Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger

Chris Pavone is the bestselling author of some of the smartest and most stylish thrillers of the past decade. His latest book, The Doorman is set in a glamorous Manhattan apartment building where the lives of the ultra-wealthy residents intersect with the man who quietly watches it all—the doorman. Over the course of one explosive day, secrets, class tensions, and personal betrayals collide in a fast-moving plot that doubles as sharp social satire about modern New York and the divides of race, wealth, politics, and status. This invites an inevitable and much-deserved comparison to Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, though the Masters of the Universe are now fleece-vest-wearing tech and hedge-fund bros (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Full-disclosure: I loved this book. It's a page-turner! It's eminently-readable! But even more, it's an insightful look at modern society through the lens of New York City. Before becoming a novelist, Chris spent nearly two decades in book publishing, working on—or with—the editorial team for authors like John Grisham and Pat Conroy. Chris' debut novel, The Expats, became an international bestseller, won the Edgar Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and was translated into more than 30 languages. Since then he’s written a string of critically acclaimed thrillers—including The Accident, The Travelers, and The Paris Diversion—known for their globe-trotting settings, psychological depth, and characters navigating secrets, ambition, money, and power. ✍️ Please ⁠rate and review⁠ ⁠⁠Reasonably Happy⁠ HERE⁠ (DO IT!) ✍️ 📚 Read ⁠Paul’s ⁠⁠Substack newsletter⁠⁠⁠ HERE 📚🗽 Order 'The Doorman' book HERE. 🗽🚩 Follow Chris Pavone on Substack 🚩 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit words.paulollinger.com/subscribe