Sorrow's Anthem [Mass Market Paperback]

Long repressed emotions erupt when Cleveland PI Lincoln Perry learns that former friend Ed Gradduk has been accused of arson and murder. Feeling pangs of regret from the results of a well meant past gesture gone bad, the ex-cop seeks his childhood pal out to offer his assistance. He eventually locates Ed, only to see him run down by a police car moments later. Motivated primarily by guilt and shame, Perry strives to uncover the truth behind the accusations, hoping to clear his friend's name. Investigating, he starts poking around at the edges of a conspiracy that includes members of a local police precinct; unfortunately for him, the conspirators are willing to go to any length, including murder, to protect their secrets.

A worthy follow-up to his highly praised debut, 2004's Tonight I Said Goodbye, Sorrow's Anthem is notable not only for its swift pacing, well drawn cast, and harrowing, hard boiled action, but also for the fact that its author is all of twenty two years old. Displaying an outsize talent that belies his youth, Koryta cements his reputation as one of the "top young mystery writers in America today," delivering a work that takes a hard look at the world of crime, and on the impact of the choices people in that world, both criminals and law enforcement officials, make everyday, choices that often mean the difference between life and death, and between a life lived inside or outside the blurry confines of the law.

I think I was one of the few people who really didn't care for Koryta's debut, _Tonight I Said Goodbye_, which I thought was very gimmicky and didn't really come to life. That said, this second book in the Lincoln Perry-Joe Pritchard detective series, is a wonderful turnaround. This time, the characters rang true and the story was vivid and gripping. Where the first book felt a bit forced at times, this one is natural and flows beautifully. It's still hard to believe Koryta is as young as he is.

This time around, Lincoln is drawn into a mystery that ties into his past, as he witnesses the unfortunate death of a childhood friend, Ed Gradduk, apparently run over accidentally by a police car while trying to escape arrest. Ed was the prime suspect in a murder/arson case and he was just starting to open up to Lincoln when the cops arrived to take him in. Lincoln had lost touch with Ed many years before when, as a rookie policeman, he'd been responsible for Ed's arrest and imprisonment on drug charges, all the while hoping Ed would save himself and roll over on the real culprit. When that didn't happen, the two best friends became estranged and their tight-knit community turned its back on Lincoln and his father.

Unable to clearly spell out his reasons for doing so, Lincoln finds himself investigating his friend's death, which seems to be related to a string of arsons, some recent and some dating back 20 years. There may also be a link to Cleveland's mafia and, perhaps, some police corruption involved.

Lincoln and his partner, Joe Pritchard, are well-visualized characters. They're both retired veterans of the Cleveland police department, Joe with 30 years' experience. Lincoln is the younger of the two and besides the detective agency, owns a gym. The portrait of Cleveland is a vivid one and the sense of community, of tight-knit neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone, a way of life that is on its way out, is well-developed. The mystery is an intriguing one and its twists and turns don't lead where we think they will.

I was very impressed by the novel and am looking forward to Koryta's next.

After reading Koryta's first book, I was wondering if this kid was a one-hit wonder, or if he might be at the beginning of a truly great writing career. Well, it looks like it's the latter. Within the first few pages, the reader is given an obviously guilty character (there's a video, for goodness sake!), and unbelievably the protagonist is convinced of his innocence. And it gets more complicated from there. The book is emotionally evocative, the reader really cares. Even the title--"Sorrow's Anthem", which was what the main character's father called the sound of ambulance and police sirens, is moving. Very readable, very satisfying. Comparable to Pelecanos, Coben, Childs, already; this guy is on his way.