• Tonight I Said Goodbye

  • By: Michael Koryta
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (1,619 ratings)

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Tonight I Said Goodbye  By  cover art

Tonight I Said Goodbye

By: Michael Koryta
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

This is the remarkable debut mystery from the winner of the 2003 St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Prize for Best First Private Eye Novel.

Investigator Wayne Weston is found dead of an apparent suicide in his home in an upscale Cleveland suburb, and his wife and six-year-old daughter are missing. Weston’s father insists that private investigators Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard take the case to exonerate his son and find his granddaughter and daughter-in-law. As they begin to work, they discover there is much more to the situation than has been described in the prevalent media reports. There are rumors of gambling debts and extortion, and a group of Russians with ties to organized crime who don’t appreciate being investigated—a point they make clear with baseball bats.

With some assistance from newspaper reporter Amy Ambrose, Perry and Pritchard believe they are making swift progress. But then they are warned off the investigation by a millionaire real estate tycoon and the FBI. Just when they feel they are closing in on a possible source of answers, another murder forces them to change direction in the case.

©2004 Michael Koryta (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A terrific, first-class debut full of suspense, tension, tricks, and charm. If you like Spenser and Hawk, or Elvis and Joe, or Myron and Win, you’re going to love this.” (Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author)
“An incredibly fresh private-investigator novel...Koryta...emerges fully formed in his first effort.” ( Chicago Tribune)
“This riveting detective novel should delight fans looking for new talent.” ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Tonight I Said Goodbye

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

So-So… But Scott Brick?

I guess Michael Koryta’s from Cleveland, huh? Can’t think of any other reason this average private eye tale’s based there. Certainly it adds nothing to the color, or more importantly, to the culture of this story. Pity. Visiting the place in this book’s like visiting Any-Mall-USA. If I’m being taken to visit a place, I want a sense of it. Otherwise, don’t take me around the streets and miss taking me through the minds and idiosyncrasies that make it compelling.

Okay, it looks as if I digress. But that’s the point. There’s no richness to this story. It’s not bad, just, well… blah. And the ending…

WHICH BRINGS ME TO SCOTT BRICK…

He’s an audible.com star. And he can act. Problem is he can act when he shouldn’t. Frank Sinatra once told his arranger Nelson Riddle that there was a reason people bought records with the Sinatra name. They were after a Sinatra experience. He ordered Riddle to tone down the decoration between the words to allow listeners to attend to what they paid for. There are characters and narration in novels. The narration is the author’s voice between the dialogue. Brick uses it as an opportunity to insinuate his own decorations… Exactly what Sinatra told Riddle NOT TO DO!

I notice Brick ‘s dramatic decorations. While Brick does a terrific job of characterization, he insists upon a portentous intrusion into the narration. His quivering emotional pitch when neutrality is essential in the space between dramatic interpretation is often sappy. Oh, I know that Brick’s got a ton of fans and that I’m sure to get a lot of negative reaction to this review. But I’m pleading with you Mr. Brick… CRANK IT DOWN. You are an amazing talent… But give Michael Koryta room to do his music.

Maybe this book seemed just so-so to me because the decoration between the singing even got weepy? Especially at the end.

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72 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

brick weighs the story down

Scott Brick can be brilliant, but sometimes he becomes the William Shatner of audio--over-emoting all over the place. I'm afraid this is one is a Shatner. The story is compelling, and maybe the repartee between the two PIs is enjoyable, but Brick does not make it so. In addition, everyone in the story speaks in Brick's idosyncratic cadence, which gets old. The story gets a four, but the reading gets a two.

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54 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

For those who don't ike Scott Brick ...

Any additional comments?

... listen to the book on a faster speed.

I think Brick is a great narrator, just way to deliberate. I know they tell you in public speaking to go slower than you think you need to go, but Scott is just too much.

If I listen to him on 1.5 times speed on the Audible app on my iPhone, it's perfect.

Try it, see if you don't like it better.

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46 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ed
  • 01-25-13

Amazingly good for a debut book

I really liked this book and the author held my interest throughout. It wasn't too difficult to figure out where the story was going, although I thought the major revelation near the book's conclusion was unnecessary and probably detracted from the story more than it brought things together. As usual, Scott Brick did a great job with the narration. It probably doesn't hurt to have someone of his calibre narrate your first major work. I'll listen to another offering by Koryta.

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46 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just could not get this engine to rev....

I have to agree with many others who felt this audiobook was not helped by Scott Brick's narration. I usually like Brick, but for some reason he was not a good fit here. And the story was not the "remarkably fresh perspective" that the Chicago Tribune review promised. I listened and re-listened to several parts of the first 2-3 hours and then pulled this plug, moving on to another in the same genre that I could not put down. Not enough to hold my interest, though I listen to a lot in this genre.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Worthwhile effort

Good story, well written but I wasn't on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens. Reader was fine - able to tell one character from another, but wasn't really special. This is the first of Koryta's Lincoln Perry books that I have read, and it's not quite as riveting as I found The Cypress House and The Ridge (my very favorite). I'll give LP another look - perhaps in subsequent books the character development is better than this one.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Tonight I Said Goodbye is worth getting

What did you like about this audiobook?

This is a really good listen. I've never listened Michael Koryta before but I certainly will finish this series. His style is reminiscent of Gregg Hurwitz. A little predictable at times but enough curves to keep the listener guessing.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

This is very clearly written and concise. Well developed timeline, no jumping around. Good plot with just enough to keep you guessing about the outcome.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Are you kidding? Scott Brick doesn't know how to narrate a book wrong!

Do you have any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If anything it was too short. I didn't want it to end. I am glad I finally have Koryta a try and will look for more books that he's written.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

I got this book because it was a first in series and on sale. I loved it. I could not stop listening to it. I had earphones on and had it going while I was working, as I went to sleep, etc. You get the idea. I will add the others to listen to. I am a great fan of Scott Brick and really enjoy his presentations. I usually search for new books with him as narrator. Thanks to Michael for allowing Scott to do the job.


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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A great book

My first book by this author and it was a good one. Ok - there were problems with the story and I figured out the bad guy. But it was entertaining and no one could have read it better than Scott Brick.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

For those thriller fans who have not...

...listened to Michael Koryta novels, you are missing the work of likely the most talented young thriller writer in the US. Tonight I Said Goodbye is Book 1 of the four book detective Lincoln Perry series. This novel was released when Koryta was 21 years old. Now 33 years old he will release his 12th novel later this year. Scott Brick narrates Tonight I Said Goodbye flawlessly, as usual.

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10 people found this helpful