Motherless Brooklyn

Motherless Brooklyn is a 1999 American detective novel written by Jonathan Lethem.

The novel follows Lionel Essrog, a 28-year old Brooklyn detective with Tourette's syndrome. Raised in a boys' home, Essrog and three friends were hired as teenagers by Frank Minna, a low-level Mob associate, to perform odd jobs for his limousine service/detective agency.

The story begins when Frank is found stabbed to death. Essrog becomes the unlikely leader of the investigation into his murder, but the search for truth is immediately confounded by his boss's secretive past; he must sort out a tangled history involving a distant wife, Minna's Mafia clientele, an American Zen master, and even a Japanese fishing corporation, all the while dealing with his own personal demons.January Magazine: Of Mooks and Men (December, 1999)

The book received mostly positive reviews, although some critics complained that the plot's pace and development, as well as the overall readability of the novel, suffered because of Lethem's attention to linguistics and wordplay.The New York Times: "What Makes Him Tic? (October 17, 1999) January Magazine: Of Mooks and Men (December, 1999) BrothersJudd.com: Review of Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn (October 14, 2003) A film adaptation has been announced, starring, written and directed by Edward Norton.Variety: Norton birthing 'Motherless' (October 13, 1999)