Only Way Out

Tod Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including the Gangsterland quartet: Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; Gangster Nation; The Low Desert, a Southwest Book of the Year; and Gangsters Don’t Die, an Amazon Best Book of 2023 and a Southwest Book of the Year. Other works include The House of Secrets, coauthored with Brad Meltzer; Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and the Burn Notice series. His short fiction and essays have been anthologized in Best American Mystery and Suspense and Best American Essays and appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Alta. Tod is a professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside, where he founded and directs the low-residency MFA program in creative writing and writing for the performing arts. For more information, visit www.todgoldberg.com.

A Finalist of the Los Angeles Times Book PrizeAn Alta Journal Best Book of 2025“[Goldberg] does an uncanny job of keeping multiple plot elements in the air, shifting among unholy alliances of mobsters and do-gooders turned bad with cutting humor…Internecine noir, done just right.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“With comic flair, shocking violence, and a capacity for surprise, this recalls the noir-tinged films of the Coen brothers.” —Publishers Weekly“Mr. Goldberg is master of his own gonzo mix.” —The Wall Street Journal“A clear and gifted master of the Suspense/Thriller genre, Tod Goldberg has created a simply riveting read for his legions of fans with Only Way Out. Especially and unreservedly recommended…” —Midwest Book Review“A Rating. Only Way Out…has the feel of an urban/suburban version of Scott Smith’s A Simple Plan.” —Hank Wagner, Deadly Pleasures magazine“Noir can often just be fun, providing a way to have base experiences in the safety of a book. Tod Goldberg executed a perfect understanding of that when he wrote Only Way Out.” —Scott Montgomery, The Hard Word“Goldberg’s dialogue-heavy, staccato prose evokes both Elmore Leonard and George Higgins in stitching together a spontaneous tale where the characters know even less about what’s going to happen next than we do. Only Way Out really doesn’t offer much of one at all, at least not from a morally dubious morass its characters seem committed to wading through. Not to be missed.” —Jon Land, BookTrib“Violent, hilarious, and thought-provoking by turns, Only Way Out is a humdinger of a crime novel that further cements Goldberg’s reputation as an heir to Leonard or Hiaasen even as he broadens and amplifies his own endearingly sardonic vision of the West.” —Paula Woods, Alta Journal“Likely to appeal to readers of gritty crime novels driven by flawed characters and moral pressure.” —Tom Mayer, The Cullman Times“One author I know who will take me on the adventure that I need to recharge my reading life is Tod Goldberg. His latest book is a welcome addition to a long list of thrillers that are enjoyable because they do not take themselves too seriously.” —Stuart Shiffman, BookReporter“Small-town crime, big-time stakes, and the twists and turns aren’t only in the plot. If there’s an inheritor of Elmore Leonard, it’s Tod Goldberg.” —Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author“In Only Way Out, Tod Goldberg takes us to the washed-out edges of the Oregon coast, where lost souls, small-time hustlers, and true believers collide in a derelict resort town. This is a story about escape—what we’ll do to get free, who we’ll become to stay gone—shot through with black comedy. Sharp, strange, and unexpectedly moving.” —Ivy Pochoda, author of Ecstasy“Tod Goldberg has redefined the noir genre with Only Way Out. An unapologetic gripping view into criminal schemes gone bad, bad lives gone even worse, and sad lives redeemed. No beat is skipped as the exquisitely drawn, tragic characters repeatedly cross paths along an epic crime noir journey.” —Steven Konkoly, USA Today bestselling authorPraise for Tod Goldberg“Goldberg is one of the best (and funniest) crime writers working today.” —Orange County Register“Tod Goldberg is the literary offspring of Elmore Leonard and Charles Portis, which means he’s smart, deep, and profoundly funny.” —CrimeReads“Tod Goldberg is a terrific writer.” —Don Winslow“Tod Goldberg is one of this nation’s sagest storytellers.” —Attica Locke“Defined characters, unexpected plot twists, Only Way Out is a quintessential suspense thriller of a read from start to unexpected finish.” —Midwest Book Review