A Rough Way to Go

By: Sam Garonzik

Narrated by: Victor Warren

In this "smart and clever" suspenseful story, a stay-at-home father with something to prove finds a wealthy Wall Street investor's body washed up on the shore—and decides to take the investigation into his own hands (Michael Connelly​).

Peter Greene spends his days taking care of his toddler, staying on the right side of The Moms in his local beach town, and hanging out with his surf buddy, Frank. Isolated from his former life in finance and frustrated by his current “out of work” existence, he worries that if he sits around the house for much longer, his workaholic wife might start to lose patience with him. He has few escapes aside from surfing and the love he has for his son. When the body of wealthy Wall Street investor Robert Townsend washes up on shore one morning and is ruled as an accidental drowning, it makes no sense to Pete. But when he takes his concerns to the police, they ignore him—so he decides to investigate on his own.

Sustained only by the unquestioning devotion of his three-year-old sidekick, Pete starts looking into Townsend’s eccentric relatives and employer, the ruthless and secretive private equity firm GDR. But has Pete deluded himself with this misguided quest for redemption? Or has he uncovered something sinister enough to risk his life, and even his family?

A Rough Way to Go is a raw, irreverent story that plumbs the depths of masculinity, unemployment, fatherhood, marriage, and modern capitalism—and the struggle to live a purposeful life.

Critic reviews

"With a stay-at-home dad as the unlikely hero of the tale, Sam Garonzik puts an engaging twist on the domestic thriller. His debut, A Rough Way To Go, is a compelling read from a fresh new voice."—Nancy Allen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Payback

"What Mick Herron did for the spy thriller, Sam Garonzik does for the mystery novel: The protagonist of A Rough Way To Go draws you in with his darkly comic delivery, while the whip-smart plot keeps you turning the pages to speed toward the satisfyingly unpredictable ending." —Alexandra Andrews, author of Who Is Maud Dixon?

“Who hasn't wanted to drop out of their stressful life to start over in a laid-back beach town? For Peter, it turns out to be more of a mixed bag, and a dead body washing up on the shore doesn't make things any easier. A wry, pitch-black comedy crackling with tension, A Rough Way To Go doesn't pull punches and holds nothing back. Sam Garonzik's observations are so on point that you'll feel seen in the best (worst?) possible way . . . Will alternately make you gasp, laugh, and nod in agreement.”—Nina Laurin, author of Girl Last Seen

"Fleabag meets Gone Girl. A darkly funny, sometimes terrifying noir. Full of surprises. I couldn't put it down."—Jennifer Belle, bestselling author of Going Down

"Sam Garonzik's A Rough Way to Go is a twisty and delicious ride that plunges the reader into the life of Peter Greene, whose new stay-at-home-dad status has him feeling aimless and unfulfilled. When he stumbles across a dead body and begins investigating the mysterious death, it may help him fill a void, but it also puts his life—and everyone he loves—in danger. If you think you have the twists figured out, think again. You won’t want to miss this unputdownable novel that is sure to keep you guessing until the very last page, and you won’t believe it’s a debut."—Seraphina Nova Glass, Edgar Award-nominated author of The Vacancy in Room 10

"With a sharp voice, unique perspective, and clever mystery at its core, A Rough Way To Go is a fresh take on the domestic suspense genre. I loved it!"—Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Drowning Woman

"In A Rough Way To Go, Sam Garonzik focuses on the most frightening antagonist in contemporary American crime: money. Add to the mix an overwhelmed new dad looking to be a hero (like all new dads), and you've got a winning, nerve-jangling debut."—Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist and The Residence

Fantastic Debut

Most thrillers don't surprise me anymore so I appreciate that this one did. Also loved the narrator and will check out other books he's recorded. Write more, Sam!

Good Twist

You actually kept me guessing! That was enjoyable… I liked all the different characters in the book.

Pretty Good…

Overall, I thought this book was quite good. I would say even better than good, except it did get a little convoluted for me and I got a little lost at times as to who was who, as well as parts dealing with the timelines. The narrator, however, was really fantastic(!), and I enjoyed his performance immensely! And why not as I looked him up and came to find he in fact is a professional actor!! So it really was a performance, and not merely a narration…BRAVO! ☺️

Pathetic main character

I hated how the main character responded to a stunning betrayal he discovered at the end of the story. So pathetic.

Pete’s aimless mein.

Starts out as a thriller with Wall Street big shots in the cross hairs. Protagonist Pete Greene seems to have lost his soul and his initiative after getting fired from his job on The Street. He sees a suspicious death of a wealthy local as his life preserver.
So far so good. Then the book seems to spend way too much time on his feeling sorry for himself and way too little on any kind of cool gum shoe ingenuity . Set in a Montauk-like surf circle even the rush of catching waves or the oceans therapeutic magic never come to life. Once he is on the hunt for the killer almost every move he made I found myself thinking, “ That seems like it’s going to end badly. Why would you do that?” By the time the baffling end came to pass I felt I knew even less about the man and where he was going than I did when I started.
Just more bad thoughts and
misery rattling around in his head.
The whole journey left me as depressed as he was.
So I went surfing and put the whole thing behind me.