Godspeed

By: Nickolas Butler

Narrated by: Jon Orsini

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Longlisted for the Reading the West Book Award

In this riveting new novel by the best-selling and award-winning author of Shotgun Lovesongs, three troubled construction workers get entangled in a dangerous plan against an impossible deadline.

Why is it being built here, and why so quickly? These are the questions Cole, Bart, and Teddy, the three principals of True Triangle Construction, ask themselves when they are hired to finish a project for a mysteriously wealthy homeowner. Nestled in the mountains outside of Jackson, Wyoming, the house is a masterpiece, unlike anything they've done before. Once finished, it promises to be the architectural prize of Jackson and could put True Triangle on the map. But despite the project's lure, the owner is intent on having it built in a matter of months, an impossible task made irresistible by the exorbitant bonus that awaits them if they succeed. A bonus that could change the course of their business, and their lives.

Up against the fateful deadline, and the looming threat of a harsh Wyoming winter, Cole, Bart, and Teddy are willing to do anything to get the money, even if it means risking life, limb, and family. And what becomes an obsession for all three quickly builds to tragic consequences for some. Struck through with heart-pounding danger and an arresting lyricism, Godspeed is a stark exploration of the haves and the have-nots, a cautionary tale of greed and violence that asks: How much is never enough?

©2021 Nickolas Butler (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of Lit Hub's 20 New Books to Get You Through the Week

“An effective blend of rural fable and snow-lashed Rocky Mountain noir.... The set-up is pure Hitchcock.... A finely tuned literary thriller and a portrait of small-town life as a Petri dish of hope and hubris.” (Financial Times)

“Examine[s] questions about class and capitalism in America while delivering a thriller-style ride. The bad and bloody decisions could be made by any of us desperate enough to chase the real American dream.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

“[Godspeed] has a ticking-clock momentum....Reminiscent of Treasure of the Sierra Madre or A Simple Plan, showing how greed can corrupt even the most upstanding of men.” (Madison Capital Times)

first class story; first class performance!

I am a fan of Nickolas Butler’s writing, so I knew this novel was going to be good. It was! However, I think I’m going to reserve this review to praise the performance by John Orsini. we have four primary characters and at least half a dozen secondary ones, all voiced so distinctively and convincingly that there is no difficulty telling them apart. The use of his vocal stylings to render the experience of a methamphetamine “high“ also deserves to be admired in and of itself.
An excellent performance of an excellent novel. Highly recommended. I am keeping it in my iPad so I can let other people listen to it.

Fantastic story

A very disturbing yet beautiful book that focuses on what is important in life. Fortune does not outweigh fellowship.

Wow!...a real treat

Totally out of my genre, but boy, so glad I picked this one..great plot, great characters, and a stunning conclusion...highly recommended. Also, kudos to the reader..he was beyond superb!