User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
What an exciting story with an outstanding new character,cops, lawyers and even judges playing a money making game!! A fabulous character in Paul McGrath, former military who has returned home, working as a janitor in a CourtHouse which gives him the ability to listen and find interesting information about legal happenings around town. And Boy does he find some fascinating info!! Even financial gurus join in this seedy game, with NO regard to how many people are hurt or financially ruined as a result of their 'game'...
This does Not sit well with Paul, who believes people Matter, and Nothing should be done in any business that is NOT morally just! Living with an ex-military pal, he takes matters into his own hands,investigating and listening to exactly what people have to say. I was slightly confused by a change in the middle of the story, even thought I was reading a different book! But then realized a history of folks involved, and the reading made sense!
An enjoyable read, it is fiction, so do Not look for things happening in a factual way! Just read and relax to a fun,action=packed adventure!
I received an ARC from NetGalley, who I thank for a great story, and I give You my honest and true thoughts and feelings in this review.
Rating: really liked it
As a rather prolific reader of books - for several years I've topped the 100 mark - it's not easy to find one that has a noticeably unusual plot or an unusually intriguing character. And since the lion's share of my reads are in the mystery/thriller genre, uniqueness is even more constrained. So it is that I'm delighted to find this series, of which this is the second installment.
Central character Paul McGrath is an interesting guy - a highly skilled former military guy who's back home in Albany, N.Y., working at the courthouse as a janitor and fancying himself a vigilante of sorts whose mission is to right society's wrongs. The case in point here involves his own father; McGrath believes he died as a result of a corrupt legal system that allowed the "murderer," a man named Alex Pardew, to go free. As McGrath pokes around in courtrooms to look for evidence that he's right - specifically a file that's gone missing - he meets a businessman who's been accused of arson. Yes, I did that, the man says, but emphasizes that it was because the man - a venture capitalist - is involved in shady deals, insider trading and otherwise bilking millions out of his clients.
Aha, McGrath says - right up my alley. So together with his former GI friend Robson - with whom he lives in his father's $40 million mansion - he sets out to investigate, with a priority on his father but the hope of seeing justice done in both cases. Along the way, he considers visiting the home in which he grew up, now inhabited by his father's former housekeeper. He hasn't purchased much furniture for the home he occupies with Robson, so perhaps, his friend suggests, he can take a few things from the other home. Just as he's about to agree, though, he learns that the housekeeper has died. Needless to say, that makes removal of any furniture much easier, but it raises other questions that may lead to answers McGrath isn't expecting to hear.
There are a few twists and surprises as the investigations proceed (complete with some awesome technology hacks by Robson and another computer-genius friend), but near the end come a frenzy of flashbacks that bring even more surprises for McGrath - and readers, of course. All in all a terrific (and, at 288 pages, quick) read and a great start to a new series. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Rating: really liked it
I won this via goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own.
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Wouldn't read it again but it kept my interest. I did like the characters of Paul and Robson.
It was interesting but at the same time not.. if that makes sense.
Rating: really liked it
I received a free electronic copy of this ARC from Netgalley, Andrew Grant, and Random House Publishing - Ballantine. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I enjoyed the chase in Too Close to Home and the style of Andrew Grant. This is an author I will watch for.
This is a novel set in New York City present time and several other time periods, seen through the eyes of one protagonist - Paul McGrath. Paul is recently retired ex-military, serving in the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade for many years, and is currently a janitor at the New York County Courthouse. Where he cleans up several kinds of messes... Paul's father recently died and left him the house in Westchester that he grew up in, and a complete surprise, a big old place, long empty, a classic brownstone in Hell's Kitchen.
This was the second in a series but completely stand alone. I will be looking for more from Grant. He writes a tight mystery with personable protagonists and a clean trail of clues. Especially I enjoyed the fact that the majority of the story is told in the present, and the back story is told chronically at the end of the book. Much less confusing than some of the back and forth stories I have read lately. Also, it has about 300 pages with only 25 chapters - I don't think I realized how much these two factors have disappeared into a more muddled storyline.
Paul McGrath appears a simple man with few needs, a lifestyle he enjoyed in the service and has patterned his retirement around, as well. He has few acquaintances left from the old days and doesn't have much time to make new friends. Hopefully, that will all change - when he sorts out this latest series of clues to fill in the blanks of his father's history. And though his mother died when he was very young, there may be blanks that need filling there, as well......
pub date Jan 7, 2020
Random House Publishing - Ballantine
Reviewed on January 4, 2020 at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed on January 7, 2020, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo and GooglePlay.
Rating: really liked it
I had the honor of reading an advance copy of this book and it was outstanding! I love the premise, the set-up, the story. Paul McGrath is a great character!
Rating: really liked it
I won this book through a giveaway in exchange for an honest review...
Although it took me a minute to jive with this book, I’m glad I kept reading it! I ended up really enjoying it! Also, what an ending! I literally did not predict that at all! I usually get a good sense of what will happen in a book like this...or at least a close guess,..but this one really surprised me! Great read! I even gave it to my Dad to read when I was done and he read the whole thing! Thats saying something, because he’s super picky and has no problem dropping a book halfway through!
Rating: really liked it
Paul McGrath was previously a military intelligence office and now is working in a courthouse as a janitor as a disguise. He is actually seeking information about his father's murder. McGrath seems to get involved in doing the honorable thing and setting things right in bad situations. This was a complex mystery he had to unravel to find out what actually happened to his father. An interesting story. McGrath could be a new hero on the horizon.
I enjoyed the story and McGrath has potential for a series character if Grant decides to go that route. Thanks to Andrew Grant and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Rating: really liked it
“Too Close to Home” by Andrew Grant is a first person narrative by Paul McGrath. Grant skillfully pulls readers into the story with surprises, suspense, mystery, and hint of criminality. Paul McGrath professes to be just the janitor at the courthouse; he cleans up the messes people make, all kinds of messes, and some messes that go far beyond just sweeping up dust.
The book is filled with complex characters, some good, some innocent, some questionable, and some ordinary; readers are not always sure who is which. The events and the people all contribute to the biggest mystery in the book -- the narrator.
Readers may not know whether to like Paul McGrath, or to fear him, but they certainly know they do not want to be on his bad list. Details about him emerge little by little, but many are complicated and contradictory. He skates along the edge of the law, intimidating the innocent, but then rescuing the downtrodden. He talks about his training, business, and past assignments, but readers do not know for whom he worked and are afraid to even speculate why he is no longer “employed.” His main focus is “squaring things” with those whom he feels wrongly caused his father’s death. In the process he uncovers unscrupulous market traders, corrupt judges, and a complex organization of just generally nasty people.
“Too Close to Home” ends with chronological flashbacks that detail the pivotal events in the pasts of specific characters. Telling the other side of the story adds to the intrigue and mystery of the narrator and sets up the startling climax to McGrath’s search for justice for his father. I received a review copy of “Too Close to Home” from Andrew Grant, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books. I found Paul McGrath a suspicious yet charismatic character. His past is intriguing and his current adventure is both complex and gripping.
Rating: really liked it
Too Close to Home is Book 2 of the Paul McGrath series by author Andrew Grant. I have not read the first book, but I believe this is a great stand alone as well as part of a wonderfully written series. Paul McGrath is working as a janitor for the courthouse so that he can get access to a specific file about the person who defrauded his dad and possibly even murdered him. This book takes off with a bang, as Paul discovers another wrong that needs to be corrected and he likes to take justice into his own hands.
I like that Paul clears his mind through cleaning and isn't embarrassed to work as a janitor. He recognizes the advantages that the position offers him in terms of access and anonymity. No one really notices him much, which helps him investigate this missing file and other cases that come up.
Why did I enjoy reading Too Close to Home? The action kept me engaged and entertained...and the team work between Paul and his partner was good too. A balance and respect seems to lay there and I would love to learn more about the duo. I really loved the ending, I was so intrigued with the back story and am eager to read the rest of the series and need to know when the next book will be released. I will go back and find the first book which is titled: Invisible: A Novel (Paul McGrath Book 1) which was published January 2019.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Andrew Grant and Random House Publishing Group- Ballatine for an advanced digital reader copy of Too Close to Home for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
I have now read nine volumes from Andrew Grant. The first two in each of his series, the stand alone novel Run, and the two he co-wrote with his brother, Lee Child, under the name Andrew Child. When I started reading his works I was not sure if I would read each series sequentially or in parallel. It has worked out that I am reading them in parallel. Currently this is the last volume in this series, but Grant has indicated he is likely to return to the character, which is a blessing to fans of these two books. I enjoyed each of his books that I have read, but to date this is my favourite. I believe Grant has 9 books published under the name Andrew Grant, and two contributions to anthologies. He has also contributed to one anthology as Andrew Child. I have picked all of his books and just have the two book 3 in two trilogies left to read. I have enjoyed his contributions to the two books in the Reacher series, but I greatly enjoy his solo works as well. He has not published any solo works since he began his collaboration on the Jack Reacher books with his brother. But he did respond on social media indicating a possibility of more stories in this series.
The description of this book is:
“n intelligence agent-turned-courthouse janitor, Paul McGrath notices everything and everyone—but no one notices him. It’s the perfect cover for the justice he seeks for both his father and the people who’ve been wronged by a corrupt system. Now he’s discovered a missing file on Alex Pardew—the man who defrauded and likely murdered McGrath’s father but avoided conviction, thanks in large part to the loss of this very file. And what lies behind its disappearance is even worse than McGrath had feared.
Meanwhile, at the courthouse, he stumbles on the case of Len Hendrie, a small businessman who’s been accused of torching a venture capitalist’s mansion. Though Hendrie admits starting the fire, McGrath learns how the VC has preyed on average Joes to benefit himself—and his extensive wine collection. McGrath can’t resist looking deeper into this financial predator and soon finds himself in a gray area between his avenging moral compass and the limits of the law.
Then, just as the Hendrie case is heating up, McGrath receives word of the death of his father’s former housekeeper, sending him back to his family home to confront unfinished business from his past. And he’s about to find some unwelcome truths about the mother he lost as a child—and the father who hid even more secrets than he realized.”
I have not read the description of any of Grant’s books before starting them. An author friend calls me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find authors I like I tend to read everything they publish. For example I read the first 23 Reacher novels in under a year, after reading my first. Grants writing is. When I started the first in this series, I assumed it was going to be a spy novel. Boy was I wrong. In Some ways it feels like The Equalizer, and others like Jack Reacher if he settled down in one place.
In this story Paul is still trying to track down the man he believes is responsible for his father’s death. He continues to work as a janitor at the court house. Here he encounters many people, some need his help and advice, and some need his judgement and punishment. He has several investigations on the go. And sometimes just does a job to help out a friend. He has a very strong sense of moral justice, what is right and wrong. And if someone abuses their power he has a knack for getting them back. But he always seems to give them a choice to do the right thing before facing consequences. He finds the work as a janitor contemplative, and uses the time doing the manual and sometimes menial labour to reflect and think, and work out the pieces he has put together. He cleans upo the trash at work. And in New York City he is cleaning us things a little bit here and there.
This second Paul McGrath book was a great read. I mentioned it has a bit of an Equalizer feel to it, but also a Spencer for Hire. I loved the Spencer TV series when I was young, watching it with my dad, and reading several of the Robert B. Parker books when in university. Reading this was a like a trip back to those days, reading just for the pure joy in the story and the characters. Paul McGrath is an excellent character and the stories are great. A fantastic read.
I have said it before, but I am certain fans of Reacher, Bourne, Jack Ryan could all appreciate McGrath and how he gets the job done. It is a great read from Grant’s pen a fun story on many levels! And I hope there will be more in this series, sooner rather than later.
Rating: really liked it
“My name’s not important,” McGrath says. “I’m just a janitor. Here to clean up the mess you made...one way or another.” These words set the flavor of the remainder of the book. I have read other books by this author and really enjoyed them. His style of writing is smooth and easy to read and his books are always interesting. The concept of the series is different...interesting...and very inventive... but it's not really much on the reality side. A different setting other than a busy courthouse would have made more sense. The character of McGrath is a extremely complex almost coming across as a modern day Robin Hood. At first, I thought he was a vigilante but soon found that he was so much more. This is the second book in the Paul McGrath series, but the first one I have read. It works perfectly well as a stand-alone book. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know it was a series until I received this book as a part of the Early Reviews program. Andrew Grant became on of my favorite authors several years ago...so I'll be hunting down the first book in this series.
I received an advance copy of this book from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are entirely all my own.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me access to an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review of Too Close to Home.
Too Close to Home starts out quickly paced. I did not read the first Paul McGrath book in the series, The Invisible, but I felt within the first chapter I was caught up and knew the main character. Paul McGrath is ex-military who works as a courthouse janitor. He is a little like Robin Hood where he defends the weak and takes on the rich and powerful. Within the first chapter I found myself really thinking this character would make a great main for a thriller tv show or movie. The book is full of action and McGrath uses a lot of MacGyver style spy techniques. McGrath is working on multiple cases at once including an insider trading scandal, as well as the misfiling of a file related to the death of his father.
For the first 3/4 of the book I was really intrigued; I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how all of the characters were involved and what clues McGrath and his cohort Robson would uncover next. However, the "twist" seemed to come completely out of left field for me. Characters, situations, and even time itself (like the 1970s and 80s) seemed to appear out of the blue so completely that I felt let down. If more of the last 20% of the book had been incorporated all along, I would have been very impressed by the outcome. Instead it felt a little bit jilted like I was reading a whole different book.
The book came together in the end, and I like the action and goal of the main character. Some of the conversation was a little cliche, but the book really held my attention until the end.
Rating: really liked it
I really liked the characters, the plot, the twists and turns. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was wrong. The author threw in some details later in the book that changed everything. I really like how Paul handled people. The good and the bad. His whole life he has been told one story and now he finds out that nothing is what he thought it to be. Even an old trusted friend wasn't the person he thought she was. I also liked how the different threads weaved together to make it an amazing story.
Rating: really liked it
Mr. Grant has done it again. His books just keep getting stronger and stronger. This was the second in the Paul McGrath series, but it kind of felt like finale. Looking forward to seeing comes next.
