You Belong to Me
Published June 6, 2017
“A classic noir triangle [that] widens quickly to introduce a roundelay of characters with volatile tempers and conflicting agendas . . . The common denominator among them seems to be a voracious hunger: for money, power, revenge . . . deliciously twisty . . . startlingly violent . . . The hard, hot beat of noir goes on.”
—Megan Abbott, The New York Times Book Review
About
Nine years after his last critically acclaimed thriller, The Finder, Colin Harrison returns with You Belong to Me. Filled with compelling characters and a loving but biting satire of New York City, You Belong to Me is an exceptional novel, and Colin Harrison is at the top of his game.
Paul Reeves is a successful immigration lawyer, but his passion is collecting old New York City maps, tangible records of the city where he’s spent his life. One afternoon he attends an auction with his neighbor Jennifer Mehraz, the beautiful young wife of an Iranian-American financier-lawyer. Suddenly, a handsome man in fatigues appears and whisks Jennifer away.
A long-lost lover from Jennifer’s rural Pennsylvania past, the man sets a series of alarming events in motion. Those close to Jennifer are desperate to figure out who he is and how the two are connected―especially her high-powered and possessive husband, whose ultimate goal is to make this embarrassing intrusion into his marriage disappear.
At the same time, one of the world’s rarest, most inaccessible maps suddenly goes on sale, but before Paul can finalize a deal, an anonymous buyer snatches it out from under his nose. Maddened and perplexed by the loss, Paul must find out who beat him to it and how to get the map for himself.
Reviews
“A classic noir triangle [that] widens quickly to introduce a roundelay of characters with volatile tempers and conflicting agendas . . . The common denominator among them seems to be a voracious hunger: for money, power, revenge . . . deliciously twisty . . . startlingly violent . . . The hard, hot beat of noir goes on.” ―Megan Abbott, The New York Times Book Review
"Chilling and difficult and funny, horrifying and smart. Noir depends on bad decisions, and the novel has plenty of them." ―Sam Sifton, The New York Times
"Harrison slices a sharp narrative knife through the upper classes of Manhattan. It’s an atmospheric noir that captures the way we live now in chilling, uncomfortable ways. . . [A] quintessentially New York novel." ―Casey Barrett, The Village Voice
"Terrific . . . A lapel-grabber . . . Spare, economical and hard-boiled . . . Hard not to be hooked. And you will be . . . Harrison’s noir isn’t what noir used to be. It’s high-tech, sophisticated and ready-made for the multiplex. That being said, Harrison’s prose is terse and nicely lurid. Plus, timely and caustic." ―Brooklyn Daily Eagle
“Every book-reviewing cliche about a good thriller is not just true about Colin Harrison’s latest novel, but literally true. It really is riveting in the sense that you are not likely to move from your location once you start it. It really is a page-turner, and those pages turn fast. It really does grab you from the first sentence and never let you go . . . All very satisfying, and highly recommended.” ―Buffalo News
"Brilliant . . . a fast-paced, unexpected hunt―one that includes hitmen, black-market business dealings, and one very valuable map―underscored by Harrison’s profound interrogation of the dynamics between generations, lovers, chasers, and history. The novel is deliciously satisfying, and you come away from it savoring New York of the past and present and all the twisted, nefarious, driven, and even good people―those who think they know where they’re walking―on its many storied streets." ―Vogue
"You Belong to Me is an intriguing, moody tale of love, lust and avarice―and great summer reading." ―BookPage
“A tightly wound tale of obsession and betrayal.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Harrison’s ostensibly straightforward fable of obsession and manipulation becomes twisted . . . reaps unexpected rewards.” ―Booklist
“Gritty whodunit by thriller-meister Harrison, the bard of Gotham mayhem . . . an elaborate story with many moving parts, some of them involving large piles of money, hit men of a decidedly murderous bent, wealthy expats and players from shadowy sultanates, map thieves . . . and an assortment of other people you probably wouldn't want to know. Harrison’s story moves nimbly. . . For fans of the Larsson/Ludlum flavor of action-packed, cynical thriller, where no good deed goes unpunished.” ―Kirkus
