She Treads Softly: Die Famous

Friday, August 21, 2026

Die Famous

Die Famous by Michael Koryta
9/22/26; 416 pages
Little, Brown and Company

Die Famous by Michael Koryta is a highly recommended historical gangster novel set in the spring of 1937.

Edward "Nickel" Terhune is the getaway driver for the Al Brady and the infamous Brady Gang, but Savannah Cody knows him as Eddie. Eddie is the father of their son Alford, 12. When Savannah notices her first gray hair, she announces that she is going to murder Eddie, it is presumed for the bounty. Nickel is arrested after a failed robbery, but the Brady gang manages to spring him out of jail. The gang has a more successful robbery and then heads to Maine. Savannah, who is still searching for Eddie, ends up dragging Alford and her father Wendell, a retired railroad detective, on the journey to find him before the FBI does.

The narrative is told through individual chapters from the point-of-view of Savannah, Nickel, and Alford. Savannah's chapters are from her confession as FBI agent Toland questions her. The well-written, fast-paced novel captures the inner thoughts and emotions of the characters along with period details as the search for the gang at the top of the FBI’s most-wanted public enemy list unfolds.

The characters are all portrayed as realistic, fully-realized individuals, with strengths and more obvious weaknesses. Plenty of bad decisions are made by Savannah and NickelMany of the characters are based on real individuals and events from the historical period that are incorporated into this fictional account.

Die Famous is a good choice for those who enjoy historical gangster novels. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.