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Mark Novak #2
Rise the Dark
Rise the dark. These were the last words written in Lauren Novak's notebook before she was murdered in a strange Florida village. They've never meant anything to the police or to her husband, investigator Markus Novak. Now the man he believes killed her is out of prison, and draws Markus to the place he's avoided for so the lonely road where his wife was shot to death beneath the cypress trees and Spanish moss in a town called Cassadaga. In Red Lodge, Montana, a senseless act of vandalism shuts the lights off in the town where Sabrina Baldwin is still trying to adjust to a new home and mourning the loss of her brother, who was a high voltage linesman just like her husband, Jay. As the spring's final snowstorm calls Jay deeper into the mountains, chasing the destruction on the electrical grid, Sabrina is abducted by Garland Webb, the man Markus Novak believes killed his wife. Drawing them all together is a messianic villain who understands that you can never outpace your past. You can only rise against the future.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2016
264 people are currently reading
2970 people want to read
About the author
Michael Koryta
51 books2,523 followersMichael Koryta (pronounced Ko-ree-ta) is the New York Times-bestselling author of 14 suspense novels. His work has been praised by Stephen King, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Dennis Lehane, Daniel Woodrell, Ron Rash, and Scott Smith among many others, and has been translated into more than 20 languages. His books have won or been nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Edgar® Award, Shamus Award, Barry Award, Quill Award, International Thriller Writers Award, and the Golden Dagger. They've been selected as "best books of the year" by publications as diverse as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com, O the Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, People, Reader's Digest, iBooks, and Kirkus Reviews.
His recent thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead was named the summer's best thriller by both Amazon and Entertainment Weekly, and was selected as one of the year's best books by more than 10 publications. The audio version was named one of the best audio books of the year, as well, the second time that Robert Petkoff's narration of Michael's work has earned such an honor. The novel is currently being adapted as a major motion picture by 20th Century Fox.
Michael's previous work ranges from a trio of supernatural novels--So Cold the River, The Cypress House, and The Ridge, which were all named New York Times notable books of the year and earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly--to stand-alone crime novels such as The Prophet (A New York Times bestseller) and Envy the Night (selected as a Reader's Digest condensed book), to a series of award-winning novels featuring private investigator Lincoln Perry--Tonight I Said Goodbye, Sorrow's Anthem, A Welcome Grave, and The Silent Hour.
Various film and television adaptations of the books are underway, with The Prophet, So Cold the River, The Cypress House, and Those Who Wish Me Dead all optioned as feature films, and the Lincoln Perry series and The Ridge being developed for television. Michael has written for the screen in both feature film and television. Oscar and Emmy winners are attached to every project.
Before turning to writing full-time, Michael worked as a private investigator and as a newspaper reporter, and taught at the Indiana University School of Journalism. He began working for a private investigator as an intern while in high school, turned it into his day job in the early stages of his writing career, and still maintains an interest in the firm. As a journalist, he won numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Michael's first novel, the Edgar-nominated Tonight I Said Goodbye was accepted for publication when he was 20 years old. He wrote his first two published novels before graduating from college, and was published in nearly 10 languages before he fulfilled the "writing requirement" classes required for his diploma.
Michael was raised in Bloomington, Indiana, where he graduated from Bloomington North High School in 2001, and later graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. In 2008 he was honored as a "distinguished young alumni" by Indiana University, and in 2010 he was named "distinguished alumni' by the criminal justice department.
Michael's passions outside of writing and reading involve a variety of outdoor pursuits - hiking, camping, boating, and fishing are all likely to occupy his free time when he's not working on a new book. Some of his favorite spots in the world are the Beartooth Mountains, the setting of Those Who Wish Me Dead and a place to which he returns at least twice a year; the flowages of the Northwoods in Wisconsin, where he began fishing with his father as a child and still returns each fall; St. Petersburg, FL, and the Maine coast.
His recent thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead was named the summer's best thriller by both Amazon and Entertainment Weekly, and was selected as one of the year's best books by more than 10 publications. The audio version was named one of the best audio books of the year, as well, the second time that Robert Petkoff's narration of Michael's work has earned such an honor. The novel is currently being adapted as a major motion picture by 20th Century Fox.
Michael's previous work ranges from a trio of supernatural novels--So Cold the River, The Cypress House, and The Ridge, which were all named New York Times notable books of the year and earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly--to stand-alone crime novels such as The Prophet (A New York Times bestseller) and Envy the Night (selected as a Reader's Digest condensed book), to a series of award-winning novels featuring private investigator Lincoln Perry--Tonight I Said Goodbye, Sorrow's Anthem, A Welcome Grave, and The Silent Hour.
Various film and television adaptations of the books are underway, with The Prophet, So Cold the River, The Cypress House, and Those Who Wish Me Dead all optioned as feature films, and the Lincoln Perry series and The Ridge being developed for television. Michael has written for the screen in both feature film and television. Oscar and Emmy winners are attached to every project.
Before turning to writing full-time, Michael worked as a private investigator and as a newspaper reporter, and taught at the Indiana University School of Journalism. He began working for a private investigator as an intern while in high school, turned it into his day job in the early stages of his writing career, and still maintains an interest in the firm. As a journalist, he won numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Michael's first novel, the Edgar-nominated Tonight I Said Goodbye was accepted for publication when he was 20 years old. He wrote his first two published novels before graduating from college, and was published in nearly 10 languages before he fulfilled the "writing requirement" classes required for his diploma.
Michael was raised in Bloomington, Indiana, where he graduated from Bloomington North High School in 2001, and later graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. In 2008 he was honored as a "distinguished young alumni" by Indiana University, and in 2010 he was named "distinguished alumni' by the criminal justice department.
Michael's passions outside of writing and reading involve a variety of outdoor pursuits - hiking, camping, boating, and fishing are all likely to occupy his free time when he's not working on a new book. Some of his favorite spots in the world are the Beartooth Mountains, the setting of Those Who Wish Me Dead and a place to which he returns at least twice a year; the flowages of the Northwoods in Wisconsin, where he began fishing with his father as a child and still returns each fall; St. Petersburg, FL, and the Maine coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
August 14, 2016
I made it to page 238. Six weeks ago. Since then I have started and finished five other books, purchased at least twelve, and brought home an additional six from the library today. All of which is to say, I've come to terms with publicly admitting that I am highly unlikely to finish Rise The Dark, and to post a review sharing why.
The synopsis is appealing. Koryta tees up the tension with two main characters --one of whose wife is kidnapped almost immediately; the other lost his wife a couple of years prior to the events on this book. She was murdered. Her husband continues to search for her killer. The premise essentially is that somehow the killer in crime #1 is connected to the perpetrator of the present-day kidnapping, and the widower will track down and combine with present-day scared spouse to save the day.
Rise the Dark is the slogan of a whackadoodle Western militia type who seeks to shut down a large swath of the grid providing electricity for hundreds of square miles, as the commencement of some sort of Armageddon. Both of the good-guy men are resourceful. Both of the wives -the living and the dead, are idealized, smart, lovely, wonderful spouses. The bad guys are really, really bad.
And yet. Something was missing for me. Koryta never made me care. I mean, sure, I wanted the kidnapped women (there are eventually more than our main character's wife held captive) to be rescued or break out. And, yes, I wanted the bad guys to be stopped. But not enough to slog through the dead zone which was everything from 175 on. Is a thriller-suspense novel successful if a dedicated reader of thrillers makes it to page 238 and lacks the interest to see what happens between 238 and 400? My conclusion is, no.
Rise the Dark isn't bad. It's meh.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of Rise the Dark to me as a Goodreads Giveaway winner.
The synopsis is appealing. Koryta tees up the tension with two main characters --one of whose wife is kidnapped almost immediately; the other lost his wife a couple of years prior to the events on this book. She was murdered. Her husband continues to search for her killer. The premise essentially is that somehow the killer in crime #1 is connected to the perpetrator of the present-day kidnapping, and the widower will track down and combine with present-day scared spouse to save the day.
Rise the Dark is the slogan of a whackadoodle Western militia type who seeks to shut down a large swath of the grid providing electricity for hundreds of square miles, as the commencement of some sort of Armageddon. Both of the good-guy men are resourceful. Both of the wives -the living and the dead, are idealized, smart, lovely, wonderful spouses. The bad guys are really, really bad.
And yet. Something was missing for me. Koryta never made me care. I mean, sure, I wanted the kidnapped women (there are eventually more than our main character's wife held captive) to be rescued or break out. And, yes, I wanted the bad guys to be stopped. But not enough to slog through the dead zone which was everything from 175 on. Is a thriller-suspense novel successful if a dedicated reader of thrillers makes it to page 238 and lacks the interest to see what happens between 238 and 400? My conclusion is, no.
Rise the Dark isn't bad. It's meh.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of Rise the Dark to me as a Goodreads Giveaway winner.
November 18, 2016
Absolutely electric! Hee, hee, see what I did there? No? Well, if you read this book, you will. And read it you should: It's a real sizzler.
I will, however, make two observations, the first of which is that the ending is a cliffhanger - definitely not something I like to get smacked in the teeth with when I get there. Yes, I knew there's a previous book featuring one of the main characters, but I didn't connect the dots and make the assumption that there'll be more until it was too late. The other is that the story touches on what I'll call the occult; some may find those bits a little hard to believe. As a result, my actual review is 4.5 stars, but since most review websites don't do half-stars, I rounded up to 5 because overall it's that good.
The title refers to the words attorney Lauren Novak wrote in her notebook just before she was murdered. She and her investigator husband, Markus, were in a small and offbeat town in Florida when it happened; Markus is sure who the killer is, but although he was in jail, he's back out and Markus is intent on tracking him down and getting revenge.
Meanwhile, up in Montana, it's lights out - literally. Sabrina Baldwin and her husband, Jay, moved to the remote mountain area after her brother - a high-voltage lineman like her husband - was electrocuted while trying to restore power. Jay was with him at the time and was so traumatized that he accepted a transfer that would keep him in the electricity industry but safely on the ground. When Jay is called out to help with a power outage, he returns home to find that Sabrina has been kidnapped.
And that's where the two story lines converge; turns out Sabrina's kidnapper is the same man Markus believes murdered his wife. Markus and Jay don't even know each other, and they're coming at the situation from two very different perspectives. Standing in their way is a really nasty cult-like figure who's intent on destroying America's way of life forever by disrupting (you guessed it) the nation's electrical grid.
It seems to be a fair amount of research went into the writing of this book - I know I learned some new things. I also found one of the best lines I've read in years - one that's especially meaningful for someone like me who complains about the weather extremes here in northeastern Ohio but wouldn't leave it for the world:
"If you don't have to work to get through winter, what difference does spring make?"
Highly recommended - and I thank the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for providing me with a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
I will, however, make two observations, the first of which is that the ending is a cliffhanger - definitely not something I like to get smacked in the teeth with when I get there. Yes, I knew there's a previous book featuring one of the main characters, but I didn't connect the dots and make the assumption that there'll be more until it was too late. The other is that the story touches on what I'll call the occult; some may find those bits a little hard to believe. As a result, my actual review is 4.5 stars, but since most review websites don't do half-stars, I rounded up to 5 because overall it's that good.
The title refers to the words attorney Lauren Novak wrote in her notebook just before she was murdered. She and her investigator husband, Markus, were in a small and offbeat town in Florida when it happened; Markus is sure who the killer is, but although he was in jail, he's back out and Markus is intent on tracking him down and getting revenge.
Meanwhile, up in Montana, it's lights out - literally. Sabrina Baldwin and her husband, Jay, moved to the remote mountain area after her brother - a high-voltage lineman like her husband - was electrocuted while trying to restore power. Jay was with him at the time and was so traumatized that he accepted a transfer that would keep him in the electricity industry but safely on the ground. When Jay is called out to help with a power outage, he returns home to find that Sabrina has been kidnapped.
And that's where the two story lines converge; turns out Sabrina's kidnapper is the same man Markus believes murdered his wife. Markus and Jay don't even know each other, and they're coming at the situation from two very different perspectives. Standing in their way is a really nasty cult-like figure who's intent on destroying America's way of life forever by disrupting (you guessed it) the nation's electrical grid.
It seems to be a fair amount of research went into the writing of this book - I know I learned some new things. I also found one of the best lines I've read in years - one that's especially meaningful for someone like me who complains about the weather extremes here in northeastern Ohio but wouldn't leave it for the world:
"If you don't have to work to get through winter, what difference does spring make?"
Highly recommended - and I thank the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for providing me with a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
December 3, 2016
Rise the Dark is the second in the Mark Novak series by the outstanding author Michael Koryta. Novak, an investigator, is searching in Cassadega, Florida for his wife's killer and the reason behind why she was shot. His search brings him back to Montana with the knowledge that his family might be involved. Meanwhile, another plot unfolds with a kidnapping and possible domestic terrorism act coming on the US electric power grid. We meet some very disturbing people.
Fast-paced and touching on the paranormal, Rise the Dark is a terrific thriller. It is such a pleasure to find a new author that knows how to tell a story well with many twists. The ending is a cliffhanger and sets up the beginning for his next book in the series.
Highly recommend. A 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Fast-paced and touching on the paranormal, Rise the Dark is a terrific thriller. It is such a pleasure to find a new author that knows how to tell a story well with many twists. The ending is a cliffhanger and sets up the beginning for his next book in the series.
Highly recommend. A 4.5 out of 5 stars.
January 14, 2017
While I still miss Koryta's early Horror titles, I must say he's doing very well with these thrillers with just a touch of the paranormal. And for me, at least, there's also more than a bit of horror here: in the first of this series (Last Words), it was caving; this time it's electricity. Two things that make me squirm--yikes! So there is a bit of horror here--worst possible fears played on. Mark Novak is back, still seeking revenge for the killing of his wife. Lots of details filled in as we meet the nefarious crew that is carrying out these random murders while sabotaging the infrastructure--this time Montana's electrical grid. And we get some of Mark's backstory too. The story moves at an urgent, relentless pace; series characters, secondary characters more thoughtfully drawn than Novak who is pretty much consumed by revenge, and the expected cartoon villains; violent, issue-driven story line, open ended and ready for the next installment; lots of details about electricity, the vulnerability of the electrical grid, and Tesla; smart writing, compelling and descriptive; suspenseful and gritty tone. Robert Frost's poem, Fire and Ice, came to me as I was thinking of these two books. He used fire/electricity this time and ice/freezing caves last time. What's next? And will that be the end of the world?
December 12, 2016
***Spoilers***
I really enjoy Michael Koryta' s stories and this one was no exception. This is the second Mark Novak book, but can be read as a stand alone. In this book we learn what happened to Markus's wife and also find a link between Markus and the main character, Arlen Wagner, from The Cypress House.
We continue to see Markus' struggle with adjusting to life without Lauren and are given the first idea he may be moving forward. The possibly of a future relationship was left open for future exploration.
This book was well researched. The details about electricity and the intricacies of working with high voltage electric wires was amazing. It gave me chills to realize how vulnerable our electric grid infrastructure is to attack and how so many areas of the country are impacted by just a few main wires.
This book, like some of his others, has a slight paranormal shade in it. This doesn't bother me, but may not appeal to everyone. The ending was a set up for the next book in the series. I hope it's out soon!
I really enjoy Michael Koryta' s stories and this one was no exception. This is the second Mark Novak book, but can be read as a stand alone. In this book we learn what happened to Markus's wife and also find a link between Markus and the main character, Arlen Wagner, from The Cypress House.
We continue to see Markus' struggle with adjusting to life without Lauren and are given the first idea he may be moving forward. The possibly of a future relationship was left open for future exploration.
This book was well researched. The details about electricity and the intricacies of working with high voltage electric wires was amazing. It gave me chills to realize how vulnerable our electric grid infrastructure is to attack and how so many areas of the country are impacted by just a few main wires.
This book, like some of his others, has a slight paranormal shade in it. This doesn't bother me, but may not appeal to everyone. The ending was a set up for the next book in the series. I hope it's out soon!
March 1, 2016
RISE THE DARK is the second Markus Novak novel from Koryta but you can pick this one up (August of this year) and be comfortable reading without having read LAST WORDS. He fills you in with enough history from Novak's first installment. He tackles domestic terrorism and the USA's power grid in his latest, and he does a bang up job. I have been a fan of Koryta since his first book and his ventures in mixing supernatural into his thrillers work. The characters and situations are believable, and his prose flows along quickly. From the swamps of Florida to the mountains of Montana/Wyoming, the action rolls along at breakneck speed; and the heroes each face their villain in great confrontations. A current of electricity flows through the book, captured by Koryta's skillful writing; and it is not just the subject matter of the power grid, his writing is that good. As you read RISE THE DARK, you can tell that Koryta enjoys telling stories. You want to be sitting with him at a campfire, or by a fireplace, hearing the story from his lips. This guy writes for the reward of telling a great story to others, not because it is his job or he is contracted to write a book. Go to your local bookstore or library and pick up his first Lincoln Perry book, TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE. Come this August, you will have read that series and hopefully a few of his other works, then you can sit down for another great ride through the Rockies.
August 19, 2016
Not sure where I've been, but apparently I missed book number one in this series. I've read every Michael Koryta book but that one. However, that in no way interfered with my reading enjoyment. The author gave enough clues to help you understand enough to get through this book. But, not enough to where you would not want to go back and read the first one.
I will say that the one thing I didn't like is the HUGE cliffhangers that were left at the end. Number three better already be in the works! HA!
This book definitely is a journey and for these people to say they are peaceful. That is one huge big laugh. I really liked Marcus a lot and the author did a great job with his character. For that matter, he did a great job with all the characters. The plot twists (and there were many) were well hidden and you didn't always see them coming. "I don't have any rope" is just one that really portrayed the true nature of that character.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to number three, but I will be enjoying number one in the meantime.
Huge thanks to Little, Brown and Company for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I will say that the one thing I didn't like is the HUGE cliffhangers that were left at the end. Number three better already be in the works! HA!
This book definitely is a journey and for these people to say they are peaceful. That is one huge big laugh. I really liked Marcus a lot and the author did a great job with his character. For that matter, he did a great job with all the characters. The plot twists (and there were many) were well hidden and you didn't always see them coming. "I don't have any rope" is just one that really portrayed the true nature of that character.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. I look forward to number three, but I will be enjoying number one in the meantime.
Huge thanks to Little, Brown and Company for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2020
Before the pandemic hit, my daughter and I attended an author event at a wonderful INDEPENDENT bookstore in our hometown of Houston, Murder By the Book. As we were there quite early to get a good seat, we engaged in conversation with other attendees and a woman we visited with recommended Michael Koryta's books. I had never heard of him, but I found one on the shelf that night and bought it, and now I am on a mission to read his entire canon. So thank you, fellow book lover; I do not know your name, but thank you!
Rise the Dark is a continuation of the story of Markus Novak, a compelling character working as an investigator. His back story is explored in Last Words and more fully in this book. Rise the Dark are the last words Markus has from his wife Lauren who was murdered.
Stephen King is an admirer of Koryta's work as are Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly and others.
Rise the Dark is a continuation of the story of Markus Novak, a compelling character working as an investigator. His back story is explored in Last Words and more fully in this book. Rise the Dark are the last words Markus has from his wife Lauren who was murdered.
Stephen King is an admirer of Koryta's work as are Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly and others.
July 16, 2016
Michael Koryta has given us another terrific story, this time tapping into loss, the paranormal, and our fear of terrorism in the US.
When I read "Rise the Dark", I wasn't aware that it was the 2nd book in a series, and completely enjoyed reading it as a standalone novel. Of course, now that I know, I'm diving right into "Last Words", the 1st Mark Novak story.
Koryta has a talent for weaving together that which we fear, that which we don't believe, and that which is real and makes a book that everyone can lose themselves in.
I managed to read "Rise the Dark" in two days, and would have happily given an entire day to just being absorbed in this book.
When I read "Rise the Dark", I wasn't aware that it was the 2nd book in a series, and completely enjoyed reading it as a standalone novel. Of course, now that I know, I'm diving right into "Last Words", the 1st Mark Novak story.
Koryta has a talent for weaving together that which we fear, that which we don't believe, and that which is real and makes a book that everyone can lose themselves in.
I managed to read "Rise the Dark" in two days, and would have happily given an entire day to just being absorbed in this book.
August 24, 2016
(3 1/2). This book will grab you from page 1. It is a terrific, highly believable story that Koryta delivers in his usual high energy, well crafted form. He throws in his usual dose of mumbo jumbo, but that is his style, and once you accept that you will start to enjoy his writing as much as I do. Super characters, both good guys and bad guys in this one, plus a little bit of family weirdness to make it all even more personal in nature. Koryta is one of my must read authors and this a serious validation of that opinion. Really good stuff.
April 28, 2020
Rise the Dark is a sequel to Last Words. I suppose you could read Rise the Dark without reading Last Words, but why would you want to? Michael Koryta is such an extraordinary writer, you really don't want to miss an opportunity to read his books.
Rise the Dark picks up soon after Last Words. Markus Novak is still reeling after his wife's murder. Now Lauren's killer is going to be released from prison. Markus goes back to the scene of the crime trying to dig up more information. He's not satisfied with the initial results.
Meanwhile, Jay and Sabrina Baldwin are enjoying a beautiful morning when the power goes out. Jay works for the power company so he immediately gears up to work the outage. In the meantime, Sabrina is kidnapped and when Jay comes back from the outage repair, he finds a strange man sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee. Sabrina is nowhere to be found.
These two story lines are expertly brought together and we experience Novak's realization that there is much more to his wife's murder, much more to their marriage and that there are times when it's okay to move on.
Michael Koryta hits for me every time. He can write supernatural books, family drama and thrillers. Such a delightful assortment! I recommend every one of his books. Riveting - all of them.
Rise the Dark picks up soon after Last Words. Markus Novak is still reeling after his wife's murder. Now Lauren's killer is going to be released from prison. Markus goes back to the scene of the crime trying to dig up more information. He's not satisfied with the initial results.
Meanwhile, Jay and Sabrina Baldwin are enjoying a beautiful morning when the power goes out. Jay works for the power company so he immediately gears up to work the outage. In the meantime, Sabrina is kidnapped and when Jay comes back from the outage repair, he finds a strange man sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee. Sabrina is nowhere to be found.
These two story lines are expertly brought together and we experience Novak's realization that there is much more to his wife's murder, much more to their marriage and that there are times when it's okay to move on.
Michael Koryta hits for me every time. He can write supernatural books, family drama and thrillers. Such a delightful assortment! I recommend every one of his books. Riveting - all of them.
July 16, 2019
Good, pacey, a little too filled with coincidence to get five stars, but there was something I also particularly liked in it:
There's this Charles Manson-like cult leader, and a clever approach he takes in his nefarious plot. He's mostly an agent of chaos. He wants civilization to collapse, not for any particular reason beyond his own ego needs. But he recruits followers from all kinds of groups who have their own reasons to join him, and tries to insulate the groups from one another. There are eco-freaks who believe American Indians have super-mystical powers and swallow nonsense about that, feeling justified in this plot to take down the power grid in order to bring back some kind of Eden. There are prepper/survivalist/gun nuts who swallow nonsense about those sorts of things. There are rapists and murderers who are barely controlled enforcers and given the hope they'll get more of what they want after the end times. Islamic militants are fed lines about jihad. All kinds of people who have an extreme metanarrative they believe in are easily led around by the nose by this Mansonesque villain. All you have to do to accomplish this leadership is to repeat their metanarratives back to them, he and his girlfriend have figured out. People are swayed by fears they already have, and they are swayed by hope in their dreams (some of which are pretty sick), and they are swayed by prejudices they already have. (I felt a little as if I was listening in to plans Putin and the Koch brothers make in re media and social media and how we easily duped humans are being tugged around by our noses all the time by those bastards as they do exactly that.) That part had me kind of smiling the whole time and kind of cringing, because of course I am not different than those weak-minded human beings out there. I am one, inhabiting my own human skin, and I've been triggered with the best and worst of us.
I hope there are more books in the series, but based on the review numbers here and at Amazon, I fear there might not be. It's a tough business, novel-writing. Even the good ones, like this series, might not sell as it seems they should. You see the sales numbers on some POS like Fifty Shades, which wasn't even literate, and you wonder why this series isn't selling a million copies. I think I said a similar thing about Barb Hendee's fantasy books. I guess diamonds sink and shit floats, eh?
There's this Charles Manson-like cult leader, and a clever approach he takes in his nefarious plot. He's mostly an agent of chaos. He wants civilization to collapse, not for any particular reason beyond his own ego needs. But he recruits followers from all kinds of groups who have their own reasons to join him, and tries to insulate the groups from one another. There are eco-freaks who believe American Indians have super-mystical powers and swallow nonsense about that, feeling justified in this plot to take down the power grid in order to bring back some kind of Eden. There are prepper/survivalist/gun nuts who swallow nonsense about those sorts of things. There are rapists and murderers who are barely controlled enforcers and given the hope they'll get more of what they want after the end times. Islamic militants are fed lines about jihad. All kinds of people who have an extreme metanarrative they believe in are easily led around by the nose by this Mansonesque villain. All you have to do to accomplish this leadership is to repeat their metanarratives back to them, he and his girlfriend have figured out. People are swayed by fears they already have, and they are swayed by hope in their dreams (some of which are pretty sick), and they are swayed by prejudices they already have. (I felt a little as if I was listening in to plans Putin and the Koch brothers make in re media and social media and how we easily duped humans are being tugged around by our noses all the time by those bastards as they do exactly that.) That part had me kind of smiling the whole time and kind of cringing, because of course I am not different than those weak-minded human beings out there. I am one, inhabiting my own human skin, and I've been triggered with the best and worst of us.
I hope there are more books in the series, but based on the review numbers here and at Amazon, I fear there might not be. It's a tough business, novel-writing. Even the good ones, like this series, might not sell as it seems they should. You see the sales numbers on some POS like Fifty Shades, which wasn't even literate, and you wonder why this series isn't selling a million copies. I think I said a similar thing about Barb Hendee's fantasy books. I guess diamonds sink and shit floats, eh?
October 28, 2016
This is the second in Michael Koryta's series featuring investigator Mark Novak, and I found it to be such a thrill ride of a book that I am going to be reading the first one, "Last Words" pretty quickly. This particular book, "Rise the Dark" starts with Mark trying to hunt down the man who shot his wife, Lauren, to death in a small town in Florida (Garland Webb). Lauren had been an attorney working cases for the Innocence Project. When Mark goes to the small town in Florida, he makes an appointment with a psychic who had talked to Lauren, but his appointment was not at all what he expected, and he learns of a man named Eli Pate who is a man who sees himself as a leader, and recruits people to work with him committing acts of terrorism. Mark ends up in Montana, where he was raised (and swore he would never return there) and where Pate is carrying out some diabolical plans. Not all of the people assisting him are willing recruits; Pate uses emotional blackmail and threats of danger to individuals' family members to get them to cooperate. All in all, I thought this book was a great read, and it brought home the point that people are easily led to believe almost impossible scenarios due to their distrust of government and even one another. I hope Mr. Koryta writes more books featuring Mark Novak because he is a very complicated and extremely interesting character.
May 24, 2016
Just when I think Michael couldn't write a better book...he does. Written as a follow up to his amazing bestseller "Last Words", Rise the Dark picks up the story of Markus Novak and his pursuit of his wife's killer. But this story is much more than that. It deals with unsolved but possibly related crimes, domestic terrorism and maybe something supernatural. It starts out as a tale of revenge but then takes a sinister and very dark turn along the way. I can't explain too much more about the storyline without revealing spoilers. And although this is a sequel of sorts, both books can be read as stand alones and not in order. This is one of those stories that when you get to the end you can't believe it's over. And in this case it's not really over. Or is it? Brilliantly written and absolutely terrifying this book is a must-read and another great example of what a talented and amazing writer Michael Koryta really is.
July 15, 2017
boy Michel Koryta sure knows how to write a thriller. Markus Novak has been looking for the killer of his wife, which happened in book #1. His search brings him back to the Wyoming of his childhood where he encounters his estranged family and a homegrown terrorist fixated on destroying the electrical grid of the entire United States: rise the dark. Markus, who is psychic, survives to possibly star in a future thriller. This story is in the best western tradition; I would love to see it as a movie. Its time to revive and update the western genre, both film and novel.
July 6, 2017
I've read some of Koryta's other works; his writing is excellent and his characters are vivid.
The story starts out with the protagonist as a skeptical disbeliever, but then it goes on to bring up channeling, speaking with the dead and telling the future as if they are a reality, at least to some.
Sorry, but I'm not a fan of the occult. Give me a baseball bat and I'll quickly strike a happy medium.
The story starts out with the protagonist as a skeptical disbeliever, but then it goes on to bring up channeling, speaking with the dead and telling the future as if they are a reality, at least to some.
Sorry, but I'm not a fan of the occult. Give me a baseball bat and I'll quickly strike a happy medium.
October 2, 2016
Less bleak and depressing than the first book in the series, and far more satisfying in its concluding chapters.
I still don't love Markus, and I'm not sure where the series can really go from here, but I'll certainly continue reading it.
And gang, two words: Uncle Larry. He's infinitely more likable than Markus, and the book is well worth a read for his role alone.
I still don't love Markus, and I'm not sure where the series can really go from here, but I'll certainly continue reading it.
And gang, two words: Uncle Larry. He's infinitely more likable than Markus, and the book is well worth a read for his role alone.
June 25, 2018
Rezension von Melanie zu Todesangst: Thriller (Markus Novak, Band 2) von Michael Koryta
5 von 5 🌟 ein Rachethriller, ganz nach meinem Geschmack.
Klappentext
"»Fesselnd!« - Harlan Coben
Seit dem Tod seiner Frau ist Markus Novak nicht mehr derselbe. Früher hat er als Ermittler unschuldig Verurteilten geholfen, aus dem Gefängnis zu kommen. Doch als der Mörder seiner Frau freigesprochen wird, ist Novak fest entschlossen, das Rechtssystem zu umgehen und den Mörder auf eigene Faust zu jagen. Dafür kehrt er an den Ort zurück, an dem seine Frau starb. Was Novak jedoch nicht weiß – der Mörder wartet bereits auf ihn … "
Quelle: Amazon Verlag
Meinung
Tja, da ist es mal wieder passiert ein zweiter Teil einer Reihe, da hat mich das Cover und das Genre Thriller abgelenkt.
Aber ich finde, man kann diesen Teil für sich lesen.
Worum geht es perfide gesagt um Rache.
Die Frau von Markus Novak wird ermordet, danach ist er nicht mehr derselbe. Schlimmer noch der Mörder seiner Frau wird plötzlich freigesprochen. Und das obwohl er früher unschuldig Verurteilte geholfen hat wieder aus dem Knast zu kommen.
Er fühlt sich verständlicherweise betrogen vom Rechtssystem und will nun den Mörder seiner Frau auf eigene Faust zu jagen.
Der Mörder ahnt dies aber schon und wartet auf Markus.
Markus wandelt auf den letzten bekannten Spuren seiner toten Frau. Sie war bei einer Wahrsagerin, für Markus ist es Humbug, aber er möchte jede Spur verfolgen.
Dort angekommen wurde sie ermordet und Markus beinahe auch, er kann gerade noch entwischen, und nun weiß er, er hat eine heiße Spur. Und die Schuldigen aufgeschreckt.
Die Spur führt ihn in seine Heimat nach Montana zu seiner Familie, die er vergessen wollte. Was hat seine Mutter mit der ganzen Sache zu tun.
Dieser Thriller glänzt durch sein Tempo und die Spannung, zudem auch durch die gelungene Beschreibung der Ermittlungsarbeit.
Hinzu kommt noch die Figur von Markus Nowak, die wirklich gelungen dargestellt wurde. Seine nicht einfache Vergangenheit macht ihn zu einem sympathischen Menschen. Seine Frau, war sein Hafen den er nach seiner Vergangenheit brauchte, als sie umgebracht wurde starb auch etwas in ihm. Er sinnt auf Rache.
Das perfide an diesem Thriller ist das Nowak an einen Einzeltäter glaubt. Von außen, als Leser weiß bzw. ahnt man aber mehr von dem großen Ganzen!
Trotz all der Ahnung ist das Ende überraschend.
Klare Leseempfehlung!
Fakten
487 Seiten
TB 9,99 €
Ebook 8,99 €
Erschienen im Heyne Verlag
Kaufen kann man das Buch direkt beim Verlag und bei jeder Plattform, welche Bücher und Ebooks anbietet.
Ich möchte mich bei RandomHouse für die Verfügung Stellung des Rezensionsexemplars bedanken.
Dies hat keinerlei Einfluss auf meine persönliche Meinung!
Ihr findet diese Rezension auch wie immer auf unserem Blog:
http://ourfavorbooks.blogspot.de/?m=1
5 von 5 🌟 ein Rachethriller, ganz nach meinem Geschmack.
Klappentext
"»Fesselnd!« - Harlan Coben
Seit dem Tod seiner Frau ist Markus Novak nicht mehr derselbe. Früher hat er als Ermittler unschuldig Verurteilten geholfen, aus dem Gefängnis zu kommen. Doch als der Mörder seiner Frau freigesprochen wird, ist Novak fest entschlossen, das Rechtssystem zu umgehen und den Mörder auf eigene Faust zu jagen. Dafür kehrt er an den Ort zurück, an dem seine Frau starb. Was Novak jedoch nicht weiß – der Mörder wartet bereits auf ihn … "
Quelle: Amazon Verlag
Meinung
Tja, da ist es mal wieder passiert ein zweiter Teil einer Reihe, da hat mich das Cover und das Genre Thriller abgelenkt.
Aber ich finde, man kann diesen Teil für sich lesen.
Worum geht es perfide gesagt um Rache.
Die Frau von Markus Novak wird ermordet, danach ist er nicht mehr derselbe. Schlimmer noch der Mörder seiner Frau wird plötzlich freigesprochen. Und das obwohl er früher unschuldig Verurteilte geholfen hat wieder aus dem Knast zu kommen.
Er fühlt sich verständlicherweise betrogen vom Rechtssystem und will nun den Mörder seiner Frau auf eigene Faust zu jagen.
Der Mörder ahnt dies aber schon und wartet auf Markus.
Markus wandelt auf den letzten bekannten Spuren seiner toten Frau. Sie war bei einer Wahrsagerin, für Markus ist es Humbug, aber er möchte jede Spur verfolgen.
Dort angekommen wurde sie ermordet und Markus beinahe auch, er kann gerade noch entwischen, und nun weiß er, er hat eine heiße Spur. Und die Schuldigen aufgeschreckt.
Die Spur führt ihn in seine Heimat nach Montana zu seiner Familie, die er vergessen wollte. Was hat seine Mutter mit der ganzen Sache zu tun.
Dieser Thriller glänzt durch sein Tempo und die Spannung, zudem auch durch die gelungene Beschreibung der Ermittlungsarbeit.
Hinzu kommt noch die Figur von Markus Nowak, die wirklich gelungen dargestellt wurde. Seine nicht einfache Vergangenheit macht ihn zu einem sympathischen Menschen. Seine Frau, war sein Hafen den er nach seiner Vergangenheit brauchte, als sie umgebracht wurde starb auch etwas in ihm. Er sinnt auf Rache.
Das perfide an diesem Thriller ist das Nowak an einen Einzeltäter glaubt. Von außen, als Leser weiß bzw. ahnt man aber mehr von dem großen Ganzen!
Trotz all der Ahnung ist das Ende überraschend.
Klare Leseempfehlung!
Fakten
487 Seiten
TB 9,99 €
Ebook 8,99 €
Erschienen im Heyne Verlag
Kaufen kann man das Buch direkt beim Verlag und bei jeder Plattform, welche Bücher und Ebooks anbietet.
Ich möchte mich bei RandomHouse für die Verfügung Stellung des Rezensionsexemplars bedanken.
Dies hat keinerlei Einfluss auf meine persönliche Meinung!
Ihr findet diese Rezension auch wie immer auf unserem Blog:
http://ourfavorbooks.blogspot.de/?m=1
September 10, 2018
The one thing that has always made me love this author's books is that he doesn't waste time and space on useless descriptions...just writes a superb and intriguing story. The reader has no problem visualizing his settings. This one had some surprises...lots of suspense and just a touch of the paranormal. Stephen King and Dean Koontz fans should give this author a try.
February 21, 2020
Nail-biter of a thriller
Michael Kortya does it again. In RISE THE DARK, as with his other thrillers, he sets the stage beautifully and the tension builds steadily until you can’t turn the pages fast enough. A master storyteller at the peak of his craft.
Michael Kortya does it again. In RISE THE DARK, as with his other thrillers, he sets the stage beautifully and the tension builds steadily until you can’t turn the pages fast enough. A master storyteller at the peak of his craft.
April 20, 2020
This is the 2nd Mark Novak private detective book and it was a good story but I think it would have been better if I had read the 1st book. Home-grown terrorists plot to take down the electrical power grid in the northeast USA and it involves Mark's troubled mother and his dead wife. The action moves quickly from Florida to Wyoming and Montana mountains with CIA and FBI getting involved also and has a cliff hanger ending. Book #3 should be coming soon.
October 25, 2021
What a wild ride! A mix of evil, goodness, the misled, and the confused as Mark Novak continues the quest to discover the truth about his wife's death and finds himself entangled in a larger web than he could have imagined.
July 22, 2017
Could not put it down
This book takes a while to get going, but once the final confrontation starts to take shape, it's completely arresting. Definitely a good read!
This book takes a while to get going, but once the final confrontation starts to take shape, it's completely arresting. Definitely a good read!
November 7, 2023
DNF.- Not even sure WHY I even gave 2 stars. I so wanted to like this book. I like the author A LOT. But I just kept putting the book down, starting another , then going back... I just can't do it anymore. Time for me to move on. Sorry, that is how I feel. It very well could be me. Not even sure at this point.
December 14, 2023
Good book but not as good as the Lincoln Perry Series. Too “dark” for my taste. 3-½ Stars.
January 12, 2024
2.5 stars
April 7, 2023
In this thriller, Marcus Novak is on the hunt for his wife’s killer. Visiting the site of her murder leads him to discover the darker forces behind the man who ended her life.
September 21, 2017
This was my first book by Mr. Koryta but it won't be my last. I enjoyed the plot and especially the characters, because they behaved in ways that were interesting and compelling within the thriller framework. I especially enjoyed the subplot involving the protagonist's family. And I've traveled to many of the book's locations and appreciated the descriptions of the locales. Definitely recommend if you are interested in a thriller with heart.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!
February 5, 2017
A good thriller with a bit of a supernatural twist! I haven't read the first Mark Novak book, but it didn't seem to hurt my experience with Rise the Dark. The plot and characters definitely freaked me out, and there are shades of a modern day Manson family and current events that are probably going to continue freaking me out. ;)
February 18, 2019
I was hooked on Koryta, and Novak, after reading The Last Words and I have been looking forward to this second installment ever since. I finally got it, as a christmas gift, and dove right in. While it didn't hit quite as hard as Words did, this was still a very engrossing and engaging thriller.
The plot of this one differs pretty strongly from the first entry. While the first is a murder mystery and whodunit type scenario, infused with some supernatural aspects and some twisty turny narrative, this story is fairly straight forward. Markus is after his wife's killer, a man we are somewhat familiar with at this point, and that hunt leads to a much larger web of criminals. Domestic terrorists really. There's a lot less mystery and a lot more focus on suspense here, and the supernatural underlyings are still present but dialed back in my opinion.
I'm not sure how I felt about the angle of the villains. They were larger then life but seemed inconsistent the more the story went on. Their plan and the terrorist angle just didn't hold as much strength as a narrative as I was expecting. And Garland, this awful man they Novak and readers have been waiting to confront doesn't really get much play here. It felt shoehorned into this bigger narrative and I think after almost 1,000 pages of story Garland show have had a lot more to do and should have had a much more satisfying and explosive finale with Novak.
The characters are still as strong as ever and Novak is a great and compelling lead. His newfound relationship was inevitable for a series but it did feel a little rushed and Lynn felt like a fairly jumbled character. Eli Pate is a great villain, and Janell Cole is a worthy second, but a lot of the rest of the gang just seemed like they were standing around for the whole book to be involved in some action at the end. Or they all just vanish entirely (where did that entire mountain camp go for the big shootout?). Sabrina and Jay Baldwin were really solid secondary characters in this one, and very human. I wanted them to succeed, even if their motivations and inner monologues became redundant. Larry the Uncle is a great character and I hope to see him again. Violet the mother was pretty much what I expected after hearing about her in the first book, but she didn't really get as much page time with her son as I was expecting, especially considering their toxic relationship. It was similar to the Garland situation.
The supernatural bits in this book were more geared towards clairvoyance and premonitions, or hearing voices, and there were people that conned their way around playing against peoples beliefs in such things. The first book was more obscure and otherworldly in its rendition of essentially haunted caves. Where this notion of extra powers pertaining to Novak was mentioned in the first book, they were balanced with other intangibles. This novel lacked any counter to Novak's perceived powers and so there were just sudden and sporadic bursts of paranormal that didn't do very much for the story, or the character.
The writing is still fantastic and I was engrossed for the vast majority of the books length. It's poetic and potent, laced with some dark humor and deep introspection, and it all flows fairly smoothly. There's a lot less action in this novel then the first, but when the bursts occur they are intense and page turning.
It gets an extra half star (or essentially a full star on this website) because I did not expect the turns at the ending. I didn't expect such bleakness and, essentially, failure. It got oddly apocalyptic at the end and I really didn't expect this end in the way most end of the world novels begin. That, combined with some character deaths that I was surprised by, bump this one up a bit in my mind.
I really enjoyed this novel, just not quite as much as the first one. This book definitely leaves the door open for any number of potential sequels and followups and I truly hope there is more to the Novak saga.
The plot of this one differs pretty strongly from the first entry. While the first is a murder mystery and whodunit type scenario, infused with some supernatural aspects and some twisty turny narrative, this story is fairly straight forward. Markus is after his wife's killer, a man we are somewhat familiar with at this point, and that hunt leads to a much larger web of criminals. Domestic terrorists really. There's a lot less mystery and a lot more focus on suspense here, and the supernatural underlyings are still present but dialed back in my opinion.
I'm not sure how I felt about the angle of the villains. They were larger then life but seemed inconsistent the more the story went on. Their plan and the terrorist angle just didn't hold as much strength as a narrative as I was expecting. And Garland, this awful man they Novak and readers have been waiting to confront doesn't really get much play here. It felt shoehorned into this bigger narrative and I think after almost 1,000 pages of story Garland show have had a lot more to do and should have had a much more satisfying and explosive finale with Novak.
The characters are still as strong as ever and Novak is a great and compelling lead. His newfound relationship was inevitable for a series but it did feel a little rushed and Lynn felt like a fairly jumbled character. Eli Pate is a great villain, and Janell Cole is a worthy second, but a lot of the rest of the gang just seemed like they were standing around for the whole book to be involved in some action at the end. Or they all just vanish entirely (where did that entire mountain camp go for the big shootout?). Sabrina and Jay Baldwin were really solid secondary characters in this one, and very human. I wanted them to succeed, even if their motivations and inner monologues became redundant. Larry the Uncle is a great character and I hope to see him again. Violet the mother was pretty much what I expected after hearing about her in the first book, but she didn't really get as much page time with her son as I was expecting, especially considering their toxic relationship. It was similar to the Garland situation.
The supernatural bits in this book were more geared towards clairvoyance and premonitions, or hearing voices, and there were people that conned their way around playing against peoples beliefs in such things. The first book was more obscure and otherworldly in its rendition of essentially haunted caves. Where this notion of extra powers pertaining to Novak was mentioned in the first book, they were balanced with other intangibles. This novel lacked any counter to Novak's perceived powers and so there were just sudden and sporadic bursts of paranormal that didn't do very much for the story, or the character.
The writing is still fantastic and I was engrossed for the vast majority of the books length. It's poetic and potent, laced with some dark humor and deep introspection, and it all flows fairly smoothly. There's a lot less action in this novel then the first, but when the bursts occur they are intense and page turning.
It gets an extra half star (or essentially a full star on this website) because I did not expect the turns at the ending. I didn't expect such bleakness and, essentially, failure. It got oddly apocalyptic at the end and I really didn't expect this end in the way most end of the world novels begin. That, combined with some character deaths that I was surprised by, bump this one up a bit in my mind.
I really enjoyed this novel, just not quite as much as the first one. This book definitely leaves the door open for any number of potential sequels and followups and I truly hope there is more to the Novak saga.
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