Rating: 
Summary: Great Beginning That Bottomed Out
Review: The first one hundred and fifty pages or so, Colin Harrison had me hooked. "Manhattan..." is the seamy story of a tabloid reporter named Porter Wren who risks not only his own life,but his wife and children's lives as well when he gets mixed up with a mysterious beauty named Caroline Crowley. She asks him to help investigate the murder of her husband, an acclaimed independant film maker ala Quentin Tarantino.As Porter's life begins to careen out of control it's easy to make comparisons with "The Bonfire of the Vanities", seeing as both present New York at it's most deplorable, and the people that inhabit the island not much higher than base animals driven by lust and greed. Although frankly that seems to be Harrison's argument for all of humanity, turning a devilshly good mystery morality war into a depressing and gory romp through the cesspools of The Big Apple. It's very well written, but the end was a letdown. Not just for it's wimpy resolution, but also for making me feel like I should pull a blanket over my head and not leave the house.
Rating:
Summary: Don't try to be too much
Review: This book definitely tries to be too much: A bit of Thriller, some Psychologoy, Philosophy, Literature, etc. And this is unfortunate, as Harrison definitely is a good writer: Porter Wren, Hobbs and Cynthia are good characters and the description of New York is great.The plot is a bit a mess, but sometimes the narrative is strong enough to cover it up and it has enough drive to keep you going. If the editor had done a better job and shortened this book by 80 to 100 pages - very often Porter Wren is just rambling on about stuff, nothing to do with the story and not very insightful -, it could have been a slick yuppie thriller! If it's sitting in your bookcase (as in my case), read it. If not, don't bother to hunt it down.
Rating: 
Summary: gritty, gothic and descriptive!
Review: this is a very compelling, dark and moody book, filled with tension. It allows the reader to get very close to the lead character's thought process. Very entertaining reading-- well written too.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite
Review: Well, Harrison can write. Perhaps too much. One major problem for the novel: Sex. A little in this department goes a long way. I've read plenty of sex scenes in novels, going back to Sonny Corleone shaking the door in the Godfather during the wedding. Good writers seem to know how to place such scenes within the larger context of the novel. Especially so in crime novels. With Harrison however, there seems to be a pornographic line crossed. (Suggestion and mystery - forget it.) Or perhaps it's meant to be a commentary on America and voyeurism. Indeed, not far below the surface of Manhattan Nocturne are all kinds of commentaries - on sex, on celebrity, on film, on materialism and the power of money. All are worthy topics, but any novel that tries to tackle them all is bound to fail. Bound up in all these ruminations is the search for Truth, as Harrison reminds us through the mouths of several characters. I suppose that's why the character Porter Wren can offer up such clear eyed but intimate details on his lovemaking with his wife. (He's a journalist after all.) But other than revealing there is a mystery in her desires that has much to do with her, and little to do with him (other than fulfilling a big time male fantasy), it still doesn't reveal much about her other than suburban kinkiness. (And of course, she's a good mother.) The fact that Harrison returns to such bedroom scenes should be some sort of writing sin. On the good side, Harrison does create some memorable characters (Caroline is a good femme fatale). In fact, Caroline's story within the story was more memorable than the actual story itself.. Dialogue sounds right. And the plot's not bad either, though twisty as hell, with something of a whimper ending. On the bad: continuous name dropping (Tarantino, Dan Quayle, Mayor Giuliani, etc.). Manhattan Nocturne is simply an attempt to write a Big Important Novel (much like Tom Wolfe's attempts). That never works. A smaller, more focused one would of been a better approach.
Rating:
Summary: A delightful, insightful read!
Review: While Manhattan Nocturne has the plot of an ordinary crime novel, the writing itself is remarkably beautiful. Most chapters end with an insight, thoughful and philosophic, though not in a cheesy way. For light reading, this book brings some wonderful surprises.
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