Those Who Wish Me Dead

By: Michael Koryta

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Thriller and Suspense, 2015

The newest thriller from Michael Koryta, New York Times best-selling author.

When 13-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he's plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare.

The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him. Now all that remains between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, who run 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 no longer far behind.

©2014 Michael Koryta (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

" The Prophet is a relentless, heart-in-your-throat thriller about ordinary people caught in the middle of an extraordinary nightmare." (Dennis Lehane)

"Elegantly written...Koryta shows great sensitivity in examining how each brother deals with these parallel tragedies." (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

"A delicious read, intricately woven, with characters who are impossible to forget. Michael Koyta excites and satisfies on every level." (Elin Hilderbrand)

" Friday Night Lights meets In Cold Blood in this powerful tale...It's a brilliantly paced thriller that keeps its villains at a tantalizing distance, a compelling family portrait, a study in morality that goes beyond the usual black-and-white judgments, and an entertaining spin on classic football fiction. A flawless performance." ( Kirkus, Starred Review)

"Michael Koryta is an amazingly talented writer, and I rank The Prophet as one of the sharpest and superbly plotted crime novels I've read in my life." (Donald Ray Pollock)

Best Bad Guys EVER!

As consistent as he has always been for me, I think Michael Koryta has just outdone himself this time. This book is superior.

Michael Koryta novels always contain s a well thought out scenario that feel like they have been well researched, including antidotes, details and descriptions that leave you feeling like he is writing about his life’s work in his back yard. The characters are creatively crafted. His writing is flawlessly paced. It just never lets up. The last hours of this I was looking for the button that makes the narrator talk faster; I was so invested into the character and their plight.

The bad guys in this book are so unique and their evil personas are so well constructed that the hair stands straight up on the back of your neck each and every time they come into a scene. When you don’t see them coming, you literally GASP out loud and stop what you’re doing. It just doesn't get better than this.

What a find this author is!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Almost did. In 24 hours anyway.

Any additional comments?

Excellent, shows what the best of this genre can be. An outstanding thriller with well-drawn characters that kept me glued to my headphones. Eye-popping suspense, starting with a real grabber of an opening and leaving me choked up at the end. Ready to chew through this author's whole catalogue.

Really enjoyed this work!

I listen to books constantly and this has been one of the most entertaining to date. Great writing, heroes, villains. and twists in the plot. very exciting and made even better by the amazing narrator, who adjusted his inflection and read perfectly. absolutely loved it!

Solid thriller - well plotted, details checked

This one surprised me, particularly at the end. I don't like to give away spoilers, and there's already a plot summary so let me just say that it was a carefully crafted novel where all the parts fit together. The twists are all there for you in hints but just when you think you're ahead of them something surprises you and you think "oh, should have seen that coming". To me, that's the sign of a well written thriller.

The setting includes some technical information about outdoors skills and woodland firefighting. I've done a little of the former, and I'm a firefighter (though no so much wildland fires, I have done some training) and I really didn't stumble on any major glaring errors in those areas. That's something that bothers when I read, and it's a good sign when I don't run into them.

Look, it's not Hemmingway, and it's not destined to be a classic, but it is a good story, well told, and carefully plotted. The narration is excellent. It kept me listening even if I got a little tired of the way the brothers spoke. You'll see what I mean.

Kept me cleaning just to listen longer!!

Very engaging, hang on the edge of your seat, can't stop listening story. Some very good twists and turns with interesting characters. Only gave it four stars because he went one "twist" too far that I felt made the story unbelievable and less interesting. Well worth the credit! Can't wait to listen to a few more of his stories!

Amazing Book

I was given a couple book choices for my Freshman Literature Class. I ended up going with this one. And it was a great decision. It's a great book, it's breath taking, emotional and all around a great read.

Difficult for me to engage

Overly dramatic, relies on Deus ex machina and ridiculous plot twists. Distracting details about characters interfere with the storyline and serve no purpose. Continually fiddles with willing suspension of disbelief.

Great work, worth reading

Narration was excellent, especially for the creepy Blackwell brothers. Koryta places his characters in some hopelessly perilous jams. One simply can't look away.

I loved it both times.

I read this when it was first released. It was the title that made me pick it up and introduced me to Michael Koryta. I waited until now to listen. The Audible version is wonderful and had me close to tears at the end. Michael Koryta writes characters I care about, and the "bad guys" in this book are an imaginative masterpiece. Very scary thriller, and I can't wait for the movie.

Loved it.....

This is an amazing book. I could not stop listening. Have tissues ready. Definitely worth a credit