High Season

Frank Coffin Mysteries #1

by Jon Loomis

Provincetown police detective Frank Coffin had been a well-respected Baltimore homicide detective. But when he started having panic attacks at crime scenes and fainting at the sight of corpses, he was forced to pack it in and go home to Cape Cod, where the most gruesome crimes confronting P'towns five year-round cops were usually break-ins, bicycle thefts and domestic disputes.

 
After eight uneventful years, a vacationing TV evangelist turns up dead on the beach at Herring Cove, wearing a wig, a pink-and-yellow muumuu, and a pair of size-twelve pumps. Not to mention the raspberry-colored taffeta scarf strangling his neck. Ordinarily, the Cape and Islands DA's office and the State Police investigate major crimes on the Cape, but P'town's powers-that-be are nervous. Coffin's given a choice by the new police chief: investigate or lose his job.

 
So Frank and his partner, Officer Lola Winters, an ex--army MP, start out on the trail of a killer, visiting the restaurants and tourist spots the evangelist and his wife visited by day, and the drag bars and isolated trysting spots he might have frequented at night.  As the body count begins to rise, however, it becomes alarmingly clear that this wasn't an isolated incident: A killer with an agenda is at large in Provincetown.

 
Tracking a murderer is something Coffin hoped he'd never have to do again, and the experience triggers the same nightmares that plagued the end of his time in Baltimore.  And if his life isn't complicated enough, Frank's girlfriend Jamie thinks she's being stalked by an overzealous suitor; his senile mother is stirring up trouble at the nursing home; and everyone in town has a theory about who's committing the murders.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, LGBT

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2007

About the author

Jon Loomis is an American poet and writer. He is a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Vanitas Motel, his first book of poetry, won the 1997 annual FIELD prize in poetry. He is also the author of the Frank Coffin mysteries set in Provincetown, MA.

Reviews

[Moi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, slightly more than two stars. It was an enjoyable fluff read about a quirky detective who gets queasy around bodies and is suddenly faced with a stack of them in his quiet resort hometown. There is some cuteness, and the writing is fair to good, but I confess that some of the cliche's set my teeth on edge. For example, the detective is paunchy and graying and mentally unstable and lives in a junkyard of a house, yet his girlfriend is a full ten years younger, a yoga instructor with a perfect body, desired by all the men in town, stops by to prepare gourmet dinners for him, and never, ever wears underwear. I'm just rolling my eyes here. But then Loomis will do something unexpected like populate the story with a huge number of varied gay characters. We have the club goers in leather, high on ecstasy; the butch cop; the closeted televangelist; and a good number of normal, everyday folk who just happen to be gay. The openness with which Loomis writes about homosexual folks without either canonizing them or condemning them is refreshing. Even so, the unevenness of his talent means I probably won't go knocking down any Barnes and Noble displays scrambling after his next publications.

[Einar Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Coffin is one of my favorite fictional detectives. He’s kind, blunt, sarcastic, loving, and struggling with demons from his past. He’s the star of High Season, a wonderful mystery novel by Jon Loomis. I read Loomis’s third mystery (Fire Season) several months ago after finding it at a groovy bookstore in Provincetown, MA. This one was equally riveting and helped me understand all the characters better including Coffin and fellow Officer Lola Winters, who is also an amazing character. Next is Mating Season, which also takes place in P-town. High Season was great, Fire Season was great.

[AngelaGay Kinkead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good-enough story and setting (Provincetown, MA), but too much profanity and "mature-audience" references than I felt were necessary to the story. I probably won't read another Jon Loomis mystery. There are so many other books on my list.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the series debut of Frank Coffin, an ex-Baltimore homicide detective who got sick – literally – of seeing dead bodies, quit the force and moved back to his hometown of Provincetown, Massachusetts to become a police officer there, working for his uncle the Chief. Frank’s logic being that working in Provincetown where “alternate lifestyles” are the norm, his weak psyche wouldn’t be haunted by murderers and their victims.

Well so much for logic and best laid plans. The book opens with the disappearance of a gay-bashing TV evangelist who likes to dress up in drag. Not bad for an opener. His body, dressed in a muumuu, is soon found and Frank is once again tasked with solving a murder.

High Season is full of characters - at times too many - and a lot of the local Provincetown color – at times too much – which does hinder the plot/pacing of the tale. That being said, the book is still an entertaining read and I will look for its sequel. I’m also curious to see how the series evolves as there is a Carl Hiaasen-esque potential here with both the characters and locale.

[Trudy]

So Frank Coffin hates tourists. He's got a yoga instructor girlfriend who wants a baby and wishes his partner, Lola, wasn't a lesbian. Sounds like a man ready for paternity to me. Not too much, so far, to endear Frank to me. Set in Provincetown, the author references places loosely based on actual businesses. I think the Tip Top Diner was actually Tips for Tops'n on Bradford St. that is closed now. There's a nursing home on Alden St. that could be Valley View Nursing Home where Frank's mother lives with her Alzheimer's, with its view of the town cemetery. Coyotes in Provincetown's open areas is true. I found articles from the early 2000' s about it. So, I continued to be interested in who perpetrated the murders. Never would have figured it out on my own. I'll try another one, if I can find one used.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. I feel like there's potential here, but it never quite came together for me. This book has a lot of character and charm, but the writing seemed really uneven for me. The characters are interesting and diverse. There are a lot of gay and lesbian characters that don't fall into the usual cultural stereotypes which is quite refreshing and the atmosphere of the east coast setting is very enjoyable. However, the pacing of this book doesn't allow me to really enjoy that. Reading this book felt like I as watching a moving on fast forward. Characters and places are introduced and then vanish without giving me any time to enjoy them. I wanted to yell "SLOW DOWN!" several times. Also, this mystery itself is kinda all over the place which makes it difficult to follow. The one character that I really didn't like was Coffin's girlfriend. She's young, she cooks him dinner, she has a perfect body, she does yoga, she doesn't wear underwear, she's kinky, and her only flaw is that she wants a baby. Heck, she doesn't even want to get married first, just give her the baby. She was the type of female character that I really don't like because she comes across more as a male fantasy than an actual, well-developed person. This book has a lot of quirkyness and charm to admire, but I don't think the story is organized enough for me to continue the series.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know how Frank and Lola would get out of that mess at the end. I was pleasantly surprised and love how the characters are necessitated upon each other. Near the end, it was difficult to put the book down.

[Linnet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provincetown is in upheaval . . . murders are occurring all over the place . . . Frank Coffin a local policeman is beside himself. He moved from Baltimore because he simply couldn't deal with murder. He was looking for a small town and little action.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that I enjoyed this book better than most. The stars I give are based on my enjoyment factor, not literary merit, and this book was cheap 4 star fun, picked up as a library withdrawal...making it even more fun!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an easy read that I enjoyed. It’s great to read stories which include gay characters. I’ve been to Provincetown many times so it made the read a little more interesting with streets and landmarks of which I am familiar. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel in the near future.

[erocchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun “who’ s doing it”. I didn’t figure it out till the end. The bantering dialogue is fun and realistic. Reminds me of Connolly’s Bosch. Lots of great characters!

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summer detective read, set in Ptown and plenty of colorful characters.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story premise. Quick read.

[Ashleigh Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on Libby. A great, quick mystery.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Jake Landry,
SETTING: Provincetown, Massachusetts
SERIES: Police procedural
RATING: 2.75
RATING: 3 quills

Provincetown is a town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Sometimes called "P-town", the town is known for its beaches, harbor, artists, tourist industry, and is perhaps the best-known gay summer resort on the east coast of the United States. In the past, the locals could count on the advent of Labor Day to see the population decrease; however, that is no longer the case as the tourist season has expanded to the point where there are festivals and events year-round. It's a colorful place with a wide diversity of straight and homosexual lifestyles represented and tolerated.

There's not a lot of violent crime in Provincetown, and that's exactly the way that police detective Frank Coffin likes it. Previously, he had a notable career with the Baltimore Police Department; however, he began to experience horrible panic attacks at crime scenes and decided to move to a quieter environment. But his serenity is shattered when a nationally known televangelist is found murdered at a local beach, his body clad in a flowerred muumuu. Several other deaths follow. They appear to be linked to the fact that property prices have risen significantly, and development companies are trying to take over the desirable real estate in the area. There's a bit of a conflict about who owns the investigations for these murders; technically, they are under the auspices of the state police, but in reality, it's Frank and his colleagues who discover what is going on.

The most interesting characters are part of the police department or governing body of the town, including Officer Lola, Frank's lesbian partner, and Rudy, former police chief and Frank's uncle. Frank himself has a collection of phobias in addition to his panic attacks, such as his dislike of being on boats, that I assume are supposed to make him "quirky". The real appeal of the book is in its depiction of the funky setting and Loomis's vivid descriptions of the inhabitants. Other than that, the book is pretty much standard fare.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad use of some leftover Audible dollars, and worth the current price of $4.95 there. The only thing I didn't care for was having to listen to (as opposed to skim past) the TMI sex scenes between Coffin and his girlfriend - ugh! Charles Bice's narration was fine, except for his habit of pronouncing the nearby town of Orleans as OR-lee-ans; I've always heard it as Or-LEANS.
As for the story itself, the scene-setting worked well (I've never been to P'town myself), and the pacing moved along without getting bogged down. The secondary characters served to support the story, without overshadowing Coffin - I especially liked his partner Lola, and friend Kowalski. May sound harsh, but I didn't really care for his girlfriend, and her angst about her ticking biological clock ... zzzzzzz ... and was secretly hoping she'd be killed off the one time she was in danger (spoiler: no such luck). Also, perhaps I'm not cynical enough, but I found it tough to believe the baddies could pull off quite that level of corruption.
I'll wait a while to tackle the sequel Mating Season, listening to it if the audio's been produced, or reading the print version otherwise.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Jon Loomis's first book in a hopefully long series of books about Detective Frank Coffin who works out of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Unfortunately I read the second in the series first (Mating Season). I would have liked to read these books in the order they were written. Nevertheless the lack of sequence did nothing to dull my enjoyment of this wonderful mystery novel.

Frank Coffin is a hoot. Formerly a big-city detective, he moved to Provincetown when he started having panic attacks and fainting at the site of bloody crime scenes. Life in Provincetown is folksy and unusual with its drag queens, inflated real estate and overpriced restaurants but Coffin is at peace for several years until he starts investigating the case of a TV evangelist who turns up murdered while dressed in a big wig, muumuu and really large high heels.

Subplots involve Coffin's foul-mouthed, nursing-home bound mother and his motley crew of disreputable relatives as well as a girlfriend who wants to get pregnant and a police partner who is a lesbian who is very handy with a gaff hook.

Loved this book, loved the second one which I read first, and can't wait for Loomis to continue writing so I can continue reading. This one's definitely a keeper!!

[Alannah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cool mystery about former Baltimore homicide cop Frank Coffin, who has returned to his former hometown after he's had his fill of death. Life as a small town cop includes a variety of colorful characters, including relatives of Frank's who may not exactly be aligned with the law. After a vocal anti-gay minister is found dead on a well-known gay beach dress in drag, Frank finds himself once again embroiled in the type of homicide case he's been running from.

I like Frank a lot. I love the variety of supporting characters, including the cranky Dodge he inherited after his mother had been put in a nursing home. The only thing that really clanked for me was the idea that his girlfriend is supposed to be this young, hot yoga instructor who wants to sacrifice her great body to have a baby with Frank - a tired, nearly-middle-aged guy with a stagnant career and no money. I just don't find it one bit believable. At least give her a daddy complex or cop groupie syndrome or SOMETHING to explain why this guy is so attractive to her.

Other than that, though, I really got into this story. Will definitely seek out the other books in the series!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I had a really great time reading this book because it is set in Provincetown on Cape Cod, so it was instantly fun and familiar. The nature of the mystery itself is not constructed in a manner than can begin to touch some of the better ones out there today, like "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, which is a NY Times Bestseller and is quite well done. BUT, some reads are for fun...and this was fun. Immediately downloaded "Mating Season", which is book two of the series. My hope is that Loomis, like most authors, gets better with each book...stronger editing helps when the publisher realizes the author is worth the investment. Stay tuned...

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a bit of mystery in a familiar setting, check out High Season by Jon Loomis . Frank Coffin is an aged cop who comes back from Baltimore to his hometown of Provincetown seeking more relaxed police work. He soon has his hands full with multiple murders, a young girlfriend who wants to have a baby, and colorful P-Towners with large personalities. It's a quick read with some laughs and decent character development, and a good first novel. We'll be sure to see some more Frank Coffin mysteries soon.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very nicely done murder mystery. The first body to turn up is a homophobic nationally known Reverend. Found dressed in drag on a strip of beach known as Dick Dock. Soon others will follow and it will be up to Frank Coffin to unravel all of the clues before someone else, or maybe himself or his partner, gets whacked. This book reminded of a nice roast placed in the slow cooker. Given some time it can turn up a tasty dish. While moving slowly, the book does have a method to it and I think that this author shows a lot of promise on his first novel.

[Shiela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quirky murder mystery up until the resolution which seemed to come out of nowhere. Well plotted with so many characters and occurrences, it was a delightful challenge to keep track of who’s doing what with whom. With characters named Dr. Branstool, who is the director and head doctor of the Senior citizen’s home, to Gordita Derriere, a cross dressing bar singer, this darkly comic novel is sure to put a smile on your face and one time or another.

[DROPPING OUT · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in the series about a former Baltimore detective whose phobias send him back to his hometown, an approximation of Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he becomes a local cop. Loomis captures the unusual tone of Princetown's high season through the eyes of a local. Bodies start piling up and the cop has to live through his fears.

Not a bad start; some engaging characters, and several totally unnecessary sex scenes.

Two and one-half stars.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a great sense of place and interesting characters, including the compelling protaganist Frank Coffin, High Season will have you feeling like you have explored Provincetown, including aspects that tourists never get to see.

Jon Loomis has a way with names, including the victim that starts the book off, Reverend Ron Merkin

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loomis's grip on exposition is amazing. Even if the characters were somewhat fuzzy and the mystery pretty predictable, the skill in which Loomis uses exposition alone is worthy of 4 stars. In his novel, he made a fishing town in new england come to life whether it be through beams of sunlight through windows or seals poking their heads out of the water after a scene.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hearing Jon Loomis on NPR talk about living and writing in Provincetown, I added his book "High Season" to my must-read list. While it took a few chapters to get into the story, once the story got going, I couldn't put it down. With this mystery, who-done-it, I really had NO CLUE who the bad guy was until the second-to-last chapter. That makes for a great page turner!

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Coffin was a Baltimore homicide detective who started having panic attacks at crime scenes. He escapes to a low pressure job as a cop on Cape Cod. But when the body of a local anti-gay minister turns up—in full drag—life as a cop in Provincetown doesn’t seem like such an easy gig. The book started out full of promise but bogged down with a subplot about a real estate development scam.

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were interesting, as was the story. It's especially enjoyable if you know P'Town well at all, as many of the places are recognizable (even if they masked by pseudonyms), as are the characters that populate the town. I'm looking forward to reading the next book(s) in the series.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Interesting first book, we'll see if they get better. Can't help questioning some choices, such as leaving an obvious member of a cabal to his own thing. Plus realizing that if the main bad guy hadn't tried to kill the protagonist, they might not have caught him. They were kinda getting close, but they were still spinning wheels.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did... overly simplistic and not as satisfying as it could have been. The eventual reveal of the killer is lame and unbelievable. Almost all of the secondary characters are hollow. However, there's a lot of potential in Coffin's back story and in Provincetown as a location.