Reviews
Love the Stranger Reviews
“Michael Sears’s sense of character and place is utterly absorbing; he provides a dark tapestry of city voices and sounds. The plot barrels forward like an express train. Love the Stranger is a thrilling and vital New York City crime novel.”
—William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street, City of Margins, and Gravesend
“In Love the Stranger, Michael Sears has conjured this decade’s Bonfire of the Vanities. Instead of Manhattan, it’s an outer borough where grassroots activists clash with deadly forces and where immigrants—America’s strangers—are the collateral damage, exposing the underbelly of the American Dream. A triumph.”
—Tom Straw, author of The Accidental Joe
Tower of Babel Reviews
“Sears makes real estate law as sexy and dangerous as international intrigue.” Kirkus Reviews
“Full of terrific writing and richly developed characters.” Booklist
“Fans of Raymond Chandler and classic gangster films will be rewarded.” Publishers Weekly
“a gripping mystery comprised of personal failures and redemptions…” Anton Media Group
Saving Jason Reviews
“one of the best all-time chase scenes” —Mystery Scene
“gloriously bizarre” and “Sears outdoes himself” —Booklist
“Michael Sears is a marvel” “Superlative” —Book Reporter.com
“a flawed protagonist who is resourceful and touchingly vulnerable…” —Publisher’sWeekly
Long Way Down Reviews
“one of the best thrillers of 2015” —Suspense Magazine
“exceptional…compelling…nuanced…with a startingly amount of humanity and warmth” —The Arizona Republic
“his domain is the financial thriller…a master class in the nuances of insider trading.” —South Florida Sun Sentinel
“(Sears) deftly juggles the complex plots…while also appealing to the sophisticated reader” —Mystery Scene
“compelling…it gives this thriller real heart” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Grade: A-“ —Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Unforgettable…Ian Fleming by way of Woody Allen…genuine and gripping” —Booklist Starred Review
“Sears’s articulation of the challenge in raising a child with autism reads as true as his Wall Street jargon…a solid reader investment” —ShelfAwareness.com
Mortal Bonds Reviews
“A touching, tense, and terrific thriller” —Library Journal
“Scorching” and “Grade: A” —Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Deft, witty prose” —Publisher’s Weekly
“A heartfelt character study of a man trying to rebuild his life” —Oline Cogdill in Mystery Scene
More on the way. Check back soon!
Black Fridays Reviews
An Indie Next Selection
Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal
“…exciting and compelling…”
Jeff Ayers, The Associated Press
“Black Fridays is definitely worth the investment.”
Oline Cogdill, The Sun Sentinel
“impressive debut” “perfectly captures the challenges of an autistic child” “an exciting new talent”
Lawrence A. Armour, Fortune
“a book you’ll enjoy and remember” “a window into a fascinating slice of Wall Street” “an unexpected and illuminating look at autism”
Gary Jacobson, Dallas Morning News
“It’s been a while since I’ve read a pop thriller so immediately captivating as Black Fridays.”
Don Crinklaw, Booklist Starred Review
“stunning first novel” “Thrilling and haunting”
Kirkus
“First-time author Sears does the near impossible”
Mary Lavers, Cozy Little Book Journal
“a character driven thriller” “compelling” “I’ll read Michael Sears again”
More reviews…
“Sears is terrific at generating momentum and suspense” – Publishers Weekly
“This stunning first novel…is one of the year’s finest crime debuts. The writing is fresh and vivid…[and] the book is thrilling and haunting at once.” – Booklist
“Author Michael Sears clearly knows his way around the financial world. What makes his debut novel, Black Fridays, stand out from other financial thrillers s Stafford’s devotion to his 5-year-old son, who is severely autistic…Black Fridays is definitely worth the investment.” – Associated Press
“It’s been awhile since I’ve read a pop thriller so immediately captivating…[and I am] anxiously waiting for Sears’ next book.” – Dallas Morning News
“A Great read. It’s also a window into the fascinating slice of Wall Street…Black Fridays is a book you’ll enjoy and remember.” – Fortune.com
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BLACK FRIDAYS
Read the Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Black Fridays is the real deal: a compelling, beautifully written thriller offering a fascinating insider’s view of corruption in high places.”
—JONATHAN KELLERMAN
“One of the best books I’ve read this year — a novel for people who like thought with their thrills. No cartoons here — you feel that you’re really beginning to understand the workings of the crazy Wall Street underworld. Jason Stafford is a cool, edgy character who will do almost anything for money, and will do anything to protect his young autistic son. By the end of the book, so will you.”
—JOHN SANDFORD
“Black Fridays has it all: superb writing, a riveting plot, and a hero I’m still thinking about days afterward. A must read!”
—TESS GERRITSEN
“Extraordinary! Michael Sears has a knack for completely complicated, thoroughly likable characters, caught up in a deadly web of lies, greed, and financial corruption. Never has Wall Street been so interesting and so dangerous.”
—LISA GARDNER, New York Times-bestselling author of The Neighbor and Live to Tell
“Black Fridays is a taut and compelling thriller, a vivid story of sleaze beneath the slick surface of Wall Street. But what sets the book apart, and gives it its heart, is Jason Stafford’s quest to reclaim his life and make a home with his autistic son. Stafford’s voice really grabbed me – Michael Sears has got the goods. Gripping.”
—MEG GARDINER, Author of The Nightmare Thief and The Liar’s Lullaby
“An exciting and fascinating tale of big money and even bigger crime, an insider’s glimpse into a world where fortunes can be made or lost at the click of a button and the stakes can be life and death. More than a gripping procedural, it’s a moving, deeply human story.”
— JOSEPH FINDER, New York Times-bestselling author of Buried Secrets and Vanished
“Jason Stafford is a totally endearing and winning protagonist. Michael Sears has a permanent place in my portfolio and in my heart.”
—JENNIFER BELLE, Bestselling author of High Maintenance and The Seven Year Bitch
“A riveting book. Black Fridays is required reading for anyone who wants a great modern thriller — and anyone who wants to know how a bunch of obscure, arrogant, cranked-up financial whiz kids can bring an economy to its knees. So timely it’s scary.”
—TIM HALLINAN, Edgar-nominated author of The Queen of Patpong and The Fear Artist
