The Prophet, by Michael Koryta

Michael Koryta. The Prophet. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2012. 405 pages. ISBN 9780316122610.

Brothers Adam and Kent lost their sister to a violent attack when they were young; her murderer died in prison years later. Kent has tried to move on, forgiving the murderer and clinging to religion and his work as a high school football coach as his support. Adam hasn't been able to move past the tragedy and continues to live in the house in which they grew up, maintaining his sister's room as a shrine to her memory. The brothers aren't close even though they live in the same small town, partly because Adam blames himself for not being there to help his sister when she needed him. Many years later, another young girl goes missing, and the memory of the earlier tragedy brings the brothers together again. Adam is driven to find the murderer and bring him to justice, and Kent needs his brother's help since the murderer has targeted Kent and his family.

The Prophet is a thriller that keeps the pages turning. Author Michael Koryta's ninth book is compulsively readable. The characters are a little clichéd, and the action is a little over the top, but the emotions are entirely believable. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers.