Romance novel set in HERTFORDSHIRE and Cricklewood
A thrilling novel set in NEW YORK / USA
13th July 2026
Red Verdict by James Comey, a thrilling novel set mainly New York, USA (briefly also Wyoming, Las Vegas, Des Moines, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Virginia).
Red Verdict by James Comey is a thrilling novel combining national security, espionage and courtroom drama. It has impeccable provenance, coming as it does from the pen of the former US Deputy Attorney. The main character, Nora Carleton, is also a US Deputy Attorney and she has featured in several books by James Comey previously. In Red Verdict we see her pit her wits against a team of lawyers defending George Costas, who is accused of spying for Russia.
The book opens with the murder of Edgar Perez, who had been eating dinner at an Italian restaurant in New York. He had been poisoned with Novichok. Initial police investigations show that he was employed as a senior finance officer in a company producing military hardware for the government. But he wasn’t the intended target; the real ‘mark’ was his boss, George Costas.
James Comey’s writing is authoritative, as you might expect because he has years of experience in a variety of government roles. The author deploys a blend of old-fashioned spy tradecraft, familiar to readers of John le Carré, with insights into the way modern technology can be used to help build a prosecution case. The book isn’t just technically sound though, it has the compelling style of a Michael Connolly novel, skilfully blending the everyday concerns of family life for Nora with the demands – and perils – of her job. There’s also a decent sprinkling of humour in the banter between colleagues and members of Nora’s extended family. It’s always rewarding to read an engaging novel that educates the reader at the same time. Comey helpfully includes a glossary of abbreviations, in case you get lost, but the author also explains the intricacies of court etiquette and the structure of government organisations, making the storyline easier to follow[
The novel’s main setting is New York city, though characters travel to Wyoming, Las Vegas, Des Moines, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Virginia. The author gives the reader a quick flavour of each place, with more extensive descriptions of New York and of the various courts and other buildings. Of course, the main thrust of the book relates to the American justice system from grass roots to the most senior courts, so that is where Comey’s main descriptive efforts are focused.
Choosing to read books written by someone ‘famous’ always feels like something of a risk, but this one was well worth taking a chance on. It’s a privilege to have an insight into Comey’s world. Red Verdict is highly recommended by me and I’m definitely likely to read anything else he has written.
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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