Review: Idyll Threats by Stephanie Gayle

Idyll Threats

by Stephanie Gayle

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Pages: 290

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Clean-cut Thomas Lynch is police chief of Idyll, Connecticut, where serious crimes can be counted on one hand --until Cecilia North is found murdered on the town's golf course. By chance, Chief Lynch met her mere hours before she was killed. The case should be a slam dunk. But there's a problem. If he tells his detectives about meeting the victim, he'll reveal his greatest secret--he's gay. 

So Lynch works angles of the case on his own. Without the aid of fellow detectives, he is forced to seek help from unlikely allies--a Goth teen and a UFO-obsessed conspiracy theorist. Meanwhile, he must contend with pressure from the mayor to solve the crime before the town's biggest tourist event opens, all the while coping with the suspicions of his men, casual homophobia, and difficult memories of his partner's recent death.

During the investigation, Lynch realizes that small town Idyll isn't safe, especially for a man with secrets that threaten the thing that he loves most--his job.

Kritters Thoughts:  A mystery series which is like many where in each book a mystery is self contained but throughout the series there is plenty of character development.  Thomas Lynch has moved from big city, NYC, to a small town in Connecticut and he is having a bit of a culture shock.  The crime rate is lower so when a young girls body is found dead at the golf course the whole town is turned upside down!

Throughout this book I had to keep reminding myself that the author placed this book in 1997.  There were feelings and things being said that time and time again I had to remind myself that we weren't in the current day and were back a few years in the past.  To possibly spoil a few things, our main character is still mostly in the closet and isn't out and proud.  With the way the characters around him are acting, I don't blame him much!  The homophobia was so off putting and that is why I had to remind myself multiple times that this was 20 years ago.  

The mystery part of the book was so interesting.  I love mysteries set in a small town, all eyes get shifty as to who dun it and all rumors start swirling!  I enjoyed getting to know this small police department and getting to know the characters that I would spend another two books with.  

The book read fast and was perfect for a quick weekend read in the middle of all the end of year crazy that is going on right now.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row