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The Last Honest Horse Thief
A boy comes of age among a family of grifters in this powerful story from a New York Times-bestselling "master" (Stephen King).
Never knowing a real home, Markus Novak's only constant in life is his passion for paperback westerns. The child of a family of outlaws, he moves through the West town by town with his mother and two uncles, staying in a place just long enough to run a short con and move along. After one job goes south and his mom gets locked up, Markus finds himself in the foster care of a rancher and his wife--with whom he's strangely comfortable, yet torn by loyalty to the family he's lost.
To distract himself, he spends his days working the farm and his nights fixing a rusty old '55 Chevy. Then he discovers a note from his uncles hidden in a book at a local pawnshop and learns that they are hiding out in a mountain town near Yellowstone. Restoring the car soon becomes Markus's only hope of finding them, and maybe finally finding himself, too.
Never knowing a real home, Markus Novak's only constant in life is his passion for paperback westerns. The child of a family of outlaws, he moves through the West town by town with his mother and two uncles, staying in a place just long enough to run a short con and move along. After one job goes south and his mom gets locked up, Markus finds himself in the foster care of a rancher and his wife--with whom he's strangely comfortable, yet torn by loyalty to the family he's lost.
To distract himself, he spends his days working the farm and his nights fixing a rusty old '55 Chevy. Then he discovers a note from his uncles hidden in a book at a local pawnshop and learns that they are hiding out in a mountain town near Yellowstone. Restoring the car soon becomes Markus's only hope of finding them, and maybe finally finding himself, too.
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2018
69 people are currently reading
310 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 24, 2024
Marcus (Mark) Novak Prequel - Bibliomysteries #37
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (December 18, 2018) of the original hardcover (earlier in 2018).
This is actually a prequel to Koryta's earlier duo of books featuring lawyer investigator Marcus Novak. In this short story / novella for the Bibliomysteries series, Novak is still a teenage boy who helps his mother and "uncles" run grifter scams. He tires of the deception and the result is that his mother is arrested and imprisoned and he himself is put into a foster home. His "uncles" have meanwhile hidden out and are keeping a low profile while waiting for their sister's release from prison.
There isn't a "deadly book" in this story. Instead, Novak's foster father gives him a repair manual for the old car in the barn and Marcus becomes engrossed into making the car run again. But after it is working, will he be able to resist the urge to steal the car and ride off into the sunset and reunite with his family?
I thought this was a great coming-of-age type story and enjoyed it immensely, even if it didn't adhere to the Bibliomysteries mandate for stories about "deadly books".
Trivia and Links
Michael Koryta (1982-) is an American author of over 14+ published novels, mostly in the crime and supernatural genres. He also writes under the pseudonym of Scott Carson. His best known series are the Lincoln Perry (2004-2009) quartet and the Marcus (Mark) Novak (2015-2016) duology. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is Those Who Wish Me Dead (2014) which was adapted as the same titled feature film (2021) directed by Taylor Sheridan and starring Angelina Jolie.
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as Bibliomysteries (2013, containing stories 1-15) and Bibliomysteries: Volume Two (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of late-October 2024) includes 41 short stories Note that there is a double count of #33 and that book #41 isn't numbered yet in that list.
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (December 18, 2018) of the original hardcover (earlier in 2018).
Larry squeezed his shoulder and forced a grin. “You’re the last honest horse thief, kid. And maybe the first. It’s clearly not your line of work. Just keep it that way, would you?”
This is actually a prequel to Koryta's earlier duo of books featuring lawyer investigator Marcus Novak. In this short story / novella for the Bibliomysteries series, Novak is still a teenage boy who helps his mother and "uncles" run grifter scams. He tires of the deception and the result is that his mother is arrested and imprisoned and he himself is put into a foster home. His "uncles" have meanwhile hidden out and are keeping a low profile while waiting for their sister's release from prison.
There isn't a "deadly book" in this story. Instead, Novak's foster father gives him a repair manual for the old car in the barn and Marcus becomes engrossed into making the car run again. But after it is working, will he be able to resist the urge to steal the car and ride off into the sunset and reunite with his family?
I thought this was a great coming-of-age type story and enjoyed it immensely, even if it didn't adhere to the Bibliomysteries mandate for stories about "deadly books".
Trivia and Links
Michael Koryta (1982-) is an American author of over 14+ published novels, mostly in the crime and supernatural genres. He also writes under the pseudonym of Scott Carson. His best known series are the Lincoln Perry (2004-2009) quartet and the Marcus (Mark) Novak (2015-2016) duology. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is Those Who Wish Me Dead (2014) which was adapted as the same titled feature film (2021) directed by Taylor Sheridan and starring Angelina Jolie.
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as Bibliomysteries (2013, containing stories 1-15) and Bibliomysteries: Volume Two (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of late-October 2024) includes 41 short stories Note that there is a double count of #33 and that book #41 isn't numbered yet in that list.
May 29, 2024
Markus Novak is sent to live with a park ranger after his mother is arrested for running a con and finds a peace and self respect as the ranger trusts him to repair a banged up 55 Chevy.
An interesting short story from Koryta, where readers can feel the pressure on the main character as he struggles with his pride and his need to be reunited with his family.
An interesting short story from Koryta, where readers can feel the pressure on the main character as he struggles with his pride and his need to be reunited with his family.
February 11, 2019
I've missed Markus (while waiting for the third book featuring him to come out), so this novella was a wonderful way to visit with him again and learn a little more about his childhood.
Thanks, Michael Koryta, for this glimpse.
Thanks, Michael Koryta, for this glimpse.
December 30, 2018
“Biblio” yes, “mystery” no—but it’s a good read
Author Koryta, who is best known for his novels of suspense and the supernatural, fashioned a relatively memorable story with “The Last Honest Horse Thief.” It’s about a teenaged boy who comes from a family of grifters. Through circumstances, he finds himself fostered with an older rancher couple who treat him well, but he still feels loyalty to the real family from whom he is separated. As a Bibliomystery, there’s not much of a mystery to the story, although the “biblio” part is mostly relevant. It ends up being a solid reading experience, with characters to invest in and care about.
Author Koryta, who is best known for his novels of suspense and the supernatural, fashioned a relatively memorable story with “The Last Honest Horse Thief.” It’s about a teenaged boy who comes from a family of grifters. Through circumstances, he finds himself fostered with an older rancher couple who treat him well, but he still feels loyalty to the real family from whom he is separated. As a Bibliomystery, there’s not much of a mystery to the story, although the “biblio” part is mostly relevant. It ends up being a solid reading experience, with characters to invest in and care about.
February 13, 2019
I'm giving this 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed it quite a bit but it's too short even for a short story. I'd like to see it expanded into a novella or shorter novel. Still, it was fun reading about Mark as a kid and his adventures with his mom and uncles.
May 27, 2019
This is, depending on your definition, either a very long short story or a very short novella. It's nearly impossible to stop reading, although it's more character-driven than plot-driven.
It's lacking Michael Koryta's traditional suspense in that I was never afraid of Markus or the rancher and his wife. (In most of his books, I would've spent every page terrified for them.) At the same time, it's very much one of his books because I was hooked immediately and I needed to know what would happen.
I don't know what it is, but I've always been fascinated by grifters and people who work short cons. I wish there had been more of a focus on that, but that didn't make me like this any less.
I hope this gets fleshed into a novel at some point; I love it but would like a lot more of it. (We already have two Markus Novak novels, so the market is there!) Recommended.
It's lacking Michael Koryta's traditional suspense in that I was never afraid of Markus or the rancher and his wife. (In most of his books, I would've spent every page terrified for them.) At the same time, it's very much one of his books because I was hooked immediately and I needed to know what would happen.
I don't know what it is, but I've always been fascinated by grifters and people who work short cons. I wish there had been more of a focus on that, but that didn't make me like this any less.
I hope this gets fleshed into a novel at some point; I love it but would like a lot more of it. (We already have two Markus Novak novels, so the market is there!) Recommended.
September 23, 2022
Wow I loved this. I typically enjoy novellas, but this one really packed an emotional punch in its very short 77 pages. The characters came through so clearly, and it was crushing being in this child’s head while he makes the choices he makes. i always love the backdrop of the American west- one of my favorite settings. I cried at the end. Loved it.
December 24, 2024
Far too short
I’ve been Koryta fan for years and when I saw this title I thought I had missed one. It is a great beginning for a full novel because it makes the reader ask: What’s next? Or, perhaps my Kindle had a hiccup and left me stranded with that farmer’s vintage car. Whatever is going on, I do feel cheated.
I’ve been Koryta fan for years and when I saw this title I thought I had missed one. It is a great beginning for a full novel because it makes the reader ask: What’s next? Or, perhaps my Kindle had a hiccup and left me stranded with that farmer’s vintage car. Whatever is going on, I do feel cheated.
January 4, 2023
While I enjoyed the book I thought it was going to be the next book in the Marcus Novak series picking up where the second book left off. That’s why I only gave it 3 stars. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his books but I felt short changed on this one. It was more of a short story.
March 23, 2025
This was the first thing I'd ever read by Michael Koryta. I'm going to have to dig out all his other work now. Cracking good crime novel. Not much crime, to be honest. It's a book about relationships in criminal families. I loved it.
September 15, 2025
Short story about a boy with a family of grifters. The mother is put into jail and the uncles split due to arrest warrants. The boy is turned over to a foster family who treats him fairly. He repairs an antique car and sneaks it out so he can’t get to his uncles.
February 17, 2021
A short story? More like an essay. I want my money back.
Love this author, but I don’t like getting ripped off.
Love this author, but I don’t like getting ripped off.
February 24, 2021
This seemed more like one chapter from a whole story. It felt unfinished to me.
November 24, 2021
Good short story
December 17, 2021
How important can a car’s window crank be? Very important, indeed.
February 15, 2022
Good to see Mark as a kid . Love these book I hope there will be more .
June 25, 2025
I don’t usually like short stories, but this one had good character development and an interesting plot.
February 24, 2023
A beautiful story told too true.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews