Sorrow's Anthem

This is a solid procedural with great, believable characters and a twisting story that keeps the pages turning. The one problem? Koryta is even better now than he was then. And that really is the one problem. I discovered Koryta through his more recent works, so I went into this book with incredibly high expectations. I've since discovered that he wrote this when he was only 22--TWENTY-TWO!--and the debut book before it when he was only 21, which is remarkable, and as a procedural or mystery, it really is a great book. The problem, though, is that Koryta has gotten better over time, and his more recent books are fantastic. Call this an 8 on the procedural scale, and call his more recent works 12 (on a 10-point-scale) of thrillers.

So, show more would I recommend this book? This series? Absolutely. But if you've discovered Koryta through his more recent works, know that the books in his Lincoln Perry series are more traditional procedurals, and written when he was a younger, still developing writer--albeit an incredibly talented one already. And if I'd discovered him through this book, I'm sure I still would have picked up more of his work, which is probably all that needs to be said. show less

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.
For such a show more young author, Koryta shows amazing insight into regrets of the past, loss and personal sacrifice, expressed by Lincoln's melancholy reflections about his childhood and lost friendship with Ed Gradduk. Lincoln Perry is the perfect PI - an ex-cop, a loner, a man with a past and a man who feels strongly about justice and is not afraid to fight for it and risk his own life for the sake of uncovering the truth. He and Joe Pritchard make a strong pair, with Joe, the older and wiser partner, offering a word of caution and reigning Lincoln in when he gets swept away in the heat of the investigation. Their personalities complement one another, setting a strong groundwork for many more books to come.
I’ll certainly be seeking out more by this author. show less

Book two of the series, suffers from #2itis. A well crafted plot has Lincoln Perry attempting to help a childhood friend who is then killed. This story wove in and out, with players added all the time--who really did it? It was hard to keep them all straight. Koryta is a great writer of urban action.That said, I'm in for the third episode.

I liked it better than the first book in the series - it has a better (more believable) plot, no weird attempt at romance, no female characters so there were none there to be objectified.

Perry is not Robichaud or Reacher and the writer is not as noir as I had been led to believe. The dialogue is a bit too wordy and it could probably use a bit more action and a bit less chatting.

This is a decent 3 star book but that's it. I wouldn't read it again, and don't think I'll read more in the series - they are just average and there's not enough time to read all the average books out there.

Private Investigator, Lincoln Perry discovers that his estranged, childhood friend is in trouble, and he is determined to help him. Lincoln enlists the help from his partner, Joe Pritchard, a retired cop, to investigate the suspicion of arson and murder.

I read the first in this series, Tonight I Said Goodbye, over three years ago and liked it more than this one. I was encouraged by Lincoln and Joe's relationship and looked forward to seeing them again. However, in this book, I didn't feel the connection or observe any banter between the two. The plot focused more on Lincoln's past friendships, but that shouldn't have prohibited the partners' relationship. Unfortunately, it was bland and disappointed me.

As for the plot, it was pretty show more good. It had a lot of twists and turns, but at times I was bored. I do like that I learned more about Lincoln and hope that the third book can provide a bit more oomph and visible bond between him and Joe. However, the ending to this book may have provided that missing ingredient. I really hope so. The title, Sorrow's Anthem, was the perfect choice.

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy show less

I'm really enjoying this series. My only wish is that Joe would have a more significant role in the stories. This story wove all over the place picking up more and more players along the way. It was a bit tough to keep them all straight at times but was really entertaining. I'm definitely game for the third installment.

Book 2 in the Lincoln Perry mystery series.

In this book Perry and Pritchard are involved in arson, murder, and official corruption.

Perry gets involved with an estranged old friend,Ed Gradduk, who has been accused of arson. Ed dies when accidently struck by a police car, though Perry is not so sure it was really an accident. Perry's guilt requires him to investigate.

In the fire Ed was supposed to have set, a murdered woman was found. Ed had a brief, bad relationship with the woman. Perry doubts Ed set any fires, but he knows he didn't kill anyone. Ed and Perry grew up together, but went separate ways when they were grown.

Perry went into law enforcement, Ed went into crime. Perry in an effort to help Ed (in their younger days) actually show more got him sent to prison. Ed and Perry had been estranged ever since.

The fires are being set in Perry's old neighborhood, and the investigation has him opening old wounds, and long buried secrets. There is a DA in search of higher political office, and several cops who seem less than interested in the truth. Perry starts to connect the current wave of arson with a 17 year old spree that was never solved.

Perry also has to deal with the enmity his old neighborhood has for him, and pain of past childhood tragedies.

Eventually Perry and Pritchard put all the pieces together. They are almost killed in an effort to silence them. Pritchard is critically injured and Perry must carry on alone.

I liked this book as well as the first. The writing was good, it was a fast read with an interesting story. The character exposition and development is really well done.

One of the things I didn't like was the sidelining of Pritchard. I hope its not going to be the norm for future books. Although a partner, he is a minor character in the book and he provides balance. show less