The Flies of August

by P.J. Lee

When a wealthy insurance executive is gutted with a garden tool amid his rhododendrons, a quiet Connecticut town bursts into the public eye. Rookie detective Donna Bradley, snubbed from the high-profile case, is saddled with an unrelated search for a teenage runaway. The girl’s parents—a beaten-down father mired in debt and an ailing mother—are mysteriously evasive. A reclusive Englishman seems to have an unhealthy interest in the girl. As the town’s startling secrets are uncovered, Donna’s search for a killer becomes a search for herself, as the pressures of the investigation tear away her defenses. “The Flies of August” unfolds through one hot, harrowing summer as the American recession drives rich and poor alike to desperate measures.

Genres: Mystery

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2013

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a brilliant and engaging police procedural, with dynamic and interesting characters and a plot that was perfectly paced. I particularly LOVED the main character/primary narrator, Donna Bradley. I thought she was a very sympathetic character with a lot of grit and guts, a perfect balance between a very strong female personality with very empathetic, humane faults. I loved the dynamic between her and Tony and her and Bryan. I literally can't think of anything to criticize about this book.

[Glynis Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Various themes dance around the edges of this detective novel. Donna Bradley and her past, the investigation into the disappearance of Amber and her personal distrust of relationships. What will prevail?

Moral questions are asked from Donna Bradley, we feel her angst and instinctive intelligence, clearly feel the darkness in the autopsy room as though we were there.

Lee is an emotive and precise author who evokes a well-paced but thinking reader's novel.

I was left wishing for more.

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and story lines. If it wasn't for some loose ends and British slang/terms put into the mouths of Americans, I would have given it more stars. I will definitely look out for more books by this author.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into the book, and at first I was not sure I liked Donna but something happened midway and I was hooked. Ironically, this feels like a today (2026) issue surprising it was written a while ago.

[Gina Stowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. The characters were very interesting and the big reveal was surprising, however I feel more time could have been spent on the final revelations. But overall a good read.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I can’t remember much about this and I never rated it. Don’t know when I read it, dates are approximate.

[Robert Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.J. Lee seems to have sprung from the womb as a fully formed writer of detective fiction. This is Patrick Lee’s first novel (and only novel to date as far as I can tell). He grew up in South Africa, and now lives in Connecticut. As a child he had a passion for reading and writing.

As a detective novel, The Flies of Summer gets the flavor of the genre spot on. As a first novel, it’s pretty amazing. Lee’s protagonist is police detective Donna Bradley, a complex and dark character who is a superb detective, but has relentless inner demons. Despite that, she handles herself with aplomb, at least most of the time. She fears losing it in front of a bunch of male cops who are dying to see her lose it. She has an evolved sense of right and wrong, and is easily angered when wrong prevails. Near the end she does something so stunning that her character becomes infinitely more interesting, complex, and deep.

The plot is strictly genre. That is, a real page turner for those of us who love detective/crime fiction. The dialogue is realistic, the characters are totally believable, and there are enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. And there is plenty of what is best in the detective genre: deep insight into the workings of troubled minds.

The prose is brilliant. I normally don't do a lot of quoting. I'm making an exception. Here are just a few examples: “Ingerson reluctantly moves his eyes to me; not a guy who likes to acknowledge female authority. He has very hairy arms and the assessing gaze of a reptile that eats its prey whole and so has to get accurate measurements”, and “You know when you try not to think about something? It becomes the thing splattered on the windshield of your consciousness.”, and “Inside the laundromat a Puerto Rican woman with a low center of gravity is loading the day’s service washes”. About an elite exclusive prep school: “There’s a notice board next to the door with first aid instructions including an illustrated guide on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, in case one of the students aspirates his silver spoon.” You get the picture. Good Genre fiction, as opposed to classic literature, is generally highly regarded for its plot and character development, not so much for the quality of the writing. I think The Flies of Summer may be a welcome exception to that rule.

This book bodes well for a long writing career for P.J. Lee. I wish him well, and look forward to his next book, which I hope is another Donna Bradley adventure. If that happens, I’m seeing Bradley as the next Kinsey Millhone, only grittier, by way of Elmore Leonard (R.I.P.).

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really impressive first novel. The prose is wonderful and the story feels so human. It definitely exceeded my expectations.

The characters were wonderful. I liked that Donna was such a balanced character. She has actual weaknesses and it's very believable that it was her first time taking the lead on a case.

The plot itself is intriguing to the very end. I appreciated how Lee managed to bring everything together. The resolution of the mystery felt logical, not completely out of the left field.

I only have a few criticisms. Firstly, I felt like the chapter structure was odd. With the memories and current situation put into the same chapter, it seemed as if things were bleeding together at times. Secondly, the book was one chapter too long. I thought that the penultimate chapter was a far better ending to the story.

Overall, very happy I read this & I will be looking to read more by Lee in the future.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever go dumpster diving for all those cool treasures that people with too much disposable income throw out? Haha, yeah, me too. Well, after reading this excellent mystery/police procedural, you may decide to give the dumpsters a miss and just stick with curbside shopping.

A teen goes missing, and we learn about her through her parents, her friends, a guy for whom she dogwalks.

What is the connection between this and the dumpsters, you may ask. Well, if you have to ask, you haven’t been including enough mysteries in your literary diet.

This wonderfully written story is told from the perspective of a lady cop who just made detective, and this is her first murder case. Lots of good characters in it, nothing improbable, and stuff that makes you wonder why cops want to be cops.

I gave it a five because I thought it was excellent for its genre.

[Shawn Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rookie police detective Donna Bradley is given a seemingly low-profile missing person case and a new partner (babysitter) while the rest of the department works on a high profile murder investigation. As the only female detective in her department, she feels as if she needs to prove herself at all times.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, the hits and misses of the investigation, and the story as it unfolded. I especially enjoyed the developing relationship between Donna ("call me Bradley") and her new partner Tony.

I think it must be very difficult to deal with the rule breakers of society day in and day put and still remain a caring and hopeful human being. I think this book was able to capture that struggle.

[Adriane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book even though when I started reading I was a little bit sceptical thinking that the book was going to be very clichéd. Which very much turned out not to be the case.

The story took us into the police's case which seemed realistic and plausible, without losing any of the books ability to shock and be hard hitting. As well as letting us watch how the main characters grew with the story and the progression of time. It was nice to have a young female lead who was still learning her trade and you got an idea of the struggle it was personally and professionally to be in this kind of situation on a case such as this.

Overall it was a good book and I was sad to see the characters go.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intricately plotted mystery/police procedural set in a moderately-sized Connecticut community with the usual continuum of poverty through lower-middle and middle-class to wealthy, this novel will keep readers riveted at the unexpected twists. It's also gratifying to watch the character evolution of the protagonist, Detective Donna Bradley. Revelation of character progression is especially skillful here, in the context of a first-person narrative, where the character must demonstrate not only through her personal thought processes, but also by her speech and actions, and via the metaphorical mirror which other characters hold up.

[Tina (A Novel Time With Tina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what to think of this story.Tony, a stabilizing force, is teamed with Donna (a.k.a detective Bradley), a rookie investigator who runs high on emotion and justice, as together they are out to solve the second crime of a sleepy town, the first a high profile unsolved murder, the second a missing teenager turned murder. The story is bleak, dark, and grey throughout, like a dingy cop show, without a hint of sunlight poking through. Covers the bitter side of injustice of monetary advantages and disadvantages, and the solving of two seemingly unrelated crimes.

[Lori Weis coffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donna Bradley, newbie detective is placed on a minor case in regards to a missing teenager. The book jumps around a bit initially from the main story to "memory segments" of several of the characters. It is a bit jumbled but comes together 1/2 way through. The author tries to add a few more plot thickeners in the last 1/3 of the book which is good but done in too small of a space and detail is lost. Overall, fairly engaging main character who shows growth and becomes likable.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and suitably grisly mystery that draws a picture of a community while it weaves its tale of murder. Threaded through the story are insights into police procedure, as well as a woman struggling to find her power in a male-dominated workplace and keep her life on track. I had a lot of affection for the protagonist and was almost sorry when the mystery was solved and the book ended.

[Leann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an amazing mystery/police procedure that kept me reading well after bedtime. The characters are well developed and evolve during story. Decription is rich but not heavy-handed. Pacing moves the plot steadily forward. There are a few point-of-view shifts that give the reader insights into other characters that the detectives will never have. The writing is excellent with sound grammar and mechanics. Very clean editing--I saw only one typographical error. I strongly recommend this novel.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery is a well-written and very enjoyable read. I am hoping the author will write more with the protagonist, as she is an interesting character. A good mystery needs to be a good journey to the solution; not just focused on "tricking" the reader w red herrings, misleading clues etc--though these are amply provided as well! This journey is well worth the trip.

[Susan Mills Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FLIES OF AUGUST is a good read. The characters are likeable and complex. The pacing of the plot is well thought out and compelling. It is the kind of book that the reader doesn't want to put down. I liked the interaction between characters especially Detective Donna Bradley and her partner Tony. Good ending that brings closure. I look forward to more books by P.J. Lee.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much I can add to the other reviews. The Flies of August does not read like a first novel, but like one from a very experienced author. The characters, plot and settings are all spot on. I like Donna so much that I would love to read about her subsequent cases, so here's hoping for sequels.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.

[Barbara Hamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I only read 13% and I skim read some of that. I didn't like the writing. Seemed like author was working hard at creating description which was annoying. I stopped often because I was caught up in thinking,"what, that is bad grammar, or geez". I lost the storyline.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little mystery/police procedural. Good plot line and well developed characters.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Flies of August. It was written in the first person, almost as a journal, to me it was like charting the growth of the lead character over the course of her first murder case.

[Sehlschide · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the main character-especially her sense of humor. The plot pulled me in, but parts of it fit together a little to neatly.

[Susan Wisnewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, couldn't put it down. Great characterization and lists of twists.