Ed Lynskey's Blog: Cracked Rearview Mirror

I very much enjoyed reading this mystery novel set in Ireland. Ms. French has a lovely way of describing her vivid settings and complex characters. I didn't guess who the murderer was either. Trey is a strong, independent protagonist to root for. Recommended.

My new private eye novel, APRIL, has been published. It continues the story of P.I. Frank Johnson in his latest case.

P.I. Frank Johnson looks into the puzzling disappearance of April Stringfellow, a local woman who never shows up at his office for her scheduled appointment. Her phone call to him ends abruptly, but he learns about her fears of a persistent stalker who is harassing her. He struggles to justify tracking down her whereabouts without receiving any compensation. Like all private investigators in the gumshoe racket, he wants to be paid for his efforts.

While handling his solvent clients’ smaller cases, Frank tries to locate April whenever he has the time. She appears to have vanished into thin air. He cannot recover her motor vehicle or any other viable leads. The town sheriff's inaction fuels Frank’s growing frustration and rage. She refuses to declare April a missing person, despite his urging her to take more interest in her case.

The resolution to her case isn’t what Frank hoped for. But he has to live with it just the same. It is a bitter pill to swallow. As he always does, Frank leans on his long-time friend and business partner, Gerald Peyton; his medical examiner wife, Dreema; and his brilliant but outspoken attorney, Robert Gatlin.

Hey, all! My new P.I. Frank Johnson mystery, BLAZE, has been published. You can sample it at this URL:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C.... Check it out!

For his next hardboiled outing, P.I. Frank Johnson takes up the homicide case of Cedric Barker, the bouncer at Aphrodite’s Crib, a local strip club. Engaged to the ex-stripper, Blaze O’Dwyer, Barker is found murdered at their outdoor wedding minutes before they exchange their marriage vows.

Of course nothing is as it appears on the surface in Frank’s murky noirish crime world.
Simple things become complicated and messy affairs, where more violence and mayhem come into play. As Frank probes deeper into Barker’s murder, he relies on his long-time friend and business partner, Gerald Peyton, his medical examiner wife, Dreema, and his brilliant but outspoken attorney, Robert Gatlin.

The harrowing climactic scene unfolds inside a dark and seedy strip club where more lethal violence erupts.

Critically acclaimed crime novelist James Crumley wrote of the P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery Series, “With a plot as complex as your grandmother's crocheted doilies, Mr. Lynskey creates a portrait of the rural hill country that rings as true as the clank of a Copenhagen can on a PBR can, as does his handle on guns, love, and betrayal. This novel is well worth the read and makes me want more in the series.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins writes, “Ed Lynskey’s P.I. Frank Johnson’s books are as hard-bitten and hard-boiled as they come. The dialogue crackles with such sharpness that you'd swear sparks were jumping off the pages. And P.I. Frank Johnson is a character cut from the Tarantino tough, wounded, conflicted, and bad-ass.”

NOEL can be found in Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

For his next hardboiled outing, P.I. Frank Johnson accepts the cold case homicide of 18-year-old Noel Fryer, occurring three years ago in his hometown of Pelham, Virginia. She worked at the local jewelry store and died from an apparent home invasion that turned deadly. Hank Fryer, Noel’s father, becomes Frank’s client.

Of course, nothing is as it appears on the surface in his noirish world. Simple things become complicated, messy affairs where mayhem and violence come into play. As he probes deeper into Noel’s case, Frank depends on his long-time business partner Gerald Peyton, his medical examiner wife Dreema, and his brilliant but outspoken attorney Robert Gatlin.

Critically acclaimed crime novelist James Crumley wrote of the P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery Series, “With a plot as complex as your grandmother's crocheted doilies, Mr. Lynskey creates a portrait of the rural hill country that rings as true as the clank of a Copenhagen can on a PBR can, as does his handle on guns, love, and betrayal. This novel is well worth the read and makes me want more.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins writes, “Ed Lynskey’s P.I. Frank Johnson’s books are as hard-bitten and hard-boiled as they come. The dialogue crackles with such sharpness that you'd swear sparks were jumping off the pages. And P.I. Frank Johnson is a character cut from the Tarantino tough, wounded, conflicted, and bad-ass.”

118 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2023

I'm proud to announce the publication of TO DYE FOR, my eleventh title in the Isabel & Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series. Here's a bit about what happens in TO DYE FOR.

Isabel and Alma Trumbo, the retired sister sleuths from Quiet Anchorage, Virginia, undertake to solve yet another murder mystery. Their hairstylist Laura Isherwood is found murdered at the beauty shop on Main Street. Isabel and Alma put on their detective hats, sharpen their wits, and commence their snooping.

Of course, Sammi Jo Garner, their gritty sidekick, and Petey Samson, their irrepressible beagle, help to develop the leads, identify the suspects, and unmask Laura's killer. The trio of old codgers affectionately known as the Three Musketeers also make their contributions. The bumbling Sheriff Fox does his best to keep up with them.

Told with good humor and funny situations, TO DYE FOR is a clean read and a traditional whodunit set in a charming Southern small town.

TO DYE FOR is available from these online ebook retailers:
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YNZL841
Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/to-d...
Apple link: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id155...

They're back...just in time for your winter reading pleasure. My sister sleuths Isabel & Alma Trumbo return in a A Big Dill. A couple things of note: my mysteries are now available as paperbacks and offered as ebooks in the Apple iTunes store.

On the same day their beloved beagle Petey Samson runs away from home, they confront their ninth murder mystery. Holly McBride, owner and operator of the popular spice shop A Big Dill on Main Street, is found slain behind the checkout counter.

Isabel and Alma quickly identify Holly’s ex, Sterling McBride, and her landlady, Tallulah Pettigrew, as the two leading murder suspects. Meantime, Sammi Jo Garner, the Trumbo sisters’ young friend and able assistant, contends with her ongoing romance problems with her footloose boyfriend Reynolds Kyle.

Sharp in both mind and tongue as ever, Isabel and Alma snoop in their Virginia small town of Quiet Anchorage to hunt down the right clues to solve the whodunit. The latest series novel A Big Dill is a fun addition to the cozy mystery genre in the tradition of Agatha Christie, Jessica Fletcher, and Anne George.

Place your orders for A Big Dill from these ebook retailers at the discounted price of $2.99 (regular price: $3.99).
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BNJZDR
B&N link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bi...
Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-bi...
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Apple link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id13...

HEIRLOOM, the eighth title in the Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series, has been published at your favorite e-book retailers. The easy laughs and good fun continue with the same cast of characters with a couple of new twists to keep things fresh and different. You can find out more information on the Goodreads page.

In this outing, Isabel and Alma encounter a mysterious family heirloom while solving a town murder, which seems to follow them. All of the usual series characters including Sammi Jo, Petey Samson, Sheriff Roscoe Fox, and the Three Musketeers return in top form. Keep in mind all of my cozy mysteries are clean reads with no gore. I also write my mystery series as standalone books, so you don't have to read all the titles in the series to enjoy the latest one.

Thanks for your interest in my cozies.

HEIRLOOM, the eighth title in the Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series, is available for discounted pre-order as an e-book. HEIRLOOM will be released on April 29. You can find out more information on the Goodreads page.

In this outing, Isabel and Alma encounter a mysterious family heirloom while solving a town murder. All of the usual series characters including Sammi Jo, Petey Samson, Sheriff Roscoe Fox, and the Three Musketeers return in fine form. Keep in mind my cozy mysteries are clean reads. I also write my mystery series as standalone books, so you don't have to read all the titles in the series to enjoy the latest one.

Thanks for your interest in my cozies.

Hi Everybody,

I'm excited to announce HEIRLOOM, the eighth title in the Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series, is available for pre-order at 25% off. If you're not keen on pre-orders, don't worry because I'll send out an announcement in about a month on the release date (Saturday, April 29th) of HEIRLOOM.

In this outing, Isabel and Alma encounter a mysterious family heirloom while solving a town murder. All of the usual series characters including Sammi Jo, Petey Samson, Sheriff Roscoe Fox, and the Three Musketeers return in fine form. Keep in mind my cozy mysteries are clean reads. I also write my mystery series as standalone books, so you don't have to read all the titles in the series to enjoy the latest one.

You can pre-order your copy of HEIRLOOM for the discounted price of $2.99 (regular price: $3.99) from these online e-book retailers:

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XTJWDWR
Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/heir...
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

If you can mark HEIRLOOM as "To-Read" on your Goodreads account, that's also useful to me. Thank you for your interest in my cozies.

Chapter 1

“There’s been an, um, incident,” Sheriff Fox said.

“Oh, dear. Please don’t tell me it’s a...” Isabel said, her voice trailing off.

“Yes ma’am, I’m afraid so.” Sheriff Fox paused at speaking on his smart phone. “It’s the dreaded M-word.”

“Murder,” Isabel said with a gasp as her pulse quickened. “Here. Again.”

“Yes. Murder. Here. Again.”

“Unspeakable.”

“Tell me about it. Just between you and me and the hat rack, I’m thinking hard about turning in my resignation letter.”

“That’s a drastic step to take. Why?”

“All these murders exact their toll on a small town sheriff.”

“Aw, that’s pure horseradish, Roscoe. You should be able to take the heat in the kitchen if Alma and I can stand it.”

“Speaking of the devil, what is Alma doing right now?”

“Well...” Sitting in her favorite armchair, Isabel craned her neck around to peer down the hallway to where she saw Alma squealing and clapping hands at their pet beagle Petey Sampson. With his tail wagging, he woof-woofed at her, and she woof-woofed right back at him.

“Would you believe it if I told you she’s playing hide-and-go-seek with Petey Sampson? First, she found him scrunched under her bed, and he just discovered her squished up inside the foyer closet. There’s never a dull moment around here.”

End of Chapter 1 reading sample. If you enjoyed reading Murder in a One-Hearse Town, click on the title link to take you to its Goodreads page for more information. Thank you for your interest in reading my new Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery.