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Blinders: A Crime Thriller
"Can justice truly align with a father’s desperate pursuit of the truth?"
Captain Patrick Boulder has built his life and policing career on law, order, and the clear lines between right and wrong. But when his sixteen-year-old daughter vanishes, those lines begin to blur—and he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home.
When a fifty-year-old murder scene is dredged up, Patrick can’t ignore the eerie parallels to his daughter’s case. As #JusticeServed goes viral and vengeance clouds his judgment, he chases leads no one else believes are there.
Blinders is a gripping crime thriller that explores how far a father will go—and what happens when his truth becomes the most dangerous lie of all.
Captain Patrick Boulder has built his life and policing career on law, order, and the clear lines between right and wrong. But when his sixteen-year-old daughter vanishes, those lines begin to blur—and he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home.
When a fifty-year-old murder scene is dredged up, Patrick can’t ignore the eerie parallels to his daughter’s case. As #JusticeServed goes viral and vengeance clouds his judgment, he chases leads no one else believes are there.
Blinders is a gripping crime thriller that explores how far a father will go—and what happens when his truth becomes the most dangerous lie of all.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2025
4 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Ida Linehan Young
12 books147 followersIda Linehan Young is a wife, mother, and grandmother living, writing, and publishing in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Recently retired from the information technology sector in the federal government, Ida created Seaweed Publishing to complement her substantial, award-winning, and best-selling writing portfolio.
Ida’s first published works, a memoir, debuted to a record-breaking crowd in 2014. She has since published across multiple genres with historical Newfoundland fiction, non-fiction, speculative fiction, crime, and children’s books.
Influenced by her love of local history and the familial art of storytelling passed down by her father, Edward Linehan, and her maternal grandfather, Frank Power, she began writing stories that told of her people and her roots. She researches the past of her beloved birthplace and writes to showcase the richness and storied past of her province.
Recently retired from the information technology sector in the federal government, Ida created Seaweed Publishing to complement her substantial, award-winning, and best-selling writing portfolio.
Ida’s first published works, a memoir, debuted to a record-breaking crowd in 2014. She has since published across multiple genres with historical Newfoundland fiction, non-fiction, speculative fiction, crime, and children’s books.
Influenced by her love of local history and the familial art of storytelling passed down by her father, Edward Linehan, and her maternal grandfather, Frank Power, she began writing stories that told of her people and her roots. She researches the past of her beloved birthplace and writes to showcase the richness and storied past of her province.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 6, 2025
I read a lot in the run of a year but I can say with confidence that BLINDERS is one of, if not the best, that I have had the pleasure of reading so far in 2025. All I could think about when I wasn’t reading it, was how long it would be before I could pick it up again.
BLINDERS signifies Ida Linehan Young’s foray into the crime thriller genre, a previously unexplored area of contemporary writing for this prolific author. It is also the first release from the recently established Seaweed Publishing. I am a huge fan of Linehan Young’s historical fiction, so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to read this new book.
I would venture to say that thrillers are probably one of my favorite types of books to read; I am far from an expert but I certainly know what I like and what I don’t like when it comes to what can often be a formulaic genre. BLINDERS, however, completely bucks the formula. It managed to somehow surprise me again and again. I gasped out loud – literally – at least three times.
There is a mystery within a mystery (kind of within a mystery) in this book. You might drive yourself mad trying to figure out who the culprit is … and that’s part of its charm. Honestly, I don’t mind if I figure out who the “bad guy” is early on in a book; its still fun to read and I can pat myself on the back for being so clever! But with BLINDERS, I truly had no idea (thusly, why I gasped so much).
BLINDERS has appealing, well-developed characters, deep, dark secrets, and a compelling, labyrinthine mystery begging to be solved. It will stick with you long after you turn the last page.
BLINDERS signifies Ida Linehan Young’s foray into the crime thriller genre, a previously unexplored area of contemporary writing for this prolific author. It is also the first release from the recently established Seaweed Publishing. I am a huge fan of Linehan Young’s historical fiction, so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to read this new book.
I would venture to say that thrillers are probably one of my favorite types of books to read; I am far from an expert but I certainly know what I like and what I don’t like when it comes to what can often be a formulaic genre. BLINDERS, however, completely bucks the formula. It managed to somehow surprise me again and again. I gasped out loud – literally – at least three times.
There is a mystery within a mystery (kind of within a mystery) in this book. You might drive yourself mad trying to figure out who the culprit is … and that’s part of its charm. Honestly, I don’t mind if I figure out who the “bad guy” is early on in a book; its still fun to read and I can pat myself on the back for being so clever! But with BLINDERS, I truly had no idea (thusly, why I gasped so much).
BLINDERS has appealing, well-developed characters, deep, dark secrets, and a compelling, labyrinthine mystery begging to be solved. It will stick with you long after you turn the last page.
September 5, 2025
With the publication of Blinders [Seaweed Publishing] Ida Linehan Young once again ventures into uncharted territory. Last time out, she gave us Tilly Too Tall which was a step off the path from her familiar historical novels. Now she has jumped feet first into the densely populated pool of crime thrillers.
Before I scribble any remarks about the specifics of Blinders I’m choosing to ramble on, and sort of like the Walrus and the Carpenter in Lewis Carroll’s grand old poem, speak of other things …
…like soups, and literary tropes and Jam-Jams.
In a kitchen of a hundred thousand yummy, tummy-toasting soups, what makes one deliciously different from another?
Not the ingredients. They are all much the same — chopped turnips and carrots, peas or rice or chicken (or all three, it’s soup for frig sake), salt beef, and …
… another bit of salt beef if you wish, eh b’ys?
So, again I ask, what makes the difference?
The cook, of course.
The cook, who adds a secret ingredient (A spoonful of sugar is the secret, eh Granny?), or stirs the pot against the clock, or heats the stove to a personally preferred temperature, or … ah, you get my drift.
Shuff the soup to a back damper…
…and consider those murder story tropes, themes, ingredients. Unexplained dead bodies. A dedicated cop, or a sleuth who’s half an anti-hero. As the cliché goes, all the usual suspects, some more villainous than others. A slew of clues, some genre slight-of-hand and misdirection.
Again, you get my drift. Unless the muddle in my noggin appears on the page as tangled and confusing as a proverbial mare’s nest.
The author makes the difference.
In the case of Blinders, Ida Linehan Young — culinarian supreme — stirs the crime thriller soup in her own inimitable way.
(Do any of you have as much trouble pronouncing in·im·i·ta·ble as I do?)
What?
Yes, I’m still hoping to speak of Jam Jams the once.
Here comes an abrupt shift of gears…
Once upon a time, before I realized I hate (yes, strong word or not, hate) camping, my Honey and I spent a night in the wilderness to help test drive our brother-in-law’s brand-new hardtop tow-behind.
Guess where we set ‘er up?
Witless Bay Line, for frig sake. Little did we know — at least as Blinders goes — that we might have pitched our tent, so to speak, on the shores of a pond chockfull of moldering, murder victims, one of them with its hands tied to the steering wheel of a submerged car.
Blinders is the story of how those bodies ended up in the pond. Believe me, it’s a rich soup of a story.
Throughout the book, the author gives reader bits and pieces of the homicide puzzle — the turnip and carrot cubes, the cops and the killers, the slain and the suspects, the salt beef and rice. But it isn’t until readers reach the bottom of the boiler that they learn the startling particulars of the killings.
The whodunits (like who killed Jessica, for instance) will surprise you, kind of like chomping into a piece of lead shot if the soup you’re supping features bull birds.
Okay, the time has come to speak of Jam Jams.
On page 44, to add a smidgen of local colour, I suppose, Ida mentions a character’s fondness for Purity Jam Jams, a beloved store-bought Newfoundland cookie.
Here’s the thing that baffles me.
When they are being reared up, some Newfoundland off-spring turn up their noses at Jam Jams. Yet when they’ve grown and taken up housekeeping in a foreign province, they phone home and beg Mammy to ship them packages of Jam Jams, as if the cookies contain the baked-in essence of home.
Mr. Purity will want to knock my hat off for saying this, but…
… I’ve lived in a foreign province. However, I’ve never acquired a taste for Jam Jams. To speak colloquially, “B’ys, I finds them gummy.”
Ida, stay in the kitchen (!), keep on stirring the soup with your own special spurtle.
Thank you all for reading.
Before I scribble any remarks about the specifics of Blinders I’m choosing to ramble on, and sort of like the Walrus and the Carpenter in Lewis Carroll’s grand old poem, speak of other things …
…like soups, and literary tropes and Jam-Jams.
In a kitchen of a hundred thousand yummy, tummy-toasting soups, what makes one deliciously different from another?
Not the ingredients. They are all much the same — chopped turnips and carrots, peas or rice or chicken (or all three, it’s soup for frig sake), salt beef, and …
… another bit of salt beef if you wish, eh b’ys?
So, again I ask, what makes the difference?
The cook, of course.
The cook, who adds a secret ingredient (A spoonful of sugar is the secret, eh Granny?), or stirs the pot against the clock, or heats the stove to a personally preferred temperature, or … ah, you get my drift.
Shuff the soup to a back damper…
…and consider those murder story tropes, themes, ingredients. Unexplained dead bodies. A dedicated cop, or a sleuth who’s half an anti-hero. As the cliché goes, all the usual suspects, some more villainous than others. A slew of clues, some genre slight-of-hand and misdirection.
Again, you get my drift. Unless the muddle in my noggin appears on the page as tangled and confusing as a proverbial mare’s nest.
The author makes the difference.
In the case of Blinders, Ida Linehan Young — culinarian supreme — stirs the crime thriller soup in her own inimitable way.
(Do any of you have as much trouble pronouncing in·im·i·ta·ble as I do?)
What?
Yes, I’m still hoping to speak of Jam Jams the once.
Here comes an abrupt shift of gears…
Once upon a time, before I realized I hate (yes, strong word or not, hate) camping, my Honey and I spent a night in the wilderness to help test drive our brother-in-law’s brand-new hardtop tow-behind.
Guess where we set ‘er up?
Witless Bay Line, for frig sake. Little did we know — at least as Blinders goes — that we might have pitched our tent, so to speak, on the shores of a pond chockfull of moldering, murder victims, one of them with its hands tied to the steering wheel of a submerged car.
Blinders is the story of how those bodies ended up in the pond. Believe me, it’s a rich soup of a story.
Throughout the book, the author gives reader bits and pieces of the homicide puzzle — the turnip and carrot cubes, the cops and the killers, the slain and the suspects, the salt beef and rice. But it isn’t until readers reach the bottom of the boiler that they learn the startling particulars of the killings.
The whodunits (like who killed Jessica, for instance) will surprise you, kind of like chomping into a piece of lead shot if the soup you’re supping features bull birds.
Okay, the time has come to speak of Jam Jams.
On page 44, to add a smidgen of local colour, I suppose, Ida mentions a character’s fondness for Purity Jam Jams, a beloved store-bought Newfoundland cookie.
Here’s the thing that baffles me.
When they are being reared up, some Newfoundland off-spring turn up their noses at Jam Jams. Yet when they’ve grown and taken up housekeeping in a foreign province, they phone home and beg Mammy to ship them packages of Jam Jams, as if the cookies contain the baked-in essence of home.
Mr. Purity will want to knock my hat off for saying this, but…
… I’ve lived in a foreign province. However, I’ve never acquired a taste for Jam Jams. To speak colloquially, “B’ys, I finds them gummy.”
Ida, stay in the kitchen (!), keep on stirring the soup with your own special spurtle.
Thank you all for reading.
July 17, 2025
For a first attempt into the mystery genre Ida has knocked it out of the ball park. Without giving away any spoilers, there are many twists and turns and a few “what the” moments. Having two storylines and wondering do they intersect and if so how made this story a page turner. Every character had a reason and you got invested in each one. I loves a good mystery and this one sure was!
August 20, 2025
I loved this story!
I loved the story as it happened and I loved how all the pieces fit together in the end. This setting of this book reminded me of my hometown (where I still live) and the characters could have been people I know. It felt familiar and, somehow, comforting despite being about murder.
I can’t wait to read the next book by Ida Linehan Young.
I loved the story as it happened and I loved how all the pieces fit together in the end. This setting of this book reminded me of my hometown (where I still live) and the characters could have been people I know. It felt familiar and, somehow, comforting despite being about murder.
I can’t wait to read the next book by Ida Linehan Young.
February 4, 2026
I am this authors biggest fan. The book was an easy read, loved the local setting however I thought there were too many characters and it was a bit hard to follow (for me). I see a lot of 5 star ratings and Im sure they are well deserved. Happy to see this author branch out in a different direction and Ill always run to grab any new publication from her :)
December 31, 2025
Enjoyed this Crime Thriller. It is well written, good character development, excellent pace. I just couldn’t wait to read the next chapter, the next page, the next paragraph. Kept me on my toes right to the very end.
August 28, 2025
A better than average murder(s)/mystery that spans decades. Good storyline, no profanities, and no excessive violence. Well done!
November 24, 2025
I loved this book written by a lovely Newfoundland woman . Linehan Young has a way of hooking you right from page one. I highly recommend this book.
August 24, 2025
Wow, such a good book, had me guessing the whole time. Didn’t expect the ending
August 3, 2025
Bravo!!
Ida’s debut thriller book, Blinders, was a fantastic read. I loved the use of multiple POVs and timelines.
Great read for any thriller lover.
Ida’s debut thriller book, Blinders, was a fantastic read. I loved the use of multiple POVs and timelines.
Great read for any thriller lover.
July 7, 2025
Ok...so Ida Linehan Young...
Writer of historical fiction... children's book... memoirs...etc..
Now she has decided to branch out into crime thriller genre with
....BLINDERS...
Gotta say I was a wee bit hesitant. Cause you see I love my historical fiction by Ida .. with "Being Mary Ro" my favorite... I am reading it a 2nd time... Never read a book a 2nd time... Ok, I digress..
But if Ida writes it...than I am reading it.. Done deal...
Well... where do I begin...and not give you spoiler alerts...
Ida grabs you from the first chapter and refuses to let you go.
She uses all your senses to get you into the book.
And, as if that is not enough, she "hits" you right in the feels with emotion...
A wee bit of a spoiler...I think...
There is one scene where Patrick and his wife are getting breakfast in their kitchen and trying to "process" the loss of their daughter. As a parent, how do you process that? As a father, I can't begin to imagine.. Nope...
But, Ida did it.
Yeah, let me tell you... Ida "drags" you right in the midst of this scene and you are THERE... RIGHT there...on the floor with the tears...the anger...the rawness and the reality...
Yes, you are the invisible 3rd wheel and BUT are feeling it... every second... every tear... every raw minute.
Even the slamming of the fridge or was it the frying pan on the stove... Don't matter... YOU ARE THERE... And you are feeling it...
Just in this scene alone, Ida left me with so many emotions, I was not sure what to do.
So, I continued to read...!
There are other moments in the book that are powerful and will cause you, the reader, to stop and reflect. Which I think is awesome. Get your copy now!
Again, I am an historical fiction and memoir reader but as usual, Ida nudged me to push my boundaries. Thank you Ida.
Oh and just as important, Congrats Ida on your new publishing company, Seaweed Publishing.
BLINDERS is the first title and given the success this one will have, look out book publishing,
Ida Linehan Young has arrived!
Writer of historical fiction... children's book... memoirs...etc..
Now she has decided to branch out into crime thriller genre with
....BLINDERS...
Gotta say I was a wee bit hesitant. Cause you see I love my historical fiction by Ida .. with "Being Mary Ro" my favorite... I am reading it a 2nd time... Never read a book a 2nd time... Ok, I digress..
But if Ida writes it...than I am reading it.. Done deal...
Well... where do I begin...and not give you spoiler alerts...
Ida grabs you from the first chapter and refuses to let you go.
She uses all your senses to get you into the book.
And, as if that is not enough, she "hits" you right in the feels with emotion...
A wee bit of a spoiler...I think...
There is one scene where Patrick and his wife are getting breakfast in their kitchen and trying to "process" the loss of their daughter. As a parent, how do you process that? As a father, I can't begin to imagine.. Nope...
But, Ida did it.
Yeah, let me tell you... Ida "drags" you right in the midst of this scene and you are THERE... RIGHT there...on the floor with the tears...the anger...the rawness and the reality...
Yes, you are the invisible 3rd wheel and BUT are feeling it... every second... every tear... every raw minute.
Even the slamming of the fridge or was it the frying pan on the stove... Don't matter... YOU ARE THERE... And you are feeling it...
Just in this scene alone, Ida left me with so many emotions, I was not sure what to do.
So, I continued to read...!
There are other moments in the book that are powerful and will cause you, the reader, to stop and reflect. Which I think is awesome. Get your copy now!
Again, I am an historical fiction and memoir reader but as usual, Ida nudged me to push my boundaries. Thank you Ida.
Oh and just as important, Congrats Ida on your new publishing company, Seaweed Publishing.
BLINDERS is the first title and given the success this one will have, look out book publishing,
Ida Linehan Young has arrived!
August 15, 2025
A page turner from start to finish…
From the beginning hook - a young woman in distress, not yet ready to die (who is?) -, followed up by page turning and surprising developments to the final revelations at the end of this crime thriller, I was captivated. Known for her non-fiction, historical fiction, fiction and lately even a book for kids which all are not without trauma and drama, this first crime thriller didn't come as a total surprise. Yet, I am amazed how easy it seems for Ida to switch genres and to do it so well. The setting of the crime story on the rugged island of Newfoundland is a bonus for anyone who loves this island and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (who doesn't ;-) Can't wait for Ida's next book...
From the beginning hook - a young woman in distress, not yet ready to die (who is?) -, followed up by page turning and surprising developments to the final revelations at the end of this crime thriller, I was captivated. Known for her non-fiction, historical fiction, fiction and lately even a book for kids which all are not without trauma and drama, this first crime thriller didn't come as a total surprise. Yet, I am amazed how easy it seems for Ida to switch genres and to do it so well. The setting of the crime story on the rugged island of Newfoundland is a bonus for anyone who loves this island and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (who doesn't ;-) Can't wait for Ida's next book...
July 13, 2025
I have always been a fan of this author but I think Blinders is one of my favs now. I really enjoyed the ending. I love how Ida intertwined all the characters & their stories past and present. It’s a well thought out story with several twists and turns. Setting takes place in St. John’s, NL - a real taste of home! A fabulous summer read. I read it in one weekend at the trailer. A real page turner. The story lives up to the title. Really hope the author tries her hand at this genre again.
July 21, 2025
I read this book in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. It is a well-written crime thriller with many twists and turns that keep you guessing. The characters are well-developed and as a reader I was invested in their outcomes. I love the fact that this story was set in Newfoundland. I could relate to many local descriptions and sayings but also learned new expressions such as: he was a ‘change’ baby. I would read this book again just for the writing alone.
August 11, 2025
Blinders - A Crime Thriller is a book, that once started, you can't put down. Its been a long time since I was so captivated by a novel but this one did it for me. The setting, the characters, the unexpected and ongoing turns of events will keep you spellbound until the last page. Ida Linehan Young has created nothing short of a masterpiece and I give it a 'MUST READ'!
Kenneth G. Pieroway, NL Author
Kenneth G. Pieroway, NL Author
September 4, 2025
I don't read many crime books, but I enjoyed the author's other works, so I gave this a read and it's a compelling book. It reads like one of my spouse's true crime podcasts, each chapter contributing to an ever-deepening and expanding mystery that includes a community of characters affected by the central crime or one of the other crimes touched upon in the story, all interwoven and acting on each other in a way that feels immersive and true. Recommended.
September 22, 2025
I purchased this book a while ago. Had glasses issues so couldn’t settle to read it. Well I started and finished it the same day! Thoroughly enjoyed. Very well written. I was guessing. Some were right but more were wrong. There are always veins of truth in your novels. Can’t wait for the next one!
June 14, 2025
I always say, if I can't give myself five stars then I shouldn't be writing. I hope you enjoy this crime thriller as much as I enjoyed writing it. I like to stretch my genres on occasion and this is one such stretch.
August 4, 2025
The author had me from the opening pages. I was intrigued by the story line that kept me guessing. Great writing and easy transition from other genres which I have become accustomed to from the author. I'm a fan.
February 25, 2026
Interesting story with lots of twists and turns. I'm very glad I got to read this book. Definitely a great choice if you love mystery books.
October 22, 2025
I did enjoy this book
However, I find it was hard to keep all the characters straight, but other than that, I did enjoy it.
However, I find it was hard to keep all the characters straight, but other than that, I did enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews