Tonight I Said Goodbye

by: Michael Koryta

Published by: St. Martin's Minotaur

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

Michael Koryta’s debut novel, Tonight I Said Goodbye, is one of the books that is every reviewer’s dread. It’s well-done and expertly written, but I personally didn’t like the book. Well, I think it would fairer to say that I didn’t like the protagonists, private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard. I felt like I was reading Abbott and Costello pretend to be Sam Spade and Philip Marlow.

Perry and Pritchard are called upon to investigate the apparent suicide of Wayne Weston, also a private investigator. The crime scene points to suicide but Weston’s father John is unconvinced, especially since Weston’s wife and five-year-old daughter are missing. The Cleveland Police don’t seem concerned, but John is adamant that Julie and Betsy didn’t run away. So Lincoln and Joe start to nose around. If they found that John’s fears weren’t cause for alarm, there wouldn’t have been a story left to tell. So there are some unanswered questions.

I found the hook that catapults the duo into a full-scale investigation to be a little over the top. A five-year-old leaves behind a journal and a cryptic message that reads, “Tonite I said goodby”? I didn’t buy it. There are also some dialogue issues that I have concerns with….they are inane and don’t push the story forward.

However, when all is said and done, my opinion won’t count for much. Tonight I Said Goodbye was an Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel and the winner of the St. Martin’s Press/PWA Prize for Best First PI Novel.

What I am impressed with it when Koryta was only twenty-one years old when he won these accolades. I know he already has two books out featuring Perry and Pritchard; I look forward to reading about other characters. It’s obvious this kid has talent and will become a major player in PI novel. Good luck, kid!

Armchair Interviews says: Watch for this new author’s work.