Never Far Away is the latest thriller from author Michael Koryta and the third book of his I’ve had the chance to read. His 2012 novel, The Prophet, is as close to a small-town crime-fiction masterpiece as you can get but his last novel, If She Wakes, happened to be one of the least enjoyable reads I picked up in 2019 – so naturally, for Never Far Away, I had my expectations firmly in the middle.

So, how was it? It was alright. Koryta does a good job in slowly bringing the action from a light simmer to a boil throughout the book. The wilderness of Maine had me pretty homesick for Nova Scotia at times given their proximity, so it was nice to be back on the east coast – if even only in my mind. My biggest takeaway is that I don’t really feel like this one is going to stick with me for very long as it felt very much like a movie-of-the-week thriller you might catch on television on a Sunday afternoon. It’s good popcorn entertainment, but lacks real substance. But hey, sometimes those reads are good! Like a great beach read or airport thriller.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t aware that there are connections between some of Koryta’s novels. A character in Never Far Away appeared in If She Wakes and a pair of criminals at the novel’s beginning appear in another one of Koryta’s novels. Dax Blackwood, the aforementioned character from If She Wakes, came across great in Never Far Away and added a lot to what could have been a pretty paint-by-numbers thriller.

Following a brutal murder, former pilot Leah Trenton agreed to testify against her boss.  With her life in danger, Leah Trenton would fake her own death and enter into witness protection.  In doing so, she had to leave behind a husband and two small children as she relocated to a secluded home deep in the wilderness of Maine.  Now, ten years later, her husband dies unexpectedly leaving her children without a parent.  Leah must re-emerge to care for her children.  The problem?  They think she’s dead, too.  Oh, and her former boss is looking for revenge.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Never Far Away is the latest thriller from author Michael Koryta and the third book of his I’ve had the chance to read.  His 2012 novel, The Prophet, is as close to a small-town crime-fiction masterpiece as you can get but his last novel, If She Wakes, happened to be one of the least enjoyable reads I picked up in 2019 – so naturally, for Never Far Away, I had my expectations firmly in the middle.

So, how was it?  It was alright.  Koryta does a good job in slowly bringing the action from a light simmer to a boil throughout the book.  The wilderness of Maine had me pretty homesick for Nova Scotia at times given their proximity, so it was nice to be back on the east coast – if even only in my mind.  My biggest takeaway is that I don’t really feel like this one is going to stick with me for very long as it felt very much like a movie-of-the-week thriller you might catch on television on a Sunday afternoon.  It’s good popcorn entertainment, but lacks real substance.  But hey, sometimes those reads are good!  Like a great beach read or airport thriller.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t aware that there are connections between some of Koryta’s novels.  A character in Never Far Away appeared in If She Wakes and a pair of criminals at the novel’s beginning appear in another one of Koryta’s novels.  Dax Blackwood, the aforementioned character from If She Wakes, came across great in Never Far Away and added a lot to what could have been a pretty paint-by-numbers thriller.

I’m still waiting for Koryta to knock my socks off like he did in The Prophet, so I’ll keep reading and keep comfort in knowing he has the talent to do so.  I suppose it’s just a matter of time.  And really, he has eleven other novels I could always go back and check out.

As usual, Koryta knows how to keep the pages turning. In this thriller, a woman who flew for a large, powerful, politically connected company ferried a potential whistleblower to a meeting where she and her family were murdered. With her own family threatened with murder, she leaves them to create new lives in Kentucky while she adopts a new persona, working as a guide in the remotest regions of Maine. Then she gets the call she never wanted to hear. Her husband has died in an accident. Her children had been schooled to call a number if anything ever happened to him. What they don't know is that the aunt they'd never heard of who comes to collect them is actually their mother. And all of their lives are in danger. It's a piece of luck (and plotting) that a highly=skilled hitman has a grudge against the men who are pursuing her, determined to wipe out opposition but facing a determined mother and a sociopathic but skillful opponent.

It's an entertaining read, and some of the characters are well drawn, especially the daughter, a boy who likes her, and Dax, the clever sociopath. The incredibly powerful and evil man behind the plot against the family is barely sketched in, a brief visitor from central casting, a plot feature that is barely there other than to be a familiar threat of a grand conspiracy among the rich and powerful, which is unfortunately the trope that is so fervently embraced by conspiracy theorists, and I wish it would be retired unless it's a lot more detailed and believable. The family relationships and the dilemma of a mother needing to protect her kids has to carry a lot of weight, since the plot is largely driven by a cat-and-mouse game and the suspense of who will be cleverer at killing the other guys. The setting is interesting and obviously plays a major role, but mostly serves as a place for people to be isolated and desperate. But it's hard not to keep turning the pages.

This is probably a good choice for thriller fans, but I didn't find it entirely satisfying.

I’ve been a fan of Koryta’s work for a while now and his latest entry doesn’t disappoint. It tells the story of Nina Morgan, who was presumed dead ten tears ago after crossing a corrupt businessman. In actuality, she left behind her husband, and most importantly her two children, to start life anew as Leah Trenton. This was a drastic move done to keep her children safe. But now tragedy has reunited her with her children, who think she’s their aunt, and that long-ago threat is barreling into Leah’s life again. So for the second time Leah must make hard choices to keep her children safe. And this time she can’t leave behind any loose ends.

This is the first book I’ve read by Koryta and I will be back for more. In his hands, what could have been an undistinguished thriller moves to a higher level. Koryta offers his readers complex characters, a beautiful setting that plays an important role,, and plenty of action. The story he tells doesn’t always hold together, but that’s easily forgotten in the pace of the action. Both his fans and readers new to his work will devour Never Far Away.

Never Far Away is a fast paced, action packed , hold your breath thriller at which Michael Koryta excels.

Nina aka Leah who is already in hiding has to come out to take care of her two children who thought she had died.

This alerts those looking for Leah and the action starts and never stops as Leah does her best to protect her kids and they are soon on the run.

Never Far Away is a good story and the pages quickly turn themselves.

Thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company for the pleasure of reading another Michael Koryta thriller.

Never Far Away is simply a really solid suspense thriller.

I loved Nina – both the person she was and the person she became – and my heart just wept for the kids (especially the angry one).

While I wasn’t quite in love with the reason behind everything, nor was I 100% believing in our villains, I found this to be a fast-paced, Adrenalin-filled read and I have to admit that I just didn’t want to stop reading until the end.

Definitely a good read!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Although I never totally "bought" the characters, this was a quick, enjoyable read, a solid entry into the current crop of thrillers. Always a pleasure to find a new Michael Koryta novel! Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC.

I’ve only read two other books by Michael Korytka, but I enjoyed them both. He writes character driven thrillers and this one is no exception. Nina Morgan was a wife, a mother and a witness to a violent crime. She was forced to change her identity and go into hiding - alone. Ten years later, her husband dies in a freak accident and she returns as his “sister in law” to take custody of her children. But the man behind the crime is still looking for her.
Korytka paints realistic characters, not just Nina, now Leah. But her kids, the assassin who has mixed motives, even young Matt. He’s not an eloquent writer, but he’s an exacting one. “As he looked back at Hailey right now, emotional intelligence met a healthy dose of hormones and produced genius.”
The book moves along at a fairly fast clip, switching out between the various characters’ storylines. There is a sense of tension that underlines almost every page of the book. I loved the sense of place that Korytka provides - the isolation of the Maine wilderness. Finally, kudos to Korytka who has written a story that was super easy to envision.
My thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown for an advance copy of this book.

Action packed and fast paced....Koryta doesn’t miss a page to keep you wanting to reach the end fast!! Great book!!

This author never fails to deliver a page turner. Great characters. Moves fast.
ending a little too flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Leah Trenton gets the call she never ever wanted. Her husband is dead and her two estranged children have no one else. The only problem is that they think she is their aunt—their father’s sister whom they’ve never met. Ten years ago Leah was known as Nina, and was the pilot for a very powerful man named Lowery who wanted her dead. Nina disappeared and became Leah to save her family.

Now she’s not only running from the hit men Lowery has sent, but also another assassin for hire that wants revenge on Lowery and maybe Leah as well.

This was hard to put down! I’ve read all of Koryta’s books and his ability to give the reader a sense of place is unmatched.

I like Michael Koryta very much, but this latest seemed cartoony and standard to me. The character of Dax was more buffoon than menace, and the whole novel was rather bland and formulaic. While I will always push his books, this was a disappointment.

Michael Koryta's Never Far Away is full of good suspense, as ususal. It's also a beautifully written character study. The man is a master.

This is a character driven story by a well known author. I don’t love the book but others might enjoy it. Try it and see.

This book was first rate entertainment and a supremely satisfying thriller! The atmosphere Koryta can conjure up with his typewriter will wrap you into the world he is writing and not let you go!

Michael Koryta is a master of suspense and this was another fantastic book. Being from Maine, I loved the Moosehead Lake setting! This book kept me hooked from the first chapter. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. I will definitely be recommending this book!