An Honest Man

A Novel

By: Michael Koryta

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

From the New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead: The murder of several politicians at sea has shattering implications for a local lobsterman and a young boy in this action-packed thriller.

Israel Pike was a killer, and he was an honest man. They were not mutually exclusive.

After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht – including two Senate rivals – Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. A troubled man infamous on Salvation Point Island for killing his own father a decade before, Israel has few options, no friends, and a life-threatening secret.

Elsewhere on the island, 12-year-old Lyman Rankin seeks shelter from his alcoholic father in an abandoned house only to discover that he is not alone. A mysterious woman greets him with a hatchet and a promise: “Make a sound and I’ll kill you.”

As the investigation barrels forward, Lyman, Israel, and the fate of the case collide in immutable ways. Written with mounting suspense, stirring emotion, and deep understanding of character, Koryta continues to prove why Stephen King has called him “a master” and Michael Connelly has deemed him “one of the best of the best, plain and simple.”

Critic reviews

"A macabre ghost ship adrift off the coast of Maine, a nest of islanders bristling with dark history, an ex-con/prodigal son and a lone cop allied against a depraved criminal network, a boy on the run from violence who must shelter a young woman who seems to have emerged from the sea itself—all woven together so deftly, and with such intensity of feeling, that the reader must simply hang on as the waves keep coming—and man do they come. An Honest Man is one hell of a ride, and Michael Koryta is a master at the helm."
—Tim Johnston, NYT Bestselling author of Descent and The Current

"Elegantly written, stark and gorgeous. Michael Koryta is a treasure, and his skillful wisdom with character and setting and emotion are unmatched. An Honest Man will captivate you from page one. It is wry and knowing, ridiculously immersive, and utterly heartbreaking. It's a story that feels not only truly told, but actually true...aching with the bitterness of reality, and the danger that comes not only from greed, but also from love. I will admit, Michael Koryta makes me cry every time. This is terrific book by a supremely gifted storyteller."—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling and award-winning author

A bit too much violence

The story was a good one. Interesting characters and setting but lots of violence. I finished it because I wanted to see what happened but fast forwarded through a lot

Writing and performance

I thoroughly enjoy this book. The character development was excellent. The story was very engaging and the reading was superb.

Smooth transitions and great page turner.

This was a surprisingly good read for me. It wasn't as suspenseful or thrilling as I like but it had great character development and I felt I loved or hated each character as the author would have liked. The details were not overly done which I love. I feel Koontz, as much as I love his books, tends to go overboard in the descriptions. I was able to visualize pretty much everything in this book easily....with the exception of the "Colt Judge. 22" I think he meant to say "Taurus Judge"? which definitely is a much higher caliber than a .22. Overall it was a great read, and I appreciate that the gruesome details of what the girls went through wasn't delved into.

Quite good. First half more interesting.

The first half of this book is very good. Interesting and intriguing. A crafty dual lead character story line works well. But overall becomes too obvious where it's going in the second half. Good quality narration.

Tells it Like it Is

This is not a happy, uplifting story. It is ugly, brutal and probably triggering for some. The title is for the most part correct. I always trust that Koryta will tell a solid story, but that does not mean I have to like it. Am glad the bad guys got what was coming to them, but it was stressful to get to that point. There was one death too many for five stars, Not sure what else could have happened, however. Well done.