Customer Reviews

Tonight I Said Goodbye (St. Martin's Minotaur Mystery)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just finished reading this book for the second time. I read it for the first time about three weeks ago and loved it, but I rushed through it a little and wanted to take another look. After the second reading, I am only more impressed. Michael Koryta is the youngest mystery writer I have ever read but he has still written one of the finest first books I've ever read. The book is dialogue-heavy, much like Robert B. Parker, and I love that style. The conversations are fast and witty and most importantly, they seem real. Lincoln Perry is a wonderful narrator, and Koryta creates his supporting cast vividly without getting into too much detail. The characters are developed through their words and actions in a plot that takes one twist after another. With Les Roberts no longer writing detective novels, it looks like Michael Koryta is poised to take over as Cleveland's finest noir writer. I can't wait for the next Lincoln Perry novel!

In the Cleveland suburb of West Olmsted, John Weston hires private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard to learn who killed his son Wayne and what happened to his missing daughter-in-law Julie and five year old granddaughter Betsy. The police suspect a murder-suicide though they have not found two of the corpses while the media insist that Wayne killed his wife and child. John insists he just saw Wayne who was too contented to suddenly within forty-eight hours commit the horrors the press assert he did.

Though reluctant to get in the middle of an on-going official investigation, Lincoln accepts the case for a larger than normal fee. As he and his partner investigate an intriguing money trail that leads to gambling and South Carolina, several divergent parties threaten to kill the two sleuths if they do not drop the case; others try to hit home runs using the heads of Lincoln and Joe as baseballs. Still the increasingly dogmatic detectives dig deeper.

The dual mysteries of murder and missing people are cleverly handled so that readers accompany the sleuths as they follow the clues and antagonists in turn pursue them. The suspense increases by the moment with threats to harm or kill Perry and Pritchard if they fail to back off. Although an excellent investigative plot, the key that supports why TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE won the 2003 St. Martin's Press Best First PI Novel award is the cast. Lincoln especially is fully developed but the prime support players including Joe, the deceased and his family, some media and police, and the villains seem genuine. Michael Kortya makes an impressive debut.

Harriet Klausner

Michael Koryta's web site www.michaelkoryta.com says one of the most influential writers to him was Dennis Lehane, and I believe it because this first novel is one of the best I've read since Lehane broke through with A Drink Before The War. Koryta's writing is not quite as dark as a Lehane or James Ellroy novel, but he has great dialogue and a narrator that seems more believable and accesible than some. Lincoln Perry is a strong voice and Koryta does a perfect job of blending Perry's internal thoughts with external dialogue. A moderate pace through the first 50 or so pages turns into a rapid-fire page-turner quickly and maintains that till the novel's end. A great, great debut.

As Tonight I Said Goodbye was about to be released in mid-2004 I was hearing a lot of publicity and praise for the author, Michael Koryta The buzz began when the book won the 2003 St Martins Press PWA Prize for Best First PI Novel, a terrific achievement but made more notable by the fact that he was only 20 when he wrote the book. I was curious to find out whether the book would live up to the hype. My hopes were high and I'm pleased to say, I haven't been disappointed.

Set in Cleveland and told from the first person perspective of Lincoln Perry, this is private investigator novel that runs along the well-worn tracks of many PI books that have come before it. Lincoln Perry is one half of Perry and Pritchard Investigations, the other half being his partner Joe Pritchard. They are a couple of ex-cops who make a good team combining Perry's youth with Pritchard's more than 50 years experience and level-headedness.

As many private investigator stories do, Tonight I Said Goodbye opens with an interview with a prospective client who explains what he wants investigated. In this case John Weston wants Perry and Pritchard to investigate the circumstances surrounding his son Wayne's death and the disappearance of Wayne's wife and daughter. According to the police, they suspect Wayne of murdering his wife Julie and his daughter Betsy before killing himself. John Weston rejects this scenario out of hand insisting his son was murdered and that Julie and Betsy have been kidnapped.

The fact that Wayne Weston was a top notch private investigator himself gives Perry and Pritchard an obvious starting point in their investigation. The assumption is that he got himself involved in a job that has resulted in retaliation. What they find when they look into his affairs is both surprising and very disturbing. One of his most recent clients - in multiple jobs - was one of the richest, most powerful men in Cleveland, impressive but not exactly earth-shattering. What really makes them sit up and take notice is an apparent involvement with the Russian mafiya. Put together they make a formidable group of people. Could his association with either of them gotten him killed?

One further dead body later and the stakes have grown considerably. Lincoln and Joe begin to reconsider their involvement in the case. The FBI have moved in and are far from happy with the private investigators, they've been joined by Weston's former partner Aaron Kincaid and now it looks like they've got a Russian mafiya problem. On top of all that they are still no closer to finding Julie and Betsy Weston. But when they do get closer, that's when all hell breaks loose.

I would put the tone of the book on the lighter side of hardboiled with subtle injections of humour through Perry's sharp tongue softening the mood. Neither PI carries any issues into the story, at least none of great note and although there are occasionally some violent scenes, Koryta doesn't get carried away with lurid descriptions designed to shock.

Tonight I Said Goodbye is a plot-driven thriller that relies on the constant development of the investigation rather than on the characters doing the investigating. Very little effort is made to flesh out the characters of Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard apart from a brief background into how they came to be private investigators. As the first book in a series, I can understand and readily accept the establishment of Perry and Pritchard as outstanding detectives first and foremost. Hopefully we will learn more about them in future books, the little glimpse into their personal lives suggests that learning more will be rewarding, particularly when it comes to Pritchard.

Koryta writes in an easygoing conversational style combining dialogue that flows nicely and rings true with a well-paced plot that appears to be straightforward but grows progressively involved as the investigation hits full swing. I enjoyed the interaction between the characters and, as I mentioned earlier, would have liked to have found out a little more about what makes them tick. One quick word on a character that I thought Koryta portrayed very well that I think a lot of authors do poorly and that was his handling of 6 year old Betsy. I thought he got her just right, both the dialogue she used and never acting beyond her years.

Comparisons with other contemporary private investigator series are inevitable and I think Tonight I Said Goodbye stacks up well against some of the big names such as Robert Crais, Robert B. Parker and Harlan Coben. Perry is the smart-mouth of the outfit (he is to Koryta what Elvis Cole is to Robert Crais, Spenser is to Robert B. Parker and Myron Bolitar is to Harlan Coben). Joe Pritchard is the more serious half of the business and is something of an enigma, working with cool efficiency and occasional flashes of the sublime (a la Robert Crais' Joe Pike).

This is an enjoyable debut mystery that delivers a solid introduction to Perry and Pritchard as well as a well-worked mystery and even a surprise or two at the end. It's the kind of page-turner that has left me eagerly awaiting the next book featuring the Cleveland detectives.

I liked this book, but only a little more than I would like "beach reads" in series featuring Kay Scarpetta or Alex Cross. That sentence looks a little more elitist than I intended it to be, so let me explain. I'd read praise for Koryta and his Lincoln Perry series from a few sources I trust, and then saw that he had been nominated or won awards for the work. So my expectations going in were set (perhaps ridiculously) more towards a Philip Marlowe (Big Sleep, the (Penguin Fiction), Martin Beck (Roseanna (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard), Lloyd Hopkins (Blood on the Moon), Nick Stefanos (A Firing Offense (A Five Star Title)) or Atticus Kodiak (Keeper). For me, all of those protagonists brought something fresh to the PI/cop-lead mystery thriller via either style or substance, as well as more than a tinge of noir. Koryta's debut shows the potential to bring some innovation in plots or characterization (alas, there is nothing here that tells me he is going to be an Ellroy-esque trailblazer of sentence form & rhythm), as well as the seeds of the chutzpah it takes to make dark turns without coming off as amateurish - but it's not there yet.

For a debut novel by a 21 year old, this is a solid, well-plotted and entertaining read. But the prose is too workmanlike and the characters too stock for it to be in award-winning company.

Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead, an apparent suicide. His wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Officials believe that it is a case of murder suicide. Wayne's father, a gutsy WWII veteran, hired Pincoln Perry and his partner, Joe Pritchard, to investigate.

Michael Koryta takes the reader on the trail as the investigators accept the case and are suprised that Weston doesn't seem to have any current cases. They can't find any but he does seem to have been working for wealthy Jeremiah Hubbard. However, when they visit him, Hubbard doesn't admit anything and attempts to bribe them to drop the case.

This makes the investigators more suspicious and intent to find out what is really going on.

This is Michael Koryta's first novel and a well done job. He uses dialogue to get to know the characters and the reader feels as if they were participating in the case as it develops. Kortya gives the reader a number of surprises and keeps the action going throughout the story.

What can I say about Michael Koryta's debut novel TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE that hasn't been said already?

It's simply an excellent novel with fantastic characters, awesome plot, and nonstop action and suspense that I didn't want to put down! It is, by far one of the best novels I've ever read, and one I know I'll read over and over again.

Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard are a great pair and I immediately fell in love with them. I know you will too, but you don't have to take MY word for it, just read the rest of the great reviews written here and you'll see.

So if you're looking for a novel that will make you say "WOW!" don't look any farther, read this one TODAY.

I HIGHLY recommend it.

This is the sort of debut novel that makes me think of David Housewright's fine 1995 debut, "Penance", which won the Edgar for Best First Novel. In fact, Koryta was a finalist for the same award. I don't know who he lost to, but they had better be really good, because Koryta's debut is a 'can't put it down' tour de force.

With a lot of local flavor (just like "Penance"), Koryta introduces us to a grim crime which looks to have only one solution. Of course, it is more complicated than that, and before long our heroes are contending with the Russian mafia, FBI agents with non-Federal agendas, and the machinations of the wealthiest man in Cleveland.

The relationships between the main characters are well drawn, and most of the ancillary charcters have sufficient depth to engage us. To speak much more about the plot would spoil several twists and turns that deserve to surprise on their own.

Koryta credits jobs with a local PI in Bloomington as well as a job on the local newspaper as having helped craft his style. He has a classy dedication to Bob Hammel, a wonderful journalist, who took him under his wing at the beginning of the novel. Not only has he produced a first class debut, he seems like a nice and genuinely interesting young man. I can only wish him many successes with is future ouvre.

For John Weston, his life has been virtually destroyed. His son, Private Investigator, Wayne Weston, has been found dead, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. His granddaughter, five-year-old Betsy Weston, and her mother, Julie Weston, are both missing. Media speculation, absent of any facts or evidence, is that Wayne killed his wife and daughter, disposed of the bodies, returned home and was so despondent that he committed suicide. John Weston does not believe any of it and wants Private Investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard to get involved. He wants to know what happened and wants them to find Betsy and Julie.

John Weston knows the Police are actively working the case but his son knew of Lincoln Perry and had spoken highly of him and his partner. What Lincoln knows of the flamboyant Wayne Weston makes him feel differently about him, but there is no dispute that John Weston is suffering a living death. There are lots of reasons to stay out but one major reason to get involved and Lincoln finds himself agreeing to what John Weston wants. Before long, Joe Pritchard's concerns about accepting the case pale in comparison to the clear and obvious fact that Wayne Weston made some very powerful enemies, both in public and in not so public areas. Enemies who will tolerate their presence and digging until they actually begin to make progress. Once that happens, the body count begins to steadily climb, as not only are the investigators targets but anyone they come into contact.

This novel quickly becomes a gripping read as one is pulled into this complex tale of powerful men, the Russia Mafia, murder, law enforcement corruption and good old basic evil. This is a powerful read, despite the author's relative young twenty-one year old age, as the book works on all levels as if the author were much older. Despite some reviews, which have chastised the author for lack of character development, that simply isn't the case. While the novel is primarily written from the viewpoint of Lincoln Perry, Joe Pritchard is also complex and given plenty of time before readers. Every debut novel has secrets about the main characters which will be fleshed out further later in the series and this novel is no exception.

That clear character development enhances a complex storyline with numerous twists and turns that reveal puzzles within puzzles. Just when it becomes clear who the enemies are, the author shakes things up and changes the stakes as well as the perceptions. Then, there is the final twist in the last few pages that hits with the literary effect of a sucker punch in the stomach. There is a reason why this novel won the "2003 St. Martin's Press/PWA Prize For Best First P.I. Novel." If it isn't clear already, the book is very good.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

This is the first book in the Lincoln Perry mystery series by Michael Koryta . It is a fast paced yet toughtfully complex adventure . The protagonist is a sardonic and humerous character who can be both considerate and easy going one moment, but can switch when needed to a fully macho kick ass action hero .The complex introspection along the quirky sense of humor makes Linc Perry a multilayered interesting person . The complex depth of the characters balances nicely with the brutal world in which they live and work. The author has captured correctly the frustrating crumbling modern mid sized urban enviornment crossed with the hope of a possible better future if its inhabitants can just hold on to enough of what is good to counter the endless surge of evil. The bad guys are equally as complex which makes for a great read. The story is entertaining all the way to the end of the book. This book is a great start to a great series . I am reading the rest of the series and the promise of this first book is fullfilled as the characters and the author matures over time. Enjoy!