A Welcome Grave [Audio CD]

Koryta's first two books were really very good, and he displayed the promise of even better things to come. Boy, does he ever deliver the goods in this book. I'd say Koryta has swiftly found his place among writers the likes of Crais, Sandford, and Emerson. His characterization of Lincoln Perry is much richer in this book and therefore more interesting, as we learn Perry's strengths as well as his weaknesses. Perry is quick with the quip, but this never comes at the expense of realism, plot, or pacing. This plot in particular is full of twists and surprises, and there is plenty of action as well. This book had barely been published before it was nominated for a Quill Award. My prediction is that it will also get an Edgar nomination when those awards come around again. In short, 'A Welcome Grave' is everything you want in a PI novel.

This is the third of the Koryta books that I've read and I have enjoyed every one of them. Other reviewers have referenced the plot line, the character development and how it is even stronger than in the first two novels, and so on. There is almost little to add but I'm going with this.

When the winner of the Kentucky Derby goes on to the Preakness and wins out over all the others but by a larger margin, and then goes to the Belmont and repeats it but by an even larger margin, the world knows it has a champion.

Koryta is young and he is a champion. Each of his works is just, well, better than the one before and what is amazing is that everyone of them reflects superb story telling and writing.

I, for one, am thrilled that Michael Koryta is so very young. He's going to be with us for a long, long time and that is great news for readers of this genre.

I look forward to next year's gift and I am especially anxious to follow the development in Lincoln Perry's personal life with Amy. I admit that I would like to see something that ties in her professional job with a Perry problem while, at the same time, allowing for the evolution of their relationship.

Tough assignment there? Not for Michael Koryta.

I like mystery novels with deep characterization, likable (if flawed) detectives with an interesting circle of friends, and intriguing puzzles that are solved by turning up leads, working them hard, making deductions, and getting the occasional burst of inspiration. The first two of Michael Koryta's Lincoln Perry novels fit this bill pretty well.

I dislike mystery novels that use the cliched "Detective in Peril" plot line. First, such plots are too hard to believe. Real-life criminals almost never pursue the detectives that are on their trails, play cat-and-mouse with them, torment them, or threaten to rape, murder or kidnap their spouses, partners, friends or lovers. Second, these excessively dramatic plots tend to overshadow all of the elements I mentioned above as things I like about detective fiction. It's hard to make cynical wisecracks when you're in danger of losing everything you hold dear. Lazy American mystery writers (among whom we must now number Mr. Koryta) love these plots, because they provide an easy way to raise the stakes of the investigation, crank up the suspense level, and excuse a healthy dose of satisfying revenge-violence. I hate them, because they strain credulity and suck most of the fun out of the novel.

My main beef with A Welcome Grave is that it's just too unpleasant. While we don't expect fictional detectives to lead lives of careless merriment, neither do we expect them to undergo the trials of Job. In this book, Lincoln Perry's plate is piled high with dirt sandwiches. Two criminals outwit and torment him at every turn. He has to worry about both the physical and psychological well-being of all three of the people he cares about most--his partner, his best friend, and his first great love. Every one of his personal relationships is strained. He is constantly reminded of his greatest mistakes, and is repeatedly thrown together with the woman who broke his heart. Both of his current jobs are threatened. He is pursued by hostile cops from two states who suspect him of multiple crimes that could put him away for life. The Cleveland setting is none too glamorous, either.

When relief from (almost) all of these problems finally comes near the end of the novel, it isn't because of Perry's clever detective work or any innate virtue on his part. Rather, his problems are solved by the timely intervention of two outsiders who don't have any credible motive for helping him out, Deus ex machina style.

I give the book two stars because I admire Mr. Koryta's writing style and character development. This was not, however, an enjoyable read. Unless your taste in detective fiction runs to the unremittingly grim, as is apparently the case with all the five-star reviewers here, you may wish to give this one a pass, or skip to the next installment in the series.