Synopses & Reviews
Michael Koryta's Tonight I Said Goodbye won national acclaim and St. Martin's Press/PWA Prize for Best First PI Novel. Now, this gifted young author returns with "a worthy successor...impressive" (Publishers Weekly).
THE AMBULANCE, THE FIRE ENGINE, THE POLICE CARS--
Once Lincoln Perry and Ed Gradduk were friends. Then Perry became a cop, Gradduk turned dangerous, and their friendship imploded. Now, Gradduk is dead. And Perry wants to use his PI license to prove that whatever else his childhood friend might have been, he wasn't a murderer.
ALL TOGETHER, THEY SOUND LIKE A SAD, CRAZY SONG....
For the police, this case is over. The woman Gradduk is alleged to have killed can't tell her side of the story, and the building she entered with him has burned to the ground. But Perry is making connections to a wave of arson that struck Cleveland seventeen years ago--fires that lit up the dark secrets of two families, a local powerbroker, and at least one crooked cop. Now Perry and his partner can see ties between the past and present, between innocents and criminals--and sirens that keep playing...
SORROW'S ANTHEM
"Say hello to a new crime talent."
--Chicago Tribune
"Inspired by Hammett and Chandler, the 22-year-old Koryta displays the maturity of a writer with several novels under his belt, and his plot percolates with crisp dialogue that might impress Chandler himself."--Booklist (Starred Review)
Visit www.michaelkoryta.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
Review
“One of Americas top young mystery writers.”
—Toronto Sun “Say hello to a new crime talent.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Inspired by Hammett and Chandler, the 22-year-old Koryta displays the maturity of a writer with several novels under his belt, and his plot percolates with crisp dialogue that might impress Chandler himself.”—Booklist (Starred Review) “Korytas impressive second hardboiled mystery is a worthy successor to his debut, Tonight I Said Goodbye, an Edgar and Shamus finalist....The 22-year-old author, who works for a PI and for an Indiana newspaper, displays credible insider knowledge of those professions as well as a gift for creating both sympathetic characters and a fast-moving, twisty plot.” —Publishers Weekly
“[A] work of rare profundity. The multi-layered and labyrinthine plot is worthy of Raymond Chandler or (more aptly, perhaps) Ross MacDonald. And thats more than mere hyperbole; Koryta is that good. Sorrows Anthem is so good itll bring tears to your eyes. And its good on just about every level; as a crime novel, as a hardboiled mystery, and as a mainstream exploration of choices, consequences, and of individual responsibility. In the end, and as far “anthems” go, this one never misses a beat.” —Mystery News
“Sometimes a book grabs you and stays in your memory long after the rest of the in-boxs contents have been flushed away by new arrivals. Korytas second mystery about Cleveland private eye Lincoln Perry has this kind of hold on me...Dashiell Hammett of Red Harvest would appreciate the tangle of high-level political and police corruption of Sorrows Anthem, but anyone who mourns for lost friendships will add a more visceral reaction.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Perry is an appealing fellow, and Koryta is a straightforward storyteller, but the real pleasure here is touring the back streets of C-Town....Nominated for an Edgar Award for best first novel at the age of 21, Koryta is now 22, but Sorrows Anthem is no sophomore slump.” —The Washington Post
“Koryta...receives high marks for a well-constructed plot and his particular talent at depicting action-packed scenes.” —The Halifax Chronicle-Herald
“Nicely told, with the requisite genre beatings and gunplay reserved for the end and the equally requisite angst, this time over past misdeeds, front, and center.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The extraordinarily vivid sense of place is made all the more palpable by the heat and humidity that can only erupt into thunder and lightening storms in a kind of arson in the sky. Lincoln Perry and his partner Joe Pritchard are perfectly orchestrated characters—the young, idealistic and sometimes brash investigator balanced against the older, seasoned pro has never been done better. The characters they encounter during their investigation are unique, fully realized and absolutely alive. Eds mother stood out for me in particular. I dont know how a 22-year-old man could write a middle-aged woman with such precision and empathy. This is an exceptional novel, to my mind every bit as good as Mystic River. Buy it. Read it. Give it to your friends. This book just might change the way you think about the private-eye novel forever.”
—ReviewingTheEvidence.com
“[A] great follow-up to Korytas first novel, proving that he has a lot to offer his readers in terms of engaging plot lines, intriguing characters, and edge-of-your-seat endings.” —The Indianapolis Star
“[D]eeply felt and moving…could have flowed from the pens of more seasoned writers like Robert Parker…. Definitely make room on your bookshelf for Lincoln Perrys future adventures.” —Independent Mystery Booksellers Association
Review
“One of Americas top young mystery writers.”
—Toronto Sun “Say hello to a new crime talent.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Inspired by Hammett and Chandler, the 22-year-old Koryta displays the maturity of a writer with several novels under his belt, and his plot percolates with crisp dialogue that might impress Chandler himself.”—Booklist (Starred Review) “Korytas impressive second hardboiled mystery is a worthy successor to his debut, Tonight I Said Goodbye, an Edgar and Shamus finalist....The 22-year-old author, who works for a PI and for an Indiana newspaper, displays credible insider knowledge of those professions as well as a gift for creating both sympathetic characters and a fast-moving, twisty plot.” —Publishers Weekly
“[A] work of rare profundity. The multi-layered and labyrinthine plot is worthy of Raymond Chandler or (more aptly, perhaps) Ross MacDonald. And thats more than mere hyperbole; Koryta is that good. Sorrows Anthem is so good itll bring tears to your eyes. And its good on just about every level; as a crime novel, as a hardboiled mystery, and as a mainstream exploration of choices, consequences, and of individual responsibility. In the end, and as far “anthems” go, this one never misses a beat.” —Mystery News
“Sometimes a book grabs you and stays in your memory long after the rest of the in-boxs contents have been flushed away by new arrivals. Korytas second mystery about Cleveland private eye Lincoln Perry has this kind of hold on me...Dashiell Hammett of Red Harvest would appreciate the tangle of high-level political and police corruption of Sorrows Anthem, but anyone who mourns for lost friendships will add a more visceral reaction.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Perry is an appealing fellow, and Koryta is a straightforward storyteller, but the real pleasure here is touring the back streets of C-Town....Nominated for an Edgar Award for best first novel at the age of 21, Koryta is now 22, but Sorrows Anthem is no sophomore slump.” —The Washington Post
“Koryta...receives high marks for a well-constructed plot and his particular talent at depicting action-packed scenes.” —The Halifax Chronicle-Herald
“Nicely told, with the requisite genre beatings and gunplay reserved for the end and the equally requisite angst, this time over past misdeeds, front, and center.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The extraordinarily vivid sense of place is made all the more palpable by the heat and humidity that can only erupt into thunder and lightening storms in a kind of arson in the sky. Lincoln Perry and his partner Joe Pritchard are perfectly orchestrated characters—the young, idealistic and sometimes brash investigator balanced against the older, seasoned pro has never been done better. The characters they encounter during their investigation are unique, fully realized and absolutely alive. Eds mother stood out for me in particular. I dont know how a 22-year-old man could write a middle-aged woman with such precision and empathy. This is an exceptional novel, to my mind every bit as good as Mystic River. Buy it. Read it. Give it to your friends. This book just might change the way you think about the private-eye novel forever.”
—ReviewingTheEvidence.com
“[A] great follow-up to Korytas first novel, proving that he has a lot to offer his readers in terms of engaging plot lines, intriguing characters, and edge-of-your-seat endings.” —The Indianapolis Star
“[D]eeply felt and moving…could have flowed from the pens of more seasoned writers like Robert Parker…. Definitely make room on your bookshelf for Lincoln Perrys future adventures.” —Independent Mystery Booksellers Association
Synopsis
Private detective Lincoln Perry becomes involved in an all too personal investigation when his best friend, Ed Gradduk, on the run from the police who believe that he is responsible for a case of arson and murder, dies in a violent confrontation with the Cleveland police. By the author of Tonight I Said Goodbye. Reprint.
Synopsis
When his best friend is killed in a brutal confrontation with the Cleveland police, private investigator Lincoln Perry is determined to understand the forces that brought down his friend.
Synopsis
Once Lincoln Perry and Ed Gradduk were friends. Then Perry became a cop, Gradduk turned dangerous, and their friendship imploded. Now, Gradduk is dead. And Perry wants to use his PI license to prove that whatever else his childhood friend might have been, he wasn't a murderer.
For the police, this case is over. The woman Gradduk is alleged to have killed can't tell her side of the story, and the building she entered with him has burned to the ground. But Perry is making connections to a wave of arson that struck Cleveland seventeen years ago--fires that lit up the dark secrets of two families, a local powerbroker, and at least one crooked cop. Now Perry and his partner can see ties between the past and present, between innocents and criminals--and sirens that keep playing...
Synopsis
From the author of the Edgar Award finalist "Tonight I Said Goodbye." When his best friend is killed in a brutal confrontation with police in Cleveland, private investigator Lincoln Perry is determined to understand the forces that brought down his friend. Martin's Press.
About the Author
MICHAEL KORYTA’s first novel, Tonight I Said Goodbye, was published when he was just twenty-one. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana, where he began working as a newspaper reporter and for a private investigator while still in high school. He later kept both jobs while he attended Indiana University. Tonight I Said Goodbye won the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Contest for first novel and the Great Lakes Book Award for best mystery, and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for best first novel.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Michael Koryta