggle initially, it is worth persevering with. Do I think this is his best book yet, no I don’t but it is still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

A slow-burn thriller set in a single day at a Park Avenue apartment, where secrets, racial tensions, and personal crises collide. The first half builds character depth, while the second half delivers sharp twists—though heavy-handed political commentary sometimes overshadows the plot. Compelling but uneven.

Would love to read more from the author. Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

A fast-paced thriller set in New York. Full of suspense, the tension leaps off the page. An exciting read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Highly recommended

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chicky Diaz has spent decades standing at the entrance of the Bohemia Apartments, greeting the rich and powerful with a smile. But tonight, on the streets of New York City, tensions are rising, secrets are unravelling and for the first time in thirty years, Chicky is carrying a gun.

Because before the night is over, someone is going to die.

Inside the Bohemia, the elite live in their own world. Emily Longworth is trapped in a marriage she cannot escape. Julian Sonnenberg is facing his own mortality.

Meanwhile, below stairs, the staff – Black, Latino, unseen – have their struggles, their fears, their fight for justice. As protests rage outside and the city teeters on the edge, Chicky stands at the intersection of it all, caught in a web of intrigue, corruption and murder.

A tense and timely thriller exploring:

✔️ Power and privilege – The stark divide between wealth and survival

✔️ Justice and morality – Who gets to live safely, and who does not?

✔️ Secrets and suspense – A high-stakes story with a ticking clock

Fast-paced, razor-sharp and utterly unputdownable, The Doorman is Chris Pavone’s most ambitious book yet.

A must-read for thriller lovers and anyone fascinated by the unseen forces shaping the city that never sleeps.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The Doorman covers a lot of ground. Wealth, race, racism, love, affairs, greed, politics, the woke era we live in and a whole lot more besides. Some of the characters may be unpleasant as a result of being tainted by their wealth but I suspect that most of them would be unpleasant regardless of their monetary standing. I couldn’t find any characters to care about and this made the novel a longer read than it would otherwise have been. If there were more of an escapism aspect, I feel I would have enjoyed The Doorman more. In the event, it served rather as a reminder of the bleak aspects of modern life.

I was given an advance copy of The Doorman by the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fantastic! This is my first book by Chris Pavone. It will not be last. Without giving anything away, or repeating the about blurb, I’ll tell you what I loved. The setting, first of all is one of my favorites. I lived in NY back in the early 2000’s and loved it. I especially loved the old style buildings (the one in the book is made up) he was always describing. (Think the Dakota, my favorite) This story has three main narrators, all very likable, all with flaws. Pretty big ones and still good. The book is basically set within a day but goes back to show us their lives leading up to this day. I really enjoyed the suspenseful aspects of the book and wanted to find out more, so I rushed through this one. The writing is exceptional, I can’t believe I’ve never read any of his other books. I will be correcting that soon.

This was an incredible and fast-paced thriller by Chris Pavone. He does a remarkable job describing a crazy and scary night downtown while perfectly shaping his characters. A superb tale!