Man in the Empty Suit

Critics Review

• “An arresting setup—the same character is
  simultaneously the murder victim, suspect, and investigator—and Ferrell
  exploits it carefully…[presenting] the reader with some ugly truths about life
  and owning up to who we really are. Ferrell himself has jokingly called it the
  time-travel book of 3102, but I wouldn’t suggest waiting that long.”

  Atlantic

• “Out of this intriguing premise Sean Ferrell
  proceeds to spin a dark hybrid of Paul Auster and the film Memento, complete with a mysterious love interest…Best of all,
  however, is the evocation of mid-twenty-first century New York as a melancholy,
  dilapidated place high in entropy, cluttered with ruined buildings, and weirdly
  infested with parrots.”

  Toronto Star

• “Ferrell’s novel satisfies as both a tale of a
  four-dimensional conspiracy and as a stark meditation on solitude.”

  Minneapolis Star-Tribune

• “[Man in the Empty Suit
  has] an ingenious setup…both Looper
  and Man in the Empty Suit track the
  trajectory of a pained, lonely man who learns what it means to sacrifice for the
  sake of another’s well-being.”

  AV Club

• “Man in
  the Empty Suit has a clever enough premise that it could be straight out of
  a Philip K. Dick or Kurt Vonnegut novel.”

  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

• “A genre-bending read that’s part noir and part
  sci-fi…[A] speedy story.”

  Time Out New York

• “This is trippy book; a great read…Ferrell spins
  a web of lies, deceit, and self-loathing, sprinkles it with intelligent humor
  and wit, a dash of love and loss, and presents it to the reader on a silver
  platter.”

  Examiner

• “Ferrell has written a brain-teasing, paradox-defying, time travel mystery in the tradition of such pretzel-bending-logic classics as Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time and Robert A. Heinlein’s ‘By His Bootstraps.’”

  Publishers Weekly

• “Full of imagination and head-scratching
  conundrums…It should definitely appeal to those who enjoy offbeat [sci-fi] and
  mystery fiction.”

  Booklist

• “Engaging and thought-provoking…It will also
  appeal to readers of Stephen King’s 11/22/63.”

  Library Journal

• “Narrator Mauro Hantman recounts this offbeat, paradoxical
  saga with convincing, amusing, and disturbing portrayals of the nameless
  protagonist’s many selves. It’s particularly amusing to hear Hantman’s delivery
  of his younger and elder selves criticizing each other. The verbal contrast he
  provides for the protagonist and grumpy, alcoholic Phil, who become friends, is
  striking. An uncommon plot and unconventional writing make audio the perfect
  vehicle for sample this oddball adventure—a treat for those who like
  mind-bending fiction.”

  AudioFile

• “A tour de force. Ferrell’s skill in plotting is
  matched only by his ability to bring fully formed characters to life. A moving
  and brilliantly executed puzzle of a novel.”

  Emily St. John Mandel, author of The Lola Quartet

• “Ferrell’s humor and invention will draw you in,
  and the real emotion in his writing will keep you reading. A clever premise
  that deepens into a surprising and moving story about fate, identity, and how we
  shape our own lives and the lives of those around us.”

  Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

• “Exceptional…for any sci-fi fan who enjoys a
  challenge.”

  Maine Edge

• “Enter a mysterious woman with parrot tattoos, a
  post-apocalyptic Manhattan, Vonnegut-sharp humor, and Hemingway-spare prose,
  and you’ve got some seriously good sci-fi.”

  Book Riot

• “Man in
  the Empty Suit is a rich, complex novel…A slightly sinister, brooding tale
  of death and lost love.”

  Verbicide

• “Zips along in a smirking
  way.”

  Entertainment Realm

• “A cerebral, noirish, and
  very unusual novel…A challenge for me to put down. This one made me think about
  it long after I was finished.”

  My Bookish Ways