Frame Up

by James Phoenix

In “Frame Up” the first volume in the Fenway Burke Detective series, we find our hero living on board his floating home in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The Queen Anne’s Revenge is a fifty-eight foot steel hulled sloop that is more than sea worthy but that could use a good coat of paint. She’s birthed with craft in much better shape.

Fenway is living alone and nursing his wounds from his recent divorce. He’s drinks too much and doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself. A childhood friend with a shady background approaches him about clearing a man serving a life sentence for a crime his friend says he didn’t commit.

Against his better judgment Fenway takes the case and soon finds himself in over his head… way over his head.

Almost right from the start Fenway doesn’t like the smell of things and finds out very quickly that his client’s a patsy who’s been framed up to take a fall. But knowing it and proving it are two different things.

As he digs deeper, bodies start to pill up and he finds himself up against sinister forces far beyond his imagining, people with unlimited financial resources and International connections with some of the most violent and ruthless men on the planet. Nothing is as it seems. He’s got to clear an innocent man, find the true culprit and somehow stay in one piece.

And the odds aren’t good…Not good at all.

276 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

James Phoenix spent his literary apprenticeship as a student, a dishwasher, a waiter, a factory hand, a construction worker, a weightlifter, a bouncer, a lobste-rman, a salesman and a successful hi-tech entrepreneur. Originally from Boston’s North Shore, he and his wife Susan now split their time between South-Coastal Maine and the US Virgin islands. This is his first novel.

Reviews

[Rene Soriano]

A great read in this genre, that I have not touched since reading all the Mickey Spillane books when I was much younger. It is a heart pounding adventure throughout with a heart warming ending that could change our hero's future. I am anxious to find out if marriage and fatherhood does change a man's heart, so I am going to the library today to pick up the sequel LOOSE ENDS.

[Carol Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fenway Burke is a down and out detective, living alone on his houseboat and drinking too much when his childhood pal Tiny Dan Murphy, a major Boston bookie, asks for help exonerating Shawn Corbett, a family friend who was convicted of murder. Fenway takes the case. Corbett is definitely a bad guy, but Fenway is quickly convinced is innocent of this charge at least from early on. Danger abounds, of course, as Fenway digs into the case drawing the attention of a powerful millionaire, a crooked cop, and a high-priced hitman, all try to get him to lay off. As with any good fictional detective though, the more resistance Fenway faces, the more determined he is to get to the bottom. And he’s got Tiny and his comrades behind him, with lots of guns and muscle. And of course there are the obligatory shoot-outs and even a bomb or two.

The plot rolls along well, it’s pretty obvious that it’s a set-up, but the trick is discovering the details and finding the evidence. Who’s paying off who and why? I actually was a bit surprised by the ending.

The characters are the draw in this one. Burke is a stereotypical detective to some degree, a tough guy not afraid to collaborate with some rather shady characters, determined to find the truth no matter the consequences, but I like his dogs and his relationships with his friends. Tiny is quite a character. He seems to have unlimited resources, sometimes on the wrong side of the law, but a solid kinda guy. The plot’s solid and the quick-moving story kept my attention. You can read the first three chapters on the author’s website.

[Kirsten Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phoenix's Fenway is an engaging new character reminiscent of great private eyes of the past. The characters' dialogue is a great focal point, and action is fast paced and suspenseful. Locations around Boston are varied and entertaining, can't wait for the next installment.

[Edward Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read. the plot develops quickly, so the story evolves creating interest. He is really good at describing scenes and details giving the impression that he has experienced what he is writing about.
Unique plot....will read whatever he writes
Ed goldstein

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. On the lines of Robert Parker's Spencer series, but the characters are not as well developed.

[Chris Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Phoenix captured the essence of Boston's seedy underbelly. Well crafted plot lines add to witty dialogue.