Thanks ro Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Harvey Usher is in his 80s and his longtime wife has been dead for a couple years. There’s a young attractive woman in his house claiming she’s his wife and she even has the ID to prove she lives there. What could be going on?

This sounded like an interesting premise and it started out being fairly interesting. But somewhere lost steam for me and I DNF’d at 50%. I found that I was confused to some extent by the different names used for the same people. I also didn’t really like the turn. the book took with Harvey’s past in the recounting of it. Unfortunately, when I put this one down, I had a hard time picking it back up and finally decided to call it. I have liked other books from this author, but this one just wasn’t for me.

There might be a good story here but I found the first 25 pages irritating and I stopped reading. Mostly it was that IMO the attempt to portray Harvey Usher as possibly demented or possibly being hornswoggled was not adequately done.

I was initially drawn into The Obsessions of Harvey Usher by its intriguing opening, where an octogenarian is gaslighted by a captivating Rita Hayworth-like figure. The setup promised a suspenseful thriller, but unfortunately, the story lost its spark as it dragged on. The premise, while engaging at first, grew repetitive and failed to maintain momentum.

The introduction of past and present timelines added to the confusion. The interchangeable character names—Rita and Delores seeming to be the same person, as well as Sylvia and Lois—made it hard to follow who was who. I was also unsure whether Harvey Usher and Harvey Dortmund were the same character. This lack of clarity disrupted the narrative flow, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. Ultimately, I DNF’d the book at 34%.

While I didn’t finish, I can see how some fans of this type of fiction might appreciate the atmospheric elements. However, the confusing character identities and sluggish pacing didn’t work for me. Two stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from Level Best Books through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my thoughts and opinions.

A standalone crime mystery, The Obsessions of Harvey Usher (2025) by David Putnam has an octogenarian protagonist. Harvey Usher wakes up one morning to discover a well-dressed middle-aged woman has made him breakfast. Believing he is being scammed, he calls the police, only for Rita to provide a driver’s licence with his address and a marriage certificate from 2 years earlier. Harvey’s neighbour and friend tries to help but Harvey is seen to be forgetful and Rita’s bonafide story accepted. The narrative then switches back and forth between current day happenings and 1968, when Harvey was a young man. A low-key thriller with deception and a bloodied confrontation, makes for a three star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Level Best Books and the author for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

THE OBSESSIONS OF HARVEY USHER by David Putnam

This was a good tale but there was too much bouncing back and forth from the past to the present. It was easy to get lost. The fact that it was a good story was the only thing that kept me reading it. Harvey is a poor soul pulled into the world of t thuggery and mayhem.
Stereotypical accountant, Harvey, discovers love, loses love, finds pain and humiliation, and searches for redemption.
Some entertaining characters move the story along. Rita is a temptress, and Harvey’s wife, or is she? Ester, Lisette, Eddie, Jackie the nose, assorted thugs, country club folks, and beautiful women are all sautéed in a sauce of treachery, abuse, and perfidy.
I enjoyed the book.

This story has a bit of a quirky loveable character in Harvey. A good light read for the most part.

Harvey is 80 years old, and his wife Sylvia of many years died a few years back. One day, a woman Delores claiming to be his wife of 2 years turns up at home. She says they were married and he is forgetting. He takes to calling her Rita (after the actress Rita Hayworth). When Harvey calls the police, Delores produces a driving license (with a shared last name & address) and a marriage certificate. Harvey then hires one Edward Gurski as a detective to check on what the story is. Harvey is puzzled since he does not think his modest savings warrant such an elaborate ruse, if it is that. There are sections which take you to Harvey’s past, and how he and Sylvia got married.

Harvey is a well-developed and loveable character. Though it is somewhat clear how the story could progress, Delores’ character fits well in the story. There is a convergence between Harvey’s past and current events, which I found to be weak and forced. I liked the glimpses of Sylvia’s character we get to see when the past is recounted, though here too the later stages lack imagination.

Overall, an easy read, which could have been much better. Recommended for Harvey’s character!

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

Who says crime doesn't pay? It seems to have for Harvey and Lois although I wouldn't like to live my life constantly looking over my shoulder. I can't help but wonder how different their lives could have been had Lois not been singled out for Georgio. The undercurrents in this story run deep, and Harvey is not the only one obsessed.

Instances of child abuse; organised crime; rape; abduction; coersion; money laundering; robbery and murder occur within these pages. The author's years in law enforcement show in his writings. The characters, their actions, the 'cause' and 'effect' all feel 'real', which makes for an excellent reading experience.

I received a free Advance Reader Copy of The Obsessions of Harvey Usher through NetGalley and have chosen to leave a review.

Despite its ugly and somewhat silly cover, the novel is decidedly entertaining and capable of conveying profound reflections. In this “senior citizen” thriller, memories and misdeeds from the past return to haunt the present despite a life of caution. Unrevealed secrets lead to new, bad choices and a cascade of remorse and regret. Yet, underlying it all, there is a love story so profound that its final sparks illuminate the life of an 82-year-old man, to the point of making him appreciate, almost love, even the explosive redhead that his enemies from the past have placed in his home as a sort of Trojan horse. And it is these last glimpses of an ancient love that lead to a peaceful ending, full of good intentions but not banality. The writing, which leads the reader between past and present, with its self-critical comments by the protagonist, is tinged with subtle humour, making the novel, which is also punctuated by violence and death, truly enjoyable.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

This pulp fiction noir told over two different timelines didn't ever grab me. The story was somewhat convoluted, the pacing a little slow, and the characters were pretty one dimensional. The pace picked up in the second half but I just wasn't engaged with any of the characters to care how it turned out. I think there is an audience for this book, but it wasn't me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced reader copy.

My first David Putnam novel but definitely not my last. This was absolutely packed with secrets, lies and family ties. And the characters were fantastic! Great storytelling.
Thank you NetGalley, David Putnam and Level Best Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

I always hate to start a review with, “I struggled with this book.” But there’s no other way to state it. The writing, plot, dialogue, and characters left me wanting to close the book and move on.

I liked seeing an older character in the book, but Harvey wasn’t strong enough to carry, in my eyes, an impossible story.

Not many books fall into my DNF category, but I only made it halfway through this one.

I'm rating it 3 stars because I think it's one of those stories you like or don't like. You may like it.

David Putnam's latest novel follows a familiar pattern: an accessible narrative that begins unassumingly, progresses steadily, and intensifies in the latter half. The central figure is Harvey, an eighty-year-old widower who is unexpectedly confronted by a woman claiming to be his wife of the past two years, coinciding with the death of his first wife. The narrative structure employs alternating chapters that reveal details of Harvey's life in both the past and present. As a bookkeeper for the mob, Harvey engages in creative accounting to legitimise illicit funds. His early love, Sylvia, is compelled to marry the son of the Mafia boss for whom Harvey manages accounts. The ensuing plot involves numerous complications as Harvey orchestrates an act of revenge and ultimately reunites with Sylvia. While the inclination of authors to resolve all plot threads and conclude with a positive outcome is sometimes perplexing, this novel proves to be a captivating read, rendering it difficult to set aside once commenced.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. The opinions expressed herein are my own.

Well written story with interesting characters. Excellent use of dual timelines. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Mr. Putnam always has a way of surprising me with his characters and the plot. I’ve read many of his books and his range keeps growing far more than police procedural. I wasn’t expecting the direction this plot took. Harvey turned out to be protagonist with a lifetime full of secrets. He’s an active eighty year old who thinks his wits are still intact. However, the very young, voluptuous woman claiming to be his wife has him baffled. Who is she? The strange events unfold with unpredictable revelations at every turn. I liked Harvey, I didn’t want to like Harvey. I had very mixed emotions about the ‘wife’, sometimes despising her, other times she earned my sympathy and understanding. Many other people are integral to the plot and all kept me engaged. You’ll wonder if Harvey is becoming senile, you’ll be fooled by the charming temptress. The plot is an original one with lots of heartfelt emotion, consequences, life and love lessons.
Thanks so much to Level Best Books (via NetGalley) for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy of “The Obsessions of Harvey Usher” by David Putnam, publication expected 05/08/2025. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

When Harvey, a widower who lives alone, wakes up one morning to a woman in his home saying she’s his wife, he knows he’s not crazy. Rather, someone is up to no good. When his past collides with his future, poor Harvey must decide if he’s ready to face the truth.

Interesting plot with a great ending. I enjoyed Harvey’s character immensely. Thank you, NetGalley and Level Best Books for the advanced reader copy.

It always bothers me to have to make less than positive observations about a book when a publisher has very kindly provided me an advance copy, but this is one of the strangest novels I've ever tried to read. The narrative was weirdly disconnected and required a lot of effort to follow and keep the progress of the story straight. Unfortunately, the writing style was even more off-putting, and it did absolutely nothing to make it easier to get a handle on the narrative.

Maybe it's just me, but I struggled through about half of this peculiar concoction and then finally gave up. I simply couldn't connect well enough with it to make finishing it worthwhile.

I liked the dual timeframes but it sometimes made it a bit confusing. I loved the secrets and the mystery both the reader and Harvey had to uncover

Harvey Usher, is an 80-year-old widower who has spent the last years of his life in quiet seclusion, still mourning the loss of his beloved wife Sylvia.

Harvey's world is turned upside down when a stunning young woman, Rita, appears at his doorstep, claiming to be his wife of two years. This shocking revelation forces Harvey to question the boundaries between reality and illusion, pushing him to confront secrets he has kept hidden for half a century.

Rita's mysterious arrival adds layers of intrigue and suspense to the narrative. Her presence is both alluring and unsettling, and her motives remain ambiguous, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The interactions between Harvey and Rita are charged with humour and tension, each conversation peeling back more layers of the past and revealing new secrets. I loved both characters.

The novel's pacing is impeccable, with twists and turns that are both unexpected and deeply satisfying.

Harvey's grief and longing for his lost wife are portrayed with such depth and sensitivity that readers cannot help but empathize with him.

This is a great book. The chemistry between Harvey and Rita jumps off the page. More Harvey and Rita please.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

My students like books that are fast and easy to read and this one is that. they also like books that they can visualize as movies and this would work for that as well. I like the fact that there are older characters as main characters to help expand their horizons of life stops at 22