The Four Winds meets Bonnie and Clyde in this exhilarating historical thriller in which an unforgettable mother races to find the gangster she once loved—before the law gets to him first.
"The best gangster novel I’ve ever read." —Stephen King
‘This story accomplishes the near-impossible: it is both big-hearted and thrilling.’ —Ariel Lawhon
‘This will be the bar to which other historical crime fiction will be measured, and I do not say that lightly. In fact, I’ve never said it before.’ —David Baldacci
On the day Savannah Cody spots her first gray hair, she decides it’s time to murder the father of her only child. Edward ‘Nickel’ Terhune is the getaway driver for the Brady Gang, one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals—with an enticing bounty set on his head. Dragging her son, Alford, and her father, Wendell, a retired railroad detective, along for the quest, Savannah embarks to find the man she once loved and the nation now fears, journeying across an America transformed by the Great Depression. But Alford—and soon, the FBI—notice that the closer the family gets to Nickel, the less clear Savannah’s motivations seem to be.
As the Brady Gang races to escape the law—or get rich trying—Nickel realizes he might not be able to outrun his mistakes. He dreams of a route that will lead him to peace, but no map shows one like that. Will Savannah find him before the police do? And if so, who will return home alive?
Cleverly layered and emotionally taut, perfect for readers of The Lincoln Highway, The Frozen River, and The Alice Network, Die Famous follows a remarkable family as they race toward an impossible reunion—and asks us to consider where our own loyalties lie when ambition, devotion, and truth mean something different to each person telling the story.
Genre: Historical Mystery
"The best gangster novel I’ve ever read." —Stephen King
‘This story accomplishes the near-impossible: it is both big-hearted and thrilling.’ —Ariel Lawhon
‘This will be the bar to which other historical crime fiction will be measured, and I do not say that lightly. In fact, I’ve never said it before.’ —David Baldacci
On the day Savannah Cody spots her first gray hair, she decides it’s time to murder the father of her only child. Edward ‘Nickel’ Terhune is the getaway driver for the Brady Gang, one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals—with an enticing bounty set on his head. Dragging her son, Alford, and her father, Wendell, a retired railroad detective, along for the quest, Savannah embarks to find the man she once loved and the nation now fears, journeying across an America transformed by the Great Depression. But Alford—and soon, the FBI—notice that the closer the family gets to Nickel, the less clear Savannah’s motivations seem to be.
As the Brady Gang races to escape the law—or get rich trying—Nickel realizes he might not be able to outrun his mistakes. He dreams of a route that will lead him to peace, but no map shows one like that. Will Savannah find him before the police do? And if so, who will return home alive?
Cleverly layered and emotionally taut, perfect for readers of The Lincoln Highway, The Frozen River, and The Alice Network, Die Famous follows a remarkable family as they race toward an impossible reunion—and asks us to consider where our own loyalties lie when ambition, devotion, and truth mean something different to each person telling the story.
Genre: Historical Mystery
Praise for this book
"Michael Koryta, always a stellar read, has really outdone himself. The depth to which he goes for his full panoply of players is remarkable. And the atmosphere he creates made me keep looking around to make sure I was still safely ensconced in the twenty-first century. I rooted for and against so many different characters, which is a mark of the gifted storyteller, in making fiction seem more real than real is. This will be the bar to which other historical crime fiction will be measured, and I do not say that lightly. In fact, I've never said it before, but I will say this: Read Die Famous the moment it comes out." - David Baldacci
"Simply put, a thrilling - and thrillingly layered - read. I was swept away by the story of G-Men and public enemies in the waning years of the Depression and mesmerized by the beautiful souls who were never quite hidden in outlaw clothing. With the most bewitching heroine in recent literature anchoring the tale, this surprisingly romantic novel about family, secrets, tommy guns and Thoreau is as entertaining as it is affecting." - Melanie Benjamin
"Die Famous put readers in the passenger seat for a cross-country crime spree with some of history's most notorious gangsters. Told through the eyes of one remarkable woman on a mission to either destroy or rescue the man she once loved, this riveting, vividly-written novel surprised me at every turn. A thrilling, suspenseful, and surprisingly poignant tale of the paper-thin veil separating love and hate." - Marie Bostwick
"Die Famous is the best gangster novel I've ever read. These aren't your Mafia goodfellas; they are the hardcase bank thieves who roamed from Indiana to Maine in the 1930s. The writing is first class, and the action is nonstop. You'll think of Larry McMurtry and John Toland (who gets a shout-out here)." - Stephen King
"The gangster novel that I didn't know I needed. This story of a reluctant getaway driver, the woman who loves him, and their observant son accomplishes the near-impossible: it is both big-hearted and thrilling as a car chase. I loved this perfectly written tommy gun of a novel." - Ariel Lawhon
"As carefully distilled as a batch of moonshine, Die Famous juxtaposes shootouts, narrow escapes, vengeance, and justice against a backdrop of family bonds, loyalty, love, and motherhood. Capped off with an ending you won't see coming, this story will send you careening down the back roads, hanging on by your fingernails until the final page." - Lisa Wingate
"Simply put, a thrilling - and thrillingly layered - read. I was swept away by the story of G-Men and public enemies in the waning years of the Depression and mesmerized by the beautiful souls who were never quite hidden in outlaw clothing. With the most bewitching heroine in recent literature anchoring the tale, this surprisingly romantic novel about family, secrets, tommy guns and Thoreau is as entertaining as it is affecting." - Melanie Benjamin
"Die Famous put readers in the passenger seat for a cross-country crime spree with some of history's most notorious gangsters. Told through the eyes of one remarkable woman on a mission to either destroy or rescue the man she once loved, this riveting, vividly-written novel surprised me at every turn. A thrilling, suspenseful, and surprisingly poignant tale of the paper-thin veil separating love and hate." - Marie Bostwick
"Die Famous is the best gangster novel I've ever read. These aren't your Mafia goodfellas; they are the hardcase bank thieves who roamed from Indiana to Maine in the 1930s. The writing is first class, and the action is nonstop. You'll think of Larry McMurtry and John Toland (who gets a shout-out here)." - Stephen King
"The gangster novel that I didn't know I needed. This story of a reluctant getaway driver, the woman who loves him, and their observant son accomplishes the near-impossible: it is both big-hearted and thrilling as a car chase. I loved this perfectly written tommy gun of a novel." - Ariel Lawhon
"As carefully distilled as a batch of moonshine, Die Famous juxtaposes shootouts, narrow escapes, vengeance, and justice against a backdrop of family bonds, loyalty, love, and motherhood. Capped off with an ending you won't see coming, this story will send you careening down the back roads, hanging on by your fingernails until the final page." - Lisa Wingate
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