The Prophet

When I started this book, I thought I was in for a long, uninteresting read because the "soundtrack," if you will, of this story is football. And I am not a football girl. I was a cheerleader, but I didn't give a crap about the home team. I wanted to wear the cute outfit. So I jumped when the other girls jumped and I clapped when they clapped -- not caring one bit if we won or lost all those Friday night games.

So, I start reading about a community with 2 dead girls and deep roots in football and as the story unfolds, we're given detailed plays and drills and formations along with information about the tragedies -- and I was hooked. Mr. Koryta deftly took a book heavy with football stuff and made it a story that I cared about, characters show more I cared about and a mystery and murder that needed solved. I invested myself because his story development and writing skills demanded no less from me.

Anyone who lives, loves, breathes football will love this story. And those of you like me? Who don't give a rat's left nut about the gridiron? You are going to love it too. The murder that needs solved will keep your eyes moving across the page. The last couple chapters were hard to get through, watery eyes and a choke in your throat will do that sometimes. And yes, even a strong wash of nostalgia from my own days of the big important game tugged just a little bit.

Tomislav Tikulin did the cover art and while it is very beautiful, I'm not sure what it has to do with the story. A detail I must have missed somewhere as I was quickly devouring the book.

I am very upset that I have probably missed many Cemetery Dance editions by this guy. I will definitely seek out more of this author's work. show less

I enjoy Michael Koryta’s writing and this book was no exception, although the football stuff was a bit too much for me as was Kent’s holier than thou attitude. Brothers Kent, big time football coach, and Adam, semi- low-life bail bondsman/ PI have never gotten over their sister Marie’s death. I felt bad for Adam he has blamed himself all these years for his sister’s death and it tore the brothers apart and that separation has not gotten better with years.

Right before the big play-off game a young girl is murdered and she has a connection to both of the brothers and when information comes to light that Adam may have had something to do with what happened brings up memories for these brothers best left buried.

This book is so much show more more than just a murder story, it is also about how these brothers dealt with their grief (or didn’t deal with it) for me that is what makes this book unique, yes we have a great mystery and someone killed a young girl but the relationship between these brothers and how they deal with this new tragedy makes for a great read.

As always Robert Petkoff’s narration is fabulous, I love this man’s voice and all his accents and voice are spot on.

3 ½ Stars show less

What is interesting about this novel is the story of two brothers coping with the murder of their 15 year old sister. Each becomes a very different man from the other brother.

Adam Austin is a bailsman living on the edge in a small town. There is a sense of restless violence boiling down within his soul. Kent Austin is a hero football coach seeking a state championship for his team. He is a mainstream kind of a guy, trying to be a steady father and husband.

The story heats up when the star wide receiver's girlfriend is brutally murdered. Adam becomes entangled in the investigation and Kent's family is threatened by the unknown killer. History collides with the present as the brothers try to find peace from within the brutal murders, as show more well as resolve their own desire for revenge and forgiveness.

Throughout the novel, Koryta writes methodically, creating tension and excitement, not only from the investigation and pursuit of the killer, but also from the football team's march to the championship game. Coming from a small town obsessed with high school football, this story felt authentic to me. I also liked the suggestion of faith that does not descend into being a preachy piece. The Prophet is an enjoyable read. show less

Michael Koryta's ninth book, The Prophet, is scheduled for release on August 7, 2012. After three paranormal thrillers, The Prophet is a return to Mr. Koryta's roots: a mystery set in northeast Ohio. Since I am a fan of mysteries, a fan of Mr. Koryta, and a northeast Ohioan, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this thriller. And I was not disappointed. On page five, still part of the prologue, I knew I was hooked after reading this, a glimpse inside the mind of the as of yet unknown antagonist:

Unshakable confidence. Unshakable stupidity.
He is fascinated by the confident specimens of the helpless. He finds no fascination in the fearful.

The story is about Adam and Kent Austin, brothers who are tormented over twenty years after show more their sister was kidnapped and murdered. Adam, the older of the two, blamed himself, and joined his father in drinking too much and obsessing on revenge. He ruined his chances of advancing his promising football career when he left Ohio State after only one semester. He eventually returned to his home to work as a bail bondsmen in a struggling blue collar city. Kent focused on football, becoming the head coach of the high school team he played on. He found religion, had a beautiful family, and was cool, calm, and collected; a respected member of society. Neither of the brothers had fully moved on after the death of their sister, and when another high school girl is found murdered, it comes back to haunt them. It doesn't take long for Adam and Kent to realize they both were to blame for the girl's death, and the killer doesn't seem to have any intention of letting them forget it.

Michael Koryta has grown as an author with every book, but The Prophet may be the most notable since Envy the Night. He superbly developed the character of two protagonists. Both brothers had likable and dis-likable qualities, both had good intentions, and despite doing things differently, neither were really wrong in the reasoning behind their choices. The antagonist was beautifully despicable, rich with evil, a pleasure to hate.
Good character development is what makes an author great, which makes me feel as if I know the characters and understand their thoughts and actions. Consider this exchange between Adam and Kent:

He looked back at Kent. "Can you do that? Because you're going to need to. The shotgun rounds will drop him, but they won't keep him down. Not a .410 shell, which is what this takes. So you'll need to be able to finish it. Can you do that?"
I don't hope to have the opportunity to find out."
"Can you do it?" Adam said. "Because otherwise, there's no point, Kent. Go buy some pepper spray and hope the neighbors hear with Beth screams."
Kent winced, turning his head as if to shed the words. Then he swallowed, looked back at Adam, and extended his hand for the gun.

This exchange was emotional for me, brought tears to my eyes; brothers, not on the best terms, but there for each other, talking about decisions that had to be made, life and death decisions, about character, and fundamental truth. But to a reader who had not read the 253 previous pages, hadn't known Adam and Kent Austin, would likely not have had a similar response, there would be no emotional investment in the people having that conversation.
Dialogue like this, between characters that seem alive and real to a reader, is what makes reading worth it, something that can rarely, if ever, be captured in a movie or television show. Plot is sometimes secondary to good, believable characters; a good plot can not survive bad characters, but a book with a weak plot but likable heroes can. In The Prophet, a reader will experience the best of both.

Finally, just as a quick side note for those who aren't football fans, don't let that disuade you from reading The Prophet. While football was integral to the book, defined the characters, it isn't what the story was about. It was much deeper than that. And Mr. Koryta will have you if not loving football, then at least caring about the outcome of the games in this book.

Michael Koryta has become an author unto himself. His books can compete with the best--Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Daniel Woodrell, James Lee Burke, Stephen King, Lawrence Block--and he has developed a style that is unlike the others, making him a stand-out author. I look forward to reading many more books from him. show less

Great storyline in this book and the character development is amazing. The downside is: there is too much football. The story did not need the pages and pages and pages of football to be a good story. In fact, it would have been better had much of it been eliminated or shortened up. This will not keep me from reading more of Koryta, but I must say, this one was not my favorite.

The past has come back to haunt the Austin brothers, one a high school football coach and the other a private detective. Their 16-year old sister was murdered twenty years ago and now another high school girl has been killed. Finding the killer will be one way of redeeming one brother of the death of their sister, but will the price be too much for the other. Overall this was a very good read even if it did have a bit too much football.

This was the first book I have read by Koryta, and I am looking forward to reading his others. The story was original, strong character development, and was an excellent vehicle for examining grief, growth, and the impact of our decisions, both mundane or momentous. The author also managed some elegantly worded insights into human behavior along the way. I would highly recommend!