Tod Goldberg Releases Standalone Crime Novel Only Way Out

Tod Goldberg, acclaimed author of the Gangsterland series, has released a new standalone crime novel, Only Way Out, set in a fading resort town on the Oregon coast. In the book, a failed lawyer and his child-prodigy sister devise an audacious heist that draws in a crooked cop and an ex-con with dangerous knowledge, exploring themes of moral ambiguity among small-time criminals.

Goldberg, who has written more than 15 books, described the novel as a departure from his long-running series featuring Sal Cupertine, a Chicago hitman living undercover as a Las Vegas rabbi. After 15 years devoted to that character, Goldberg said he felt restless and sought fresh challenges. "It was great fun," he noted in a recent interview. "On a craft level, it also meant I had to change the way I wrote, which was more challenging, since Sal-David's voice is such a peculiar one that won't work for all the stories I want to tell."

The story shifts from the desert landscapes of his earlier works, though a section unfolds in the high desert, to the coastal Pacific Northwest. Goldberg emphasized the consequences that permeate his narratives. In a 2023 interview, he explained, "In my books, there's going...