Cooperative Lives by Patrick Finegan

Set inside a post 9-11 New York City, the sadness and distrust of these characters rise off the page. Finegan gives each character, however minor, heft, with backstories and quirks that deepen the plot, as well as exploring varying facets of the human condition. He is a gifted wordsmith, crafting sentences that are rich and multilayered, which propels the story along beyond the intricacies of the plot. A rare work of literary fiction that also shines as a mystery and a thriller, Cooperative Lives offers a brilliant exposé on the shattered nature of modern lives.