Knife Music Hardcover - 2010

Media reviews

"Knife Music is a tense cat-and-mouse thriller, but with real heart. Cinematic and compelling, it kept me riveted to the last page."--R. J. Ellory, award-winning author of A Quiet Belief in Angels

"Carnoy's debut is gripping, suspenseful, totally believable--and shockingly good."--Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tell No One

"Tautly paced and full of crisp dialogue, Carnoy's prose is pitch-perfect whether delving into medical and police procedural or sussing out the nuances of campus hookup culture. In Cogan, he's concocted an appealing, edgy protagonist--cocksure, arrogant and abrasive towards his less competent colleagues and 'difficult' patients, but possessed of a roguish charm that makes readers want to tag along, even if they're not sure where his moral compass is pointing. A gripping thriller debut that is just what the doctor ordered."--Kirkus Discoveries

"Impressive is the debut of David Carnoy with the surprisingly complex and sophisticated Knife Music. It's a combination legal/medical novel, so neatly plotted it seems the first-timer might have over-reached. Yet Carnoy resolves everything with enough originality to deliver a satisfying jolt."--ForeWord Magazine

"Fans of Law and Order type mysteries with ever-morphing questions of who's the victim and who's the perp will enjoy this one."--Library Journal

"Medical expertise and legal suspense combine to deliver a compelling--and surprising--thriller."--BN.com (Pick of The Week)

"Excellently written story... If you want to be swept away and have your sleuthing skills challenged this is the book for you. To call this one a 'page turner' is an understatement... I actually got paper cuts rushing through the pages to the most satisfying ending you could have asked for... and not to be content with that, Carnoy just cannot resist throwing in another twist on the very last page! You will not be disappointed with Knife Music"--MysteryNet.com

"Knife Music is part medical thriller and part police procedural, and it certainly has all the gut-level suspense of a detective story. But this is no ordinary thriller. In the tradition of Richard Price or Dennis Lehane, Carnoy digs so deeply into the past experiences that have led to the motivations, secret or subconscious thoughts of each of his main characters that you almost feel guilty for eavesdropping. He has a remarkable ear for dialogue; in a line or two or maybe a single phrase of age-appropriate lingo he conjures a character's history and emotional baggage, masterfully rendering the rhythms and inflections of speech, cadence, tone, and cultural dialect."--PIF Online Magazine