jessmanners's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't actually that interested in the plot for, like 90% of the novel--partially because I hate the series-of-unfortunate-accidents-and-misunderstandings-and-foolish-decisions-drags-main-character-into-the-abyss plots, and partially because I didn't really like any of the characters (the women, especially, feel...flat. Jennifer is JUST beautiful and flirtatious, and Rachel is JUST baby-crazy and desperately in love with this detached older man...? Her main purpose seems to be to fill in stories about Paul's backstory that couldn't easily fit into the narrative otherwise. There's a moment when she rages at him about how she's given him everything but he's given her nothing, and while the latter is true, what is more noticeable about this fight is how much the first part rings false. We know nothing about her and all of their conversations and interactions revolve around sex (by the way, if you're secretly trying to get pregnant without your partner noticing, partially as a way to get him to marry you, it doesn't feel like you're putting it all out there...) and his backstory. Still, they end up together, so I think we're not supposed to think that this contradiction is the point of the character.)
Anyway, despite not really caring about the love triangle or the array of hitmen or the obsession with maps, I really liked the semi-off topic riffs: about the evolution of malls or Manhattan, or the fall of the Shah in Iran, etc. Normally things that take away from the plot drive me nuts (like, please, miss me with your lyrically beautiful imagery), but they were what I looked forward to most. Back when I worked for Colin, there were moments (when he wasn't despairing at my general incompetence) when he'd call me into his office at the end of the day and go off on similar riffs--about Vegas or maps*, or...life? If we're being honest, I have no idea how I took them at the time, but I appreciate them now!
*the overlap in age and interest between author and character made it hard for me to separate the two for most of the book...but I guess almost everyone writes themselves into characters to some extent, and it's just that I didn't work for most authors for two years...
ANYWAY, I ended up really liking the climax--the plot resolves itself in a way that felt satisfying and not at all as much like A Simple Plan and that whole genre as I had feared. I wish it had ended there--with the hitmen and the car chases--rather than the women...which of course is all very counter to my normal interests, but there you have it!
Anyway, despite not really caring about the love triangle or the array of hitmen or the obsession with maps, I really liked the semi-off topic riffs: about the evolution of malls or Manhattan, or the fall of the Shah in Iran, etc. Normally things that take away from the plot drive me nuts (like, please, miss me with your lyrically beautiful imagery), but they were what I looked forward to most. Back when I worked for Colin, there were moments (when he wasn't despairing at my general incompetence) when he'd call me into his office at the end of the day and go off on similar riffs--about Vegas or maps*, or...life? If we're being honest, I have no idea how I took them at the time, but I appreciate them now!
*the overlap in age and interest between author and character made it hard for me to separate the two for most of the book...but I guess almost everyone writes themselves into characters to some extent, and it's just that I didn't work for most authors for two years...
ANYWAY, I ended up really liking the climax--the plot resolves itself in a way that felt satisfying and not at all as much like A Simple Plan and that whole genre as I had feared. I wish it had ended there--with the hitmen and the car chases--rather than the women...which of course is all very counter to my normal interests, but there you have it!
cor_luz's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Infidelity
Minor: Blood
soh2000's review against another edition
4.0
It was quite pedantic in parts... I know more about old maps and the history of scotch tape than I'd ever need to. However, the great story overrides my annoyance at some parts of the book.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
You Belong to Me by Colin Harrison is a 2017 Sarah Crichton Books publication.
Gritty noir, a stylish thriller and homage to New York, all rolled into one book.
Paul is a successful immigration lawyer with a seriously obsessive map collecting hobby. While attending an auction with his pretty, but very married neighbor, Jennifer, she abruptly walks out when she meets a solider she obviously recognizes and is very happy to see.
Later, Paul spies the couple making love, which requires Jennifer to explain about the affair. But, Paul is not the only one who knows about her tryst.
Jennifer’s husband is an Iranian lawyer, who is more than aware of his wife’s movements while he is away from home.
In the meantime, Paul has a very valuable map sitting in the palms of his hands, but before he can close the deal, it is snatched away from him, sending him into a fevered quest to find the buyer and get his hands on that map.
The city of New York plays a prominent role in this crime thriller. The atmosphere of the city and Paul’s collection of city maps, creates an intimacy with the history and knowledge of it, making it the perfect backdrop for this dark and complex crime drama.
The characters are also stellar, very well drawn, but a bit stereotypical at times, and not necessarily the type of people you want to root for. The the cast is quite large, which causes me a great deal of trouble in many cases, but I didn’t have much trouble keeping them all straight. Everyone had a specified role and they seldom veer too far off script. But, there is a lot going on here. Murder for hire, relationships and families, obsession, shady underworld characters, and even opportunism.
There is also an interesting age gap between Paul and some of people whose drama he finds himself entangled in, which also provides a thought provoking take on the way age and experience taints your viewpoints. Yet everyone involved was surrounded by an aura of desperation or urgency.
This novel may be billed simply as a crime drama, but there is a pronounced noir quality to the story that greatly appealed to me. I thought the story was well written, a little sarcastic, with some very subtle dark humor hidden inside the cynicism.
I have not read Colin Harrison’s previous novels, so my expectations were no higher going into this novel than with any other, which may have worked to my advantage in this case. I was caught off guard by the tone of the novel, but pleasantly so, and was also very impressed with the style of the writing.
I absolutely love this type of gritty and twisty crime novel and found myself savoring it and absorbing it in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time.
I loved the details, the dialogue, the action, the pacing, and of course the rich irony that brings the show to a close.
I highly recommend this book to those who appreciate noir fiction especially, but anyone who likes a good twisty crime thriller will enjoy this one.
4 stars
Gritty noir, a stylish thriller and homage to New York, all rolled into one book.
Paul is a successful immigration lawyer with a seriously obsessive map collecting hobby. While attending an auction with his pretty, but very married neighbor, Jennifer, she abruptly walks out when she meets a solider she obviously recognizes and is very happy to see.
Later, Paul spies the couple making love, which requires Jennifer to explain about the affair. But, Paul is not the only one who knows about her tryst.
Jennifer’s husband is an Iranian lawyer, who is more than aware of his wife’s movements while he is away from home.
In the meantime, Paul has a very valuable map sitting in the palms of his hands, but before he can close the deal, it is snatched away from him, sending him into a fevered quest to find the buyer and get his hands on that map.
The city of New York plays a prominent role in this crime thriller. The atmosphere of the city and Paul’s collection of city maps, creates an intimacy with the history and knowledge of it, making it the perfect backdrop for this dark and complex crime drama.
The characters are also stellar, very well drawn, but a bit stereotypical at times, and not necessarily the type of people you want to root for. The the cast is quite large, which causes me a great deal of trouble in many cases, but I didn’t have much trouble keeping them all straight. Everyone had a specified role and they seldom veer too far off script. But, there is a lot going on here. Murder for hire, relationships and families, obsession, shady underworld characters, and even opportunism.
There is also an interesting age gap between Paul and some of people whose drama he finds himself entangled in, which also provides a thought provoking take on the way age and experience taints your viewpoints. Yet everyone involved was surrounded by an aura of desperation or urgency.
This novel may be billed simply as a crime drama, but there is a pronounced noir quality to the story that greatly appealed to me. I thought the story was well written, a little sarcastic, with some very subtle dark humor hidden inside the cynicism.
I have not read Colin Harrison’s previous novels, so my expectations were no higher going into this novel than with any other, which may have worked to my advantage in this case. I was caught off guard by the tone of the novel, but pleasantly so, and was also very impressed with the style of the writing.
I absolutely love this type of gritty and twisty crime novel and found myself savoring it and absorbing it in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time.
I loved the details, the dialogue, the action, the pacing, and of course the rich irony that brings the show to a close.
I highly recommend this book to those who appreciate noir fiction especially, but anyone who likes a good twisty crime thriller will enjoy this one.
4 stars
wordlover's review
3.0
Nicely written dark NYC suspense thriller - perhaps not his best, but sharply astute about human nature and the dynamics of NYC society life, well-plotted, and fun.
clambook's review
4.0
Read it in just a couple sittings, which is unusual for me. Strong points: , well-drawn characters, several nice riffs on New York subcultures (single women of a certain age, big money fund-raising galas, steroid-fueled power lifting), primer on antique maps (Harrison is a map geek). Less palatable are the awkward use of Spanglish idioms, the unlikely relationship between the main character and the cop, and the silly action scenes at the end.
borisfeldman's review
5.0
Superb read. Loveless marriage, social xrays, cartomania, and murder in NYC.
abercrombie1986's review
4.0
I really liked the book and the narrator of the audiobook, but the author kept going on on weird tangents that didn't add anything to the story.
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