Death Spiral - An Avalon Mystery [Hardcover]

Clyde Linsley (Author), Clyde Linsley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Debby Liston's life has been threatened--more than once. Being one half of the most promising pair of ice skating champions makes her the envy of many and the list of suspects long.

Hired by her mother, Irene, Leo McFarlin is to look into the threats and protect Debby. But when the rink manager turns up dead, Debby takes a nasty fall after someone tampers with her skates, and someone takes shots at Leo's car, things begin to heat up.

Startling details of Irene's former skating career, Debby's former partners and the grittier side of skating are uncovered in this fascinating tale of deception, determination, greed and murder.

About the Author

Clyde Linsley was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, and educated there, at the Missouri School of Journalism and at a small Protestant seminary in upstate New York. He now lives in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, where he writes for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, radio, television and the World Wide Web on subjects ranging from politics to computers to travel.

Death Spiral is Clyde's first mystery for AVALON.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Books (June 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080349419X
• ISBN-13: 978-0803494190
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,624,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An old friend delivers a solid first novel., August 4, 2000

By 

Lawrence Williams (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death Spiral - An Avalon Mystery (Hardcover)

Clyde Linsley has written a highly entertaining first novel, a tasty little tale best devoured in one or two sittings so you can concentrate on the trail of clues followed by youthful private eye Leo McFarlin. With only about 210 pages to work with, Linsley fashions a fully developed character in McFarlin, a young man working on his third career and with a special reason to empathize with teenage figure skater Debbie Liston, the target of death threats if she does not give up competitive skating. Hired to protect Debbie by her mother, once a highly promising young skater herself, McFarlin soon finds himself in more danger than his client. I must confess to having more than an impartial interest in this book: Clyde Linsley is a longtime friend and former colleague at the Hartford Times. So I certainly want "Death Spiral" to be successful. And I'm happy to say that, after reading it, I can recommend it with a clear conscience. Way to go, Clyde!

4.0 out of 5 stars Competition in Ice Skating, July 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Death Spiral - An Avalon Mystery (Hardcover)

This book provides basic insight into the world of ice skating for someone whose only knowledge of competitive skating comes from the Nancy Kerrigan - Tonya Harding affair.

Linsley writes in the style of an early Robert Parker but without the extraneous trips into the culinary world.

Althoug there is some predictability, this novel has some unpredictabilities. The characters are given identities that we all can recognize. As a first novel, it gives a hope for future adventures of the investigator, Leo McFarlin.