Envy the Night

Starred review from June 2, 2008
Revenge drives this superb stand-alone from Edgar-finalist Koryta (A Welcome Grave
). Frank Temple II, a U.S. marshal, commits suicide after a tip leads to the exposure of his secret life as a hit man. Seven years later, Frank II's 24-year-old son, Frank Temple III, learns from an old Vietnam pal of his father's that the man who ratted out Frank II, Devin Matteson, is returning to Wisconsin from Florida. Temple heads to his father's cabin in remote Willow Flowage, Wis., to confront Matteson, who first recruited Frank II into the assassination game. Temple realizes that there's more at stake than his vendetta against Matteson, as he encounters a group of ruthless killers and joins forces with Nora Stafford, the owner of an auto repair shop. Koryta's dialogue is as sharp as the knives his characters wield, and his plot twists at the most unexpected moments. This thriller places Koryta solidly in the company of the genre's most powerful voices. Author tour.

July 1, 2008
Frank Temple III has issues. One issue, mainly: his beloved father was a brilliant hit man who made national news when he committed suicide to evade capture by authorities. Seven years later, Frank still craves vengeance against Devin Matteson, the man who brought Franks dad into the killing biz before giving him up to the FBI. Frank gets a chance to scratch that itch when he learns that Matteson is fleeing toward the Wisconsin lake cabin formerly kept by Franks fatherand if Frank hurries, he can be there waiting. This collision of murderous forces soon involves an expanding cast of well-rendered characters, a few heartbreaking relationships, and more than a few fresh corpses. Koryta has an engaging protagonist in Frank, a young man raised with the skills of an assassin yet sickened by his own killer instincts and unusual education. For most of the novel, Frank is refreshingly levelheaded; he is often the first one calling the cops for assistance. His pragmatism jumps ship by the final act, but the Peckinpahesque climax has the blood, bullets, and surprises coming so fast youre likely to forgive him.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)