This enthralling historical thriller from Koryta (Departure 37, written as Scott Carson) follows a gangster, his sweetheart, and their son. In early 20th-century Indiana, Savannah Cody grows up with and falls in love with the troubled Eddie “Nickel” Terhune, who fixes stolen cars for local gangster Al Brady. By the time the Great Depression hits, Nickel and Savannah have had a son named Alford, and Nickel has become part of Al’s crew. When a failed Saratoga, N.Y., bank robbery lands Nickel in prison, Al’s gang springs him. After a more successful robbery in Baltimore, Nickel flees to Maine, where Savannah and her father hope to find him before the FBI does—and where a chance encounter provides Nickel and 12-year-old Alford a few magical weeks together. Koryta tells much of the tale via a conversation between Savannah and an FBI agent on the eve of her execution; her voice is tart and quick, but gradual cracks reveal her deep wells of emotion. The other leads are equally well drawn, and though the story’s heartbreak is obvious from the start, the pages fly by. This is an excellent bet for fans of William Kent Krueger’s historical novels.
