Synopses & Reviews
The Taut, Unflinching New Thriller from Adam Sternbergh, Author of the Critically-Acclaimed Shovel Ready
New York is toxic — decimated by a dirty bomb years ago. The limnosphere
is a virtual safe haven — if you’re rich enough to buy in. Spademan is a
hit man — box-cutter at the ready.
His latest job is to snuff out
Lesser, a lowlife lurking around other people’s fantasies. As Spademan
is about to close the deal, Lesser comes back from the limn with a wild
claim: terrorists are planning to attack New York. Again. This time
from the inside out.
The warning sends Spademan down a dark path
full of unsavory characters and startling revelations. A shadowy
political fixer tells him of a long-running power struggle that goes all
the way to City Hall. A brilliant Egyptian radical brings Spademan to
the mysterious far-reaches of the limn. And a beautiful nurse holds the
secret to what, and who, is behind these attacks—and she seems to want
to help Spademan stop them. But he works best alone. Or so he thinks.
Spademan has always had his share of enemies, but now they’re coming at
him from all sides and it’s impossible to know whom to trust. To stay
sharp, his only option might be the one thing he swore he’d never do
again.
Review
“[The] action is played out in a postmodern and corrupt world of
toxicity, both literal and metaphorical. . . . Other characters return
from the first novel and provide a hint of nostalgia and sweetness
missing from the dark and mean streets of New York.” Kirkus
Review
“Sternbergh’s spare characterizations and vivid descriptions of a great
city fallen on hard times will strike a chord with fans of classic noir
as well as readers who like dystopian sf or thrillers with a cyberpunk
flavor.” Library Journal
Review
“[A] solid sequel. . . . Sternbergh laces his second cyberpunk voyage with dark humor and eccentric characters.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Compelling. . . . Intellectually beguiling. . . . The fight scenes in Near Enemy
blend the operatic elegance of Bruce Lee in flight with
comic-book-inspired mayhem. . . . Popular fiction that engages one’s
heart, mind, and adrenaline the way the Spademan novels do is something
to be savored.” Booklist (starred review)
About the Author
Adam Sternbergh is a contributing editor for New York magazine and Vulture. Formerly culture editor of The New York Times Magazine, his writing has appeared in GQ and the Times of London and on This American Life. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his family. Near Enemy is his second novel.