Customer Reviews

Pelham Fell Here

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Pelham Fell Here by Ed Lynskey is a gritty detective novel about Frank Johnson who isn't quite yet a private investigator, yet needs to solve a crime before he's tried and convicted of the murder of his cousin. Along the way, he uncovers a nasty subculture of neo-Nazi sympathizers who have ended up in a number of positions of influence in his small town. He has a background as an MP, but there were some anger management issues along the way that led him to leave the job. He's gone through a nasty divorce and is really just trying to stay out of trouble. But the trouble finds him when his cousin is found shotgunned in the gun shop that he owns. The sheriff would like to pin Johnson with the murder, since he stands to inherit the shop. But with the help of some friends who live on the edge of life, Johnson discovers that his cousin may not have been completely on the up and up, and may well have been part of the neo-Nazi group. All the rules of law are out the window when you're a target with a "shoot to kill on sight" order out for you.

Lynskey's main character is a deeply flawed and damaged individual. Even though he's out for justice, he's also got a major revenge streak to deal with when it comes to his ex-wife. His budding relationship with the new girl in town (that happened to work for his cousin at the gun shop) is one that may or may not go anywhere, which may or may not be for the best for all involved. The action is constant with plenty of surprises along the way. I wasn't quite in a "can't put it down" mode, but it was close...

In this action-packed adventure by Ed Lynskey we travel with Frank Johnson who finds his cousin Josh killed and Frank is determined to find out who did it. The problem, the police have fingered him for the crime and now Frank not only has to find the killer, but prove he isn't him. What a spot to be in.

As Frank digs into his cousin's life he finds out some disturbing things and also is confronted with a couple of deputy sheriffs who are anything but on the side of the law, and Frank is their number one enemy, but why? To Frank's surprise he discovers a group of Neo-Nazis and it appears somehow his uncle's death is connected with them. No one is more shocked than Frank and he simply must find the answers. Is it possible his cousin was one of them?

I have had the pleasure of reading/reviewing both of author, Ed Lynskey's previous works, The Blue Cheer, and The Dirt-Brown Derby, and thought they were great works. However, I feel Mr. Lynskey has grown leaps and bounds in his writing ability with this new work. He has woven a mystery that has layers of intrigue, unanswered questions,characters that make you cringe and some that are endeared to your heart, and a plot as thick as molasses. He adds some personal touches in Frank's life that gives you insight into the heart of the man, which was a very good addition.

This story draws you in and won't let you go until the conclusion.
A very tight knit mystery read and one that I am proud to recommend. Good job.

After a couple hitches in the US Military Police, Frank Johnson has returned to rural Virginia where he drinks, does gunsmithing, mows lawns, and plots revenge against his cheating ex-wife. When his cousin is murdered and the local sheriff decides Frank is the ideal suspect, he realizes he's got to change his life. Of course, that's assuming that he has a life. With deputies shooting without warning, Johnson has more problems than any one man can face.

Johnson's problems escalate when he realizes he's somehow become an obstacle to a group of American neo-Nazis intent on using terrorism to recreate the nation. He doesn't want to believe his cousin would have anything to do with Nazis, but the evidence becomes increasingly clear. What is also clear is that Johnson had better bring in the evidence before the police catch him because nobody would believe his story.

Author Ed Lynskey uses PELHAM FELL HERE as the gritty beginning to the Frank Johnson story. Johnson's battles with the police and neo-Nazis is matched with his internal battle with himself. His vindictive need to murder his ex-wife serves as an anchor pulling him backward. We can see some hope, though, when he rescues a pet ferret.

Ed Lynskey writes a no-nonsense hard-boiled detective thriller, using words like a fencer uses a foil to nail us with a concept or visual picture. He brings ex-urban Virginia, with its clash of culture between the long-time residents and the McMansions springing up, into a stark picture and lets us see how hate groups, like his neo-Nazis, really could creep up in America. Although hard-boiled detective fiction is no longer the mainstay of mystery that it was decades ago, it's great to see a master like Lynskey keeping it alive.