Book Review: The Mayors of New York by S. J. Rozan

Welcome to New York City, where Carole McCann is the first female mayor, and now her 15-year-old son has gone missing. Normally one would expect that this situation calls for a citywide search with all NYPD precincts scouring the streets. However, McCann instead calls in the help of private investigator Bill Smith. And with that, so begins The Mayors of New York – the next Bill Smith and Lydia Chin mystery by renowned author S.J. Rozan.

Smith is brought onto the case through a call from his ex-girlfriend, now personal assistant to the mayor, who is looking to keep her son Mark’s disappearance out of the public eye. Accepting this case is more than Smith bargained for as he is thrust into the underbelly of the NYC justice system. Smith and Chin find themselves juggling the mayor, her ex-husband, the NYPD and Mark’s alliance of friends who refuse to talk. Every step they take towards locating Mark, he seems to be one step ahead. 

“My grandfather used to say that age and rat cunning beats youth and skill any time. That may be true; but when it’s youth that has the rat cunning, game over.”

While Mark’s family describes him as more of a loner – an introvert who likely just “ran away” to go think somewhere on his own – Smith is cautious that there might be more to this than a moody teenager. His suspicions are largely confirmed once he realizes he isn’t the only one searching for Mark. His goal evolves from finding Mark, to making sure he finds him before someone else does. While Smith and Chin wind their way throughout NYC, they make friends and more than a few enemies along the way. Smith’s sarcasm continually gets him into trouble; however, it makes for a highly entertaining narrative throughout the entirety of the book.   

His stool groaned again as he shifted his weight. I can’t say I blamed it. “You know, Smitty,” Straley said, leaning in closer, “a guy in your business could use a friend on the NYPD.”

 

“Why, Bulldog,” I said. “I didn’t know you felt that way.” I batted my eyes.

 

“Oh, fuck that shit.” He pulled back a little, which had been my aim. “But it’s got to be a two-way street. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

 

“Right out there on the two-way street? For all the world to see?”

While many who meet Smith are not amused, his dry humor combined with Chin’s subdued, quick wit balance each other page after page. The lightness of their banter is accompanied by the building suspense of Mark’s disappearance and what he may have gotten himself into that led to this. What they uncover is more than Smith or Chin ever anticipated when accepting this case.

“We going in or not?”

 

“You don’t have to do this. I could be way off base. If you don’t – ”

 

“If you don’t stop talking we won’t be in time.”

 

“For what?” I said as for once I was the one following him as he trotted through the gate.

 

“For whatever the hell trouble you’re about to get me into.”

Mayors of New York provides a different take on the private detective novel, flawlessly interweaving the grit of NYC, intricacies of politics and the juxtaposition of those in power vs. those with none. Rozan keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with an action-packed, entertaining, and suspenseful thriller from start to finish. The 15th installment in the Lydia Chin and Bill Smith series is not one to miss.