3.5All throughout his childhood, Ed Gradduk has been Lincoln Perry’s best friend. Then, several years ago, in an attempt to help him, Lincoln made a decision which left the two friends estranged and make Lincoln a pariah on his own home turf. Now Ed is back and in trouble again, accused of arson and murdering a woman. Convinced that his old friend is incapable of such a heinous crime, Lincoln is trying to reach out to Ed in an effort to make amends. But more powerful forces are at play, and Ed is run down and killed by police before Lincoln has a chance to talk to him. Certain that Ed was set up for the crime, Lincoln sets out to clear Ed’s name, uncovering a world of crime and corruption and getting in the way of some of the city’s most powerful men.This is the second Lincoln Perry mystery (audio version) I have listened to (I seem to be reading them in reverse order) and I enjoyed it as much as A Welcome Grave. Diving into the city’s dark underworld, Koryta has once again set the scene for a fast-paced, intelligent and dark thriller featuring the PI team Perry and his partner, veteran ex-policeman Joe Pritchard, who were first introduced in Koryta’s award winning novel Tonight I Said Goodbye (which I have yet to read). I loved the author’s explanation for the title of the book, named after the sorrowful cacophony of sirens from the different emergency services vehicles on the scene of an accident – how apt!For such a 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 listened to the audio version of this novel as part of the 2013 Audio Book Challenge (http://teresasreadingcorner.com/2013-...). The narrator Scott Brick (who also narrates Koryta’s other novels) does a great job giving life and personality to the different characters, which made listening to the audio book a pleasure. His somewhat dry and melancholy voice perfectly fitted a reflective Lincoln Perry, who is coming to grips with past grief and loss.Highly recommended for readers who enjoy novels in the style of Dennis Lehane, Lee Child and Harlan Coben.for more of my reviews visit http://butbooksarebetter.blogspot.com...
The second novel to feature former cop and current PI Lincoln Perry, throws the exuberant justice dealer into a world of conman, police corruption and killers of past and present. This time round, the case is personal and a little hard to believe - Lincoln's childhood friend Ed Gradduk is accused of murder and arson. Without provocation, Lincoln jumps at the chance to clear his friends name (with whom he hadn't been in contact with for 10yrs). Despite this, Koryta does establish a method to the madness via a backstory which would be well served as an independent book in its own right (perhaps as a prequel to 'Tonight I Said Goodbye'). Slowly the reasons for Lincoln's cause become apart if not a little unbelievable, however, the action and intertwining past and present plot more than account for this. It should be noted that Koryta is somewhat tongue in cheek when it comes to Lincolns sudden need for involvement which suited the author's style well but perhaps not the over enthusiastic and sometimes hot-headed PI's persona. Of the bit players, I felt Lincoln's partner, Joe a retired veteran cop, could've been used more - he often came across as two-dimensional and didn't really add much to the story apart from providing a link to information associated with some corrupt cops via his former contacts on the force. While Amy, areporter and close friend of Lincoln, was a nice cameo with the tension between them evident throughout the novel. If I were to classify this within the parameters of genre fiction, I'd lean more towards thriller than harboiled PI, Koryta is a great writer of urban close combat action and 'Sorrow's Anthem' is a perfect example. 3 stars. Side note - I love the title which is derived from police and ambulance sirens in the night - they play a sorrow's anthem. Nice.
What do You think about Sorrow's Anthem (2006)?
I read Michael Koryta's first book, "Tonight I said Goodbye" earlier this year. He wrote it when he was 21, which I find quite impressive. That being said, I had trouble staying with the book and keeping interested in the plot. It was a bit clunky and read, well, like a first book. His second, "Sorrow's Anthem", is a much different story. This book grabbed me right away and keep me turning pages until I reached the end. The plot is not all that original. Lincoln Perry has a friend accused of murder, and he sets out to help hi friend clear his name. I have run into similar starts before. However, from there, the surprises start. It is all of the unexpected twists and turns in the plot that make the book so readable and enjoyable. The reader can't really guess where Koryta will take them next, so you have to keep reading to find out. When the twists are revealed, they fit into the logic of the plot, which is well conceived and thought out.The city of Cleveland, which is indeed a great city, is the backdrop for the book, and there is a lot of local flavor that describes the working class neighborhoods of the city. Amy, the newspaper reporter is back, as is Lincoln's partner Joe, so it is nice to spend some time with those characters again.Still, it is the involving nature of the plot which is the star of the book. In "Sorrow's Anthem", Koryta establishes himself as a crime fiction writer who can match the likes of Robert Crais, Michael Connelly and George Pelecanos when it comes to plotting. His writing seems much more relaxed and he brings greater depths to his characters as well. A great read and a strong advance in the writing abilities of Michael Koryta.
—David
Despite the narrator's quavery-sounding, somewhat (I thought) overly-emotional tone, and the fact that I figured out most of the mystery way ahead of time, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. There were lots of plot twists and turns that kept me second-guessing myself for awhile and the writing style is very evocative. I will say though, that I found myself thinking of the main character (Lincoln Perry) as somewhere in his forties or fifties...and it was a bit of a shock when somewhere along the way it was mentioned that he was only 29. He seemed to have had an awful lot of experience and maturity for someone of that age, and it sort of made his character a little less believable in my eyes.
—Spuddie
SORROW’s ANTHEM (Private Investigator-Cleveland, OH-Cont) – VGKoryta, Michael – 2nd in seriesThomas Dunne Books, 2006- HardcoverPrivate investigator Lincoln Perry’s childhood friend, Ed Gradduck has been videotaped leaving an arson fire; a house containing the body of a murdered woman. Lincoln and Ed have been estranged for years, but Lincoln doesn’t believe his friend is guilty and offers to help Ed. Ed bolts and is run over by the police. But was it accidental or did the police want to keep Ed quiet. *** Koryta’s second book is a solid follow on to his first. I really enjoy the contrast of Perry, the not-yet-30 investigator and his partner, Joe Pritchard retired after 30 years on the police force. But this was definitely Perry’s story and really a story of friendship. The author uses fire and weather well to add tension and to build the suspense to an exciting climax. The story is very well plotted with excellent dialogue. I loved the explanation for the books title and look forward to more books in this series.
—LJ
