beckys_book_blog 's review for:

Manhattan Down by Michael Cordy

3.5

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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I haven't read a politica/action thriller for a while so I was looking forward to reading this.  I loved the premise that at 5.25pm one afternoon the whole of the population of Manhatten suddenly fell unconscious. A cyber event that feels terrifyingly possible. 
Among the unconscious are the world's  biggest political leaders who were meeting in central Manhatten at the time.
Only a few of the total population stay awake. These include tech genius Samantha Rossi and her daughter Sam. A pre existing health condition means they are unaffected. NYPD police officer Nick Lockwood also wakes from his coma at the same time. 
The city is cut off and it isn't safe for the government or police on the outside to penetrate it. Together Rossi and Lockwood have to work out what is happening to the city and why.

It didn't take long to become immersed with the characters in the story. The plot moves ar a brisk pace and I was keen to learn more about the terrorists and how they had brought down the city.
There are some strong moral dilemmas as the book progresses. Was the actual reason behind the terror attack worth fighting for?

The book was clearly meticulously researched. I did find some of the cyber detail a little confusing and I would have preferred less detail as the terrorists visited each of the banks! 
The last part of the book was particularly gripping and I couldn't wait to find how the situation would resolve. 
Overall this was an action packed thriller and it would make a great film/TV series.