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cortasty's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Haunted by his wife's death and his last words to her, Mark Novak heads north from Florida to Indiana, to meet a eccentric recluse who either retrieved a girl's body or was the one who murdered her. Can Novak solve the mystery of Ridley Barnes with his sanity intact?
[b:The Prophet|13498709|The Prophet|Michael Koryta|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1348957221s/13498709.jpg|19044014] was one of the best books I read in 2015 so I was eager to give Michael Koryta another shot. I found this one on the cheap.
First off, I have to say this is a hard one to pin down. Michael Koryta's writing chops are intact and his characters are well-drawn. However, the plot is a kind of a mess.
The setup seemed fishy. Ridley Barnes wants Mark Novak to help him figure out if he killed Sarah Martin or not. Barnes was never wound quite right to begin with and threw a sprocket or two in the darkness searching for Sarah. Furthermore, when you throw in a hypnotist and a bunch of unlikely events, eyes were rolling and I kept eyeing up the Big Nowhere in the on deck circle.
However, the book wasn't a complete shit sandwich. As I said, Koryta's writing is still pretty spectacular. He does a great job with the characters, like actors in a project they know is crap but still give it their all. Also, I've never had a problem with claustrophobia but this book made me feel claustrophobic as hell at times. Spelunking is a big part of the story and Koryta does a phenomenal job with it. I felt like I was in the dark and cold with the rest of the characters.
Last Words is a well-written thriller with wonky plot. Michael Koryta's writing overcomes some of the faults but ultimately isn't enough to make chicken salad out of chicken feathers. Like I said, it's a hard one to rate. I'm giving it a three because of Koryta's writing ability. It would probably be a two with anyone else at the helm.
[b:The Prophet|13498709|The Prophet|Michael Koryta|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1348957221s/13498709.jpg|19044014] was one of the best books I read in 2015 so I was eager to give Michael Koryta another shot. I found this one on the cheap.
First off, I have to say this is a hard one to pin down. Michael Koryta's writing chops are intact and his characters are well-drawn. However, the plot is a kind of a mess.
The setup seemed fishy. Ridley Barnes wants Mark Novak to help him figure out if he killed Sarah Martin or not. Barnes was never wound quite right to begin with and threw a sprocket or two in the darkness searching for Sarah. Furthermore, when you throw in a hypnotist and a bunch of unlikely events, eyes were rolling and I kept eyeing up the Big Nowhere in the on deck circle.
However, the book wasn't a complete shit sandwich. As I said, Koryta's writing is still pretty spectacular. He does a great job with the characters, like actors in a project they know is crap but still give it their all. Also, I've never had a problem with claustrophobia but this book made me feel claustrophobic as hell at times. Spelunking is a big part of the story and Koryta does a phenomenal job with it. I felt like I was in the dark and cold with the rest of the characters.
Last Words is a well-written thriller with wonky plot. Michael Koryta's writing overcomes some of the faults but ultimately isn't enough to make chicken salad out of chicken feathers. Like I said, it's a hard one to rate. I'm giving it a three because of Koryta's writing ability. It would probably be a two with anyone else at the helm.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading this library book and recommend it to mystery fans. Markus Novak is an investigator for Innocence Incorporated, a law firm specializing in defending death row clients. He is still grieving over the murder of his wife, also an investigator for the same firm. He is sent to Garrison, Indiana, in response to a strange request from Ridley Barnes, number 1 suspect in the murder of Sarah Martin, ten years ago. Ridley wants them to find out the truth. He doesn't remember anything beyond coming out of a cave with Sarah's body. The whole town of Garrison thinks that he is the killer and crazy to boot. He talks to the cave and refers to it as "she."
Markus has been sent here to get him out the way while the board of directors decides whether or not to fire him or suspend him for a serious violation of their rules. He intends to interview a few people and go back to Florida after 1 day. It is January and he arrives at the start of a blizzard with no winter clothes. But then he meets a woman who claims to be Sarah's mother(he later finds out that she committed suicide several years ago). He gets a phone call from a reporter and he mentions that he interviewed Sarah's mother. The reporter publishes a story that makes Markus look like a fool.
Markus is then kidnapped, beaten, and left to die in the cave. What happens after that is like peeling an onion, as each person in Garrison has their own agenda. Markus does put all the pieces together. I liked the ending. It has a setup to continue the series, but is not a cliffhanger.
I am counting this for Indiana in my US state challenge.
Markus has been sent here to get him out the way while the board of directors decides whether or not to fire him or suspend him for a serious violation of their rules. He intends to interview a few people and go back to Florida after 1 day. It is January and he arrives at the start of a blizzard with no winter clothes. But then he meets a woman who claims to be Sarah's mother(he later finds out that she committed suicide several years ago). He gets a phone call from a reporter and he mentions that he interviewed Sarah's mother. The reporter publishes a story that makes Markus look like a fool.
Markus is then kidnapped, beaten, and left to die in the cave. What happens after that is like peeling an onion, as each person in Garrison has their own agenda. Markus does put all the pieces together. I liked the ending. It has a setup to continue the series, but is not a cliffhanger.
I am counting this for Indiana in my US state challenge.
pamseven's review against another edition
4.0
Koryta is one of my favorite authors. Part of it is probably because he is from my general area and sets some of his novels in recognizable places. But mostly because he's a superb storyteller. This novel revolves around a cave and there are sections that made me feel as claustrophobic and terified as if I were crawling through those passages. I do think this book went on a bit too long in some areas though. Still, I liked it although not as much as some of his others. Can't wait for his next ine which, according to the excerpt in this book, continues very soon after the events of this one.
jamesphoto's review against another edition
5.0
Very good audiobook. I'm on the waiting list to read the second one.
farfbaz's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zniman99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hesticht's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Blood