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Conway Sax #1
Purgatory Chasm
“Tander Phigg was an asshole, but he was also a Barnburner. Barnburners saved my life. I help them when I can. No exceptions.”
The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked obnoxious blowhard Tander Phigg. But a promise is a promise. Tander's a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued Conway, and when a Barnburner has a problem, Conway takes care of it. Besides, all Tander wants is to get back his baby, a vintage Mercedes that's been in a shady auto shop far too long.
But Conway soon discovers there's much more to the problem than Tander first let on—especially when Tander turns up dead. Conway was the last person seen with the victim, and on top of that, he has a record, making him the cops' top suspect. He must catch the killer to clear himself, but beyond that, he's a man who honors his promises, even when the guy he made them to is dead.
In the tradition of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane, Steve Ulfelder's crackling debut mystery features a gritty, razor-sharp new voice in crime fiction. Conway Sax isn't a hired gun or a wise-cracking urbanite. He's just a mechanic trying to make his way, a blue-collar guy whose ideas about family and loyalty are as deeply held as they are strong. He'll break your heart if you're not careful.
The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked obnoxious blowhard Tander Phigg. But a promise is a promise. Tander's a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued Conway, and when a Barnburner has a problem, Conway takes care of it. Besides, all Tander wants is to get back his baby, a vintage Mercedes that's been in a shady auto shop far too long.
But Conway soon discovers there's much more to the problem than Tander first let on—especially when Tander turns up dead. Conway was the last person seen with the victim, and on top of that, he has a record, making him the cops' top suspect. He must catch the killer to clear himself, but beyond that, he's a man who honors his promises, even when the guy he made them to is dead.
In the tradition of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane, Steve Ulfelder's crackling debut mystery features a gritty, razor-sharp new voice in crime fiction. Conway Sax isn't a hired gun or a wise-cracking urbanite. He's just a mechanic trying to make his way, a blue-collar guy whose ideas about family and loyalty are as deeply held as they are strong. He'll break your heart if you're not careful.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2011
11 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Steve Ulfelder
6 books29 followersA former journalist, Steve Ulfelder is now co-owner of Flatout Motorsports, a company that builds and services race cars, and an amateur race driver. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University and lives in Massachusetts with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 10, 2025
Making his worthwhile debut in the "private eye" genre, Steve Ulfelder brings to mind the best of classic Robert B. Parker and, going way back, hard-boiled authors like James M. Cain or Jim Thompson.
Ulfelder's novel "Purgatory Chasm", besides having one of the coolest titles I have heard in a while, introduces readers to a name that I believe we may hear more of in the future: Conway Sax.
Not your typical private eye. In fact, not a private eye at all. He's a big, surly auto mechanic, former race car driver, and a recovering alcoholic who happens to do "favors" for people, usually the kind that law enforcement officers frown upon.
Most of the people he does favors for are also former alcoholics, comrades in sobriety that he has befriended in his weekly AA gathering, a group called "The Barnburners". (Don't worry, it's explained in detail...)
One of those fellow AA members is a guy named Tander Phigg, whom Conway thinks is a douche, but when Tander asks him to get his vintage Mercedes back from a shady auto shop, Conway agrees to do it. He figures it's an easy in-and-out B&E---steal the car back and return it to its rightful owner---but Conway soon realizes there are stranger things going on.
After getting KOed by some Canadian mobsters, Conway wakes up to find Tander hanging from the rafters by a necktie. Police are calling it a suicide, but Conway knows it's not.
Feeling like he owes it to the guy, Conway finishes the job he started for Tander. His amateur investigation leads him to, of all places, the New York art scene, Tander's love-child, several hundreds of thousands of missing mob money, a serial killer, and an awkward reunion with his long-lost father. If anybody needs a drink, it's Conway. Too bad he's sober.
"Purgatory Chasm" is great, super-charged, hard-boiled fun, wrapped in shiny chrome.
Ulfelder's novel "Purgatory Chasm", besides having one of the coolest titles I have heard in a while, introduces readers to a name that I believe we may hear more of in the future: Conway Sax.
Not your typical private eye. In fact, not a private eye at all. He's a big, surly auto mechanic, former race car driver, and a recovering alcoholic who happens to do "favors" for people, usually the kind that law enforcement officers frown upon.
Most of the people he does favors for are also former alcoholics, comrades in sobriety that he has befriended in his weekly AA gathering, a group called "The Barnburners". (Don't worry, it's explained in detail...)
One of those fellow AA members is a guy named Tander Phigg, whom Conway thinks is a douche, but when Tander asks him to get his vintage Mercedes back from a shady auto shop, Conway agrees to do it. He figures it's an easy in-and-out B&E---steal the car back and return it to its rightful owner---but Conway soon realizes there are stranger things going on.
After getting KOed by some Canadian mobsters, Conway wakes up to find Tander hanging from the rafters by a necktie. Police are calling it a suicide, but Conway knows it's not.
Feeling like he owes it to the guy, Conway finishes the job he started for Tander. His amateur investigation leads him to, of all places, the New York art scene, Tander's love-child, several hundreds of thousands of missing mob money, a serial killer, and an awkward reunion with his long-lost father. If anybody needs a drink, it's Conway. Too bad he's sober.
"Purgatory Chasm" is great, super-charged, hard-boiled fun, wrapped in shiny chrome.
February 3, 2012
Dick Francis made a living for many years drawing detectives from various walks of life other than the typical ex police officer, from the toy store designer, the ex jockeys, the pilot or the accountant.
In Steve Ulfelder’s first novel, the detective turns out to be Conway Sax, a former race car driver, who hit the booze so hard that he now makes his money as an auto mechanic. Sax is the member of the Barnstormers, a hard core alcoholic anoymous group, that took Sax in when he had hit bottom. Sax is between auto gigs. A friend has left him a house in a poor section of Massachusetts, which he is renovating with the intention of selling it.
When a fellow Barnstormer, Tander Phigg, the scion of a wealthy family, cannot get his vintage Mercedes out of an auto shop, he approaches Sax to get him to look into the situation because Sax has a reputation as a handy man in a fight. Although Phigg is a piece of work, Sax agrees to help and goes to the shop where he meets the interesting Ollie, the owner, and Josh, a young worker at the auto shop. While talking to Ollie about the Mercedes, Sax gets his head bashed and wakes up down the block, his own ride vandalized.
The head bashing galvanizes Sax to investigate and he soon learns that the likeable Ollie has suspicious Montreal criminal connections. He reveals to Sax that he might have been a smuggler using his cars.
Ollie gets a big beat down and is soon on the run with Josh, the victim of the same Montreal connections.
When Phigg turns up dead, the victim of an apparent suicide, Sax starts to get even more suspicious, as Phigg seems to have no money left from his father’s vast wealth, except a half finished house on a river, the Mercedes and a small shack built right on the river, where Phigg’s body was found.
Later the river shack is ransacked, but its up to Sax to figure out why. Why was the arrogant Phiggs living in a rundown little shack on a river? Where is Phigg’s vast wealth?
The suspect pool gets wider when Phigg’s son shows up with a lovely young wife and child and moves into Sax’s house. Did he come home to murder Phigg senior for his money?
When another key character dies in a similar manner to Phigg, and the Montreal connections come visiting, the suspect pool gets even bigger.
Sax decides that he needs to investigate Phigg’s life, which leads him to Phigg’s drunk old girlfriend from his happy days in New York City in his youth, who has not seen Phigg in many years and her missing daughter, who has secrets of her own.
When Sax’s father, also an alcoholic, comes to live with Sax and his girlfriend, the story starts to accelerate, and so does the body count. Soon Sax finds some of Phigg's missing money and the people looking for it pull out no stops to get the money and to find the rest of Phigg's wealth.
It will take all of Sax's wits and strength to follow the mystery to its conclusion. In the process he will also go a long way to healing his own wounds.
Ulfelder’s writing is fresh, the dialogue smart, knowing, always moving the story forward. There are no wasted words. If the novel goes off on tangents, you can bet they will rebound back on us. His intimate knowledge of cars and people and real life situations make this a powerful addition. Conway Sax is no ordinary hero, but a man driven by real life demons. The Purgatory Chasm of this novel is a real place, but its also the bottomless hole in some people’s souls.
It’s a winner.
In Steve Ulfelder’s first novel, the detective turns out to be Conway Sax, a former race car driver, who hit the booze so hard that he now makes his money as an auto mechanic. Sax is the member of the Barnstormers, a hard core alcoholic anoymous group, that took Sax in when he had hit bottom. Sax is between auto gigs. A friend has left him a house in a poor section of Massachusetts, which he is renovating with the intention of selling it.
When a fellow Barnstormer, Tander Phigg, the scion of a wealthy family, cannot get his vintage Mercedes out of an auto shop, he approaches Sax to get him to look into the situation because Sax has a reputation as a handy man in a fight. Although Phigg is a piece of work, Sax agrees to help and goes to the shop where he meets the interesting Ollie, the owner, and Josh, a young worker at the auto shop. While talking to Ollie about the Mercedes, Sax gets his head bashed and wakes up down the block, his own ride vandalized.
The head bashing galvanizes Sax to investigate and he soon learns that the likeable Ollie has suspicious Montreal criminal connections. He reveals to Sax that he might have been a smuggler using his cars.
Ollie gets a big beat down and is soon on the run with Josh, the victim of the same Montreal connections.
When Phigg turns up dead, the victim of an apparent suicide, Sax starts to get even more suspicious, as Phigg seems to have no money left from his father’s vast wealth, except a half finished house on a river, the Mercedes and a small shack built right on the river, where Phigg’s body was found.
Later the river shack is ransacked, but its up to Sax to figure out why. Why was the arrogant Phiggs living in a rundown little shack on a river? Where is Phigg’s vast wealth?
The suspect pool gets wider when Phigg’s son shows up with a lovely young wife and child and moves into Sax’s house. Did he come home to murder Phigg senior for his money?
When another key character dies in a similar manner to Phigg, and the Montreal connections come visiting, the suspect pool gets even bigger.
Sax decides that he needs to investigate Phigg’s life, which leads him to Phigg’s drunk old girlfriend from his happy days in New York City in his youth, who has not seen Phigg in many years and her missing daughter, who has secrets of her own.
When Sax’s father, also an alcoholic, comes to live with Sax and his girlfriend, the story starts to accelerate, and so does the body count. Soon Sax finds some of Phigg's missing money and the people looking for it pull out no stops to get the money and to find the rest of Phigg's wealth.
It will take all of Sax's wits and strength to follow the mystery to its conclusion. In the process he will also go a long way to healing his own wounds.
Ulfelder’s writing is fresh, the dialogue smart, knowing, always moving the story forward. There are no wasted words. If the novel goes off on tangents, you can bet they will rebound back on us. His intimate knowledge of cars and people and real life situations make this a powerful addition. Conway Sax is no ordinary hero, but a man driven by real life demons. The Purgatory Chasm of this novel is a real place, but its also the bottomless hole in some people’s souls.
It’s a winner.
October 24, 2013
Loved it. Interesting to read something set so close to home. Have been to Purgatory Chasm many times in my life. Author even mentioned Thompson Speedway. Sometimes when the author draws on places and things that are very familiar it can make you be hypercritical. But this is a well done first effort with an atypical sleuth. Plan to have a tissue handy at the end. Looking forward to your next book Mr. Ulfeder.
January 2, 2018
nothing special here, an auto mechanic in AA that solves peoples problems like a PI, sounded like a new idea, but nothing new.
November 17, 2012
Goodreads Decriptions- “Tander Phigg was an asshole, but he was also a Barnburner. Barnburners saved my life. I help them when I can. No exceptions.”
The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked obnoxious blowhard Tander Phigg. But a promise is a promise. Tander’s a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued Conway, and when a Barnburner has a problem, Conway takes care of it. Besides, all Tander wants is to get back his baby, a vintage Mercedes that’s been in a shady auto shop far too long.
But Conway soon discovers there's much more to the problem than Tander first let on – especially when Tander turns up dead. Conway was the last person seen with the victim, and on top of that, he has a record, making him the cops’ top suspect. He must catch the killer to clear himself, but beyond that, he’s a man who honors his promises, even when the guy he made them to is dead.
In the tradition of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane, Steve Ulfelder’s crackling debut mystery features a gritty, razor-sharp new voice in crime fiction. Conway Sax isn’t a hired gun or a wise-cracking urbanite. He’s just a mechanic trying to make his way, a blue-collar guy whose ideas about family and loyalty are as deeply held as they are strong. He’ll break your heart if you’re not careful.
"There are drunken assholes, and there are assholes who are drunks. Take a drunken asshole and stick him in AA five or ten years, maybe you come out with a decent guy."
This first sentence begins the story of Conway Sax, a recovering alcoholic, ex-NASCAR driver, and now a mechanic just trying to get by. Conway goes to special AA meetings that have "meetings after the meetings" where certain members basically discuss criminal behavior. This group calls itself the Barnburners and for some reason Conway feels like he has to come to the aid of any of it's members. This brings in Tander Phiggs who has come to Conway, who dislikes Tander in a major way, to ask him to help him get his classic Mercedes back from the garage where it is supposed to be fixed. Conway decides to take a look at the garage and immediately realizes that Tander hasn't told him the entire story. The car has been sitting under a tarp for 18 months with no work completed and Tander didn't leave a down-payment like he told Conway. As Conway is talking to the owner, Ollie, about the car Conway is hit in the head from behind.
From there the story unfolds with many twists and turns, but there were many things that irritated me. The people responsible for hitting him in the head are now working with Conway. He is even trying to help his assailants. Then when Tander is found dead, Conway, a man with a record, keeps information from the police! Why?? The answer is he wants to be the one to investigate. Also most of Conway's time is spent driving all over New England, which gets pretty old, and taking two flights. The thing about this is that the reader knows he is just trying to get by so how in the heck is he paying for all of this gas and plane tickets?? There was just no explanation! Then Conway's dad has re-entered the scene after Conway hasn't seen him for 15 years. This all just happens with no lead up or no explanation. This is just too much for a reader to take in without explanation.
The writing is pretty solid. He uses mostly dialogue and short concise paragraphs when things need to be described. This makes it a pretty fast read. However, other reviewers compare him to Dennis Lehane and I can tell you that is a joke! I have read every one of Lehanes's book and other than being set in Boston and the surrounding suburbs, Lehane's books kick Ulfelder's butt on writing, plotline, character development, etc...every single time.
At first I thought the plotline was unique with the NASCAR and Barnburner angles. But after these things were mentioned, they never were written about again. I would have liked to see the plot follow more of what the Barnburners group is really all about. I also think the book could be more streamlined if he edited out some of the extensive driving around New England and cutting down on the dialogue. Thankfully, I got this book at the library! The only thing it was really worth is the fact that the author's last name begins with a U which I need for different book challenges. All in all the book was just ok. 2 stars.
The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked obnoxious blowhard Tander Phigg. But a promise is a promise. Tander’s a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued Conway, and when a Barnburner has a problem, Conway takes care of it. Besides, all Tander wants is to get back his baby, a vintage Mercedes that’s been in a shady auto shop far too long.
But Conway soon discovers there's much more to the problem than Tander first let on – especially when Tander turns up dead. Conway was the last person seen with the victim, and on top of that, he has a record, making him the cops’ top suspect. He must catch the killer to clear himself, but beyond that, he’s a man who honors his promises, even when the guy he made them to is dead.
In the tradition of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane, Steve Ulfelder’s crackling debut mystery features a gritty, razor-sharp new voice in crime fiction. Conway Sax isn’t a hired gun or a wise-cracking urbanite. He’s just a mechanic trying to make his way, a blue-collar guy whose ideas about family and loyalty are as deeply held as they are strong. He’ll break your heart if you’re not careful.
"There are drunken assholes, and there are assholes who are drunks. Take a drunken asshole and stick him in AA five or ten years, maybe you come out with a decent guy."
This first sentence begins the story of Conway Sax, a recovering alcoholic, ex-NASCAR driver, and now a mechanic just trying to get by. Conway goes to special AA meetings that have "meetings after the meetings" where certain members basically discuss criminal behavior. This group calls itself the Barnburners and for some reason Conway feels like he has to come to the aid of any of it's members. This brings in Tander Phiggs who has come to Conway, who dislikes Tander in a major way, to ask him to help him get his classic Mercedes back from the garage where it is supposed to be fixed. Conway decides to take a look at the garage and immediately realizes that Tander hasn't told him the entire story. The car has been sitting under a tarp for 18 months with no work completed and Tander didn't leave a down-payment like he told Conway. As Conway is talking to the owner, Ollie, about the car Conway is hit in the head from behind.
From there the story unfolds with many twists and turns, but there were many things that irritated me. The people responsible for hitting him in the head are now working with Conway. He is even trying to help his assailants. Then when Tander is found dead, Conway, a man with a record, keeps information from the police! Why?? The answer is he wants to be the one to investigate. Also most of Conway's time is spent driving all over New England, which gets pretty old, and taking two flights. The thing about this is that the reader knows he is just trying to get by so how in the heck is he paying for all of this gas and plane tickets?? There was just no explanation! Then Conway's dad has re-entered the scene after Conway hasn't seen him for 15 years. This all just happens with no lead up or no explanation. This is just too much for a reader to take in without explanation.
The writing is pretty solid. He uses mostly dialogue and short concise paragraphs when things need to be described. This makes it a pretty fast read. However, other reviewers compare him to Dennis Lehane and I can tell you that is a joke! I have read every one of Lehanes's book and other than being set in Boston and the surrounding suburbs, Lehane's books kick Ulfelder's butt on writing, plotline, character development, etc...every single time.
At first I thought the plotline was unique with the NASCAR and Barnburner angles. But after these things were mentioned, they never were written about again. I would have liked to see the plot follow more of what the Barnburners group is really all about. I also think the book could be more streamlined if he edited out some of the extensive driving around New England and cutting down on the dialogue. Thankfully, I got this book at the library! The only thing it was really worth is the fact that the author's last name begins with a U which I need for different book challenges. All in all the book was just ok. 2 stars.
September 12, 2011
PURGATORY CHASM: A MYSTERY by Steve Ulfelder begins with the narrator, Conway Sax, complaining about Tander Phigg, a person Sax knows through Alcoholics Anonymous, who asked him for a favor. Phigg wants Sax to get Phigg’s car back from a repair shop and his money, $3,500, refunded. It wasn’t a good beginning. But the story gets better soon after when Sax goes to the repair shop.
Something’s fishy about this place, Sax discovers. And when he talks to the owner, Sax gets his head bashed. He does call the police, but here’s one of the things about this story that irritated me: he withheld information from the police just so he could investigate himself. And why? He feels that he should be the bashER, not the bashEE.
So, never mind that Cox dislikes Phigg, his investigation proceeds just because he is a fellow “barnstormer,” the “group within the [AA] group.” And it isn’t long before murder complicates things.
Additional irritations:
• Cox, all by himself, returns to the repair shop where he got his head bashed.
• Cox befriends the two people who bashed him in the head and drives them anywhere they want to go, which turns out to be all over New England.
• Cox is supposedly hard up for money, yet he drives and flies to various states with no mention of how he pays for gas, car expenses, or airline tickets.
• Cox visits an old lady, Phigg’s old girlfriend, after dark, and she doesn’t hesitate long before letting him, a stranger, in her home.
• Too many pages in this book are devoted to description of a car race. It should have been cut shorter.
Although these parts of PURGATORY CHASM irritate me, Ulfelder succeeds with an even larger issue: dialog. This book is mostly dialog and keeps descriptive paragraphs to a minimum, with description, instead, a part of the dialog. And Ulfelder writes good dialog, besides.
Also, other than his description of the car race, Ulfelder doesn’t waste words. He keeps his paragraphs short and easy to read.
But the publisher’s description of PURGATORY CHASM says that Ulfelder’s writing can be compared with Dennis Lehane’s and Robert Parker’s. That’s an unbelievable claim because Lehane’s and Parker’s books and writing are so different from each other. Still, because I love everything Lehane wrote, the claim had its desired effect; I read PURGATORY CHASM . Now I can tell you that, while both Ulfelder and Lehane put their stories in the Boston area, after that, the similarity ends.
That is not to say I disliked PURGATORY CHASM. But it never did grab me; it was too put-downable.
I won PURGATORY CHASM through www.reviewingtheevidence.com.
Something’s fishy about this place, Sax discovers. And when he talks to the owner, Sax gets his head bashed. He does call the police, but here’s one of the things about this story that irritated me: he withheld information from the police just so he could investigate himself. And why? He feels that he should be the bashER, not the bashEE.
So, never mind that Cox dislikes Phigg, his investigation proceeds just because he is a fellow “barnstormer,” the “group within the [AA] group.” And it isn’t long before murder complicates things.
Additional irritations:
• Cox, all by himself, returns to the repair shop where he got his head bashed.
• Cox befriends the two people who bashed him in the head and drives them anywhere they want to go, which turns out to be all over New England.
• Cox is supposedly hard up for money, yet he drives and flies to various states with no mention of how he pays for gas, car expenses, or airline tickets.
• Cox visits an old lady, Phigg’s old girlfriend, after dark, and she doesn’t hesitate long before letting him, a stranger, in her home.
• Too many pages in this book are devoted to description of a car race. It should have been cut shorter.
Although these parts of PURGATORY CHASM irritate me, Ulfelder succeeds with an even larger issue: dialog. This book is mostly dialog and keeps descriptive paragraphs to a minimum, with description, instead, a part of the dialog. And Ulfelder writes good dialog, besides.
Also, other than his description of the car race, Ulfelder doesn’t waste words. He keeps his paragraphs short and easy to read.
But the publisher’s description of PURGATORY CHASM says that Ulfelder’s writing can be compared with Dennis Lehane’s and Robert Parker’s. That’s an unbelievable claim because Lehane’s and Parker’s books and writing are so different from each other. Still, because I love everything Lehane wrote, the claim had its desired effect; I read PURGATORY CHASM . Now I can tell you that, while both Ulfelder and Lehane put their stories in the Boston area, after that, the similarity ends.
That is not to say I disliked PURGATORY CHASM. But it never did grab me; it was too put-downable.
I won PURGATORY CHASM through www.reviewingtheevidence.com.
June 10, 2011
Steve Ulfelder’s Purgatory Chasm is a great way to start off a writing career. I get to read a lot of debut novels, frequently before they are published. I feel this gives me more experience in identifying some of the foibles new authors frequently work through in the first books. I didn’t see any of the typical beginner jitters from Steve Ulfelder. Then I googled Steve and found out he is not kicking off a writing career, he has been a journalist for 20 years. Of course converting journalism to novel writing is a difficult skill also and Steve has speed past the competition.
What stuck me most about Purgatory Chasm was that it was obvious that Steve knows Conway Sax very well.
Conway Sax strangely reminds me a lot of Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. He charges into the fray without a plan and some how comes out on the other side mostly unscathed. He also will follow a job no matter what it costs him both financially or health wise even after his client is dead.
The mystery is deep and satisfying. And while Steve has tried to hide the fact, the mystery is not what this book is really about. Because I googled Steve I happen to know that he is working on a sequel to Purgatory Chasm. I am very interested where he will be taking this character.
So why did I only give this book a 4 out of 5? There wasn’t a sympathetic character in the novel. There were a few characters on the up and up, but those were sidekicks that did not change much during the story. There is a hint that Conway is really trying to turn a new leaf, except he still doesn’t see anything wrong with breaking someone’s nose if he feels one of his friends has been wronged.
I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good mystery, especially if they like gritty characters.
You can win a copy of this book by visiting http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/... before June 19th.
What stuck me most about Purgatory Chasm was that it was obvious that Steve knows Conway Sax very well.
Conway Sax strangely reminds me a lot of Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. He charges into the fray without a plan and some how comes out on the other side mostly unscathed. He also will follow a job no matter what it costs him both financially or health wise even after his client is dead.
The mystery is deep and satisfying. And while Steve has tried to hide the fact, the mystery is not what this book is really about. Because I googled Steve I happen to know that he is working on a sequel to Purgatory Chasm. I am very interested where he will be taking this character.
So why did I only give this book a 4 out of 5? There wasn’t a sympathetic character in the novel. There were a few characters on the up and up, but those were sidekicks that did not change much during the story. There is a hint that Conway is really trying to turn a new leaf, except he still doesn’t see anything wrong with breaking someone’s nose if he feels one of his friends has been wronged.
I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good mystery, especially if they like gritty characters.
You can win a copy of this book by visiting http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/... before June 19th.
July 1, 2011
Massachusetts author Steve Ulfelder sets his debut novel, "Purgatory Chasm,"in suburbs west of Boston. His protagonist is Conway Sax, an expert auto mechanic who once raced for NASCAR but "drank myself out of a ride before I made the big time." In a weak moment, Conway promises to help the blustering Tander Phigg recover his "baby"(a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9)from a sketchy foreign motors repairs garage where it's been sitting for eighteen months, supposedly awaiting repairs.
Conway thinks Phigg is a class-A jerk, but he's also a fellow Barnburner. The group, an offshoot of AA, was "launched by outcast bikers, post-WW2 GIs who were into vendettas as much as sobriety."<21> For Conway, a promise to a Barnburner is sacrosanct, an even after Phigg is found dead, hanging in his barn, Conway feels honor bound to recover the car.
Phigg seems to have died destitute, despite having inherited millions from his father's paper company that for decades was Fitchburg's biggest employer. He turns out to have been less than forthcoming about the facts surrounding his beloved car, too.
Soon Sax finds himself the prime suspect in Phigg's murder and up to his neck in intrigue and danger that threatens not only him but also his girlfriend and her daughter. Plot complications abound, and when Sax's father shows up, about midway through the book, the novel sputters before regaining its footing. But working throughout is the edgy, self-effacing voice of a flawed main character, a good guy with plenty of baggage who's just trying stay alive and to get it right this time.
Review originally published in The Boston Globe, 6/12/2011
Conway thinks Phigg is a class-A jerk, but he's also a fellow Barnburner. The group, an offshoot of AA, was "launched by outcast bikers, post-WW2 GIs who were into vendettas as much as sobriety."<21> For Conway, a promise to a Barnburner is sacrosanct, an even after Phigg is found dead, hanging in his barn, Conway feels honor bound to recover the car.
Phigg seems to have died destitute, despite having inherited millions from his father's paper company that for decades was Fitchburg's biggest employer. He turns out to have been less than forthcoming about the facts surrounding his beloved car, too.
Soon Sax finds himself the prime suspect in Phigg's murder and up to his neck in intrigue and danger that threatens not only him but also his girlfriend and her daughter. Plot complications abound, and when Sax's father shows up, about midway through the book, the novel sputters before regaining its footing. But working throughout is the edgy, self-effacing voice of a flawed main character, a good guy with plenty of baggage who's just trying stay alive and to get it right this time.
Review originally published in The Boston Globe, 6/12/2011
June 1, 2014
[b] Purgatory Chasm [/b] Steve Ulfelder
4 stars
I liked this - eventually. The things that bothered me probably won't matter to normal people lol.
I liked the main guy is a mechanic, the relationships in the book are nicely written, although there does seem to be a lot of characters for what is a fairly short book and the general writing style is engaging. The cars are written like characters - as they should be and most of the car stuff is accurate and to me, funny in the right places:)
I did put this aside twice, because I struggled with the fact that anyone could care this much about the car in question - Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 - The car that was the tacky jewel in boxy-era Mercedes crown, that came in a range of spectacularly vile colours and hideously clashing interiors.
But, as the story goes forward and the purpose of the Merc becomes clear, I managed to get over my loathing and finish the book.
I personally would rather have had a bit more racing and a bit less AA stuff. But some people like all that emotionally damaged, flawed hero type stuff.
I am mildly obsessed with cars and Motorsport and I found it impossible to understand how a NASCAR driver with half a shot would blow that chance to drink. It might have been plausible that a failed driver would drink, but not so much an upcoming potential star.
4 stars
I liked this - eventually. The things that bothered me probably won't matter to normal people lol.
I liked the main guy is a mechanic, the relationships in the book are nicely written, although there does seem to be a lot of characters for what is a fairly short book and the general writing style is engaging. The cars are written like characters - as they should be and most of the car stuff is accurate and to me, funny in the right places:)
I did put this aside twice, because I struggled with the fact that anyone could care this much about the car in question - Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 - The car that was the tacky jewel in boxy-era Mercedes crown, that came in a range of spectacularly vile colours and hideously clashing interiors.
But, as the story goes forward and the purpose of the Merc becomes clear, I managed to get over my loathing and finish the book.
I personally would rather have had a bit more racing and a bit less AA stuff. But some people like all that emotionally damaged, flawed hero type stuff.
I am mildly obsessed with cars and Motorsport and I found it impossible to understand how a NASCAR driver with half a shot would blow that chance to drink. It might have been plausible that a failed driver would drink, but not so much an upcoming potential star.
May 10, 2015
Although this book had been on my TBR list ever since it showed up as an Edgar nominee for Best First Novel in 2012, it took me way too long to get around to finding a copy. It's another book better in audio due to the terrific narration by Mark Boyett, who does a fine job as the voice of Conway Sax. Sax is a flawed hero--ex alcoholic, prone to violence when provoked, but fiercely loyal, protective, and dependable. Fast paced, with a fine cast of secondary characters, unpredictable and compelling. I will be listening very soon to the rest of this short series and keeping an eye out for new entries!
September 16, 2015
A former mechanic and race driver, Conway Sax, takes the reader on the ride of a life in this taut thriller. Hair pin turns of intrigue, from Massachusetts, to New Hampshire, to Vermont and side trips to New York and South Carolina keep the reader guessing as to what happened to Tander and his money. Tautly written and satisfactorily ended, this is a great mystery!
August 22, 2015
A well-paced action thriller with an unlikely but likable mechanic-turned-sleuth. I appreciate the authentic, gritty dialogue and the rough, gruff lifestyles explored here.
January 12, 2019
I generally enjoyed this book although there are some giant holes that are almost too much to forgive. There is certainly plenty of action to keep your mind occupied. Conway is interesting character and his interaction or lack thereof with the people he's close to rings true. The death toll was certainly pretty high.
March 10, 2018
Conway Sax is a nice addition, for a main character. A car guy, had a seat for a Nascar ride. Lost his ride when the booze took over, that trait he got from his dad. A hard-boiled style, with heart wrenching moments, within a tangled family past. Hell of a debut.
March 31, 2020
I really enjoyed this novel. All the characters are well developed and the plot kept me glues to the pages. There is some violence but it's a crime thriller. The protagonist is wonderful and has his good sides and his bad sides. I must look for the sequel now.
March 8, 2018
This was a good work, I really didn’t expect too much when I started it. Interesting characters!
June 27, 2011
I'm not a huge mystery fan, so take this with a grain of salt.
A fantastic debut from a great new talent. Steve Ufelder takes Framingham, MA, a town I mostly know for Shopper's World (Jordan's Furniture is right across the street and listed as being in Natick, what's up people?) and the closest Wal-Mart to Boston, and brings it to life as the hometown of one Conway Sax, former racecar driver, former drunk, former mechanic and currently a guy who helps out members of his local AA chapter, the Barnburners. I've never been a drunk, but my dad's been recovering most of my life and I've known people like Ulfelder's Barnburners since I was a kid and I could see a lot of those people in his supporting cast. The key to it all, however, is Conway, whose personal sense of honor means he'll never turn down a Barnburner a favor, even if that favor lands him in the middle of a murder, a drug smuggling operation gone tits up and a few more road trips than a guy should have to do for a favor.
It's a hell of a ride and even though I'm not a big mystery guy (the last crime series I followed was Tim Dorsey's Serge Storm books, and most of that was running on the good will he got out of Orange Crush) I finished it faster than most fantasy and scifi books I read. There are a few bumps in the road, at least one plot element graciously borrowed from Akira Kurosawa would have been more satisfying if it felt more earned, and some pacing in the back third of the novel feels off, but for the most part the book is smart, well-written, at turns funny, gruff and shocking when appropriate and all-in-all the first in what I can only hope is a long series of novels featuring the character.
I'd recommend it for any fan of character-driven mysteries and especially for fans of mystery novels based around amateur sleuths.
Caveat: I have met Steve Ulfelder at least once. He took the same novel writing workshopping course that I did. He was a guest in my session as he was a 'graduate' of the class who'd finished and sold a novel. We've not hung out or anything like that, but I did buy the book based on the encouragement of seeing someone in my position just a few years ago succeeding.
A fantastic debut from a great new talent. Steve Ufelder takes Framingham, MA, a town I mostly know for Shopper's World (Jordan's Furniture is right across the street and listed as being in Natick, what's up people?) and the closest Wal-Mart to Boston, and brings it to life as the hometown of one Conway Sax, former racecar driver, former drunk, former mechanic and currently a guy who helps out members of his local AA chapter, the Barnburners. I've never been a drunk, but my dad's been recovering most of my life and I've known people like Ulfelder's Barnburners since I was a kid and I could see a lot of those people in his supporting cast. The key to it all, however, is Conway, whose personal sense of honor means he'll never turn down a Barnburner a favor, even if that favor lands him in the middle of a murder, a drug smuggling operation gone tits up and a few more road trips than a guy should have to do for a favor.
It's a hell of a ride and even though I'm not a big mystery guy (the last crime series I followed was Tim Dorsey's Serge Storm books, and most of that was running on the good will he got out of Orange Crush) I finished it faster than most fantasy and scifi books I read. There are a few bumps in the road, at least one plot element graciously borrowed from Akira Kurosawa would have been more satisfying if it felt more earned, and some pacing in the back third of the novel feels off, but for the most part the book is smart, well-written, at turns funny, gruff and shocking when appropriate and all-in-all the first in what I can only hope is a long series of novels featuring the character.
I'd recommend it for any fan of character-driven mysteries and especially for fans of mystery novels based around amateur sleuths.
Caveat: I have met Steve Ulfelder at least once. He took the same novel writing workshopping course that I did. He was a guest in my session as he was a 'graduate' of the class who'd finished and sold a novel. We've not hung out or anything like that, but I did buy the book based on the encouragement of seeing someone in my position just a few years ago succeeding.
February 20, 2013
This is a spoiler-free review.
Steve Ulfelder's debut novel surprises with its tight, disciplined writing and pitch-perfect dialog. I have not read many (any?) crime-mystery novels, so I was prepared for some over-the-top noir passages, particularly in a freshman outing (think Calvin's 'Tracer Bullet' alter ego). I needn't have worried. Ulfelder offers up rapid-fire descriptions that never stray into caricature.
The title intrigued me because I live and work in the same region of Central Massachusetts as the novel's setting, and I admit identifying with place names, locations, and characterizations appealed to me. However, for readers far and wide I can report that Ulfelder is spot on.
The first-person protagonist, Conway Sax, is a recovering alcoholic dedicated to his sobriety, AA fellows, and rebuilding his life after hitting rock bottom. We don't see that bottom, thankfully, just a few rueful flashbacks. Sax was a professional NASCAR driver who hit the skids, got involved with the wrong element, and did some state time. He gets drawn into helping an AA buddy who he really doesn't like all that much. When the guy ends up dead, the game is on.
My main problem with the story, and what cost a star, is that I couldn't really understand everybody's motivations, and Sax's in particular. He gets deeper and deeper in to an increasingly dark and deadly situation, often dropping everything to chase a lead to New York, the nether regions of New England, and even to South Carolina with no payday in sight. The people in his life, ostensibly a work in progress, are amazingly tolerant of him.
Nevertheless, Ulfelder's outstanding ability to craft a scene combined with a brisk style and excellent sense of humor propel the story along. His characters are original, and even when a bit outlandish, always come across as real people. I thoroughly enjoyed "Purgatory Chasm" and have already picked up the sequel, "The Whole Lie."
One more thing: Ulfelder, who in real life owns a company that builds race cars, clearly knows a lot about about automobiles. It's fun to catch his characters' little comments about this or that make.
Steve Ulfelder's debut novel surprises with its tight, disciplined writing and pitch-perfect dialog. I have not read many (any?) crime-mystery novels, so I was prepared for some over-the-top noir passages, particularly in a freshman outing (think Calvin's 'Tracer Bullet' alter ego). I needn't have worried. Ulfelder offers up rapid-fire descriptions that never stray into caricature.
The title intrigued me because I live and work in the same region of Central Massachusetts as the novel's setting, and I admit identifying with place names, locations, and characterizations appealed to me. However, for readers far and wide I can report that Ulfelder is spot on.
The first-person protagonist, Conway Sax, is a recovering alcoholic dedicated to his sobriety, AA fellows, and rebuilding his life after hitting rock bottom. We don't see that bottom, thankfully, just a few rueful flashbacks. Sax was a professional NASCAR driver who hit the skids, got involved with the wrong element, and did some state time. He gets drawn into helping an AA buddy who he really doesn't like all that much. When the guy ends up dead, the game is on.
My main problem with the story, and what cost a star, is that I couldn't really understand everybody's motivations, and Sax's in particular. He gets deeper and deeper in to an increasingly dark and deadly situation, often dropping everything to chase a lead to New York, the nether regions of New England, and even to South Carolina with no payday in sight. The people in his life, ostensibly a work in progress, are amazingly tolerant of him.
Nevertheless, Ulfelder's outstanding ability to craft a scene combined with a brisk style and excellent sense of humor propel the story along. His characters are original, and even when a bit outlandish, always come across as real people. I thoroughly enjoyed "Purgatory Chasm" and have already picked up the sequel, "The Whole Lie."
One more thing: Ulfelder, who in real life owns a company that builds race cars, clearly knows a lot about about automobiles. It's fun to catch his characters' little comments about this or that make.
January 19, 2012
Steve Ulfelder’s PURGATORY CHASM is a mystery that grabs you with this opening line: “There are drunken assholes and assholes who are drunks.”
Former NASCAR driver and mechanic Conway Sax is a recovering alcoholic, drug addict, and parolee whose unwavering loyalty to his fellow Barnburners (AA group) ��� even when they’re assholes who are drunk - sucks him into retrieving a Mercedes from a local garage where it’s been held for months with no explanation.
Yeah, I questioned the wisdom of getting involved, too. So does Conway. Everyone knows all is not as it seems but Conway does not back off a promise made to a fellow Barnburner… even when that promise gets him knocked unconscious, almost drowned, and – when a body turns up – suspected of murder. This, right there, is what makes Conway a compelling character, that unwavering loyalty despite the consequences and pain. Conway’s a real man’s man. He’s not a touchy-feely, let’s-talk guy but underneath all the tool-swinging, Ulfelder masterfully shows his pain through all that’s left unsaid. Conway’s also funny. There’s a scene with a Sharpie that had me laughing out loud.
Things get even more complicated for Conway when his dad shows up. Dad’s a drunk, too, but more like the asshole-who’s-a-drunk sort.
Father-and-child relationships hit me particularly hard because my relationship with own dad is shaky at best and has been this way for about twenty years now, despite my best efforts to change it. Like Conway, when my dad showed up out of the blue and moved in with me for several months, I thought about the past and the pain, but could not turn my back. Unlike my dad, Conway’s dad has all kinds of problems related to decades of alcohol abuse. In the final scene, when Ulfelder reveals the meaning of Purgatory Chasm (the place), I understood Conway’s – and my own - loyalty on a deeper level and closed the book with a feeling of “Ah.”
Added 1/19/12: Congratulations to Steve Ulfelder and Purgatory Chasm for its Edgar Award nomination!
Former NASCAR driver and mechanic Conway Sax is a recovering alcoholic, drug addict, and parolee whose unwavering loyalty to his fellow Barnburners (AA group) ��� even when they’re assholes who are drunk - sucks him into retrieving a Mercedes from a local garage where it’s been held for months with no explanation.
Yeah, I questioned the wisdom of getting involved, too. So does Conway. Everyone knows all is not as it seems but Conway does not back off a promise made to a fellow Barnburner… even when that promise gets him knocked unconscious, almost drowned, and – when a body turns up – suspected of murder. This, right there, is what makes Conway a compelling character, that unwavering loyalty despite the consequences and pain. Conway’s a real man’s man. He’s not a touchy-feely, let’s-talk guy but underneath all the tool-swinging, Ulfelder masterfully shows his pain through all that’s left unsaid. Conway’s also funny. There’s a scene with a Sharpie that had me laughing out loud.
Things get even more complicated for Conway when his dad shows up. Dad’s a drunk, too, but more like the asshole-who’s-a-drunk sort.
Father-and-child relationships hit me particularly hard because my relationship with own dad is shaky at best and has been this way for about twenty years now, despite my best efforts to change it. Like Conway, when my dad showed up out of the blue and moved in with me for several months, I thought about the past and the pain, but could not turn my back. Unlike my dad, Conway’s dad has all kinds of problems related to decades of alcohol abuse. In the final scene, when Ulfelder reveals the meaning of Purgatory Chasm (the place), I understood Conway’s – and my own - loyalty on a deeper level and closed the book with a feeling of “Ah.”
Added 1/19/12: Congratulations to Steve Ulfelder and Purgatory Chasm for its Edgar Award nomination!
August 1, 2012
As a reader: Well, I've already publicly announced my weak spot for fictional bad boys (Character Crushes, 4/12), so it's no surprise that I fell in love with Conway Sax just about the same time I realized he was trouble. That said, this is not chick lit like much of what I read and review here. Conway Sax is a man's man, and the story, writing style, and characters might actually put the novel in the opposite category (rhymes with chick lit, only crasser). The flawed hero makes for a fascinating first person narrator that pulls the reader along quite willingly. I found the plot pleasing as well, with plenty of twists and the right amount of development. The local connection added to the fun since I've spent my life in the settings Sax traversed throughout the book.
As a writer: As someone who rewrote her own first lines a dozen or more times (okay, many more), I was in awe of the opening line of the book: "There are drunken assholes, and then there are assholes who are drunks." It's risky, it's intriguing, and it demonstrates fantastic character development all in one compound sentence. I was hooked and impressed. The further I read, the more I wished I had read this book before attempting my own. I struggled with getting the voice of my male characters to sound like the tough males they were. This would have been the perfect mentor text. After half a page there is no doubt left in the readers' mind what kind of guy Conway Sax is. More than that, Ulfelder has fun with his characterization, inserting bits of humorous internal dialogue in a first person narration, which one could argue is already internal dialogue. Though the story was enjoyable as a reader, what sold me as a writer were the writing style and character development.
Bottom line: A terrific debut novel by a local talent. I downloaded book two, The Whole Lie, as soon as I finished book one and am saving it for my full first beach day.
As a writer: As someone who rewrote her own first lines a dozen or more times (okay, many more), I was in awe of the opening line of the book: "There are drunken assholes, and then there are assholes who are drunks." It's risky, it's intriguing, and it demonstrates fantastic character development all in one compound sentence. I was hooked and impressed. The further I read, the more I wished I had read this book before attempting my own. I struggled with getting the voice of my male characters to sound like the tough males they were. This would have been the perfect mentor text. After half a page there is no doubt left in the readers' mind what kind of guy Conway Sax is. More than that, Ulfelder has fun with his characterization, inserting bits of humorous internal dialogue in a first person narration, which one could argue is already internal dialogue. Though the story was enjoyable as a reader, what sold me as a writer were the writing style and character development.
Bottom line: A terrific debut novel by a local talent. I downloaded book two, The Whole Lie, as soon as I finished book one and am saving it for my full first beach day.
July 3, 2012
I was fascinated to learn that Purgatory Chasm is a real place in Massachusetts. Purgatory Chasm the book is a fast-paced mystery novel whose main character, Conway Sax, is a sometime auto mechanic with a past involving alcohol and time in prison. And Conway Sax is a Barnburner, a member of a select group of AA members who will do anything for each other.
Author Steve Ulfelder tells the story in first person, giving us the sense of speed and obsession that pervade the whole novel. We know from the first paragraph that Sax does not like fellow Barnburner Tander Phigg. But when Sax finds Phigg’s strangled body, he is determined to carry out his promise of loyalty, and puts his own life in danger as he searches for Phigg’s killer. Conway Sax has given up drinking, and he possesses the single-mindedness recovering alcoholics often possess. He uses this focus to deal with his relationships as well as the shady characters who intrude in his life as he searches for the murderer.
The book is populated by complex characters who struggle with their troubled pasts and whose lives intersect in often cataclysmic way. Conway Sax’s own father turns up sober for once in his life, a fact which should have made Sax suspicious, about the same time as Phigg’s estranged son and his Vietnamese wife and child, whom Sax takes under his wing. And the reporter seen with Phigg just days before his death – who is she really?
Purgatory Chasm is Ulfelder’s first novel, but he clearly has the ability to get inside the minds of his multi-faceted characters and bring out their best and worst. His casual style moves the reader along at a rapid pace that fits perfectly with the theme of automobiles and racing. Even though I am not an auto racing enthusiastic and can’t even change a tire, I found myself caught up in the story. Ulfelder has created Conway Sax as a flawed human being with a sense of integrity and honor. I look forward to more of his novels.
(As published in Suspense Magazine)
Author Steve Ulfelder tells the story in first person, giving us the sense of speed and obsession that pervade the whole novel. We know from the first paragraph that Sax does not like fellow Barnburner Tander Phigg. But when Sax finds Phigg’s strangled body, he is determined to carry out his promise of loyalty, and puts his own life in danger as he searches for Phigg’s killer. Conway Sax has given up drinking, and he possesses the single-mindedness recovering alcoholics often possess. He uses this focus to deal with his relationships as well as the shady characters who intrude in his life as he searches for the murderer.
The book is populated by complex characters who struggle with their troubled pasts and whose lives intersect in often cataclysmic way. Conway Sax’s own father turns up sober for once in his life, a fact which should have made Sax suspicious, about the same time as Phigg’s estranged son and his Vietnamese wife and child, whom Sax takes under his wing. And the reporter seen with Phigg just days before his death – who is she really?
Purgatory Chasm is Ulfelder’s first novel, but he clearly has the ability to get inside the minds of his multi-faceted characters and bring out their best and worst. His casual style moves the reader along at a rapid pace that fits perfectly with the theme of automobiles and racing. Even though I am not an auto racing enthusiastic and can’t even change a tire, I found myself caught up in the story. Ulfelder has created Conway Sax as a flawed human being with a sense of integrity and honor. I look forward to more of his novels.
(As published in Suspense Magazine)
July 29, 2016
Purgatory Chasm starts off with tremendous promise. The writing is smooth, with lots of well written dialogue that moves the story forward while also giving us a great feel for the characters. Ulfelder's style is quick and uncluttered, immersing us in the story as the suspense builds.
Unfortunately, it all fell apart for me early on. I didn't find the plot or the characters' behavior believable.
Some highlights:
- Conway Sax is street smart, independent, on parole, jobless, and inexplicably gets total financial support from his girlfriend while he does whatever he wants instead of looking for a job.
- Said girlfriend, an independent, opinionated, single mother, is ridiculously tolerant of Sax's childish and selfish behavior, gives him the cold shoulder when he isn't around enough, but never once suggests he grow up and support himself.
- Never once do we learn where the girlfriend is getting enough money to support herself and her daughter, and also support her boyfriend and his grand adventures.
- Sax has blind dedication to a secret group within the AA that apparently extends beyond death and also apparently does not require any other member of this same group to help in any way.
- Sax not only helps his AA friend, but also, for reasons unknown, risks his life to help two people who'd knocked him unconscious and flattened his tires.
- A family who didn't know Sax at all instantly trusts him and moves into his home.
- Sax is knee-deep in murder, has all sorts of leads and evidence, but lies to the cops and conceals most of what he finds.
- All cops are incompetent.
This story does have some high points. The dialogue felt genuine and offered some comic relief around the crime. The first person narration worked well for both the story and the Sax's character. But the execution here just didn't work for me.
Unfortunately, it all fell apart for me early on. I didn't find the plot or the characters' behavior believable.
Some highlights:
- Conway Sax is street smart, independent, on parole, jobless, and inexplicably gets total financial support from his girlfriend while he does whatever he wants instead of looking for a job.
- Said girlfriend, an independent, opinionated, single mother, is ridiculously tolerant of Sax's childish and selfish behavior, gives him the cold shoulder when he isn't around enough, but never once suggests he grow up and support himself.
- Never once do we learn where the girlfriend is getting enough money to support herself and her daughter, and also support her boyfriend and his grand adventures.
- Sax has blind dedication to a secret group within the AA that apparently extends beyond death and also apparently does not require any other member of this same group to help in any way.
- Sax not only helps his AA friend, but also, for reasons unknown, risks his life to help two people who'd knocked him unconscious and flattened his tires.
- A family who didn't know Sax at all instantly trusts him and moves into his home.
- Sax is knee-deep in murder, has all sorts of leads and evidence, but lies to the cops and conceals most of what he finds.
- All cops are incompetent.
This story does have some high points. The dialogue felt genuine and offered some comic relief around the crime. The first person narration worked well for both the story and the Sax's character. But the execution here just didn't work for me.
July 7, 2011
Don’t you hate it when a “friend” you don’t really like asks you for a favor you don’t really want to do? So does former alcoholic, former NASCAR driver and current auto mechanic Conway Sax. But when Tander Phigg asks him to help recover a much loved vintage Mercedes from an unscrupulous auto shop, Conway knows he can’t refuse. Phigg is a founding member of the Barnburners, a group of recovering alcoholics who are the backbone of the Alcoholics Anonymous group who helped Conway sober up and Conway knows he owes them----all of them, even the unlikeable Tander.
And anyway, how hard can it be to get the car back? Conway’s in the business and he knows the score. Just a matter of flexing a few muscles, giving a few hard stares and problem solved, right?
Wrong. It turns out his Barnburner buddy didn’t tell him everything and the situation is more complicated than a simple case of a mechanic trying to pull a fast one on a customer. Much more complicated. And by the time Conway realizes this, Phigg is dead, Conway is the prime suspect and oh yeah, Conway’s crazy father resurfaces.
This is Ulfelder’s first novel and it’s a winner. Conway Sax is a likeable main character with just the right mixture of strengths and flaws for a tough guy. The working class Massachusetts setting is beautifully rendered. And the plot is first rate, with plenty of action. Fans of Robert Parker, Steve Hamilton, Paul Doiron and Lawrence Block’s Scudder novels will relish its gritty tone and sardonic hero. I’ll definitely read the next one.
And anyway, how hard can it be to get the car back? Conway’s in the business and he knows the score. Just a matter of flexing a few muscles, giving a few hard stares and problem solved, right?
Wrong. It turns out his Barnburner buddy didn’t tell him everything and the situation is more complicated than a simple case of a mechanic trying to pull a fast one on a customer. Much more complicated. And by the time Conway realizes this, Phigg is dead, Conway is the prime suspect and oh yeah, Conway’s crazy father resurfaces.
This is Ulfelder’s first novel and it’s a winner. Conway Sax is a likeable main character with just the right mixture of strengths and flaws for a tough guy. The working class Massachusetts setting is beautifully rendered. And the plot is first rate, with plenty of action. Fans of Robert Parker, Steve Hamilton, Paul Doiron and Lawrence Block’s Scudder novels will relish its gritty tone and sardonic hero. I’ll definitely read the next one.
April 22, 2015
Ulfelder is a new author for me and I love when I find a great one. This first book was published in 2011 and it looks like I have four more to go in the series - oh joy! Conway Sax is a reformed alcoholic, an auto mechanic, a retired Nascar racer and a guy who fixes things for his friends. This first story is about his getting his friend Tander Phigg's car back from a shady mechanic and when Tander ends up dead, Conway feels he still has to complete his task. Conway doesn't have a lot of scruples and he has less of them the more you piss him off. He feels like the guy who lives down the street and you know him and can relate to his struggles. He's rebuilding and remodeling another friend's house and sinking way more money into it than it deserves because he likes the house, even though he keeps telling himself he is just doing it so he can flip it for the money. His girlfriend is gorgeous and rich but lives in a regular neighborhood and she also feels like the recovering-alcoholic-made-REAL-good, girl-next-door and I liked her and her daughter (who is wise beyond her years) is a constant source of laughs.
The story keeps you turning pages long after you should have gone to bed because you have to go to work in the morning. The end was not what you thought it would be and the possible bad guys are everywhere. If you loved Minerva Koenig's Nine Days, you'll probably love this one too.
The story keeps you turning pages long after you should have gone to bed because you have to go to work in the morning. The end was not what you thought it would be and the possible bad guys are everywhere. If you loved Minerva Koenig's Nine Days, you'll probably love this one too.
May 9, 2011
I got Purgatory Chasm from a first reads giveaway. Conway Sax, a devoted member of an AA group called the Barnburners is determined to find out the mystery behind a fellow members (Tander Phigg) suspicious death. Just before Tander's death, Tander contacts Conway for a favor. Once Tander is dead Conway still keeps his promise to help him, because that is what Barnburners do; they always have each others back no matter the circumstances. Along the way to finding the truth of Tander Phigg's death Conway uncovers Tander's mysterious past and does some detective work of his own.
For the most part I enjoyed it. The only thing that I wasn't quite sold on was Conway's discovery of how a certain period of Tander's past was connected to his death. Conway followed a hunch, and I thought it was kind of a big hunch to follow. Conway's not a detective, but he weaves through the mystery and get's things done. Towards the end it was definitely hard to set the book aside as the action escalated.
This is Ulfelder's first novel, a pretty exciting one at that; I am interested to see what he comes up with next!
For the most part I enjoyed it. The only thing that I wasn't quite sold on was Conway's discovery of how a certain period of Tander's past was connected to his death. Conway followed a hunch, and I thought it was kind of a big hunch to follow. Conway's not a detective, but he weaves through the mystery and get's things done. Towards the end it was definitely hard to set the book aside as the action escalated.
This is Ulfelder's first novel, a pretty exciting one at that; I am interested to see what he comes up with next!
September 8, 2011
Changed my initial feelings about this book. Originally thought the pace was slower than I liked. However as one gets into the last quarter of the book, the pace quickens and you have to pay attention as the story lines all come together.
Conway Sax , ex-con and ex-alcoholic has his life together. ...a job , a girl friend, Charlene, when things start to happen that connect him to his past. He is friendly to members of his AA group which is call the Barnburners, when a member, Tander Phigg is found hanging from a rafter of his home. Get used strange names, this author likes them. Conway has the feeling that this is not a suicide but a murder. And he is a one man team trying to find out. Soon Tander's son, Trey appears on the scene as well as Conway's long lost father, Fred.Conway discovers a connection to Tander's old Mercedes and a repair shop connected to a drug mob in Montreal, Canada. The plot is a multiple one , so pay attention as Conway starts to unravel a mystery and yet stay one step ahead of the drug mob and his past.........meanwhile not forgetting that staying sober is the most important thing in this life.
Conway Sax , ex-con and ex-alcoholic has his life together. ...a job , a girl friend, Charlene, when things start to happen that connect him to his past. He is friendly to members of his AA group which is call the Barnburners, when a member, Tander Phigg is found hanging from a rafter of his home. Get used strange names, this author likes them. Conway has the feeling that this is not a suicide but a murder. And he is a one man team trying to find out. Soon Tander's son, Trey appears on the scene as well as Conway's long lost father, Fred.Conway discovers a connection to Tander's old Mercedes and a repair shop connected to a drug mob in Montreal, Canada. The plot is a multiple one , so pay attention as Conway starts to unravel a mystery and yet stay one step ahead of the drug mob and his past.........meanwhile not forgetting that staying sober is the most important thing in this life.
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July 11, 2012Purgatory Chasm, by Steve Ulfelder, b-plus, Narrated by Mark Boyette, Produced by Audible Inc.., downloaded from audible.com.
This is a debut mystery in a series about Conway Sas, trained as a mechanic and with a prison record, and, by his own description, a drunk. But he kicks the habit and joins A.A. The group he finally hits upon as perfect for him is called The Barn Burners, and is made up mostly of guys who either have a prison record or have something to hide, but who are all sober. They have innate loyalty to each other and will always rescue each other. So when one of them asks Conway to help him get his Mercedes back from a car repair shop where it has been held for too long, he agrees, even though he considers the man “an asshole”, and he keeps to his promise even after the man turns up dead. But he soon finds out that there is much more to the story, including buried money. In the meantime, his father, also a drunk for 30 years, turns up now sober, and he attempts to help him even though his father was never very much of a father to him. This is a haunting and very good book with some lovable, and some horrible characters.
This is a debut mystery in a series about Conway Sas, trained as a mechanic and with a prison record, and, by his own description, a drunk. But he kicks the habit and joins A.A. The group he finally hits upon as perfect for him is called The Barn Burners, and is made up mostly of guys who either have a prison record or have something to hide, but who are all sober. They have innate loyalty to each other and will always rescue each other. So when one of them asks Conway to help him get his Mercedes back from a car repair shop where it has been held for too long, he agrees, even though he considers the man “an asshole”, and he keeps to his promise even after the man turns up dead. But he soon finds out that there is much more to the story, including buried money. In the meantime, his father, also a drunk for 30 years, turns up now sober, and he attempts to help him even though his father was never very much of a father to him. This is a haunting and very good book with some lovable, and some horrible characters.
December 30, 2013
Great debut mystery! Reviewed for Library Journal.
Conway Sax is a former race car driver who lost everything because of his alcohol addiction. After a stint in jail and a newfound sense of belonging with his Alcoholics Anonymous group, he is finally getting his life back in order. When one of his AA associates asks for his help, he is unable to refuse despite his dislike for the man. What starts off as a simple negotiation evolves into a murder investigation and the unraveling of deadly family secrets. Conway's own past comes into play as his destitute father reappears in his life. VERDICT: This outstanding debut by a former journalist and racing enthusiast is gritty and fast-paced, with an intriguing plot and believable characters. Ulfelder has introduced a solid new protagonist, and the many race car anecdotes add to the novel's allure. It will appeal strongly to readers of Loren D. Estleman and Ross MacDonald and those who enjoy hard-boiled detective mysteries.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI
Conway Sax is a former race car driver who lost everything because of his alcohol addiction. After a stint in jail and a newfound sense of belonging with his Alcoholics Anonymous group, he is finally getting his life back in order. When one of his AA associates asks for his help, he is unable to refuse despite his dislike for the man. What starts off as a simple negotiation evolves into a murder investigation and the unraveling of deadly family secrets. Conway's own past comes into play as his destitute father reappears in his life. VERDICT: This outstanding debut by a former journalist and racing enthusiast is gritty and fast-paced, with an intriguing plot and believable characters. Ulfelder has introduced a solid new protagonist, and the many race car anecdotes add to the novel's allure. It will appeal strongly to readers of Loren D. Estleman and Ross MacDonald and those who enjoy hard-boiled detective mysteries.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI
February 12, 2013
I was a little skeptical at the beginning of reading this book. It was difficult to get used to the author's style, especially the use of frequent hypenated phrases. I also briefly felt like I was a bit late to the party and I missed a chapter or two of background on the main character. Once I got into the story, it was quite good. Not totally predictable. A bit imitative of the great and powerful Dennis Lehane. The final Purgatory Chasm scene for me was so reminiscent of the quarry scene in Gone Baby Gone. A good read and I would read other titles by this author. LOVED the local settings. He pegged downtown Framingham perfectly and Rourke could be so many small towns in NH. Reading this story makes me want to visit Purgatory Chasm even more. I went there as a very young girl scout. I'd like to take my kids. Recent accidents there have had me thinking twice, but now I'm so curious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2011
When Conway Sax fixes your truck it stays fixed. When he builds a house it stays built. And, when he says he'll get your car back from a disreputable mechanic, by God, he gets that car.
Reminiscent of Spenser and Crash Davis before him, Conway Sax is the kind of man who knows who he is, knows how to do a job right, and does what he say's he'll do. He's the kind of man who has a story to tell, but doesn't need to hear himself talk.
Purgatory Chasm is the perfect book for a guy like Conway Sax, because like Sax, Steve Ufelder is a master craftsman. The story is solidly built and lovingly finished. There are no loose ends, no murky motivations, and no flabby scenes. Every piece fits together to create a solid mystery that will withstand the test of time.
Purgatory Chasm is a job well done.
Reminiscent of Spenser and Crash Davis before him, Conway Sax is the kind of man who knows who he is, knows how to do a job right, and does what he say's he'll do. He's the kind of man who has a story to tell, but doesn't need to hear himself talk.
Purgatory Chasm is the perfect book for a guy like Conway Sax, because like Sax, Steve Ufelder is a master craftsman. The story is solidly built and lovingly finished. There are no loose ends, no murky motivations, and no flabby scenes. Every piece fits together to create a solid mystery that will withstand the test of time.
Purgatory Chasm is a job well done.
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