The Prophet - Hardcover

'Michael Koryta is one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction' * Mail on Sunday on A Welcome Grave * Michael Koryta is a name that is growing in stature with each new novel he releases. * Huffington Post * Michael Koryta is one of our new dynamos in the world of books . . . [he's] becoming a wonder we'll appreciate for a long time. * Daniel Woodrell * On my must-read list. * Dean Koontz * [Koryta] possesses an unusual gift - the ability to write a sure-fire bestseller. * News of the World * Koryta is one of the best of the best * Michael Connelly * Michael Koryta is one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. * Mail on Sunday * One of the summer's best thrillers. * Richmond Times-Dispatch * A gripping work that keeps its villains at a tantalizing distance and examines morality beyond black-and-white judgments. * Austin Statesman * THE PROPHET tells a compelling story about what happens to the survivors of victims of violent crime . . . a powerful psychological portrait of two brothers whose lives were shattered by their sister's terrible death . . . Koryta skillfully contrasts the two brothers, telling the story from their alternating points of view and ratcheting up the suspense. * Tampa Bay Times * I've been an admirer of the hardworking Michael Koryta for many years. I loved SO COLD THE RIVER'S creepy gothic tone; I was enthralled by the eerie world of THE CYPRESS HOUSE. Koryta is a fantastic writer, and a remarkable storyteller. But his latest book, THE PROPHET, finds him at an entirely new level; I suspect it may be the novel that brings him the sort of widespread acclaim he's deserved all along. A gridiron metaphor would seem appropriate, given the crucial role football plays in The Prophet. It's as if Koryta has been wowing us with a brilliant running game for eight novels. We'd be more than happy to see him keep driving the ball up the middle, but here, suddenly, he's gone to the air: THE PROPHET is like a long, heart-stopping pass down the sidelines in the final seconds of a decisive game. It's made me want to leap to my feet and cheer him on. * Scott Smith, author of The Ruins * Powerfully portrays the angst of the dysfunctional family stretched to the breaking point by blame and guilt . . . Gut-wrenching at every level. * Library Journal Starred Review * Koryta has a gift for melding a suspenseful, twisty plot with a probing, unflinching look at his protagonists' weaknesses. * Sunday Examiner (Washington) * Edgar-nominated mystery wunderkind Koryta (he turns 30 this year) has earned kudos from veteran thriller writers Stephen King and Dean Koontz. He proves plenty worthy of praise in this vivid portrayal of a small Midwestern town and the evils that befall it . . . With its crisp writing and steady suspense, this is a must-read for his fans both old and new.' * Booklist Starred Review * Koryta triumphantly returns to crime fiction with this multilayered exploration of guilt and redemption . . . [he] has a gift for melding a suspenseful, twisty plot with a probing, unflinching look at his protagonists' weaknesses * Publishers Weekly * Friday Night Lights meets In Cold Blood in this powerful tale . . . This book succeeds on any number of levels. It's a brilliantly paced thriller that keeps its villains at a tantalizing distance, a compelling family portrait, a study in morality that goes beyond the usual black-and-white judgments, and an entertaining spin on classic football fiction. A flawless performance. * Kirkus Starred Review * A particularly strong and inventive thriller which exerts a relentless grip on the reader. * CrimeTime * Michael Koryta combines his thrills with real heart * Telegraph * A gripping read * Mail on Sunday * Elegantly written . . . Koryta shows great sensitivity in examining how each brother deals with these parallel tragedies * New York Times * For the past three years I have been raving about Koryta's astonishing talent. One of the great modern spookmeisters, he is almost more than capable of handling less supernatural human drama, as he displays in this deeply felt story of two brothers lined by the death of their younger sister . . . A simple enough tale on the surface, yet there is a subtlety within it that tears at your heart and prove again that terrible things happen to ordinary people. Delicate characterisation, an acute sense of menace and a power that never lets go for a moment; this should establish Koryta as an international bestseller once and for all. * Daily Mail * THE PROPHET is a relentless, heart-in-your-throat thriller about ordinary people caught in the middle of an extraordinary nightmare. It's about the sins of the past haunting the hopes of the present and the need to find redemption from the jury of your own conscience. It's also . . . irrefutable proof that [Koryta] has enough game to one day be considered a master of the genre. * Dennis Lehane * Koryta is one of the best and least predictable American crime writers . . . a fine book. * Mail on Sunday *

Two brothers with a shared tragic past, caused by a two-second decision that haunts them both. One decides to avenge it. The other, to forgive. Both will pay for their choices - more than they could ever imagine. When he was a teenager, Adam Austin made a decision that led to the death of his little sister. His brother Kent learned to forgive her murderer but he never forgave Adam. Twenty years later, Kent is the coach of the successful high school football team in Chambers, Ohio and Adam is the town's bail bondsman - someone people turn to when they need help. When the girlfriend of one of Kent's star players asks Adam to track down her father who has just been released from prison, Adam agrees. Days later, she is murdered at the address he gave her. Overwhelmed by guilt in this horrifying echo of the past - Adam is determined to atone for his mistakes. But this is a game outside of the brothers' control. And every decision they make is matter of life and death . . . THE PROPHET is the story of family, of guilt and redemption. Epic in its page-turning power, building suspense all the way to its viscerally compelling climax.