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Headlong
Fiction. It's a hot Boston summer, and Nick Young, a washed-up journalist back in town to care for his dying father, is feeling the heat. Using his old skills to solve a mystery before the police do: to connect the dots between a major labor strike, a violent Occupy-style movement, and a murder that may involve his best friend's teen son. HEADLONG is a literary thriller about fathers, sons, eco-terrorism, murder, immaturity, anarchism, marriage, friendship and failure.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2013
2 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Ron MacLean
11 books22 followersRon’s fiction has appeared in GQ, Greensboro Review, Prism International, Night Train and other quarterlies. He is a recipient of the Frederick Exley Award for Short Fiction and a Pushcart Prize nominee. When he teaches, he does so at Grub Street, Boston’s independent writing center.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 24, 2013
If this book were an animal, it would be a canny and agile black cat running the back-alleys of Boston.
If this book were a drink, it would be a a Guinness served at the long-ago defunct Littlest Pub in Downtown Boston on a cold winter night and drunk with gusto.
A smart, literary page-turner about recently-divorced, self-doubting news-columnist, Nick Young, who returns to Boston to care for his ailing father and reconnect with his oldest friends. But Nick quickly gets caught in a perfect storm of an explosive labor strike, a wave of anarchist eco-terrorism, and possible murder, all of which are somehow mysteriously connected. Nick soon realizes that unless he can find and assemble the broken pieces of both this mystery and his own life, things might go very, very bad for the people he loves.
If this book were a drink, it would be a a Guinness served at the long-ago defunct Littlest Pub in Downtown Boston on a cold winter night and drunk with gusto.
A smart, literary page-turner about recently-divorced, self-doubting news-columnist, Nick Young, who returns to Boston to care for his ailing father and reconnect with his oldest friends. But Nick quickly gets caught in a perfect storm of an explosive labor strike, a wave of anarchist eco-terrorism, and possible murder, all of which are somehow mysteriously connected. Nick soon realizes that unless he can find and assemble the broken pieces of both this mystery and his own life, things might go very, very bad for the people he loves.
November 24, 2013
This book is the real deal: so we'll written that it sneaks up on you and hooks you in. I didn't want to put it down and was disappointed when it was over. A story to savor with lots of real humanity, self-doubt and humility. Well done.
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April 28, 2019“You’re so full of shit. Your whole generation. You wake up one day, think, Wow, we’re destroying the planet. Let’s study the causes, hold a candlelight vigil then turn the whole mess over to our kids. Here. Sorry.”
I’ve always had a strange fascination with murder. Before you ask, no I never have nor ever would commit it but have always been interested in the motifs behind certain barbaric acts. After all, aren’t we all? Just take a look at the rise of shows such as Criminal Minds, SVU and Law & Order and the recent interest in serial killers such as Ted Bundy. So it is safe to say that crime novels have always been at the forefront of America’s favorite genre. So when I received Headlong, I was thrilled to dive into the mystery that was about to take place. An entrant in the Next Generation Indie Awards in 2014, Headlong has everything that one could want from a gripping novel: political activism, a humorous first person narrative, and of course, murder. Ron MacLean flawlessly weaves multiple storylines throughout his novel while keeping the reader engaged and entertained from start to finish.
Nick Young, Headlong’s protagonist and narrator, is a recently divorced, ex-journalist who has been beckoned home from Los Angeles to take care of his dying, estranged father. Struggling under the weight of his father’s piling medical bills and his own sense of self-loathing, Nick grapples with the possibility of being tied down to a life in Boston once again. Nick’s voice adds elements of humor to this tense novel with his frequent quips and self-deprecating jokes.
You can read the rest of our review on our website here:
https://callmebrackets.net/headlong/
I’ve always had a strange fascination with murder. Before you ask, no I never have nor ever would commit it but have always been interested in the motifs behind certain barbaric acts. After all, aren’t we all? Just take a look at the rise of shows such as Criminal Minds, SVU and Law & Order and the recent interest in serial killers such as Ted Bundy. So it is safe to say that crime novels have always been at the forefront of America’s favorite genre. So when I received Headlong, I was thrilled to dive into the mystery that was about to take place. An entrant in the Next Generation Indie Awards in 2014, Headlong has everything that one could want from a gripping novel: political activism, a humorous first person narrative, and of course, murder. Ron MacLean flawlessly weaves multiple storylines throughout his novel while keeping the reader engaged and entertained from start to finish.
Nick Young, Headlong’s protagonist and narrator, is a recently divorced, ex-journalist who has been beckoned home from Los Angeles to take care of his dying, estranged father. Struggling under the weight of his father’s piling medical bills and his own sense of self-loathing, Nick grapples with the possibility of being tied down to a life in Boston once again. Nick’s voice adds elements of humor to this tense novel with his frequent quips and self-deprecating jokes.
You can read the rest of our review on our website here:
https://callmebrackets.net/headlong/
January 29, 2024
Out of work hipster leftie journalist with failed marriage, no kids, returns to Boston to attend to his unloved and unloveable dying father. He gets mixed up with some activist young people, one of whom he is supposed to protect (but doesn’t) and another whom he lusts after. Meanwhile janitors go on strike and the city of Boston is in turmoil. He goes to clubs to see bands, but doesn’t care about them. Lots of local Boston street names, landmarks, watering holes, etc. Supposedly a mystery, but I guessed the culprit early on. Could not understand how this ineffectual immature adult guy could not see it and do something when he had a chance. Frustrating.
June 20, 2018
Fun activist/political thriller. Striking janitors, eco-anarchist vandals, a journalist getting his groove back. Plot and prose move swiftly. I stayed interested the whole time. One of the few books that has drawn me away from computer and TV in recent memory. That is, I didn't have to consciously make time everyday to get through it. I read it in bed, in waiting rooms, in the car as I idled at a train station, etc. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2013
With its themes of activism, father/son relationships and militant cleaning ladies, I was hoping for a bit of gritty realism from this novel. Ultimately I was left disappointed as the dramatic events always seemed to take place at some remove from the reader, and I felt like a passive observer rather than getting involved with the story.
The whole thing is seen through the eyes of Nick, divorced forty-something journalist in a career rut and sometime “hand-wringing wanker”. He mostly hangs out with his friend’s teenage son who moves in a circle of angry activists, when he’s not visiting his seriously ill father who is mulishly racking up medical bills instead of dying like a responsible old boy. It’s a shame to have this viewpoint, as Nick has only the vaguest idea what is going on or how he feels about it. It’s a bit like seeing the action on a TV screen when really you would like to be watching it live. In truth, a lot of the action IS relayed via TV reports because Nick fancies the news anchor, particularly when she’s wearing crimson.
The writing is competent and there is a clear understanding of the different viewpoints in the industrial dispute, as well as the eco-terrorists who hi-jack the situation. What is missing is any kind of emotional connection – even where deaths occur those people nearest to the deceased seem utterly unmoved – or any kind of humour. Unless of course you count the gloriously ambiguous sentence: “I camped in front of the tube, watching the late news in my Aloha boxers with a midnight snack of raisin bran and a Cairn terrier named Archie”, which had undertones of black humour. Happily no dogs were harmed in the making of that sentence, though there were other, more disturbing scenes of canine suffering in which Nick found himself reluctantly complicit.
The most hard-hitting element of the novel for me, as a UK reader, was the whole medical bills scenario involving Nick’s father, who was practically going to have to go bankrupt in order to afford to be terminally ill. Now that really was something worth getting angry about.
The whole thing is seen through the eyes of Nick, divorced forty-something journalist in a career rut and sometime “hand-wringing wanker”. He mostly hangs out with his friend’s teenage son who moves in a circle of angry activists, when he’s not visiting his seriously ill father who is mulishly racking up medical bills instead of dying like a responsible old boy. It’s a shame to have this viewpoint, as Nick has only the vaguest idea what is going on or how he feels about it. It’s a bit like seeing the action on a TV screen when really you would like to be watching it live. In truth, a lot of the action IS relayed via TV reports because Nick fancies the news anchor, particularly when she’s wearing crimson.
The writing is competent and there is a clear understanding of the different viewpoints in the industrial dispute, as well as the eco-terrorists who hi-jack the situation. What is missing is any kind of emotional connection – even where deaths occur those people nearest to the deceased seem utterly unmoved – or any kind of humour. Unless of course you count the gloriously ambiguous sentence: “I camped in front of the tube, watching the late news in my Aloha boxers with a midnight snack of raisin bran and a Cairn terrier named Archie”, which had undertones of black humour. Happily no dogs were harmed in the making of that sentence, though there were other, more disturbing scenes of canine suffering in which Nick found himself reluctantly complicit.
The most hard-hitting element of the novel for me, as a UK reader, was the whole medical bills scenario involving Nick’s father, who was practically going to have to go bankrupt in order to afford to be terminally ill. Now that really was something worth getting angry about.
June 14, 2015
When is a mystery novel not a mystery novel? When it is also the story of a man's reluctant quest for meaning in his life, a debate on whether or not violence ever solves anything, a father/son story for today's aging baby boomers, and a sad but true take on what remains of the modern-day labor movement. (It's also a great snapshot of today's cell-phone, club music, and Boston youth culture, too). HEADLONG might not be a perfect novel - the plot winds up a little too slowly for my tastes in the first half, and then comes together too easily at the end, but it's pretty darn good.
(Disclaimer: I know Ron MacLean. He's a great guy. If you ever get the chance, you should get to know him, too.)
(Disclaimer: I know Ron MacLean. He's a great guy. If you ever get the chance, you should get to know him, too.)
October 27, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could easily relate to Nick's mid-life conflict between honoring family commitments (perceived or real), his desire to protect those around him and his need to find his own directon. The story captured the upheaval of our current political and social landscape ntertwined with murder and other crimes. Ron MacLean's characters realistically showed the unsettled feelings in all generations navigating these changes. The ending stayed with me for several days as I found myself wanting to circle back with these characters in a few years to see how they are doing.
October 18, 2013
I loved this book. I think the main character Nick and his washed up life represents what most of us fear at mid-life: what happens when you fail? Failed career, failed marriage, failed family connection. Through a richly detailed Boston setting, we watch from a safe distance as Nick flails and tries to find his footing. The great writing and serpentine crime plot are a pure delight and will keep you thinking after you finish the book.
December 20, 2013
A slow grower, I found myself more and more invested in these characters as the novel progressed. It reads like a hard-boiled detective story, but the book's primary concerns are the messy lives of its characters and what it means to be an activist in today's world. Mostly, it's about taking responsibility for one's place in the world. A universal theme, explored well.
February 22, 2014
Good book! Engaging, edgy. Absolutely worth getting past the early scene that takes you and the protagonist by shocking surprise. Whodunnit, family, relationships, society, values. Journalism today. Keeps the pages turning and keeps the variable viewpoints and perspectives on the range of values open. Definitely a good read.
October 23, 2014
review to come.... great book!!!
October 9, 2014
I would recommend this if you're from or in the Boston area. I think, ultimately, it wasn't the book I needed to read right now, so I didn't like it as much as I might have another time.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews