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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed my first novel by Michael Koryta.
Frank Temple III found out 7 years ago that his father, a US Marshall, was also a contract killer. Those 7 years he has drifted around the country trying hard to come to terms with the loving father he knew being the monster that the public perceives him to be. He believes that the son of one of his father's buddies, Devin Matteson, is the informant that gave his dad up to the FBI. When this informant heads back to the isolated cabin on a Wisconsin lake from Miami, Frank heads there to kill him. On his way to Wisconsin he encounters a vehicle that he is sure is occupied by Matteson. He is involved in a crash with the car and it isn't who he thinks it is. By the time he gets to the lake, he discovers that Matteson isn't in the cabin on the island in the lake and that it's occupied by a mysterious lady and a gray haired man. A pair of assassins arrive from Miami and some innocent locals become involved.
This book kept my interest from beginning to end. There were just enough twists and turns but not too many. It was just dark enough but not too dark. I became very involved with Frank, Nora and Ezra. This is why I like series of books. I get to stay with the characters I love and follow their lives. With 'stand alone' novels, when it's over, it's over and you never know what happens to the characters after. Is it weird that that makes me sad? Probably, but it does.
Frank Temple III found out 7 years ago that his father, a US Marshall, was also a contract killer. Those 7 years he has drifted around the country trying hard to come to terms with the loving father he knew being the monster that the public perceives him to be. He believes that the son of one of his father's buddies, Devin Matteson, is the informant that gave his dad up to the FBI. When this informant heads back to the isolated cabin on a Wisconsin lake from Miami, Frank heads there to kill him. On his way to Wisconsin he encounters a vehicle that he is sure is occupied by Matteson. He is involved in a crash with the car and it isn't who he thinks it is. By the time he gets to the lake, he discovers that Matteson isn't in the cabin on the island in the lake and that it's occupied by a mysterious lady and a gray haired man. A pair of assassins arrive from Miami and some innocent locals become involved.
This book kept my interest from beginning to end. There were just enough twists and turns but not too many. It was just dark enough but not too dark. I became very involved with Frank, Nora and Ezra. This is why I like series of books. I get to stay with the characters I love and follow their lives. With 'stand alone' novels, when it's over, it's over and you never know what happens to the characters after. Is it weird that that makes me sad? Probably, but it does.
Frank Temple III has inherited a name and a legacy to live up. However, even thought he trained for the possibility of going to war or into law enforcement it did not happen for Frank after his father was exposed as an assassin and took his own life. Since then, Frank as been drifting, trying to find himself and also trying to not avenge his dad's death by killing the man who betrayed him.
In true Michael Koryta fashion, he pulls you into the locale as well as the story so smoothly and then before you know it, you can't set it down.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let me start by saying that I like Michael Koryta. I read The Ridge in 2014 and I remember finding it gripping at the time, so I went into this one expecting a fast-paced, intriguing thriller. I wanted something that would keep me on the edge of my seat, and while the book started with a promising setup, it faltered by the end.
As I neared the final hundred pages, I found myself just pushing through to the ending, hoping for a twist that never came. The ending meandered along, and by the time I hit the final chapter, I was more than ready to be done with it.
The pacing was the real issue here. The slow parts didn't build suspense - the just dragged the story down. Excessive backstories and details that didn't amount to much overshadowed any excitement and urgency, leading to a story that ultimately just spun its wheels a whole lot.
Oh, and can we talk about the meaningless title? What on Earth does "Envy the Night" even mean in the context of this story?
Ultimately, I kept reading because Michael Koryta's writing is competent and engaging. And I trusted him to deliver a good story. The ending tied everything up nicely, but man, it took its sweet time getting there.
This was another great book by the author. It was well written, with a tense, taut plot, and a surprise ending. The characters were believable and the dialogue was crisp.
Frank Temple III is now 24. He was told when he was 17 that his father, a professional killer and US Marshall, was betrayed by Devin Mattesson. Matteson lured Frank's dad into the killing business, and then turned on Frank's dad to save himself from prison, according to the FBI. Frank has been warned that Matteson is on his way back to Wisconsin and decides to kill him.
But there are other people involved and soon innocent people are tortured/ killed. All this takes place in a remote part of backwoods Wisconsin.
One quote: "... and stepped out into a cool breeze that came at him like a kiss."
I am counting this for Wisconsin in my US state challenge.
Frank Temple III is now 24. He was told when he was 17 that his father, a professional killer and US Marshall, was betrayed by Devin Mattesson. Matteson lured Frank's dad into the killing business, and then turned on Frank's dad to save himself from prison, according to the FBI. Frank has been warned that Matteson is on his way back to Wisconsin and decides to kill him.
But there are other people involved and soon innocent people are tortured/ killed. All this takes place in a remote part of backwoods Wisconsin.
One quote: "... and stepped out into a cool breeze that came at him like a kiss."
I am counting this for Wisconsin in my US state challenge.
A suspenseful thriller in a rural Wisconsin setting, about a hotheaded young man with issues. Frank is looking to avenge his father's death. The twist is that his father was hitman who committed suicide to escape the law, making the plot a bit hard to swallow. Good pacing, solid writing and a nice sense of place make it readable, but too many genre conventions spoil the overall effect. It's predictable in the way you know that every unpleasant person will meet an untimely death, all good guys will pull through, and romance will blossom between the main characters. Also, nobody talks to the police because hey, why not head into the woods on one's own to rendez-vous with criminals instead.
I suspect that Koryta has finally hit his stride. For some reason I stuck with him, having a sense that he had great potential. This book confirmed that impression.
The descriptions of the lake and the terrain are those of a person who must love this particular view from his own backyard.
The thoughts and actions of each of the players stayed true to their nature throughout the book. Because of the unpredictability of human nature, plot nuances switch with lightning fast pace. As an observer, I found that each choice, once made, was in character, but since I am not the person, I would never have thought of it myself. I was constantly surprised by some of their decisions. Michael Koryta knows his subjects all too well. Has he multiple personalities of his own?
The descriptions of the lake and the terrain are those of a person who must love this particular view from his own backyard.
The thoughts and actions of each of the players stayed true to their nature throughout the book. Because of the unpredictability of human nature, plot nuances switch with lightning fast pace. As an observer, I found that each choice, once made, was in character, but since I am not the person, I would never have thought of it myself. I was constantly surprised by some of their decisions. Michael Koryta knows his subjects all too well. Has he multiple personalities of his own?
This is a nearly perfect mystery novel. Well developed, sympathetic and interesting characters, a fascinating backstory, a budding romance, a thrilling plot. It doesn't get much better than this. Some parts dragged just a bit for me, so if I could I'd give it 4.5 stars, but I thought I'd be generous. All Koryta's books have been really good, but I think this may be his best.