“City of Windows is moving, breathtaking–a great entertainment.” –The Wall Street Journal “A tough, wise, knowing narrative voice, a great plot, a great setting, and even better characters — I loved this.” –Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author In the tradition of Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme and David Baldacci’s Amos Decker, Robert Pobi’s City of Windows introduces Lucas Page, a … Pobi’s City of Windows introduces Lucas Page, a brilliant, reluctant investigator, matching wits with a skilled, invisible killer
During the worst blizzard in memory, an FBI agent in a moving SUV in New York City is killed by a nearly impossible sniper shot. Unable to pinpoint where the shot came from, as the storm rapidly wipes out evidence, the agent-in-charge Brett Kehoe turns to the one man who might be able to help them–former FBI agent Lucas Page.
Page, a university professor and bestselling author, left the FBI years ago after a tragic event robbed him of a leg, an arm, an eye, and the willingness to continue. But he has an amazing ability to read a crime scene, figure out angles and trajectories in his head, and he might be the only one to be able to find the sniper’s nest. With a new wife and family, Lucas Page has no interest in helping the FBI–except for the fact that the victim was his former partner.
Agreeing to help for his partner’s sake, Page finds himself hunting a killer with an unknown agenda and amazing sniper skills in the worst of conditions. And his partner’s murder is only the first in a series of meticulously planned murders carried out with all-but-impossible sniper shots. The only thing connecting the deaths is that the victims are all with law enforcement–that is until Page’s own family becomes a target.
To identify and hunt down this ruthless, seemingly unstoppable killer, Page must discover what hidden past connects the victims before he himself loses all that is dear to him.
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A tough, wise, knowing narrative voice, a great plot, a great setting, and even better characters — I loved this.
Such a brilliant idea–and a unique hero unlike anything I’ve ever read. A fast-paced thriller that is full or surprises. Hard-edged but touching and emotional at the same time. I loved it, and so did my husband. And that hardly ever happens!
City of Windows is that rarest of gems―a page-turner painted with soaring prose that makes you want to read every sentence twice. In Dr. Lucas Page, Robert Pobi has created a unique and modern protagonist, as irascible as he is brilliant. He’ll be back and so will I.
FABULOUS!! This was a fantastic first-in-series and I hope like mad that Pobi follows it up with more Lucas Page adventures in math and murder as soon as humanly possible…
Page is a marvelous character – bent, not broken, and working like a dervish to keep himself and his family in one piece. There are just enough nods to current events, political theories, and social commentary/debate to make this one scary and resonant on multiple levels. When those issues are presented with a deft talent at storytelling, they become even more so. Pobi has done an exceptional job creating a world that is believably bleak without feeling hopeless – and the latter bit is largely due to the phenomenal Page who shines like a beacon in the darkness, offering an almost mystical set of abilities that allow him to see through the pitch. It’s one hell of a story and I’m already chomping at the bit for more!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.
A stunner. One of the most impressive, compelling thrillers I’ve read in a long while. The plot moves at bullet velocity. The writing has an electric surge. Robert Pobi delivers a fresh, exciting new voice to thriller fiction.
After a horrific incident costs more than Lucas Page thought he could ever pay, his whole life changes around and the least of this is his leaving the FBI. Ten years have passed since then and Lucas has a whole new life – a new wife and family, a new home and he’s one of the most sought after professors in his field. All this changes again when the FBI need Lucas’ help in identifying a sniper that made what should have been an impossible shot in impossible conditions. Is Lucas willing to pay the price this time around?
I bought this book on a whim since it kept cropping up in my amazon feed as a recommended read. I’m very glad I did because this is an amazing story that balances really well between what feels realistic and what pushes the envelope too far. For this story I am really pleased the author kept on the correct side of believability and the story that results is wonderful.
In some respects Lucas Page is not a character that I feel many people can really relate closely to. His is crazy smart and has had a roller coaster of a life. Indeed I was pleased that the author sortof fed us as readers snapshots of Lucas’ past and history just in bits and pieces. A massive info dump or some sort of encapsulation of it would have read as unlikely in the extreme and more importantly I feel this would have detracted from showing us – at the relevant time – why Lucas thinks or feels a certain way or why he’s making a specific choice. Highlighting these decisions and showing us brief glimpses of his past and history really let the picture as a whole of Lucas evolve and grow and I loved this.
The main plot of this story was the sniper shooter and while this isn’t the strongest mystery I’ve read it is a good and solid plot and well woven into the rest of the story and characters. I really feel the strong cast of secondary characters as well as Lucas himself really make this book better than just the plot itself. I also am a sucker for New York City as a backdrop and the author didn’t disappoint with this aspect of the story either. My only serious complaint is that this is the first book in a series and I really wish I’d found this series six or seven books in so I could binge the lot and have a load more reading immediately available.
Readers who enjoy a solid mystery with prickly and smart characters and a wonderfully woven story should definitely give this one a try. Recommended.
I thought it was good, not great but the detail of the solving of the case was interesting.
Evidently he couldn’t write a book we all could enjoy, had to throw in his political views way to often.
A mixed review. If you are a very liberal Democrat, you will love this book. However, if you are on the “right”, you will be frustrated just as I am. The author took a good plot, and he has good writing skills; but his hate for the “right” seeps out time and again, it oozes out of the book. Hates Trump, the President of the NRA is assassinated in the book and black people are denigrated by innuendo.
Great story, fantastic characters and intriguing premise. An unlikeable character that I loved and crimes that more questions then hints.
Fast paced and well developed world full of crimes and questions. Fascinating characters and action that kept me on my toes. I have questions and interest in some events that happened to create their current dynamics, personalities and situations, but I also look forward to the manner the author shares it as the timing of information is entertaining and spot on for further developing the scene and characters.
I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to all who like action, crime solving and thrillers.
I selected this book primarily for the atmospheric setting during a winter blizzard thinking the plot would pull me in. Neither happened. However, I really enjoyed the main characters and the writing was very good.
This is the kind of book that stays with you after the last page. Opens with a bang and the twist was not what I expected. Read this book!
4.5 stars towards 5 because it’s really good
This book it’s like watching a movie, a very good one, with such a great characters, a suspense that will keep you on the edge till the last page and a lot of twists and turns that you’ll think you know it all, you got everything sorted out or feels predictable at times, but honestly it’s not because the more you read, the suspense gets higher.
I liked the writing, the author has a gift of a great storyteller and the book overall it’s very recommendable to any lover of suspense mystery crime and even the TV serials like Numbers because it has a lot of vibe from it and i just loved it.
Early on I got irritated with the preachie narrative getting in the way of the unfolding story. Then I became as enthralled with the narrative as I was with the story. A really good story teller and narrative I love to hear. All rolled into one package.
Robert Pobi has written a winner with City of Windows, a novel that should establish him as an authentic, distinctive and entertaining new voice in crime fiction.
With a sniper on the loose killing law enforcement officers in New York City, former FBI agent, Dr. Lucas Page, is approached to consult on the investigation based on his area of expertise. Though well established as a professor, husband and adoptive father, Lucas is hesitant to consent, but he is keen to use his unique skills to solve the case. What ensues is a chase that puts all at risk of being a target.
From the beginning, the narrative is punctuated by the inexplicable murders and how Lucas has adapted to his new life. Though Lucas could be anti-social and sarcastic at times, he is also dedicated to his word and it showed character dimension along with his vulnerabilities.
As for the pulse of the story, the search to identify and catch the sniper was full of deductions and multiple paths leading to different theories. With themes taken from current events, the reality of certain ideologies offers a sad and disturbing commentary that fuels distrust in these characters. Though some of the pacing was slower than I would have preferred and the trajectory wasn’t a complete surprise, the cast of characters and punchy narrative maintained my interest.
City of Windows is crime thriller that reads like an action drama with a prickly but endearing leading man.