Today, I’m recommending Those Who Wish Me Dead by New York Times bestselling author Michael Koryta. Hailed as “a master” and “superb storyteller” by big-name authors like Stephen King, Michael Connelly, and James Patterson, Koryta has crafted a truly heart-thumping, edge of your seat adventure. I couldn’t put it down.
When thirteen-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he’s instantly plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden by his parents in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. What better place to squirrel away a well-to-do kid from the city than amongst a bunch of badly behaved boys in the mountains of Montana? The plan is to get Jace off the grid while the police work to find the two killers.
The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, go on a rampage, slaughtering anyone who gets in their way on their quest to find and dispose of Jace, the one witness who can identify them. All that stands between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, the couple who runs the wilderness survival program; Hannah Faber, who occupies a lonely fire lookout tower; and endless miles of desolate Montana mountains.
The clock is ticking, the mountains are burning, and those who wish Jace Wilson dead are not far behind.
Koryta has a knack for steadily building the momentum and tension throughout the story, while using descriptive imagery that transports the reader into the heart of the Montana wilderness. Combine that with Koryta’s compelling cast of characters and you will not be disappointed by this fast-paced adventure thriller.
If you can’t get enough of Those Who Wish Me Dead, be on the lookout for the upcoming film adaptation from 20th Century Fox. Can’t wait that long? Try one of Michael Koryta’s other thrillers like Last Words and Rise the Dark. Or dive headfirst into his award-winning series featuring private investigator Lincoln Perry.
Check out Those Who Wish Me Dead and Michael Koryta’s other suspense novels available at the Sioux City Public Library.
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