Idyll Fears: A Thomas Lynch Novel (2) - Softcover

Gayle, Stephanie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1633883574 ISBN 13: 9781633883574

Publisher: Seventh Street Books, 2017

Synopsis

Police Chief Thomas Lynch investigates the disappearance of a six-year-old boy with a serious medical condition while coping with disrespect from townspeople and colleagues who don't like the fact that he's gay. It’s two weeks before Christmas 1997, and Chief Thomas Lynch faces a crisis when Cody Forrand, a six-year-old with a life-threatening medical condition, goes missing during a blizzard. The confusing case shines a national spotlight on the small, sleepy town of Idyll, Connecticut, where small-time crime is already on the rise and the police seem to be making mistakes left and right. Further complicating matters, Lynch, still new to town, finds himself the target of prank calls and hate speech that he worries is the work of a colleague, someone struggling to accept working with a gay chief of police. With time ticking away, Lynch is beginning to doubt whether he’ll be able to bring Cody home safely . . . and whether Idyll could ever really be home.

About this title

From the Author:

Stephanie Gayle is the author of Idyll Threats, the first Thomas Lynch Novel, and My Summer of Southern Discomfort, which was chosen as one of Redbook's Top Ten Summer Reads and was a Book Sense monthly pick. Gayle has also published stories and narrative nonfiction pieces, including two Pushcart Prize nominees.

Review:

“One of the best books we have read this year.”

—The Strand Magazine
 
“Outstanding. .  . . I am looking forward to where this series takes readers next.”

—Mystery Scene Magazine
 
“Gayle excels at depicting the procedural side of small town police investigations.... Expand your world and take a moment to visit with Thomas Lynch.”

—BOLO Books

“Absorbing.... Gayle does a fine job of capturing small-town life.... Fans of the first book will be delighted, and newcomers will find a new favorite.”

—Publishers Weekly

“If you haven’t discovered Stephanie Gayle yet, welcome to the show. Idyll Fears is a gripping read, a ticking-clock thriller populated with nuanced characters and anchored in convincing police work. Thomas Lynch is one of my new favorite leads—smart, spiky, and struggling to make his own place in a town that needs him, but may not deserve him. I can’t wait to visit Idyll again.”

—Glen Erik Hamilton, Anthony Award–winning author of Past Crimes

“Smart, spare, and insightful, this compelling procedural has it all: a uniquely endearing main character, realistic dialogue, a surprising and twisty story, and, above all, the talented and stylish storytelling of a confident and sure-handed new voice in crime fiction. Could not put it down!”

—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author

"Guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine. Lynch is a compelling, deeply human character—at once prickly, damaged, and heroic—and Gayle’s evocative prose breathes life into every twisty, thrilling page.”

—Chris Holm, Anthony Award–winning author of The Killing Kind

“Gayle proves that she’s in it for the long haul. Lynch is a fine, nuanced character—a police chief readers can believe in and root for. The tale is riveting, right up there with the best police procedurals. I highly recommend it!”

—Terry Shames, award-winning author of the Samuel Craddock mysteries

PRAISE FOR IDYLL THREATS:

"Lynch is a deeply compelling character. . . . Readers will want to see how the next two decades treat this intriguingly complex cop."
--BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW

"A tight story that is part police procedural and part traditional mystery that keeps you guessing to the very end. It is also a fast-paced jaunt that never lags and paints a believable picture behind the charming and sometimes complicated facade of small town life."
--KILLER NASHVILLE BOOK OF THE DAY

"Readers will hope. . . that this book will be the first of many with Thomas Lynch as the multidimensional and likable police chief."
--BOOKPAGE

"Gayle has crafted a fascinating mystery and--even more engaging for this reader--a believable, complicated hero. Thomas Lynch is a flawed, sympathetic man struggling with the benefits and risks of coming to terms with himself. I was rooting for him the whole way."
--STEPHEN McCAULEY, author of The Object of My Affection and Insignificant Others

About this edition

• Publisher: Seventh Street Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1633883574
• ISBN 13: 9781633883574
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320