What do you think?
Rate this book
Revenge Finds a Home
In 1820, young Irish lad Peter Lynch signed on to an English fishing vessel, which was to ply the codfish-rich waters off the coast of Newfoundland. His dreams were soon dashed when mistreatment and hardship became the norm for him. Before the schooner was to return in the fall, Peter decided to take his chances by jumping ship and running inland. His escape was burdened with injury, after which he was taken in by the native Beothuk tribe. One hundred and eighty years later, Inspector Bob Lynch of the Irish police force An Garda Síochána decided to emigrate to Newfoundland, Canada, where he joined the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. He was always aware of his great-great-uncle Peter Lynch, who had at one time lived in Newfoundland. His ancestor had written a vivid memoir, and it is this memoir that comes to mind when Constable Lynch is assigned to an unusual homicide―one whose victim was killed by an arrow to the neck. The arrowhead is made of a stone that was used by the native people of Newfoundland and Labrador. As the investigation proceeds, a pattern emerges. Similar murders in Brazil, North Dakota, and British Columbia also involve the ancient Ramah stone from northern Labrador. How could that be? And what connection might these crimes have to the now-extinct Beothuk tribe?
281 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2023
1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 6, 2023
There are those among us who credit Frank Zappa for first saying, “So many books, so little time.” Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. What odds, eh b’ys?
Fortunately for me, I’ve managed to squeeze in a couple of more decades on this planet than poor old Frank, who died at age 53.
Nonetheless, I’m feeling a bit like Frank. So many books. So little time.
I particularly feel that way about Newfoundland books and Newfoundland authors.
Once upon a time, a mere half-century ago, give or take, Newfoundland books written by Newfoundland authors, were as scarce as those proverbial coopy-hens’ teeth, or Pope’s whoopsie, if you wish to be a tad more scatological.
Not the case nowadays. Bookstores have designated shelves stogged wall to wall with Newfoundland books. Sure, some are piled on a table at Costco.
So many books.
I count more than two dozen Newfoundland books in my To Read bookcase.
So little time.
However, I did take some of my remaining time to read Bill Coultas’s Revenge Finds a Home [Flanker Press].
Time not wasted.
A synopsis of sorts. In 1820, instead of returning to Ireland, Peter Lynch jumps ship in Newfoundland because Captain Peyton is a mean ol’ frigger. Pete hie-dee-hoes off into the bush and, almost immediately, gets tangled up with a band of Beothuk.
Nigh onto two hundred years later, one of Peter’s descendants, Robert Lynch, is a Detective Inspector with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and …
… and Professor John Peyton, a reprobate with a reputation of “aggressively courting female students” is murdered at his cabin just off the beaten path of the renown East Coast Trail.
Cause of death?
An indigenous-looking arrow piercing his neck.
Find the time to grab yourself a copy of the book and read this murder story in its entirety.
I don’t know about this next bit, so I must ask Bill if it’s an intended pun.
A Mr. Traverse, a birdwatcher who finds Peyton’s body because of an encounter with a coyote, says to DC Lynch, “I’ve seen coyotes before. They are usually pretty coy…”
A coy coyote.
Bill b’y?
Incidentally, when Mr. Traverse spots said coy coyote it’s toting Peyton’s decaying forearm in its chops.
Turn the page.
Shame on me, I’d never heard tell of Ramah chert — a kind of flint apparently — until I encountered it in this story. In case you’ve as oblivious as I, Ramah chert is a rare stone only found in Northern Labrador.
Intrigued, I dodged over to Mr. Google’s house to have a gander at some images of chert — cherts? And guess what. Among Mr. Google’s images were pictures of Ramah chert arrowheads …
… much like the arrowhead protruding from John Peyton’s neck.
Ah-ha.
Another thing.
If I were quasi-famous — if only in a small pond — and The Telegram’s 20 Questions person asked me, “What do you like most about Revenge Finds a Home?” this would be my answer —
I like the way the author has paralleled the timelines — Peter Lynch’s time broadside to Robert Lynch’s time.
And if asked, “Is there a single second in this book that causes you to chuckle?” —
When Karen, DC Lynch’s ducky, but also a Mountie suffering from PTSD, points a cocked pistol at Lynch’s noggin, pulls the trigger, and a BANG flag pops from the barrel.
Chuckle.
Thank you for taking a few moments of your precious little time to read these scribbles.
Fortunately for me, I’ve managed to squeeze in a couple of more decades on this planet than poor old Frank, who died at age 53.
Nonetheless, I’m feeling a bit like Frank. So many books. So little time.
I particularly feel that way about Newfoundland books and Newfoundland authors.
Once upon a time, a mere half-century ago, give or take, Newfoundland books written by Newfoundland authors, were as scarce as those proverbial coopy-hens’ teeth, or Pope’s whoopsie, if you wish to be a tad more scatological.
Not the case nowadays. Bookstores have designated shelves stogged wall to wall with Newfoundland books. Sure, some are piled on a table at Costco.
So many books.
I count more than two dozen Newfoundland books in my To Read bookcase.
So little time.
However, I did take some of my remaining time to read Bill Coultas’s Revenge Finds a Home [Flanker Press].
Time not wasted.
A synopsis of sorts. In 1820, instead of returning to Ireland, Peter Lynch jumps ship in Newfoundland because Captain Peyton is a mean ol’ frigger. Pete hie-dee-hoes off into the bush and, almost immediately, gets tangled up with a band of Beothuk.
Nigh onto two hundred years later, one of Peter’s descendants, Robert Lynch, is a Detective Inspector with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and …
… and Professor John Peyton, a reprobate with a reputation of “aggressively courting female students” is murdered at his cabin just off the beaten path of the renown East Coast Trail.
Cause of death?
An indigenous-looking arrow piercing his neck.
Find the time to grab yourself a copy of the book and read this murder story in its entirety.
I don’t know about this next bit, so I must ask Bill if it’s an intended pun.
A Mr. Traverse, a birdwatcher who finds Peyton’s body because of an encounter with a coyote, says to DC Lynch, “I’ve seen coyotes before. They are usually pretty coy…”
A coy coyote.
Bill b’y?
Incidentally, when Mr. Traverse spots said coy coyote it’s toting Peyton’s decaying forearm in its chops.
Turn the page.
Shame on me, I’d never heard tell of Ramah chert — a kind of flint apparently — until I encountered it in this story. In case you’ve as oblivious as I, Ramah chert is a rare stone only found in Northern Labrador.
Intrigued, I dodged over to Mr. Google’s house to have a gander at some images of chert — cherts? And guess what. Among Mr. Google’s images were pictures of Ramah chert arrowheads …
… much like the arrowhead protruding from John Peyton’s neck.
Ah-ha.
Another thing.
If I were quasi-famous — if only in a small pond — and The Telegram’s 20 Questions person asked me, “What do you like most about Revenge Finds a Home?” this would be my answer —
I like the way the author has paralleled the timelines — Peter Lynch’s time broadside to Robert Lynch’s time.
And if asked, “Is there a single second in this book that causes you to chuckle?” —
When Karen, DC Lynch’s ducky, but also a Mountie suffering from PTSD, points a cocked pistol at Lynch’s noggin, pulls the trigger, and a BANG flag pops from the barrel.
Chuckle.
Thank you for taking a few moments of your precious little time to read these scribbles.
July 6, 2025
I have to start off by saying what a great cover this book has. Very intriguing.
This book was bought for me as a gift by someone who knows how I love to read stories of all kinds about Newfoundland. I'm grateful for that because I probably wouldn't have bought a "police procedural" for myself. I really did enjoy this book, though.
The author seamlessly weaves the past and the present into a single, dramatic tale. It makes Newfoundland feel timeless, but somehow also contemporary. Newfoundland's history with Irish immigrants, Beothuk natives, fishing and trade has matured into this story.
The author does a good job of presenting all of the difficult emotions that arise when people are affected by a violent crime. And not just the obvious crime that starts off this story; as it goes on, we learn about other crimes that have happened. Secrets are revealed. I was left wondering about the moral implications of revenge. It's never a bad thing when a book causes a reader to stop and question things.
This book was bought for me as a gift by someone who knows how I love to read stories of all kinds about Newfoundland. I'm grateful for that because I probably wouldn't have bought a "police procedural" for myself. I really did enjoy this book, though.
The author seamlessly weaves the past and the present into a single, dramatic tale. It makes Newfoundland feel timeless, but somehow also contemporary. Newfoundland's history with Irish immigrants, Beothuk natives, fishing and trade has matured into this story.
The author does a good job of presenting all of the difficult emotions that arise when people are affected by a violent crime. And not just the obvious crime that starts off this story; as it goes on, we learn about other crimes that have happened. Secrets are revealed. I was left wondering about the moral implications of revenge. It's never a bad thing when a book causes a reader to stop and question things.
June 2, 2024
I enjoyed this novel from start to finish.With some history of the Newfoundland Beothuk included, it added so much to the overall story.The mystery of the story flowed well and was well executed.I hope this first time author publishes more novels as enjoyable as this one.If you enjoy Newfoundland and Labrador based books,you'll certainly enjoy this one.
November 3, 2025
This novel has a storyline which keeps you interested while also providing important social commentary.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews