I can see why The Doorman has generated so much attention. While marketed as a thriller, it leans much more towards a sharp examination of class, privilege, and racism in modern America. The story unfolds in a tense New York City, simmering with anger after the police killing of another unarmed POC citizen. Beneath the polished exterior of Manhattan, the novel delivers a biting social critique.

Chris Pavone does an excellent job portraying the complexities of the city and weaving in the cultural and political realities of the moment. The characters feel authentic, and the setting is vivid and alive.

At times, I felt a little worn down by reading fiction that so closely mirrors today’s political atmosphere, there’s already so much of that in the news. But in a way, it also became a form of escapism, since my frustration could shift from real-world figures to certain characters in the book. And that is not a bad thing, as there are definitely characters here to care about too.

The book combines elements of suspense and subtle humor with a deeper reflection on the pressing issues in society: inequality, racism, political extremism, and more.

That said, I was not completely satisfied. I had expected more of a focus on the actual role of the doorman, but the book takes a broader look at American life in early 2025. Pavone has written a fictionalized version of a reality Americans are already living, and it is not one I particularly enjoy revisiting.

This is not a fast-paced, plot-driven thriller. It is more suited to readers who enjoy deep character work and a slow-building mystery that really picks up towards the end.

The Bohemia is a world famous elegant building on The Upper West Side of NYC and Chucky Diaz is everyone's favorite doorman in the building. Things are heating up in the city. A black man has been killed uptown, and anger is at an all-time high. Protests threaten to become violent and Chicky as well as the other working class black and Hispanic employees of the building are on edge. In the meantime, the elite residents are also facing their demons. Emily Longworth is hiding secrets that can threaten her perfect looking world. Julian Sonnenberg who made a name for himself in NY's art world is facing turmoil in his business and personal life and Chicky - everyone's favorite doorman, is nervously waiting retribution for a favor he needed from an unsavory character. This was a page-turner, stay up late, cannot put down thriller. It was the first book I have read by Chris Pavone but certainly will not be the last. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher to giving me the opportunity to read this advance reader's copy. Loved it.

Thank you to the author, Farrar, Straus and Giroux | MCD and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I have had continuing familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

This novel captures a cross-section of life in a large historic apartment building in New York, focusing on three main characters: a long-time doorman and two residents, an art gallery owner strapped for money, and the wife of an obnoxiously rich and noxious finance bro. Their lives intersect in normal and in unforeseen ways, against the backdrop of rising tensions in the city. We are in the period of the rise of BLM and the book takes place in the space of one day before a protests taking place in front of the building. There is a lot of backstory, character development and flashbacks, and that made this a bit long-winded, even if extremely well-written. The last third started moving more rapidly, and overall this was a fascinating read with depth and threw up many salient questions - but you do need to hang in there.

Set in a prestigious hotel in NYC, The Doorman is like watching a kaleidoscope of urban wealth, politics and power on steroids. A lot is packed in this suspenseful thriller and it is busy and brilliant. As the residents of the famous Bohemian Hotel unravel and the streets get mean, only the doorman stands between the two. Filled with secrets, action and incredibly developed characters, this is a perfect summer read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read The Doorman for my honest review and for introducing me to an author I will be reading again.

this had that element that I was looking for from a murder novel. It had that suspenseful atmosphere that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept of this. Chris Pavone has a strong writing style and was able to create characters that I was wanting and enjoyed from this. I'd love to read more from Chris Pavone as this was really well done.

Another fabulous read from this author. This is probably one of the slowest burns I have read recently. I kept thinking, wow, what a nice story, about a Doorman and the people he took care of. Welp, I was wrong. That Doorman and those people were a bunch of cons and stealthy planners.

Without giving anything away, never judge a building by its Doorman! They know everything and can do anything!

Can't wait for the next one from this author.

Once I realized that The Doorman is not a thriller primarily about a doorman but a panoramic social commentary about the upper and lower echelons of the upper west side of NYC I immersed myself in The Doorman. The Doorman drags when it dwells on the highly sexual relationship between 2 of its major players primarily because these 2 are very unlikable people..... But, the novel surges and pulsates when it deals with the doorman and NYC. Yes, I am conflicted , but, kept reading. The ending is thrilling although in my opinion not plausible. But, how many endings are plausible.

This was a slow burn. It was not like the author's previous books. The first 25% is a lot of supposition exploring all the characters. The editing seems choppy at times switching time periods. I enjoyed it the most when Emily was on screen. There was some foreshadowing that a part of me wishes maybe was not there. The story has a lot of commentary on current social issues. The end does have a surprising reveal. The suspense was well done in part 4 Tonight. I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Emily, Julian, and Chicky.

I had just started a book by a favorite author when I received this ARC so I switched gears. I apologize to myself for that error in judgement. I have only given up on one NetGalley book and that was because of a format error that couldn’t be fixed: the font was probably a negative six.

Here we are in The Bohemia the most exclusive condo building in NYC. Here we have the wealthiest and nastiest) of men structuring shady business deals with foreign governments, the US government. Anyone that will pay him and his estranged business partner (also fabulously wealthy) the bazillions of dollars they don’t deserve. Emily, oligarch number one’s wife, hates her husband, wants out and decides she needs to give back so she volunteers in a soup kitchen. While she isn’t having an affair with the unlikeliest of men. I mean seriously. And that dude is bogged down in his own designer luggage. Chicky Diaz is one of the doormen. His wife has just died, the medical bills for his wife’s care were astronomical, his two girls are in college and he has nothing. His credit cards are maxed out, he’s late on the rent and trying to avoid the loan sharks. Chicky and the other doormen are privy to the intimate details of The Bohemia’s residents most intimate “secrets”. Chicky was a jewel.

There were too many characters and too much detail about these characters crowding the first 80 percent of the book. Time stood still as I slogged on. Emily’s woes were repeated so often I wanted to slap her. Pavone wrote a book about what America is like in early 2025, but fictionalized it. Why? Americans are living it. The right complaining about the left. Heavily. The last twenty percent of the book flies by and was a delight to read.

This was my first Pavone book. His previous novels were so well received. This is a clunker.

Ok wow I really didn't expect my rating to be four stars when I was in the middle of this book but the last 20% of the book was INCREDIBLE and is going to have me recommending it. The book takes place in the course of a day before a BLM protest taking place in front of the apartment building with a quick set up and then lots of characterization (which I actually liked because you never know what’s going to be revealed in the flashback and what revelations will be important) but this went on WAY too long in my opinion. Characters are based simultaneously on stereotypes and nuance which makes them more believable.

I did go into this thinking it was a mystery thriller, but 25% in and it’s just day in the life/character building what I think is leading to a bigger moment or twist…But it’s reading more like literary fiction though not quite and I’m starting to get bored with the anecdotes and nothing really happening

Ok around the 2/3 mark - this book is starting to get interesting! I think it’s just hard for my attention to be grabbed when most of the plot is happening in the past through flashbacks because it gives background instead of moving the story forward. And then it just started to get too complainey/preachy about privilege. At first I was like hell yeah and by the halfway mark I was just exhausted. I want a thriller! A twist! Instead it’s a lesson about the haves and have nots with a twist at the end.

“If everyone you know has achieved the same success, is that really success? Has it really been achieved?”

Centers on the elite NY Bohemia apartment building, and the most well liked of its doormen, Chicky Diaz. Readers also meet many of the tenants in the complex, who have their own parts to play.

Events steadily escalate into an explosion of violence in the Bohemia, and the carefully orchestrated aftermath. As Chicky, the definition of a doorman, muses at the end 'you are who you are, until you're not.' Don't miss this one!

A sharp, timely thriller that doesn’t shy away from the messiness of class, race, and power in modern-day New York. The Doorman weaves together high-rise privilege and street-level unrest in a way that feels both tense and deeply human. Chicky is more than just a doorman—he’s a lens into the simmering social divides beneath the Bohemia’s glossy surface. Pavone explores systemic inequality, police violence, and who gets to feel safe—and why—all while keeping the pages flying. Gritty, provocative, and unputdownable.

Thank you Chris Pavone, Farrar Straus and Giroux, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#thedoorman #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

Everyone and then I pick an ARC based on how much I enjoyed their last book. That was the case here (Two Nights in Lisbon). Sadly for me, The Doorman was not a match. DNF at 25%.

I've been a fan of Chris Pavone's novels since his first one. This is an interesting departure from his usual style. Echos of Bonfire of the Vanities, brought to today's New York City. The glowing blurbs from the illustrious authors on the book cover are, for once, completely justified. This is brilliant work. I pride myself on my deep knowledge of New York City habitues and neighborhoods but Pavone's much deeper and more extensive understanding (and empathy!) for those worlds is extraordinary. Yet his prose is freewheeling and so fun to read. What an absolute treat. There are so many well-written enconiums here already that I feel I can't make a uniquely helpful comment. Just to say - Bravo. Thrilled to read this deeply insightful portrait of today's NYC (capital of the world, I daresay) and its inhabitants.

Unfortunately The Doorman just wasn't for me. I tried very hard to continue reading, but it just was too difficult for me to get into.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a copy of The Doorman in exchange for my honest review.

This story was so well done and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy reading from this author and I'm looking forward to the next book. The plot was really well explored and I enjoyed the overall story. The characters were great and I was able to dive myself into this book. It was well done and I highly recommend. This book was so good.

I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone, but now I’m so glad I picked it up.

The Bohemia, the most famous and prestigious apartment house in the world is the home to artists, financiers, social elite, and the scores of Black and Hispanic people that make it run smoothly. No one seems more important than the doorman, Chicky Diaz, who knows everyone’s secrets, lies and subterfuge best. In the penthouse we find Emily Longworth, mother of two who does not like her husband or love him, but an ironclad prenup keeps her in the marriage. When artist Julian Sonnenberg, a Mr Mom type dad, receives devastating news from his doctors, he begins scrambling, wondering how his children will be affected by his diagnosis. And as racial tensions increase across the city after the death of another Black man, Chicky decides that he will ignore the rule of no firearms by the staff and obtain a gun to protect the people of the Bohemia. Oh, and don’t forget the mob who is after him after a run in with a Boss’s son at a nightclub.

As the demonstrations are breaking out across the city, the residents of the Bohemia attempt to hunker down as a means to protect themselves. What happens is a night of explosive violence on the streets and in the Bohemia where secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested and someone winds up dead.

As I stated, I loved this book. The class system was clearly evident in an upstairs/downstairs, the haves and the have-nots way.. I felt like I was riding the elevators to the penthouse and sneaking through the bowels of the building. The writing was clear and concise which led to a very enjoyable read. I could not put this down! This is my first Chris Pavone novel, but it will certainly not be my last. I can’t wait to see where he takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

4 stars.*

I've been a fan of Chris Pavone since reading The Expats years before I was even an expat.

I was excited to see this one come up on NetGalley and lept at the chance to read The Doorman.

I really liked the premise and enjoyed the characters, even though I entirely predicted the ending. The Doorman is primarily the story of Chicky Diaz, the longtime doorman at the historical and famous Bohemia apartment building in tony upper east side Manhattan. We get to know many of the residents of the building and their faults and flaws remind me of White Lotus for their sheer hateability.

The excesses are wild, the characters are well drawn and believable.

A good summer read!

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I really liked Chris Pavone's last book, Two Nights in Lisbon. However, this book just never got interesting. There was too much time spent on character building and background. Nothing was happening and the narrative became repetitive. I went into this so excited to have gotten an ARC since I loved his last book. However, this was a big disappointment. I DNF at 25%. I didn't enjoy the characters or the way the storyline was going.

Thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux for the ARC.

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MCD on May 20, 2025

The Doorman is a crime novel in the sense that Colson Whitehead’s recent novels have been crime novels; that is, they use crime to give the story a structure while the real story is about New York City and the division between working class and the wealthy, the clusters of racial groups and ethnicities competing for a slice of the pie. The novels differ in that race and its place in New York City’s history is the dominant theme of Whitehead’s work, while Chris Pavone uses it to provide atmosphere to a crime story.

Most of the story takes place at the Bohemian, an exclusive cooperative building where even a two-bedroom unit on a lower floor sells for millions. Key characters either live or work in the building. Julian Sonnenberg is an art dealer who earned modest wealth during the Obama years by opening a gallery with a Black partner that specialized in artists who were not straight white males. Tides eventually shifted, as tides must, and Julian is having money trouble. He’s undergoing an IRS audit, sold a Rothko of questionable origin to one of the Bohemian’s wealthiest residents, and is feeling his mortality as he prepares for surgery to correct a heart condition.

Chicky Diaz is a doorman at the Bohemian. He also has money problems, mostly medical debt related to unsuccessful treatment to save his wife from cancer. Unrelated to his work, Chicky gets into an altercation with a serious thug who now has leverage over Chicky. That leverage may induce Chicky to facilitate a crime.

Emily Longworth lives in a double-sized unit on the eleventh floor. Most of the school moms in Emily’s social group work for charities or have “careers” as feng shui consultants or interior designers. Emily uses her middle name (Grace) to hide from her friends when she volunteers at a soup kitchen but spends $4 million a year managing her household. Emily is married to Whitaker, whose wealth derives from selling body armor to militaries and terrorists alike. Emily is having an affair and would like a divorce but is stuck with a prenup that would leave her a bit less than a million dollars a year, an amount insufficient to keep her in the world of high society.

Whit has a habit of putting a hand around Emily’s neck during sex. He also pays prostitutes to disguise themselves as Emily so he can choke them more forcefully. In the view of the doorman, who encounters one of Whit’s abused prostitute during his part-time job at a hotel, Whit is rehearsing his wife’s murder. Apart from the unsavory way in which Whit built his wealth, decent readers will dislike Whit for his unrepentant racism and sexism. Emily is rather fed up with one of Whit’s business associates, a disgusting guy who is even more brazenly racist than Whit.

In the background are two police shootings of young Black men. Protestors are swarming the city. They’re also protesting outside Whitaker’s company after news “leaks” about its sales of body armor to countries that support terrorism. The identity of the leaker will probably come as a surprise to most readers.

More than three-quarters of the novel sets the stage for the crime that occurs near the novel’s end. The reader might guess what that crime will be, but the guess will likely be wrong, thanks to Pavone’s skillful misdirection. In a series of frenzied but controlled scenes, the way the crime unfolds comes as a genuine surprise (at least it did to me). That makes The Doorman one of the smartest crime novels I’ve read this year.

Underlying themes of race and class keep the reader engaged as they wait for the criminal climax. Various points of view are represented along the right-left spectrum. The wealth of the Bohemian’s residents contrasts with the working class people who serve them, both in the building and elsewhere in New York City. Chicky frequently comments upon ethnic changes in the city. His first superintendent was Irish, as were all the supers Chicky knew when he started working. The superintendent hired Chicky but didn’t want him to look “ethnic,” prompting Chicky to comment to himself “as if Irish wasn’t an ethnicity.” The super’s successors were Eastern Europeans. “But they were also one white guy after another. Different types of white guys but still.” The building’s residents are almost entirely white and its governing board (on which Julian sits) intends to keep it that way, notwithstanding Julian’s warnings about legal liability.

The building’s staff are now Hispanic (Chicky doesn’t have much use for the term Latinx) thanks to Chicky, who alerted friends to job openings. Chicky notes that other buildings fill their staff with other ethnicities in the same way, word of mouth steering neighborhoods of manual workers into available jobs.

The mix of NYC’s people and criminals (from white collar to violent) add flavor to the novel and give the reader something to chew on while waiting for the crime to occur. It’s a long wait but the story is so entertaining that I wouldn’t expect most readers to grow impatient. And when the crime finally arrives, the story becomes tense as characters the reader will probably like are placed at risk. Some are unexpectedly heroic, others are true to character, and one will behave in a way that few readers will expect. The shock value of the final pages, combined with the engaging look at urban life that precedes them, makes The Doorman an essential read for fans of crime novels who are looking for a break from stories of tough guys enforcing morality with their fists.

RECOMMENDED