Crimson Thaw

Detective Justice #1

by Bruce Robert Coffin

A detective's fall from grace. A rookie's baptism by fire. A town's secrets laid bare.

“…reads like the real deal—a tale of trial and redemption…” —Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries

In the unforgiving wilderness of Maine, a disgraced detective must confront his past to solve a chilling murder.

Detective Brock Justice's career is on thin ice. Once the golden boy of Maine State Police, Brock now finds himself exiled to the remote northeastern wilderness, punishment for crossing the thin blue line. Assigned to the Major Crimes Unit—North, he suffers the added indignity of partnering with newly-minted Detective Chloe Wright, a rookie with her own hidden struggles.

The pair’s uneasy alliance is put to the test almost immediately when a routine snowmobile retrieval in the coastal town of Blue Hill unexpectedly escalates into a full-blown murder investigation. Even as the case exposes the darkest corners of the town, their fragile partnership threatens to undermine the investigation at every turn.

Brock and Chloe's hunt draws them into the lives of several intriguing the town doctor, a biker gang involved in drug trafficking, a politically connected sheriff, and Brock’s own father. With each revelation, the line between ally and enemy blurs, compelling Brock and Chloe to question their trust in everyone around them, including each other.

Even as winter's icy grip loosens from Blue Hill, the noose of suspicion tightens. Brock must navigate not only a shaky partnership and a town harboring deadly secrets, but also the shadows of his own past. Can he and Chloe piece together the puzzle before Maine's wilderness swallows them whole?

Retired Detective Sergeant Bruce Robert Coffin delivers a masterful blend of police procedural and small-town intrigue in this page-turning thriller. Perfect for fans of Craig Johnson's Longmire series and C.J. Box's Joe Pickett novels.

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Praise for Crimson Thaw:

“A superior, Connelly-esque procedural that ratchets up the tension page by page.” —Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Blind to Midnight

“Smooth as buttah in the telling, Coffin’s layered characters almost leap off the page to sit in your lap.” —Tracy Clark, award-winning author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series and the Det. Harriet Foster series

“The pace is break-neck swift, the writing crisp, and the tension nearly unbearable…” —Baron Birtcher, award-winning and bestselling author of Knife River

“Brock Justice is a protagonist worth following.” —Paul Doiron, author of Dead by Dawn

“...suspenseful and extremely entertaining.” —Chris Miller, Best Thriller Books

“One of the most mesmerizing crime fiction series starters I’ve read in years…” —LynDee Walker, bestselling author of the Faith McClellan series

“...drips with gritty authenticity and razor-sharp detail.” —Brian Shea, author of the Boston Crime Thriller series

“...a masterfully creative and riveting tale of suspense.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Procedural, Thriller

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Bruce Robert Coffin is the award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries. A former detective sergeant, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine's largest city. Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Bruce spent 4 years investigating counter-terrorism cases for the FBI, earning the Director's Award, the highest award a non-agent can receive.

His short fiction appears in a number of anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2016.

www.brucerobertcoffin.com

Reviews

[Janet Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well if you want an all-action start to your police novels, it doesn’t get much better than the opening chapter of Crimson Thaw. It sets the mood, sets the pace and certainly gets the blood flowing – yours, mine, cops and villains alike. And that’s only by way of warming us up for the rest of the novel, Hell of an act to follow. But Bruce Coffin does it. Doesn’t he always?

For me the pleasure is in the author’s clever use of structure and language, a set of characters he gives us that we can believe in and care about, and a plot that Coffin weaves carefully and develops solidly. All in all a great read!

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review – Crimson Thaw
Release Date: November 5, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Crimson Thaw is a gripping, atmospheric police procedural that grabbed me from the opening chapter and didn’t let go. As an early reader through an ARC, I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced this masterfully crafted story ahead of release—it’s clear from the very first page just how much care Bruce Robert Coffin put into every detail.



I’m a huge fan of character-driven crime fiction, and this novel delivers everything I love: a fallen-from-grace detective, a green but quietly strong rookie, and a case that pulls back the layers of a small town rotting from within. The tension is relentless, the setting is vividly rendered, and the procedural elements are done with an authenticity that feels both grounded and urgent.


Detective Brock Justice is a standout protagonist—flawed, stubborn, and haunted by his past, yet impossible not to root for. His dynamic with rookie Detective Chloe Wright is full of tension, skepticism, and slow-building respect. Watching their uneasy partnership evolve under pressure was one of my favorite elements of the book. I especially appreciated how Chloe was written with nuance—she’s not just “the new kid,” but a complex character with secrets and strengths of her own.

As a reader who loves both procedural realism and small-town noir, this book hit every note just right. I’m already eager for the next installment.


🎶“In the Woods Somewhere” – Hozier

🎶“Castle” – Freya Ridings

[Mike Flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man. What a book. Character development and dialogue are once again my favorite part. Bruce creates such vivid characters that bring the scenes alive. I love the Maine setting and being able to picture where everything is but even if I was r from Maine, I would still be able to visualize it all. Great read. Highly recommend.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Severn River Publishing and Bruce Robert Coffin for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3⭐- we follow Brock Justice, a detective in Maine whose career is on thin ice. Once a golden boy in his department, he's now working in the major crimes unit alongside Chloe Write, a rookie with her own demons. This causes an interesting dynamic between the two.

Although this book started off a little slow, it's very fast-paced with multiple twists. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like justice you will probably love Brock Justice, he is a detective in Maine that doesn't have an easy time with his colleagues. I believe it's the first book by Bruce Robert Coffin I've ever read but Crimson Thaw is suer not the last one. I allready have book two approved and ready to read and I saw that there will be a third one as well. That is great news for fans of police procedurals in rural settings. I am somewhat familiar with crime in Maine thanks to Paul Doiron and in this first adventure in this series we encounter a game warden with the name Doiron and also someone being awarded the Charley Stevens award. IYKYK. I really like the characters created and the setting I was allready enamoured with. I must thank Severn River Publishing and Edelweiss for letting me read this advance copy.

[Matthew Cost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating crime story in the real Maine, from Downeast to Bangor to Augusta, Detective Brock Justice weaves a path of seeking truth and integrity as he straddles the thin blue line. The suspense is razor sharp, the action is fast and furious, the plot is twister than a backroad in Maine, and the characters pop off the pages as real people navigating the path of life. Check this book out. You won't be sorry.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read and really enjoyed the Turner and Mosley Files collaboration between LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin, but had never read any of his solo authored books. When I had the opportunity to read this first in series police procedural, I was anticipating a well written and entertaining reading experience. I was not disappointed. The story takes readers on a convoluted, multifaceted investigation into murder, corruption and drug smuggling/trafficking. Loyalties are forged and tested as seasoned detective, Brock Justice and rookie detective, Chloe Wright work through their new partnership. A very good beginning.

[Meesh Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Bruce Coffin, a Mainer like myself for giving me an ARC digital copy of Crimson Thaw.
This isn’t my first book that I’ve read by Bruce and this one was granted 4⭐️’s
Brock Justice, an older experienced Maine State Trooper and Chloe Wright, a young rookie, who needs to learn the ropes, work well together but more often than not against each other. Two detectives and a murder in Northern Maine allows you to immerse yourself in small town drama and the ups and downs of police procedures.
The author is brilliant with the development of his characters and how he carries the plot from beginning to end.
Through distrust and many interesting twists he leaves you with a very unexpected ending.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel in a new series and it is going to be a good one. I like Coffin combining an older detective working with a new one. Brock testified against an officer so is disliked by many and is relegated to more remote work. He is mentoring Chloe, a new detective and she is full of energy. Brock has to walk the narrow path of doing his job while wondering if his own father is a murderer. Coffin has provided a good balance of investigative police work and Brock's personal life. Brock is going to have to grow on me as my first impression of him was that he was a bit too egotistical. But Chloe can bring him back to ground. There is a great twist at the end that I loved. I know there is a sequel planned and I will impatiently be waiting for it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Amy Lainoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and suspenseful! When reading the last couple of sentences - I didn’t realize that was the end - and turned the page thinking there was more! Looking forward to reading the next one in this series!

[Sarah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it!

Can’t wait for the next one! Enjoyed the characters. I will be looking forward to see how they develop further. The story grabbed me right from the start.

[Frank O · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Crimson Thaw," by Bruce Robert Coffin is his best mystery yet. It is the first in his Detective Justice series, a police procedural, that follows the thoroughbred stories in the John Bryon series.
"Crimson Thaw" features Brook Justice, a stellar Maine State Trooper detective who is reassigned from the southern district to the far north, shunned by other troopers for charging a partner for the murder of an unarmed criminal. His partner goes free, but Justice pays.
Insult to injury, he is assigned a new detective to train, a woman, Chloe Wright. Wright has been a trooper and is well liked and connected to her colleagues in the north. She is tough and smart but makes rookie detective mistakes that thwart Justice's efforts to solve a case that involves a suspected local drug smuggler who is found at the bottom of a lake handcuffed to a stolen snow mobile.
Coffin is masterful in storytelling, plotting, and character development. In addition to the deft development of his relationship with Wright, Justice finds himself having to deal with the estranged relationship with his father, a celebrated State Trooper who has retired from the southern district to live in his remote cabin in the north woods.
The investigation into the death of the suspected drug smuggler is full of surprises. Who killed him and why? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Can Wright step up under pressure? Can Justice really trust her; can she trust him?
I knew this new series was coming for a couple of years. I couldn't wait. But the wait was worth it. "Crimson Thaw" stands on par with Paul Doiron's Mike Dowditch, Maine Game Warden series. Look out, Maine bad guys. There's a new lawman in the north woods.

[Katherine Hall Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a big fan of the Detective Byron series and was disappointed when it ended, but the new guy in town Detective Brock Justice has grabbed me in an even more compelling way. This is a story that works on many levels, never forgetting its purpose as a fast moving, gripping mystery. Detective Sergeant Coffin's own long experience in law enforcement provides fascinating police procedural details, an in depth look, that creates a unique framework starting from page one. Justice has been reassigned to northern Maine after crossing the "Thin Blue Line", testifying against a guilty fellow officer. Besides the Boonie location he's assigned a rookie, Chloe Wright, as his partner. She's local and no more wants to work with him, whom she blames for testifying, than he wants to work with her. A local with attitude. Their testy back and forth is fun to watch, culminating in one of the most dramatic endings I've read in a long time. Read a lot of these and did not see this coming at all! Throughout the book,there's a sense that few are what they seem, yet it's even more complicated than that. In addition, we have Brock's difficult relationship with his award-winning, legendary retired detective father, Albert Justice who lives in town. Add a number of characters we'd like to see again, and some hope we never do, readies us for the sequels that are coming—happily. I am am very familiar with the setting, Blue Hill, Maine and area towns, but Coffin's descriptions are wonderful, evocative even—mud and all. He avoids the pitfall of padding the book with too much description, but enough to let us picture ourselves in it. To sum up this first Brock Justice—wow!

[Micheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of detective novels and I enjoy the different perspectives and the different ways at looking at evidence and how logic comes into play.

I have never read a book as descriptive of the methods and procedures of the investigative process. How one piece of evidence can eliminate a suspect or make them the prime suspect. How timing can make our break an investigation. How your relationship with your coworkers can advance our hinder the investigation.

The storyline , characters and descriptions are top notch and enjoyable to read. The opening of the story grab you by the throat and won’t let go till the conclusion.

I quickly identified with the main characters and it felt more personal and piqued my interest as to where the storyline was going.

I felt an attachment to the main character and never even saw the twist coming. Obviously a lot of dedication and work went into creating this book and I appreciate it.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy following the process of an investigation!

[Ilona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Brock Justice has a past, and recently having testified against a fellow trooper, is not giving him lots of love with his fellow troopers. He is moved to a new division and saddles with a newbie, Chloe Wright.
First case, a snowmobile retrieval from a nearby lake, the twist … a body cuffed to the snowmobile. Brock and Chloe have rough start, and as the books goes on working on trusting each other.
I can’t wait to read more about these 2 unlikely partners.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disgraced detective, Brock Justice is partnered with a rookie, Chloe much to his chagrin. They investigate a chilling murder. Chloe proves her mettle as a detective. Her astuteness is a great help to find the killer. Brock is impressed and gradually acknowledges her as a skilled partner. An edge of the seat thriller with escalating suspense and well depicted characters. The book is interesting from start to finish.

[Pam Whynot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. I loved the Maine setting and could picture all the places mentioned. The characters were well developed and were so real to me. I didn’t want it to end and cant wait for the next book about Justice . This was one of Bruce’s best books and I’ve read and enjoyed all of his books so far. I’ve shared his books with so many friends who have enjoyed them as much as I have. Keep on writing.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crimson Thaw is a fast-paced police procedural where Justice, a fallen from grace Detective has to team up with a rookie Detective in the investigation of a murder case that turns out to be part of a much bigger drug smuggling ring with deep connections with the police force in the US and Canada. Great plot and well-developed characters which will make you think about friendship, family, trust.
I thank the author and his publisher for this ARC.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing storyline

Crimson Thaw is an engrossing story with good characters and tension. When a State Trooper follows his conscience and reports against a fellow officer--- effectively tanking his career--- he is sent to a backwater tiny town upstate. What follows is crime solving is an untried detective , convoluted clues,and betrayal. Don't miss this book.

[David Gullige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, if I had to pick a negative I’d say it started a little slow. It picks up rather quick though and the story keeps moving. I had several theories along the way but I still had a few nice surprises towards the end. I enjoy a good detective with a good case and this fit right in there. Hoping for some continued character development with the next book between Brock and Chloe, as individuals and as partners. Definitely one to add to your TBR!

[Rob Gaudette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first book in hopefully a long series! The setting in the State in which I live makes the book more alive for me. Great characters and it left me guessing until close to the end how this would end up. Knowing Bruce, I appreciate his creative talents and wish him the best

[Jackie Martello · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid crime novel and entertaining read. It is a little bit drawn out, but the writing is good enough to make up for it. I liked the protagonist and the book isn’t predictable at all. The narration of the audiobook is also very well done.

[Alice Persons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing police procedural from a very smooth writer who knows his stuff, a former homicide detective. Justice is an interesting, flawed character and Chloe is a nuanced younger partner. The Maine setting is handled well. I will definitely read the next book.

[Dorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put down

Action packed and hard to stop reading “just another page”. Anxious for book two. And then book three. Good reading but not before bed ~

[Yaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best detective books I have read in A very long time. I couldn't stop reading but didn't meant it to end. Brock and Chloe make quite the team. I plan on reading more.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A story that keeps on getting better with details descriptions and ongoing detectives that care about solving the crime everytime.

[Polly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

The characters are very well done and relatable . I'm looking forward to the next in the series. New author for me and I love it.

[Diane Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Great start to a new series ! Mr. Coffin is an excellent writer and I have read and enjoyed all of his books.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police procedural. Good story line and some interesting twists. Fast paced story. Enjoyed this one.