IDYLL FEARS A Thomas Lynch Novel

Fiction

Kidnapping, betrayal, and a Power Ranger

IDYLL FEARS

A Thomas Lynch Novel

By Stephanie Gayle

320 pp. Seventh Street Books

Reviewed by Eric Petersen

Mystery writer Stephanie Gayle is back with the second entry in her series of Thomas Lynch mysteries featuring a hero cop protagonist with a refreshing, intriguing twist. The first book, Idyll Threats, is also reviewed on this site.

After spending fifteen years as an NYPD detective, Thomas Lynch traded the mean streets of New York City for the quiet, sleepy, affluent, aptly named New England town of Idyll, Connecticut, where he’s become the new chief of police.

He left the NYPD after the tragic death of his partner Rick, gunned down by a drug dealer in the line of duty. Lynch and Rick were more than partners, they were best friends, and Rick’s friendship meant the world to him. Rick was the only cop who knew Lynch’s secret – a secret that hangs over his head like the sword of Damocles, threatening to drop at any moment and derail his career in law enforcement.

Thomas Lynch is a gay man in a profession where daily banter is filled with hateful homophobic jokes and slurs – an expression of their ferocious contempt for homosexuals. While a police department can’t fire an officer for being gay, they don’t have to – when a gay cop is outed, he’s driven off the force by the endless harassment and intimidation of his fellow officers.

Far from the stereotypical gay guy, Lynch is a big, powerfully built hulk. Tough, intelligent, and dedicated, he loves his job and takes pride in being a damn good cop. Think Milo Sturgis, only well groomed and with a better physique.

As Idyll Fears opens, Chief Lynch, who had been in the closet in the previous novel, has outed himself to his detectives, for his own peace of mind. A few of them are less than thrilled to have a gay police chief, while the others don’t care because he’s a good cop. But the specter of homophobic prejudice still haunts him.

That’s the least of Lynch’s troubles; it’s two weeks before Christmas, 1997, and a six-year-old boy has suddenly gone missing during a blizzard. Cody Forrand isn’t like most kids – he suffers from a rare genetic disorder that makes him unable to feel pain and susceptible to cold.

Lynch and his men leap into action and begin a massive search. No trace of Cody is found, and the search is ultimately called off due to the blizzard. Then a Christmas miracle happens: the little boy is found safe. He’d been drugged, leading Lynch to conclude that the kidnapper, feeling the heat, panicked and let him go.

When Cody is questioned by Lynch and one of his detectives at the hospital, he tells the cops a chilling tale. His kidnapper enticed him into a car by wearing the mask of his favorite hero, the Green Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. When asked if he knew who it was behind the mask, he says yes, but he’s still loopy from the drugs.

Lynch launches an investigation into the abduction of Cody Forrand, but when the only known sex offender in the area is cleared and Cody’s parents refuse to allow the police to interview him again, claiming harassment, the investigation goes nowhere.

Meanwhile, Lynch has his hands full with a crime spree in town, including a possible hate crime – the local candy store, owned by a gay couple, is torn apart by vandals who leave homophobic graffiti and death threats behind. Then someone sneaks onto police property and spray paints “FAG” in huge black letters on the door of Lynch’s squad car.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse, little Cody Forrand is kidnapped again – from his own home, right under his family’s noses. With half the cops at the station down with the flu, Lynch has no choice but to call the FBI for help. One of the FBI agents assigned to the case is a handsome man whom Lynch is immediately attracted to, and as he soon discovers, the feeling is mutual. But the agent is still in the closet.

As Thomas Lynch and the FBI task force follow a trail of disturbing clues on their desperate search for Cody Forrand, it leads them not to a child sexual predator, but to an unimaginable betrayal – and one deluded, dangerous psychotic…

Even better than the first entry, Idyll Fears is a crackling, thought-provoking suspense thriller narrated by an unforgettable hero cop protagonist. The Thomas Lynch series is bound to be a huge hit with open-minded mystery fans. Highly recommended!

Eric Petersen is an administrator and blogmaster for the Internet Writing Workshop, an international, online writer’s group run out of Penn State University. You can reach him by e-mail at EricPetersen1970@hotmail.com