The Doorman    by Chris Pavone Order:  USA  Can Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2025 (2025) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Chris Pavone's mystery novel, The Doorman, 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. The story opens as a crisis unfolds. After the killing of a Black man by police, the city is primed for violence, and it's spreading fast. Preparing for his shift, Chicky decides to carry the gun he just bought - not only because of what's happening in the city, but also because of escalating problems in his own life. Pavone hints early on that Chicky will use his gun - but on who? Chicky's favorite tenant is Emily Longworth, who's always polite and considerate. She lives in the penthouse with her uber wealthy husband Whit, whom she despises for what she's learned about his business, and plans to leave. She feels that perhaps 'Whit had evolved unintentionally, a victim of the times, swayed by a president who wallowed in immorality' and made 'dishonesty into a core personality trait'. Emily shares an interest in the art world - and more - with Julian Sonnenberg, also in the building. Julian is another tenant whom Chicky appreciates, but he's just had bad news from his cardiologist. Julian's wife Jen is a corporate lawyer, who's always left the childcare to him. Now 'His finances were teetering. His kids were leaving. His marriage was withering.' 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, which I highly recommend to you! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews