Most Popular Books by Michael Koryta

The New York Times bestselling "master" (Stephen King) of American thriller writing returns with an electrifying new novel about a mother seeking to reconnect with her children after a terrible trial tears their family apart. Nina Morgan’s bloodstained car was found a decade ago on a lonely Florida road. Forensic evidence suggested she’d been murdered, although her body was never found. Her disappearance left her infant children to the care of their father. Once a pilot, mother, wife, and witness to a gruesome crime, Nina had to flee her old life to save her family. She reinvented herself as Leah Trenton, a guide in the Allagash Wilderness in northern Maine. She never expected to see her children again, but now tragedy has returned them to her—only they have no idea that she’s their mother—and delivered all of them back into danger. “Aunt Leah” will need some help, and an old ally has a suggestion: an enigmatic young hitman named Dax Blackwell. Never Far Away is a thrilling collision between old sins and new dreams, where the wills and ingenuity of a broken family will be tested against all odds.

Markus Novak just wants to come home. An investigator for a Florida-based Death Row defense firm, Novak''s life derailed when his wife, Lauren, was killed in the midst of a case the two were working together. Two years later, her murderer is still at large, and Novak''s attempts to learn the truth about her death through less-than-legal means and jailhouse bargaining have put his job on the line. Now he''s been all but banished, sent to Garrison, Indiana to assess a cold case that he''s certain his boss has no intention of taking. As Novak knows all too well, some crimes never do get solved. But it''s not often that the man who many believe got away with murder is the one calling for the case to be reopened. Ten years ago, a teenaged girl disappeared inside an elaborate cave system beneath rural farmland. Days later, Ridley Barnes emerged carrying Sarah Martin''s lifeless body. Barnes has claimed all along that he has no memory of exactly where -- or how -- he found Sarah. His memory of whether she was dead or alive at the time is equally foggy. Tired of living under a cloud of suspicion, he says he wants answers -- even if they mean he''ll end up in the electric chair. But what''s he really up to? And Novak knows why he''s so unhappy to be in Garrison -- but why are the locals so hostile towards him? The answers lie in the fiendish brain of a dangerous man, the real identity of a mysterious woman, and deep beneath them all, in the network of ancient, stony passages that hold secrets deadlier than he can imagine. Soon Novak is made painfully aware that if he has any chance of returning to the life and career he left behind in Florida, he''ll need to find the truth in Garrison first.

Michael Koryta''s Envy the Night is the 2008 winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best mystery/thriller. In the seven years since he learned that his U.S. marshal father lead a double life as a contract killer--and committed suicide to avoid prosecution--Frank Temple III has mostly drifted through life. But when he learns that Devin Matteson, the man who lured his father into the killing game only to later give him up to the FBI, is returning to the isolated Wisconsin lake that was once sacred ground for their families, it''s a homecoming Frank can''t allow. Frank finds Matteson''s old cabin occupied by a strange, beautiful woman and a nervous man with a gun. But when a pair of assassins arrives on their heels, he knows Matteson can''t be far behind. The wise move would be to get out of town--but that doesn''t feel right. After all, contract killer or not, Frank''s father was at heart a teacher. And his son was an excellent student....

A remarkable debut mystery from the award-winning author of the 2003 St. Martin''s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Prize for Best First Private Eye Novel. Michael Koryta''s Tonight I Said Goodbye marks the emergence of a stunning new voice in crime fiction. With its edge-of-your-seat pacing, finely drawn characters, and rock-solid prose, Tonight I Said Goodbye would seem to be the work of a grizzled pro; the fact that the author is just twenty-one years old makes it all the more amazing. Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead of an apparent suicide in his home in an upscale Cleveland suburb, and his wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Weston''s father insists that private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard take the case to exonerate his son and find his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. As they begin to work they discover there is much more to the situation than has been described in the prevalent media reports. There are rumors of gambling debts and extortion, and a group of Russians with ties to organized crime who don''t appreciate being investigated--a point they make clear with baseball bats. With some assistance from newspaper reporter Amy Ambrose, Perry and Pritchard believe they are making swift progress. But then they are warned off the investigation by a millionaire real estate tycoon and the FBI. Just when they feel they are closing in on a possible source of answers, another murder forces them to change direction in the case. Perry travels to a resort town in South Carolina and there he finds more than one game being played, and all of them are deadly. The stakes quickly become very personal for Perry, and it''s clear that there will be no walking away from this case. In a debut that has already garnered praise from some of today''s top writers, Michael Koryta immediately establishes himself as a standard bearer for the next generation of crime writers. Tonight I Said Goodbye is a 2005 Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel.

Following the murder of prominent attorney Alex Jefferson, Cleveland private detective Lincoln Perry is called in by the victim''s widow to help locate Jefferson''s estranged son, only to find himself the prime suspect in the killing of the missing man.

"Outstanding in every way...Don''t you dare miss it." --Lee Child "A lean, propulsive action-adventure thriller...Great, gripping fun." --New York Times Soon to be a major motion picture starring Angelina Jolie. When fourteen-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he''s plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare. The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him. Now all that remains between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, who run the wilderness survival program; Hannah Faber, who occupies a lonely fire lookout tower; and endless miles of desolate Montana mountains. The clock is ticking, the mountains are burning, and those who wish Jace Wilson dead are no longer far behind.

Now a major motion picture: So Cold the River is a chilling, supernatural tale "guaranteed to put the cold finger down your spine" (Michael Connelly). It started with a beautiful woman and a challenge. As a gift for her husband, Alyssa Bradford approaches Eric Shaw to make a documentary about her father-in-law, Campbell Bradford, a 95-year-old billionaire whose past is wrapped in mystery. Eric grabs the job even though there are few clues to the man''s past -- just the name of his hometown and an antique water bottle he''s kept his entire life. In Bradford''s hometown, Eric discovers an extraordinary history -- a glorious domed hotel where movie stars, presidents, athletes, and mobsters once mingled, and hot springs whose miraculous mineral water cured everything from insomnia to malaria. Neglected for years, the resort has been restored to its former grandeur just in time for Eric''s stay. Just hours after his arrival, Eric experiences a frighteningly vivid vision. As the days pass, the frequency and intensity of his hallucinations increase and draw Eric deeper into the town''s dark history. He discovers that something besides the hotel has been restored -- a long-forgotten evil that will stop at nothing to regain its lost glory. Brilliantly imagined and terrifyingly real, So Cold the River is a tale of irresistible suspense with a racing, unstoppable current.

In this breathtaking thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead, the murder of several politicians at sea shatters the world of a local lobsterman who must prove his innocence and save his own life.u200b Israel Pike was a killer, and he was an honest man. They were not mutually exclusive. After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht – including two Senate rivals – Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends, and a life-threatening secret. Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: “Make a sound and I’ll kill you.” As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel, and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways. Written with mounting suspense, stirring emotion, and deep understanding of character, Koryta continues to prove why David Baldacci has called him “an exceptionally gifted storyteller” and Michael Connelly has deemed him “one of the best of the best, plain and simple.”

Two brothers, estranged since their sister''s abduction and murder when they were teens, are forced into a reunion through a new killing in their small Midwestern town in a new novel from the award-winning author of Envy the Night. 30,000 first printing.

Two women fight for their lives against an enigmatic killer in this electrifying novel from a New York Times bestselling author and "master" of thriller writing (Stephen King). Tara Beckley is a senior at idyllic Hammel College in Maine. As she drives to deliver a visiting professor to a conference, a horrific car accident kills the professor and leaves Tara in a vegetative state. At least, so her doctors think. In fact, she''s a prisoner of locked-in syndrome: fully alert but unable to move a muscle. Trapped in her body, she learns that someone powerful wants her dead -- but why? And what can she do, lying in a hospital bed, to stop them? Abby Kaplan, an insurance investigator, is hired by the college to look in to Tara''s case. A former stunt driver, Abby returned home after a disaster in Hollywood left an actor dead and her own reputation -- and nerves -- shattered. Despite the fog of trauma, she can tell that Tara''s car crash was no accident. When she starts asking questions, things quickly spin out of control, leaving Abby on the run and a mysterious young hit man named Dax Blackwell hard on her heels. Full of pulse-pounding tension, If She Wakes is a searing, breakneck thriller from the genre''s "best of the best" (Michael Connelly).

"In the beginning, it was all about money. Then things got personal." "This is what Ed Gradduk tells private investigator Lincoln Perry when the two men are reunited for the first time in years. They were close once, best friends who roamed the same neighborhood streets and shared the same laughter and pain, until the day Perry made a decision that brought an abrupt, permanent end to the friendship. Now Gradduk is on the run, hiding from the police, who intend to arrest him on charges of arson and murder." "When Perry succeeds in catching up with Gradduk in one of their old neighborhood haunts, he finds him full of drunken memories and muddled thoughts. Then Gradduk is killed in a violent confrontation with the police, and Perry can''t walk away from the situation until he understands the forces that brought his old friend down. With the grudging assistance of his partner, Joe Pritchard, Perry begins an investigation that takes him from blue-collar bars to the offices of city officials. Perry and Pritchard soon realize that whatever Gradduk became involved with went well beyond a personal grudge. Also clear is that someone wants to see that the secrets Gradduk came close to uncovering stay buried - at any cost."--BOOK JACKET.

A journey to Florida''s coast becomes an inescapable nightmare in this supernatural thriller from international bestselling author Michael Koryta. Arlen Wagner has seen it in men before: a trace of smoke in their eyes that promises imminent death. He is never wrong. When Arlen awakens on a train one hot Florida night and sees death''s telltale sign in the eyes of his fellow passengers, he tries to warn them. Only 19-year-old Paul Brickhill believes him, and the two abandon the train, hoping to escape certain death. They continue south, but soon are stranded at the Cypress House -- an isolated Gulf Coast boarding house run by the beautiful Rebecca Cady -- directly in the path of an approaching hurricane. The storm isn''t the only approaching danger, though. A much deadlier force controls the county and everyone living in it, and Arlen wants out -- fast. But Paul refuses to abandon Rebecca to face the threats alone, even though Arlen''s eerie gift warns that if they stay too long they may never leave. From its chilling beginning to terrifying end, The Cypress House is a story of relentless suspense from "one of the best of the best" (Michael Connelly).

Stunning."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) Whisper Ridge is a multimillion-dollar piece of architectural majesty that once housed a unique program for paroled murderers. The program never got off the ground, however, despite the passion of Alexandra Cantrell, daughter of a notorious Mafia don, and her husband, Joshua. Twelve years later, the uninhabited house is in ruins. It remains a strange monument to dangerous secrets...until Joshua''s bones are found buried deep in the forest. "The inventive plot of The Silent Hour surprises right up to the end."—St. Petersburg Times Private investigator Lincoln Perry isn''t thrilled about having to unearth this enduring mystery—one that continues to capture the media''s attention. His new client is no picnic either: Parker Harrison served fifteen years for murder but claims Alexandra Cantrell''s intervention saved his life. Following a trail that leads straight to the heart of Cleveland''s organized crime scene, Perry finds himself immersed in a case that challenges his abilities as a detective and his commitment to that calling. Now he''s glancing over his shoulder at every turn—and pushing the bounds of safety even as he backs away... "Michael Koryta is one of the best of the best...his Lincoln Perry is going to be around for a long, long time."—Michael Connelly

Discover a brilliant thriller set in a remote big-cat sanctuary: "one of the scariest and most touching horror tales in years" (James Patterson). In an isolated stretch of eastern Kentucky, on a hilltop known as Blade Ridge, stands a lighthouse that illuminates nothing but the surrounding woods. For years the lighthouse has been considered no more than an eccentric local landmark -- until its builder is found dead at the top of the light, and his belongings reveal a troubling local history. For deputy sheriff Kevin Kimble, the lighthouse-keeper''s death is disturbing and personal. Years ago, Kimble was shot while on duty. Somehow the death suggests a connection between the lighthouse and the most terrifying moment of his life. Audrey Clark is in the midst of moving her large-cat sanctuary onto land adjacent to the lighthouse. Sixty-seven tigers, lions, leopards, and one legendary black panther are about to have a new home there. Her husband, the sanctuary''s founder, died scouting the new property, and Audrey is determined to see his vision through. As strange occurrences multiply at the Ridge, the animals grow ever more restless, and Kimble and Audrey try to understand what evil forces are moving through this ancient landscape, just past the divide between dark and light. The Ridge is a brilliant thriller from international bestseller Michael Koryta, further evidence of why Dean Koontz has said "Michael Koryta''s work resonates into deeper strata than does most of what I read" and why Michael Connelly has named him "one of the best of the best." "The Ridge is a classic ghost story, penned by a master. I couldn''t put it down, even though I almost screamed when the wind blew a branch against the tree outside my study. Yes, it''s that scary." --Stephen King

ANTHONY AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST ANTHOLOGY Including NYT bestselling author Michael Connelly’s story “Avalon,” soon to be adapted for television by David E. Kelley. "The very best of what crime fiction should deliver." -New York Journal of Books The latest Mystery Writers of America story collection, featuring surprising, page-turning twists on the genre from some of the top bestsellers and award winners in crime fiction It’s been said that all great literature boils down to one of two stories—a man takes a journey, or a stranger comes to town. While mystery writers have been successfully using both approaches for generations, there’s something undeniably alluring in the nature of a stranger: the uninvited guest, the unacquainted neighbor, the fish out of water. No matter how or where they appear, strangers are walking mysteries, complete unknowns in once-familiar territories who disrupt our lives with unease and wonder. In the newest collection of stories by the Mystery Writers of America, each author weaves a fresh tale surrounding the eerie feeling that comes when a stranger enters our midst, featuring stories by prolific mystery writers such as Michael Connelly, Dean Koontz and Joe Hill.

An FBI investigator must uncover the secrets of his hometown to solve a double murder in this twisty "page turner" that''s "perfect summer reading" (Stephen King). "And that is how it happened. Can we stop now?" Kimberly Crepeaux is no good, a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother, and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story. Not Rob Barrett, the FBI investigator and interrogator specializing in telling a true confession from a falsehood. He''s been circling Kimberly and her conspirators for months, waiting for the right avenue to the truth, and has finally found it. He knows, as strongly as he''s known anything, that Kimberly''s story -- a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood -- is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: where are Jackie and Ian''s bodies? After Barrett stakes his name and reputation on the truth of Kimberly''s confession, only to have the bodies turn up 200 miles from where she said they''d be, shot in the back and covered in a different suspect''s DNA, the case is quickly closed and Barrett forcibly reassigned. But for Howard Pelletier, the tragedy of his daughter''s murder cannot be so tidily swept away. And for Barrett, whose career may already be over, the chance to help a grieving father may be the only one he has left. How it Happened is a frightening, tension-filled ride into the dark heart of rural America from a writer Stephen King has called "a master" and the New York Times has deemed "impossible to resist."

It was a scam, but then the scam had gone horribly wrong… In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, bestselling authors Karin Slaughter and Michael Koryta—along with their popular series characters Jeffrey Tolliver and Joe Pritchard—team up for the first time ever.