How It Happened by Michael Koryta is a highly recommended murder mystery.

The novel opens in Port Hope, Maine, with Kimmie Crepeaux confessing to Rob Barrett, an FBI investigator and interrogation specialist, how Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly died and where to find their bodies. She also names the killer - local respected caretaker Mathias Burke. Kimmie claims Mathias forced her and her friend Cass Odom to assist him. Kimmie tells Barrett everything that happened in exact details. The problem is Cass is dead from an overdose and the bodies can't be found where Kimmie swears they should be found. All of this increasingly points to her unreliability as a witness. Kimmie is a heroin addict who already has a reputation for committing petty crimes.

As the search for the bodies continues, Barrett's reputation is on the line. He spent summers in Port Hope with his grandfather, and apparently had an antagonistic relationship with the suspect Mathias Burk. Barrett believes Kimmie, but when all the evidence points to her lying, his reputation and career suffer. However, Jackie Pelletier's father, Howard, still wants answers and pleads with Barrett to resume his investigation.

In How It Happened Koryta has written a compelling psychological study and gripping murder mystery. This is a engrossing plot populated by well-developed characters. The quality of the writing is great; Koryta delivers expressive prose, and an unpredictable, intricate plot full of dark secrets. The character development is amazing. These are all wounded, flawed individuals who are struggling with their own secret inner turmoil and their personal backgrounds. This would be an excellent page-turning choice for summer reading.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley.
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This book begins with Kimberly Crepeaux, a heroin addict and jailhouse snitch, telling a highly seeming probable story of the death of a young couple. At first, when I was reading this very first part, I wasn't sure what was going on. However, I soon figured out it was the junkie's testimony. And away, the book went.

This book was outstanding! I think it is Mr. Koryta's best book yet.

You just know that the murder is solved very early in the book, but your questioning it. How can the author tell you "what happened" so early it in the book? How could Barrett get it so wrong? Or did he?

Hence, the title "How it Happened". That was the cray, cray part. My mind came up with so many scenarios. Yes, they were mostly wrong, but who wants to guess it right? And when it all came out . . . turns out that I had one thing right, but was not even in the same country as to how all of it happened.

I spent my Mother's Day deeply absorbed in this thrill ride and loved every minute of it!

Huge thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

"I will not tell you how it happened but it is all wrong."

Years ago, I discovered Michael Koryta through his supernatural driven thriller So Cold the River. I instantly devoured his other paranormal suspense novels including The Cypress House and The Ridge. I was especially impressed with the way Koryta allowed his character's development to drive his narratives, even when they were filled with suspense that could have easily dominated the story. When I got the chance to read and review his latest effort How It Happened, I enthusiastically accepted.

Rob Barrett is an expert and finding the truth. As an FBI investigator, he is well known for extracting confessions from hard-to-crack suspects. He's recently returned to the rural seaside community that he was raised in to help find the truth behind the brutal murders of two young residents. Barrett's past includes lingering questions about his mother's untimely death years ago, the harsh upbringing by his verbally and emotionally abusive grandfather, and an unwavering commitment to discovering the truth.

Kimberly Crepeaux is not known for her honesty. With a rap sheet of teenage pregnancy, heroin addiction, and numerous stints in prison, her reputation around town couldn't be worse. It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows her when she is arrested again, but what she has to say this time stops everyone in their tracks. Kimberly tells the story of her involvement in the gruesome murders of the two young townspeople. A night of drug fueled joy riding turned dark when their car stuck a girl. Terrified of the consequences of their actions, the group brutally killed the car-stuck girl and her boyfriend and dumped their bodies in a nearby pond.

Despite her troubled reputation, Barrett believes Kimberly when she describes that night. She speaks with a sincerity or regret and shock at her actions. There is a haunted glimmer of anguish behind her tired eyes. Barrett is quick to accept the confession as fact and hinge the investigation and his entire career upon it. This is the break the case needed. This is the source of closure to two grieving families. This is how it happened. But suddenly it isn't. The pond is searched and the bodies are not there. An anonymous tip quickly leads to the discovery of the bodies some 200 miles away. Desperate to save his professional reputation and ease the disappointment of his home town, Barrett rallies to find the truth of how it happened.

On first glance, How It Happened is vastly different from the previous novels by Koryta. Gone are the supernatural elements that permeated those earlier works. Instead the characters in this novel are haunted by events that are all too real. I was immediately intrigued by the gruesome confession that Kimberly provides. The novel opens with her words, providing a chilling prelude to the dark and suspenseful events that follow. By setting the novel in Barrett's home town, Koryta allows the character to gain layers of depth from interactions with people from his past and flashbacks to his childhood. The novel deftly layers the mystery with contemplations on grief, addiction, reputation, and small town relationships. How It Happened is destined to be a must-read this summer, and serves as a legacy cementing achievement in Koryta's already stellar career.

A fascinating story based on a real-life case. I enjoyed it, although it feel it wasn't his best. It still remains a worthwhile read.

Koryta's best to date--twisty, dark, whiplash-paced and peopled by richly layered characters. The author gets better with each book--this is one not to miss.

Koryta delivers another one-two punch with a page tuner of a mystery! With surprises revealed in the very end - you can’t skip a page!

I've been reading Michael Koryta's works since Tonight I Said Goodbye, and I have to say that How It Happened is NOT one of my favorites. I found it difficult to become engaged with the characters, and although the mystery was interesting, and I kept reading, I admit that it was a bit of a trudge to reach the end. Having said that, I hasten to point out that this is much better written than the vast majority of thrillers currently on the market, and the fact that it was not my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't be that of someone else.

FBI agent Rob Barrett gets a detailed confession about the disappearance and murder of a local Maine couple from a young woman involved in the crime. But, unfortunately for Kimberley Crepeaux, her details don’t support the facts and officials deem the story as made up. Rob believes her though, and even after being reassigned to Montana in disgrace, he returns to the small Maine town to find the truth.

First, I love MK’s books! He has a unique ability to bring the reader into the story’s setting through descriptive details, whether its Maine, Florida, Indiana caverns, or even Cleveland. How it Happened, not only has that strong sense of place, it also has well-plotted action and a resolution you won’t see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, it is so much fun to discover a book that is so well written and a new-to-me talented writer.

When FBI agent Rob Barrett gets a confession from a petty criminal about a double murder, he believes her. He’s an expert at knowing the difference between false confessions and the real thing, after all. But when the police follow up on her tips, things don’t seem to add up.

It’s quite a feat for an author to get the reader so invested in a fictional character you feel bad when they fail, and you desperately hope they can somehow succeed in the end.
I really enjoyed this page-turning novel and highly recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to review this mystery, which RELEASES MAY 15, 2018.

This was my first Michael Koryta novel, and it was a good introduction to the author’s work.

How it Happened essentially is a murder-mystery with thriller elements. Koryta had a couple good twists I didn’t see coming, and they helped maintain my interest in the book throughout.

Rob Barrett is an FBI agent investigating a couple murders with missing bodies. The major complication, however, lies in the fact that the young woman who confesses to helping the killer is a drug user known for lying.

The antagonist plays a clever cat-and-mouse game, often being in Barrett’s presence and yet eluding arrest. There just isn’t any evidence linking him to the missing bodies.

Or so it seems.

Barrett’s name and career are on the line as he persists in pursuing the antagonist until the very end.

The characters are memorable and well developed. The plot flows smoothly and holds interest. For me, this wasn’t predictable although there were a couple key facts I picked up on. The pacing was moderate and steady throughout, which I enjoyed. Overall, this story was a good combination of a well-developed plot with emotional stakes. I found myself feeling the emotions of Barrett on more than a couple occasions.

If you like mysteries, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Liked:
- The plot and twists
- Emotional bonding with characters
- The exposition at the end revealing how the antagonist pulled of his crimes

Disliked:
- Nothing, really.

Special thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title.

This book has an intriguing plot full of unexpected twists and turns. The reader will be kept busy trying to figure out what's a lie, what's the truth; what's a false confession, what's a true confession; the motives of each character; and at the end, how it really happened.

How it Happened is a fast-paced whodunnit with some twists and turns. Not every twist was believable, though, but the characters were well-developed.

3.5 stars

Kimberly Crepeaux is not known for telling the truth. She does the heroin, is a teen mom and now adds jail house snitch to her resume.


FBI investigator Rob Barrett is one of the few people who actually believes her story. After all she IS implicating herself in the murder of two local teenagers. She tells them where the bodies are and now Barrett just has to go find them.

The bodies turn up at a completely different location. Murdered in a different way than Kimmy told. So Barrett looks like a ding dong and gets sent off to the boonies.

Kimmy can't let it go though and keeps contacting him and when the father of the murdered girl joins up with her Barrett heads back to Maine.

So this book did drag in spots, but the thing kept me reading. I totally wanted to know how it was going to wrap up. The character development is pretty freaking awesome. The bad? Some of it didn't seem plausible but who cares? I still sorta liked it.


(Or read some books...)

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown and Company for a review copy of this book.

I have been a fan of Michael Koryta 's work in the past and this book joins the body of work that I can recommend. Growing up, I lived on coastal Maine for a few years and can easily picture some of the places in the novel. The opioid crisis that has affected rural America in recent years has not spared the coast of Maine.

A fast moving page turning mystery, I tried to stay up all night to finish in one go, but had to complete it in two. The characters, both the good and the bad, are well crafted and make you want to know what will happen next. Although I thought it was pretty clear throughout who the true villain was, there were a few surprises and I really wanted to finish to find out how the crimes were committed and to find out what the future would hold for Rob Barrett, FBI.

Would love to see more with this character.

A great one night read of death, drugs, and a huge conspiracy. Wrapping in the opioid epidemic wit a deepening mystery he does for crime in Maine what S. King did for monsters in Maine.

Other than an FBI portrayed nicer than HAS EVER EXISTED in relation to their Agents, the story hooked and kept me.

Can I say 'the butler did it' and get away with it? Thanks to the publisher for the ARC but this was an unbelievable, underwhelming ride from the police to the victims to the perpetrators (of many many varieties), it just went on and on.

Whoa! What a fun ride How It Happened was. I am familiar with Michael Koryta's writing and I haven't been disappointed yet. The depth that Koryta goes into with regards to character development is top-notch for a suspense thriller such as How It Happened.

Early in the novel we're reading Kimberly Crepeaux's confession of how she, along with a couple accomplices, killed Ian Kelly and Jackie Pelletier. Ian and Jackie have been missing and finding their bodies would help to bring resolution to their parents who have been living on pins and needles hoping that they haven't fallen victim. The catch to this confession is that, no one believes Kimberly's account of events. In the small, rural, Maine town she lives in, she's known as a low-life druggie, who's word isn't worth a grain of salt. Not only is her story implausible to most who hear it, it also involves an upstanding citizen in the community who couldn't have possibly taken part in such a horrific crime.

Enter FBI interrogator Rob Barrett. He's been assigned with getting Kimberly's confession because he's familiar with the town and the layout of the land. Suffice it to say, Rob's the only person who believes Kimberly. Although he's relying solely on his FBI training and gut, there's something about her harrowing story that rings true even when the evidence doesn't support the confession.

What I loved most about How It Happened is the character depth Koryta goes into. Rob Barrett, the investigating agent, came alive for me in a way no other suspense thriller character has. As the investigation becomes more and more difficult, and the confession looking to be a wash, Barrett struggles with his own personal demons that follow throughout. There's something burrowing deep inside of him that he doesn't want to surface. For all intents and purposes, he only wants the world to see what he wants them to seen. As How It Happened progresses, Rob's protective layers are unable to withhold what's burrowing deep inside, ready to break loose.

Getting away from this small town and it's secrets is his best bet. But how can anyone leave when the truth is still out there to be found?

On the other hand, a very vital character just wants to be seen at all and be taken seriously. Regardless of our station in life. Rather it be an addict, a gardener, a businessman, or a millionaire, there's innate feeling inside us all to be noticed and taken seriously. These needs if not met, can create a monster. This novel is all about the monsters we hide and the ones we share with the world.

If I had one gripe with this novel it would be that I felt the ending was a little anti-climatic for me. I felt that the journey warranted more than what was given. I mean, Rob Barrett went through so much to find the truth. Once he does find the truth, it all just seemed like really? That was worth all this carnage?

Anyway...

How It Happened was amazing. I definitely could not put the book down. Michael Koryta provided a well written, engaging, character driven ride through rural Maine. As mentioned before, How It Happened was not my first read nor will it be my last from this author. Michael Koryta is definitely one to read if you haven't yet.

Copy Provided by Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley

Although it moved pretty slowly, like life in Maine, Koryta kept the story flowing, just like a pond in Maine on a cool summer day. Jackie and Ian died early one morning, and federal agent Rob Barrett is sent to investigate. Addict Kimberly tells Rob exactly what happened and where to find the bodies, but no one except Rob believes her. The guessing continues until the last page is turned and although the reader is given many answers, no one knows for sure what really happened and why. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I can't imagine having to pick my favorite book by Mr. Koryta!! They are all so good! Lots of action, mystery, who done it, suspense! You name it!! Always such a edge of your seat books! I have at least 2 that I recommend highly- So cold the river and The Ridge are both super good. If you compare him to another author then I would say -- John Connolly (try him out), Gregg Hurwitz is another. I love this kind of book and hope someone else will recommend their favorite author that is similar. I didn't get into the plot of the story but trust me this is a great book.

Michael Koryta continues his stellar writing career with this novel about Rob Barrett, a long-time academic in interrogation techniques, but new to the FBI and field work. He works his first case in the same coastal Maine town where he spent his summers as a youth. After two months working the case, he finally gets a witness to tell the whole story of the murders of a young couple. While Barrett completely believes her, many find it hard to put their trust in a drug-addicted jailhouse snitch, especially when the evidence to support the confession can’t be found or isn’t adding up.
Koryta has always excelled at connecting characters to settings. He continually tests Barrett’s knowledge of the people of Port Hope. Is Rob a ‘local’ because his grandfather owned one of the dive bars in town or will the good old boys circle the wagons? Will interagency politics get in the way of his pursuit? Does he have an in because his on-again, off-again girlfriend is a reporter for the local newspaper? All these questions continue to increase the tension as Barrett tries to track down the killer.
I really enjoyed this novel and the character of Rob Barrett. I have read several of the author’s previous works and look forward to many more. Added props to Koryta for the epigraph from Brian Fallon, one of my favorite musicians.
Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, and the author for the advanced copy to review.