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Michael Koryta

マイケル・コリータ

Michael Koryta

Pen Names: Scott Carson（Pen name used for some later works）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1982-09-20 （Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. → Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Former private investigator, Former newspaper reporter
Active Years
2004-

Education

Indiana University Bloomington
Criminal Justice
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Period: 2002–2006
Year of Graduation: 2006
Country: United States
Graduated in 2006 with a BA in Criminal Justice

Awards

Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Work: The Ridge
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: Winner
St. Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America Best First Novel
Work: Tonight I Said Goodbye
Organization: St. Martin's Press / Private Eye Writers of America
Result: Winner
Outstanding Young Alumni Award (Indiana University)
2008
Organization: Indiana University
Result: Winner
Edgar Award
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Nominated
Shamus Award
Organization: Private Eye Writers of America
Result: Nominated
Barry Award
Organization: Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
Result: Nominated
International Thriller Writers Awards
Organization: International Thriller Writers
Result: Nominated

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tonight I Said Goodbye

2004 Crime fiction

A hard-boiled debut featuring a private investigator; follows the PI as he confronts past cases and present dangers.

Private investigatorRevengePast sins
Translations
  • Translated into multiple languages

Envy the Night

2008 Crime / Suspense

A suspense novel about interlinked crimes in a small town; was selected as a Reader's Digest Condensed Book.

Small townSecretsSuspense
Translations
  • Available in multiple translations

So Cold the River

2010 Supernatural suspense

A tale of an old curse and hidden secrets tied to a lake and its land; incorporates supernatural elements.

SupernaturalLand historyCurse
Translations
  • Translated into several languages

The Ridge

2011 Crime / Drama

A novel set against family and land disputes, exploring violence and moral ambiguity.

FamilyLand disputeMoral ambiguity
Translations
  • Translated into more than twenty languages

Those Who Wish Me Dead

2014 Suspense / Action

A suspense thriller about survival and pursuit in the wilderness; one of his works adapted to film.

SurvivalPursuitBetrayal
Adaptations
  • [Film] Those Who Wish Me Dead / Taylor Sheridan (2021)
Translations
  • Available in translation

Bibliography

  • Tonight I Said Goodbye (2004)
  • Sorrow's Anthem (2006)
  • A Welcome Grave (2007)
  • The Silent Hour (2009)
  • Envy the Night (2008)
  • So Cold the River (2010)
  • The Ridge (2011)
  • The Prophet (2012)
  • Those Who Wish Me Dead (2014)
  • Last Words (2015)
  • Rise the Dark (2016)
  • How It Happened (2018)
  • If She Wakes (2019)
  • The Chill (2020) (as Scott Carson)
  • Never Far Away (2021)
  • Where They Wait (2021) (as Scott Carson)
  • An Honest Man (2023)
  • Lost Man's Lane (2024) (as Scott Carson)
  • Departure 37 (2025) (as Scott Carson)

Adaptations

  • Those Who Wish Me Dead (film, dir. Taylor Sheridan, 2021)

Translations of Works

  • Translations into more than twenty languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Tense plottingBlends contemporary crime fiction with supernatural elementsRealistic detail and psychological focus
Recurring Motifs
Secrets tied to land and natureFamily and inheritance conflictsMoral ambiguity

Legacy

Widely read contemporary American crime and suspense novelist; several works adapted for film and translated internationally. Recognized with early-career awards and alumni honors.

In Popular Culture

  • Gained wider recognition through the film adaptation of Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Trivia

  • Decided to become a writer at age eight
  • Has published some works under the pen name Scott Carson
  • Former private investigator and former newspaper reporter
  • Works have been translated into more than twenty languages