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The Cypriot Mask
A priceless mask, a beautiful woman, a deadly secret, and a curse if it doesn’t fit
Philip Chandler, a small-town Idaho newspaper reporter and owner of the Fremont Herald, thought he landed a front-page scoop interviewing reclusive gun collector Ernest Hardy. Days later, Hardy is brutally murdered, and Chandler is pulled into a dangerous hunt.
A beautiful, mysterious woman from L.A., a menacing operative, and a billionaire oil tycoon are closing in, all seeking one thing: the Cypriot death mask. This priceless Bronze Age artifact is rumored to grant its wearer incredible power—but only if the fit is perfect. As the body count rises and Chandler suspects he’s being used as bait, he must uncover the mask's deadly secret before a terrible curse claims him, too.
Philip Chandler, a small-town Idaho newspaper reporter and owner of the Fremont Herald, thought he landed a front-page scoop interviewing reclusive gun collector Ernest Hardy. Days later, Hardy is brutally murdered, and Chandler is pulled into a dangerous hunt.
A beautiful, mysterious woman from L.A., a menacing operative, and a billionaire oil tycoon are closing in, all seeking one thing: the Cypriot death mask. This priceless Bronze Age artifact is rumored to grant its wearer incredible power—but only if the fit is perfect. As the body count rises and Chandler suspects he’s being used as bait, he must uncover the mask's deadly secret before a terrible curse claims him, too.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2026
About the author
Scott McIntosh
2 books15 followersScott McIntosh is the author of the Philip Chandler thriller series. He is a journalist with more than three decades in the news business and dozens of state and national writing awards to his credit. He has been a reporter, editor and newspaper owner, with stints in New Mexico; Rochester, New York; Cleveland; San Francisco; and Idaho. He is currently an editor with the Idaho Statesman in Boise, Idaho, where he lives with his wife, Nicola. They have two adult sons.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Cypriot Mask, the second thriller by Idahoan Scott McIntosh, is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Like McIntosh’s first book, Basin 63, the Cypriot Mask features Philip Chandler, the owner, chief cook and bottle washer of a weekly newspaper in a community outside Boise.
Chandler gets a tip about a local gun collector who’s having trouble donating his valuable collection. He visits the man, Ernest Hardy, writes the story and returns to Hardy’s mountain home after the piece is published to drop off copies of the paper. They wind up smoking cigars and target-shooting with guns from Hardy’s estimable collection, and they strike up a friendship.
Two days later, Hardy is found shot to death in his home, and Chandler is swept into a noir mystery starring a seductive femme fatale, a snide little man with a gun, a laconic larger man with his own gun, and, eventually, a heavy-set mastermind with a peculiar way of speaking.
Like the ill-fated Ernest Hardy, they are in pursuit of a legendary golden mask made 3400 years ago on the isle of Cyprus. The mask is said to have miraculous powers.
Perhaps this cast of characters sounds familiar? If I point out that Cyprus is a mere 1,050 miles from another Mediterranean island that you may have heard of, Malta, does that help you snap to?
Yes, McIntosh delighted me, and will delight any mystery aficiondado, by borrowing plotlines and characters from that greatest of detective tales, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.
Chandler, like Sam Spade before him, must find his way through a thicket of deception and shifting allegiences in search of the Cypriot mask and the incredible news story he could write if he found it.
Does he lay hands on the mask and get his story? Far be it from me to you, dear reader, the pleasure of learning the answers to those questions yourself.
Yes, I know that’s a smooth explanation. What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?
Like McIntosh’s first book, Basin 63, the Cypriot Mask features Philip Chandler, the owner, chief cook and bottle washer of a weekly newspaper in a community outside Boise.
Chandler gets a tip about a local gun collector who’s having trouble donating his valuable collection. He visits the man, Ernest Hardy, writes the story and returns to Hardy’s mountain home after the piece is published to drop off copies of the paper. They wind up smoking cigars and target-shooting with guns from Hardy’s estimable collection, and they strike up a friendship.
Two days later, Hardy is found shot to death in his home, and Chandler is swept into a noir mystery starring a seductive femme fatale, a snide little man with a gun, a laconic larger man with his own gun, and, eventually, a heavy-set mastermind with a peculiar way of speaking.
Like the ill-fated Ernest Hardy, they are in pursuit of a legendary golden mask made 3400 years ago on the isle of Cyprus. The mask is said to have miraculous powers.
Perhaps this cast of characters sounds familiar? If I point out that Cyprus is a mere 1,050 miles from another Mediterranean island that you may have heard of, Malta, does that help you snap to?
Yes, McIntosh delighted me, and will delight any mystery aficiondado, by borrowing plotlines and characters from that greatest of detective tales, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.
Chandler, like Sam Spade before him, must find his way through a thicket of deception and shifting allegiences in search of the Cypriot mask and the incredible news story he could write if he found it.
Does he lay hands on the mask and get his story? Far be it from me to you, dear reader, the pleasure of learning the answers to those questions yourself.
Yes, I know that’s a smooth explanation. What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Philip Chandler develops into a first-class investigator in this novel. Book is full of suspense, romance, and many memorable characters. A must read for those who have a hard time putting a book down.
August 13, 2026
Another great read by Author Scott McIntosh
Gumshoe. I am not entirely clear what this word is supposed to mean, but in my mind it is Philip Chandler. Scott's writing vividly evokes in my mind a black and white scene where a handsome but weathered man in a trench coat and a fedora enters his office, removes the coat and hat to a coat rack, pours himself a whiskey, sits at his desk and lights a cigar and as the smoke twists to the ceiling he narrates this story, talking just out of the side of his mouth.
I can easily see these books made into movies as they play that way in your mind as you read. The writing is fast paced and the characters come alive on the page. I enjoyed every minute spent reading and can't wait for the next installment.
Gumshoe. I am not entirely clear what this word is supposed to mean, but in my mind it is Philip Chandler. Scott's writing vividly evokes in my mind a black and white scene where a handsome but weathered man in a trench coat and a fedora enters his office, removes the coat and hat to a coat rack, pours himself a whiskey, sits at his desk and lights a cigar and as the smoke twists to the ceiling he narrates this story, talking just out of the side of his mouth.
I can easily see these books made into movies as they play that way in your mind as you read. The writing is fast paced and the characters come alive on the page. I enjoyed every minute spent reading and can't wait for the next installment.
August 26, 2026
I received a coy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.
Philip Chandler owns and operates a small-town Idaho newspaper. And like any good newspaperman, he is always looking for the next scoop…the next big story. Little did he know that story would land in his lap. When the opportunity to meet and interview a reclusive gun owner presents itself, Philip jumps at the chance. Ernest Hardy is a gun collector turned ancient weapons collector. Along the way Hardy also took an interest in ancient artifacts. The interview went well. But days later, when Hardy is found brutally beaten and murdered in his mountain home, Chandler knows there is much more to the story. Chandler’s keen eye spots something missing from Hardy’s gun collection, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Fakes and double fakes, twists and turns like a mountain road, this story will hold the reader enthralled. You won’t know who to believe or who to trust .IF you can trust anyone!!
McIntosh writes characters that leap from the pages and a plot line that grabs ahold and doesn’t let go. It’s the kind of book you don’t want to put down.
Philip Chandler owns and operates a small-town Idaho newspaper. And like any good newspaperman, he is always looking for the next scoop…the next big story. Little did he know that story would land in his lap. When the opportunity to meet and interview a reclusive gun owner presents itself, Philip jumps at the chance. Ernest Hardy is a gun collector turned ancient weapons collector. Along the way Hardy also took an interest in ancient artifacts. The interview went well. But days later, when Hardy is found brutally beaten and murdered in his mountain home, Chandler knows there is much more to the story. Chandler’s keen eye spots something missing from Hardy’s gun collection, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Fakes and double fakes, twists and turns like a mountain road, this story will hold the reader enthralled. You won’t know who to believe or who to trust .IF you can trust anyone!!
McIntosh writes characters that leap from the pages and a plot line that grabs ahold and doesn’t let go. It’s the kind of book you don’t want to put down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Newspaperman Phillip Chandler returns in this page-turning thriller from author Scott McIntosh.
The tiny town of Fremont, Idaho finds itself once again as ground zero for a heinous murder, and Chandler is right in the middle of the investigation as he reports the story and uncovers a brazen international scheme involving guns, ancient artifacts and some good ol’ white nationalism on the side.
McIntosh skillfully paints the canvas with colorful characters, many of whom have descended on Idaho in search of a looming payday if they can find the Cypriot mask.
In this second novel of the series, McIntosh introduces higher stakes, with more twists than a martini bar and more turns than a mountain pass. In the end, Phillip Chandler’s relentless pursuit of the truth through his reporting pays off, but maybe not in the way one might expect. Highly recommend!
The tiny town of Fremont, Idaho finds itself once again as ground zero for a heinous murder, and Chandler is right in the middle of the investigation as he reports the story and uncovers a brazen international scheme involving guns, ancient artifacts and some good ol’ white nationalism on the side.
McIntosh skillfully paints the canvas with colorful characters, many of whom have descended on Idaho in search of a looming payday if they can find the Cypriot mask.
In this second novel of the series, McIntosh introduces higher stakes, with more twists than a martini bar and more turns than a mountain pass. In the end, Phillip Chandler’s relentless pursuit of the truth through his reporting pays off, but maybe not in the way one might expect. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Author
McIntosh makes wonderful use of the greater Boise area as classic themes of greed, lust for power, and murder stretch from 600 BC to modern times. Philip Chandler is a thoughtful, dedicated journalist and entrepreneur — but there is also a human complexity to his character. He emerges as an interestingly-flawed protagonist, susceptible to the opportunities presented by a beguiling woman… and money. Chandler grapples with these personal conflicts while pursuing truth and justice on a greater scale. The engaging plot kept me wondering, “what happens next?” Highly recommended! Pick up a copy and dive in!
August 15, 2026
I just finished The Cypriot Mask and Scott McIntosh does a great job setting an international mystery in familiar territory. It's an exciting story about a journalist from small-town Idaho navigating a conspiracy that stretches far beyond the Gem State.
August 18, 2026
I thoroughly loved the first book in this series but I have to tell you that number two is even better! I cannot believe the twists and turns in this story line. Page turner for sure that kept me wanting more! Great job Scott! Cheers. I hope number 3 comes out soon!
September 22, 2026
Excellent !!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews