Let me state at the outset that THE SURVIVOR is by far Gregg Hurwitz’s best novel to date. There will be multiple fistfights over the film rights, and deservedly so, because this book has it all: pathos, humor, romance, character, and, oh yeah, a bit of violence as well. It’s a story of coming of age, redemption, bravery and valor, incredibly well-written, and fully and sharply developed.
Some books have endings that make you sad. I was sad because THE SURVIVOR ended; I wanted it to go on forever. Nothing does, though, as is made clear from almost the very beginning of the novel, which introduces us to a man who is about to commit suicide. Nate Overbay, a combat veteran, is standing on a ledge and about to jump. We don’t immediately learn why; what we do find out is that Nate seems to be a pretty nice guy. He even takes the time to scope out a jump site and place a dumpster underneath himself so that whoever has to handle his remains doesn’t have too much of a mess to clean up.
"Let me state at the outset that THE SURVIVOR is by far Gregg Hurwitz’s best novel to date.... this book has it all: pathos, humor, romance, character, and, oh yeah, a bit of violence as well. It’s a story of coming of age, redemption, bravery and valor, incredibly well-written, and fully and sharply developed."
But just as he is about to do his Peter Pan, Nate is interrupted by a gang of masked hoodlums who are pulling off a brazen bank robbery in an upper floor branch bank. He sees them through the window and is appalled by their callous disregard for the lives of innocents. He intercedes, and by the time the dust settles and the smoke clears, there are five bad guys down. One escapes, but not before warning Nate that he will regret his actions. Nate becomes the hero of the day, though he is still intent on ending it all, and resolves to do so that very evening.
What would make a person so determined to kill themselves?