Idyll Threats: A Thomas Lynch Novel (1) Paperback – September 8, 2015

This was a well written small town police procedural complete with all the hallmarks of small town life (everyone knows everything about everyone else, economic divide, suspicion of outsiders, etc.) It takes place in 1997 which is why the fact the main character is gay matters as much as it does -- social acceptance has changed a lot in the last 25 years. The story holds together and the pacing is good. I really enjoyed this book.If I had one critique it is in the resolution of the big mistake he makes at the beginning of the story. It was a big one and it could have led to even more complications than it did -- I kept waiting for the hammer to fall but the whole threat just sort of dissipated. Felt like a cop out (pun intended.)That said, it didn't spoil the book and I definitely recommend it. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

So I bought this book because I had a airplane flight coming up and just wanted something to pass the time, Sweet baby Jesus did I get my moneys worth!!!! This is possibly (if not definitely) the BEST novel I have ever read. It was sooooo good I really don't even begin to know how to write a review for it besides just saying: READ IT!!!! It was such a well written, developed and enjoyable book that I am currently on vacation in Miami and in between enjoying myself all I could think about was "When am I going to get back to my room so I can finish this book???"The best part of Idyll Threats is Chief Thomas Lynch, I have NEVER EVER read a character I wanted to have coffee with more then this man, he is the best character, something about him just draws you in and makes you want to read. If you go through my book history it's super clear that I do not like books written in the first person it's just not a form of story telling I enjoy because I feel like you never get the whole/real story but with Lynch, if I could have his perspective on every book I read from now on I would be happy. He is a man that has a lot of flaws, regrets and baggage. He's far from perfect and what I appreciate about him is that he knows it and genuinely does his best to BE BETTER. I was blown away by his humor (there were lines in this book I would think about hours after reading them and couldn't stop smiling because they were so funny), intelligence and internal struggles to be the person he wants to be.The world building that the author does is so engrossing it's like Idyll is magical, even though it's this small sleepy New England town I imagine it being this place so full of secrets and stories to tell that I just want to know all of them. The author paints such a clear and distinct picture I felt like I was living in Idyll and watching this story unfold, but she does it in such a beautiful and clear way that it never suffers from overwriting. I've read books where it seems like the author gets so wrapped up in making sure the reader can picture exactly what they want them to see that they lose the reader because the story becomes more focused on details than the journey. This is an issue this book never suffers from.Overall, I could go on and on about how amazing and lovely this book was butI seriously don;t think I can do it justice, it's like trying to explain why you like rainbows or watching rain storms, somethings you just have to experience to appreciate.A PLEA TO STEPHANIE GAYLE: PLEASE WRITE MORE THOMAS LYNCH NOVELS PLEASE DONT' LET THIS BE THE LAST/ONLY STORY I GET TO SHARE WITH THIS AWESOME CAST OF WELL-DEVELOPED CHARACTERS AND YOUR AMAZING MYSTERY WRITING!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

I don't usually like books written in the first person, but Gayle is a confident writer who took us easily into Thomas Lynch's quite complex head, and I very much enjoyed the visit. Thomas has been Chief in Idyll for about 7 months. He has not settled in (his name is not yet on his office door) and is still mourning the death of his previous police partner.I liked his error at the outset, I liked his internal monologue. I even liked Idyll, despite Lynch's doubts. I liked the depiction of the police work. I hope this is a series, I could hang with Thomas and Idyll some more.

Thomas Lynch arrives in Idyll, Connecticut in the summer of 1997 to start his job as the new police chief. Idyll is a small town with a low crime rate and a bar that doubles as a laundromat. Chief Lynch is prepared for boredom. But Cecilia North turns up murdered on the golf course before he can even get a freakin’ nameplate on his office door.The Idyll police force doesn’t know what to do with murder. They’re used to traffic citations and occasional criminal mischief. Lynch could help by admitting that he had a chance encounter with the victim mere hours before she was killed. But if he tells his detectives about their meeting, he’ll reveal his biggest secret—he’s gay. So Lynch works angles of the case on his own, winning himself no friends in the Idyll Police Department.Thomas Lynch is a man trying to reconcile his passion for police work with his homosexuality. The Idyll PD is rife with casual homophobia, and coming out can cost him his job. He’s also dealing with his former NYPD partner’s death. This combination of fear and grief has Lynch in a stranglehold. He has no clear path forward, and he can’t let his personal issues interfere with the murder case.Lynch’s deceit and guilt create a constant undercurrent of self-hatred that is its own character. IDYLL THREATS is a slow-burning police procedural that puts the human condition to the forefront.

A former NYC homicide detective takes a job as police chief in a small town and is quickly confronted with the murder of a young woman. How he deals with being gay but not out to his new community, with the inexperience of his small police force and with all the interesting questions the case generates makes for a terrific read. The police chief, Thomas Lynch, is an enormously appealing character, the mystery is intriguing, the pace is good--and there is some humor and a bit of romance. I was delighted. Buy and enjoy!