Jeffery Deaver has a way of grabbing you by the collar from page one—and The Goodbye Man is no exception. The book opens with Colter Shaw getting shot at. That’s right, we don’t ease into things around here. You pretty much have to keep turning pages. It’s practically the law.
This is the second book in the Colter Shaw series, and while I loved it, I’d definitely recommend starting with The Never Game if you’re new. That first book gives you Shaw’s backstory, which makes this installment hit even harder. And like the first one, The Goodbye Man doesn’t settle for a single storyline. We’ve got Shaw searching for something his father hid—possibly linked to a lifetime of paranoid wilderness wisdom—while also taking on a suspicious “grief recovery foundation” that feels... off.
Spoiler: It’s off.
The Osiris Foundation gave me full-blown cult vibes from the jump. “Wellness retreat,” my butt. Anyplace that puts you in a uniform and confiscates your stuff is not a wellness retreat—it’s a situation. I was ready to run and I was just reading.
That said, the book’s portrayal of grief was actually very believable. People grieve differently, and unfortunately, that opens the door for others to manipulate them. Deaver handles this with a realistic edge—part psychological, part suspenseful, all gripping.
As always, Colter’s survival skills take center stage. I didn’t think I’d be fascinated by bear deterrents (air horn, anyone?), but here we are. I live in the city, so my own survival tactics mostly involve navigating snowstorms, digging out my car in under ten minutes, and not losing a boot in a snowbank. Still, I was impressed.
Colter’s dad may have been paranoid, but his rules live on in Shaw. The one that really stuck out to me was always knowing your exits. As a teacher who’s gone through active-shooter training, I do the same thing. It’s not exactly comforting, but it does make Shaw feel real.
Character-wise, I was surprised by Victoria. At first, I thought she was your classic brainwashed cult follower. Nope. She’s got her own game going on. Turns out, she’s kind of savvy. Love a good twist. And plot-wise, I knew Colter would take the cult down somehow—I just didn’t know how. And that’s the fun of it. Deaver keeps you guessing, but not confused.
If you like crime thrillers with brains, suspense with substance, or the show Tracker (which is based on this series, by the way), then you need to read this. It’s smart, sharp, and just the right level of intense. You can put it down to sleep—but you’ll be thinking about it until you pick it up again.
