“A dark, lustrous police procedural…[The second book in] this brilliant series. There's plenty of suspense in The Graving Dock. The book is smartly opinionated, too. At a time when some of the older masterful cop writers, like Ed McBain, are dying or just fading away, Cohen's appearance comes as a relief and pleasure.”
—Washington Post Book World
“As readers acclimate to the subdued vibe of a wintry city recovering from the raw shock of 9/11, Cohen begins to display a cool, unfussy mastery of interweaving plots in a way that feels a lot like real life... Although the plot finishes strong, the discussion Leightner has with a British-expat Buddhist nun about attachment emerges as the book’s surprising high point.”
— Booklist
Death and recovery consume Det. Jack Leightner in his second appearance and validate the praise Cohen received for Red Hook Cohen offers not just a mystery but a satisfying elegy for vanished ways of life.
— Publishers Weekly
Cohen’s second procedural believably captures the rhythms and interactions of a busy urban precinct. Everyman Jack, struggling to do the right thing, merits devotion.
— Kirkus Reviews
“Intricate, atmospheric, funny and enthralling… An impressive crime novel from a powerful, promising writer.”
--George Pelecanos, author of The Night Gardener
"Sometimes, a book comes along and you realize it's just what you've been waiting for -- even if you didn't know it. Gabriel Cohen has written another winner, bittersweet and melancholic, but not without hope for the human condition."
—Laura Lippman, author of What the Dead Know
"The breadth of Gabriel Cohen's knowledge of such disparate subjects as tides, Buddhism, and the NYPD is matched by the depth of his knowledge of the human heart. The Graving Dock is as beautifully observed as it is completely absorbing."
-- SJ Rozan, author of In This Rain
“A story that engages the reader from the first page, and a gripping tale of mystery and suspense. You will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at a world known only to the New York detective.”
--John Cornicello, Lt. Commander,
the NYPD’s Brooklyn North Homicide Squad
“Gabriel Cohen exercises a master craftsman's touch, shaping a world of abandoned islands, ravaged waterfronts, and tragic violence into a haunting, beautiful tale.
--Reed Farrel Coleman, author of Soul Patch
“Gabriel Cohen has the rare knack of being able to combine wonderfully atmospheric police procedurals with evocative insights into human nature. He's always a joy to read."
--Katy Munger, author of the Casey Jones series
"Overflowing with grit, melancholy sweep and a kind of wise tenderness, Graving Dock delivers a smart and compelling mystery that draws us closely to its story of loss and the haunting pull of memory and holds us there to its final pages.”--Megan Abbott, author of Queenpin
"The Graving Dock is a must for mystery fans who want a terrific read, an intelligent story line, and characters to care about.
--Charles Todd, author of A False Mirror
“Cohen’s impressive second novel abandons the gritty waterfront of
his Edgar-award nominated debut, Red Hook, in favor of a rapidly
gentrifying nook a few stops up the F-train line in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill. Cohen’s tight plot, complex characters and vibrant cityscape create a convincing slice of urban life.”
Publishers Weekly
Cohen beautifully uses this predicament to explore the painful issues of race and class that underlie this changing neighborhood, where million-dollar brownstones and drug-infested housing projects sit side by side…Cohen creates complicated, flesh-and-blood characters and skillfully manipulates the reader’s sympathies to and fro…This elegantly written novel tackles wrenching questions in an unflinching, kindhearted way. It gives no easy answers, and it shouldn’t—to do so would diminish the novel’s complicated delight in the noisy, gritty tangle of urban life.
— Time Out New York (four-star review)
Beautifully written… a rich, inviting prose style.
— Kirkus Reviews
Cohen’s second novel is emotionally substantial and sensitively written… The characters, which he creates with attention to detail and tenderness …breathe with life…The smart, urban dialogue tends to ring true and is oftentimes quite funny… The descriptions of Boerum Hill are rich and lovely, and will ring true to any reader familiar with the area; Cohen’s sentences are beautiful and poetic and ripe with imagery... Cohen is clearly a master of his craft, and his second novel is quite readable… A finely-observed urban drama.
--SoHo Journal: The Magazine of Arts and
Politics in SoHo and the Hamptons
Gabriel Cohen's BOOMBOX runs on the propulsive energy of urban life. The novel gives the reader a street-smart sense of the close quarters in which its characters uneasily live, as well as a sensitive and knowing look at the tensions, anguish, and real pleasures that they, and all of us, experience.
Meg Wolitzer, author of The Position
Gabriel Cohen is as brave as he is talented, not just because he delves fearlessly into the difficult topics of racism and gentrification, but because he inhabits the hearts and minds of such a disparate cast of characters. He’s brought them all seamlessly to life.
Lisa Selin Davis, author of Belly
I loved BOOMBOX and didn't want it to end. All the characters are very realistic; the novel successfully captures the flux of the neighborhood and the cultural and generational differences. The portrayals of Carol and Grace are amazing; their stories and their gardens will stay with me, I know. At the same time, Jamel's situation and ultimate tragedy are compelling and all too real. Gabriel Cohen has written a terrific book!
Mary Gannett
co-owner of BookCourt bookstore, New York
“This first effort works both as a good mystery and a literary novel. It is better than promising (may the gods take note): it is accomplished.”
Publishers Weekly
“Red Hook is a real neighborhood in Brooklyn, and Red Hook is a book that gives you a real feeling for the neighborhood. Gabriel Cohen makes no effort to pretty up the place in this outstanding first novel.”
—The New York Times Sunday Book Review
“The protagonist is flawed, often self-hating, and yet deeply sympathetic in this accomplished first novel: a police procedural with heart.”
—Kirkus reviews
“In Gabriel Cohen's sophisticated contemporary noir, Red Hook is a place with a storied past, a shaky present and a tantalizing chance at rebirth. The same could be said of Jack Leightner, the middle-aged Brooklyn homicide detective at the heart of this top-shelf crime novel...What Cohen does so well here is to give us everything we require from a cop story...and then so much more: There's a documentary panache to his depiction of Brooklyn and its history (appropriate, because Leightner's slacker son is an aspiring filmmaker) and an acutely rendered sense of consequence, of the way criminal acts--and personal histories--radiate to affect entire communities.”
—The L.A. Times Sunday Book Review
“Cohen, who lives in Brooklyn, has an unerring sense of place, a gift for characterization and nonstop take-no-prisoners pacing. If urban crime is your thing, Red Hook is one of the best debuts in years.”
--Bookpage
“This compelling first novel offers an amazingly deft mystery of character.”
--Booklist
"Red Hook is Gabriel Cohen's first novel and he is off to a great start...Red Hook is head and shoulders above most police procedurals. It is a gripping character study and a moving depiction of the rise and fall of an urban neighborhood. It is recommended for readers interested in police stories as well as anyone looking for a new voice and a well-written story. Now we know that Gabriel Cohen is a gifted writer. Let's hope that he is also prolific."
—Mystery News
“The perfect mix for a terrific story. RED HOOK moves along with remarkable speed.”
Bob Leuci, former NYPD detective and author of six novels
“Cohen is a writer to watch out for and this is one of the most exciting urban crime novels to come along in years.”
Peter Blauner, author of The Intruder and Slow Motion Riot
“A great crime novel. What will stay with you about RED HOOK is the dead-on dialogue, the achingly real moments of human interaction, the street-map complexity of the protagonist, and the setting (Red Hook, Brooklyn) that possesses a beautifully messy emotional life all its own.”
Jen Banbury, author of Like a Hole in the Head
“With great characters, a great plot, and a wonderful sense of place and history, Cohen brings this crime story into the realm of literature.”
Blake Nelson, author of Girl and Exile
“Personal and quietly startling.”
—The New York Times
“Storms Can't Hurt The Sky: A Buddhist Path Through Divorce is Gabriel Cohen's excellent memoir-come-self-help book chronicling his journey to the other side of anger. This is possibly the male answer to Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. Did anyone stop and think about the husband she left behind? Well if he was anything like Cohen, he may have stayed in New York and attended a talk about anger and then gone on his own spiritual path. This book has opened my mind and I've never been anywhere near a divorce. Read it, even if you do get quizzical looks on the subway.”
Ms. Rubin Reports blog
“I was deeply moved by this book. In sharing an intimately personal account of his journey through divorce, author Gabriel Cohen offers a precious gift to anyone who has ever loved and lost. Unexpectedly, you will also discover here a valuable “how-to” guide to a happy marriage. Along the way, you will find an exceptionally lucid and succinct introduction into Buddhism. Storms Can’t Hurt the Sky accomplishes all of this with the warmth, humor, pain, and hope of a masterful novel.”
Glenn Wallis, author of
Basic Teachings of the Buddha,
The Dhammapada: Verses on the Way, and
Mediating the Power of Buddhas
“Cohen’s compelling account of the dissolution of his marriage illustrates important Buddhist teachings—and offers valuable advice on how these teachings can ease the pain for anyone undergoing this critical transition.”
Susan Piver, meditation teacher and
author of How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life
“Cohen bravely revisits his own divorce and shares the Buddhist teachings that helped him through it. The book is both an act of forgiveness and a plea for same. This is a real page turner.”
Virginia Vitzthum, author of
I Love You, Let’s Meet: Adventures in Online Datin
“This is a great addition to the tool kit that everyone needs when they get divorced. Well done! ”
Katherine Lanpher, author of
Leap Days and a contributing editor at More magazine
For the Press
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