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Marathon Man
311 pages
A masterclass in escalating paranoia that drags you by the collar through a gritty, unforgiving 1970s New York.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like running a race where the finish line keeps moving and the ground is crumbling beneath your feet. It is a masterclass in escalating paranoia, plunging the reader into a gritty, unforgiving 1970s New York City steeped in shadows and betrayal. The prose is razor-sharp and cinematic, cutting through the psychological fog of grief and academic isolation straight into visceral, heart-pounding terror. There is a relentless, suffocating dread that builds with every chapter, making it impossible to put down even when the tension becomes almost unbearable. It is perfect for readers who crave classic, hard-edged thrillers that test the absolute limits of human endurance and leave you breathless, constantly looking over your shoulder.
- Mood
- paranoiac
- dread-soaked
- claustrophobic
- Tone
- cynical
- tense
- gritty
- unforgiving
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- legacy of trauma · loss of innocence · survival instinct · inescapable past · betrayal
- The writing
- Sharp, cinematic, and relentlessly paced, with a gritty, hardboiled edge that pulls no punches.
- The arc
- From academic isolation and lingering grief into sheer, terrifying panic, culminating in a desperate, hardened fight for survival.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, high-stakes espionage thrillers that blend psychological terror with visceral action.
Content notes
- graphic violence
- torture
- suicide
- antisemitism
- murder
About the book
Tom "Babe" Levy is a runner in every sense: racing tirelessly toward his goals of athletic and academic excellence--and endlessly away from the specter of his famous father's scandal-driven suicide. But an unexpected visit from his beloved older brother will set in motion a chain of events that plunge Babe into a vortex of terror, treachery, and murder--and force him into a race for his life... and for the answer to the fateful question, "Is it safe?"--Publisher.
Description from Open Library.
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