The former director of the FBI turned author was sacked by Donald Trump in 2017 and was recently interviewed by the Secret Service in an ongoing feud with the man now back in the White House. Writing legal thrillers is probably a welcome escape from that world. Comey was also an assistant district attorney prior to working for the Bureau, which is reflected in his politically charged, high stakes legal dramas. FDR Drive is the third in his series featuring federal prosecutor Nora Carleton.
Carlton is back at the Criminal Division in New York after a stint at Westport where she tackled financial corruption outside the metropolis. Life is about to get even tougher as the city has become a powder keg, the atmosphere febrile and dangerous. The legal system faces the growing threat of right-wing extremism, which though he is unnamed is emboldened by you know who. There are minor flare-ups, attacks on peaceful parades and violent protests on the street that all hint at worse to come.
At the heart of it all the chancer radio presenter and podcaster Samuel Buchanan. He loves every minute of his fame and the trouble he is causing with his vitriol and abuse on air, claiming it’s all about free speech under the constitution. Buchanan says traditional Americans – read white Americans – are under attack and that this assault by the woke is a manifestation of evil in the liberal left. True God-fearing patriots must resist.
However, his incendiary rhetoric is really seeking to undermine democratic freedoms. By implication democracy is the enemy of free speech and good living. Buchanan is nothing but a fraud. He’s not a man of the people but an opportunist who’s failed in politics and business before he found his niche in the hate media.
Carleton works closely with the FBI counter terrorism, which has long recognised the biggest threat to modern America is internal fanatics following people like Buchanan and not foreign terrorists. They fear a major incident could be on the way with Buchanan fuelling the crisis.
As the story progresses, a number of attacks take place which appear to be directly related to Buchanan and are perpetrated by his supporters. When someone is murdered, Carleton is tasked with prosecuting Buchanan for his role in promoting events.
Back in the 1990s the blind cleric Omar Abdul Rahman was convicted for sponsoring Islamist terrorism so Carleton and the team can’t think why the same law couldn’t apply here? But, given the new climate, can Carleton convince a modern jury that Buchanan’s hate speech makes him directly responsible for the actions of those he preaches to?
Meanwhile, fears of a terrorist bomb plot are very real. It’s no spoiler, as the novel opens with a scene set a year on from these events at a major gathering outside the UN where there’s a major rally. Two suicide bombers plan to wreak havoc and murder innocents.
Comey is turning into an accomplished crime novelist and here warns of things to come in the new uncertain era. This is a well constructed and credible tale of modern America that has several strengths. A deep understanding of the increasingly volatile political situation in the United States, while it is anti-Trump and MAGA it is measured and reasoned and never overshadows the narrative drive of the thriller. This novel may not sit well with Trump supporters, but it is a plea for a better, kinder society.
As you might expect, the courtroom action feels authentic, judges speak with authority, lawyers present their cases without the rabbit-out-of-a-hat-saving-the-day trope that comes with more pulpy thrillers. Maybe this will turn off some readers but I found it fascinating.
There’s an ensemble cast around Carleton that readers of all three books will be getting familiar with, who are starting to feel like old friends – Benny and Epps for example. Carleton’s own daughter, Sophie, is a reminder of why someone does what she does in order to keep the streets safer. It’s a good blend between big themes and personal jeopardy.
As a legal thriller FDR Drive may not reach the heights of Turow, Grisham or Steve Cavanagh yet but James Comey is getting there and outside the courtroom he’s better than the first two. If you want a political legal thriller, bang in the zeitgeist, this is for you, so much so that it may be a little too close to home for some.
Head of Zeus
Print/Kindle/iBook
£7.99
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
