This Is Not a Book Review: On Reading Tod Goldberg's Only Way Out

"The biggest thing he got from books was that even though his life was prone to dumb-fuckery, there were opportunities out there to fuck up that far exceeded his own limited imagination." —Mitch Diamond, Only Way Out

Tod Goldberg's latest book, Only Way Out, debuted last December to wide acclaim. Just this week, it was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in fiction. Tod is an award-winning author and the founder and director of UCR Palm Desert's low-residency MFA program.

My own acquaintance with his work roughly coincides with the publication of Gangsterland, the first in his series of crime novels which follow the exploits of Sal Cupertino aka Rabbi David Cohen. None of which I've read.

Yes, in my previous life as executive director of Inlandia Institute, I hosted Tod as a guest presenter over the years. Yes, I own signed copies of his books. One could ask, why buy the books and then not read them? I suppose you might say I was a little… apprehensive?

I'll give you some context: When Breaking Bad premiered in 2008, I wanted to watch it, really I did, but I just couldn't get past the bloody bathtub scene. IYKYK. It was only during the doldrums of the pandemic lockdown that I finally broke through that wall. I do not regret it. So what if I covered my eyes and ears and waited for my husband's signal that it was safe to look?

Admittedly, this is harder to do with books.

Tod's books are, by all accounts, murder-y. But now that I am older and can finally not look away when the phlebotomist draws my blood, I decided I'd give Tod's crime fiction another go, starting with his most recent book, Only Way Out.

Like his other books, the story is populated by morally flexible characters. I was definitely worried there'd be scenes that I would have to skip over but frankly they were so comedic and not especially graphic that not once did I have to close my eyes and ears and skip ahead.

Only Way Out is a fast, fun read with short breezy chapters. It's funny. And, in spite of it mostly taking place in Oregon, Inland Empire readers will be glad to see side trips into SoCal's Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Joshua Tree, and even a sojourn into Yuma, Arizona, because it wouldn't be Tod Goldberg without the desert.

There are plenty of legitimate book reviews out there, so if that's what you're looking for, you'll have to look elsewhere. The back cover tells you all you need to know before cracking the spine, so rather than risk spoilers, below are some salient passages that I underlined as I read.

—"What would make you punch a poet?" "Time and proximity."

—"No one wants to die in view of a discount Chico's."

—"You're dressed like the Russians are going to attack the aquarium."

—"Your prostate is the size of a raccoon."

—"It's irredeemable to kill a dog. You can't even do that in a book or in a movie."

—"It was like smoking a yoga mat dipped in formaldehyde."

—"The toilet was his spiritual lodestar."

—"Fourteen years old and with the general countenance and effervescence of a budding serial killer."

—"Was there ever a boy named Devin who grew into a man people respected?"

—"I would rather watch a hyena eat a puppy than babysit this weak child."

—"Why are you always reading?" "It keeps me from thinking about my own death."

There's a little something for everyone. Read them as koans. Commit them to memory. Recite them at parties.

Will this book change your life? Probably not. Will it improve your moral character? Doubtful. However, it will keep you from thinking about your own death, at least until you turn the last page.

Cati Porter is a writer, editor, and publisher based in Riverside, California. Find her on the web at www.catiporter.com. Her hybrid memoir, Clay Bodies, is forthcoming in 2027.

Tod Goldberg, Only Way Out. Thomas & Mercer, Seattle, 2025. ISBN 9781662525629