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Detective Byron #3
Beyond the Truth
Maine Sunday Telegram #1 Bestseller * An Agatha Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Novel
"A gripping atmospheric thriller that finds the dark side of Portland, Maine. The Detective Byron mystery series is one of the finest to arrive in a long time." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
In this latest enthralling mystery from #1 bestselling author Bruce Robert Coffin, Detective Sergeant John Byron faces the greatest challenge of his career.
When a popular high school senior is shot by police following a late night robbery, chaos ensues. The actions of the officer are immediately called into question. Amid community protests, political grandstanding, department leaks, and reluctant witnesses, Byron and his team must work quickly to find the missing pieces.
And when an attempt is made on the officer’s life, Byron shifts into overdrive, putting everything on the line. Was the attack merely retribution or something more sinister? The search for the truth may come at a price not even Byron can afford.
"A gripping atmospheric thriller that finds the dark side of Portland, Maine. The Detective Byron mystery series is one of the finest to arrive in a long time." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
In this latest enthralling mystery from #1 bestselling author Bruce Robert Coffin, Detective Sergeant John Byron faces the greatest challenge of his career.
When a popular high school senior is shot by police following a late night robbery, chaos ensues. The actions of the officer are immediately called into question. Amid community protests, political grandstanding, department leaks, and reluctant witnesses, Byron and his team must work quickly to find the missing pieces.
And when an attempt is made on the officer’s life, Byron shifts into overdrive, putting everything on the line. Was the attack merely retribution or something more sinister? The search for the truth may come at a price not even Byron can afford.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2018
209 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Robert Coffin
22 books257 followersBruce 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
His short fiction appears in a number of anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2016.
www.brucerobertcoffin.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
November 1, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
When a police officer shoots and kills a kid in Portland, Maine, Detective John Byron is on the case. Meanwhile, the Brass, the Press, and the Mayor all go to work undercutting him and trying to achieve their own ambitions.
Eventually, things get to be too much for John, but the other police stay on the case.
Decent, but not really great.
When a police officer shoots and kills a kid in Portland, Maine, Detective John Byron is on the case. Meanwhile, the Brass, the Press, and the Mayor all go to work undercutting him and trying to achieve their own ambitions.
Eventually, things get to be too much for John, but the other police stay on the case.
Decent, but not really great.
November 23, 2019
What can I say? This might be my favorite of the Byron novels.
March 29, 2019
John Byron is a copy whose friend, another officer is involved in an Officer Involved Shooting of a kid. The media descends, protests begin and Byron has to find out the truth of what happened. It is a richly complex story with multiple layers and interesting characters. Also, a real feel for police procedure. I really enjoyed it and I can see why it is nominated for an Agatha.
April 6, 2019
Must read
These are some of the best, most true-to-life and sympathetic characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Please, Mr Coffin, write more on this wonderful series.
These are some of the best, most true-to-life and sympathetic characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Please, Mr Coffin, write more on this wonderful series.
September 6, 2021
Beyond the Truth was the third in the Detective Byron series by Bruce Robert Coffin. I enjoyed this book nearly as much as the first. In this installment Detective Byron is faced with explaining the shooting of the star basketball player on the Portland High School team by one of the Portland cops. Byron's department is unable to find the weapon of the high schooler; and the media, mayor and citizens line up to blame the cop for committing a violent crime against an unarmed seventeen year old. The main plot gets complicated by the involvement of a drug ring at the laundromat, where the armed robbery took place by the teenager eventually killed. The plot is solid, and the characters are vividly described, but I gave this four stars, because I have great difficulty relating to self destructive personalities. In this book the main character deals with many inner demons, and I had a hard time accepting that. Nevertheless, book four remains on my Want to Read list.
April 15, 2021
Another great book. I am enjoying this series and I am glad that my library took my recommendation and purchased the book.
November 27, 2018
Wow! Another winner for Coffin.
Because I am a Portlander, I enjoy the locations in these books. Putting that aside, the story is fantastic. It starts with a bang, literally, and pretty much keeps up that pace.
The characters are well developed and we come to care for them in one form or another. At least I did. The emotional impact of this book was surprising and I found myself in tears. I like a book that grabs me in the feelings.
I loved having an audiobook. The narration was decent but I did notice a few pronunciations that indicated the reader was “from away.” Route and Promenade come to mind.
An excellent book, well worth the wait. Now we get to wait for the next one.
Because I am a Portlander, I enjoy the locations in these books. Putting that aside, the story is fantastic. It starts with a bang, literally, and pretty much keeps up that pace.
The characters are well developed and we come to care for them in one form or another. At least I did. The emotional impact of this book was surprising and I found myself in tears. I like a book that grabs me in the feelings.
I loved having an audiobook. The narration was decent but I did notice a few pronunciations that indicated the reader was “from away.” Route and Promenade come to mind.
An excellent book, well worth the wait. Now we get to wait for the next one.
November 4, 2020
Love Bruce Coffin's Det. Byron series! Having served and supervised the homicide and violent crimes for the Portand Maine Police department for 27 years, one knows Bruce is telling you like it is! Plus, Bruce is always able to spin some humor into his stories. He is a great story teller/writer! Bruce's books just get better and better!
November 9, 2018
I liked this novel of precise police procedure. I can tell Coffin was on the force for decades. His attention to detail is very evident. It added a sense of reality to the action. And I liked the personal aspect, following the life of Detective Sergeant Byron. He is fighting his own battles as well as trying to find the truth behind a difficult killing. Coffin's experience also shows as we read about interference from a persistent reporter and from a superior whose aspirations for advancement hinder Bryon's investigative work. And then there are the suspects and their loved ones who lie.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy getting caught up in a captivating plot with characters you'll care about. This is a good police procedure novel from a talented writer.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy getting caught up in a captivating plot with characters you'll care about. This is a good police procedure novel from a talented writer.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
September 1, 2019
"Beyond the Truth" delves into the intricate and difficult task of being a policeman. Split second decisions lead to life-altering events, while stress and long hours brand the men and woman of blue with a deep imprint of anguish. Coffin's protagonist, Detective Byron, must wade through the details of a police shooting and killing of a seventeen-year-old, who may have just robbed a laundromat, or possibly it was involving drugs? Byron strives to clear the officer of the shooting when no weapon is found, but office politics weigh in with their heavy hand, and hints of organized crime begin to swirl in upon the wind. Will public opinion win out that the shoot was unjustified? Will Byron give in to the urge to visit the brown liquor? Will his relationship with his former partner and now lover follow the path of his ex-wife? This is a dizzy thrill ride with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you up late into the night waiting to find out what happens Beyond the Truth.
April 14, 2019
The Detective Byron series continues to expand the appeal of the police procedural. The author has a unique ability to humanize those behind the badge without romanticizing the work, lionizing law enforcement, or caricaturing the citizenry. In turns gritty and poignant, pulse-pounding and soul-searing, you don't have to be a connoisseur of the subgenre to get hooked on this series.
Beyond the Truth is in many ways a story "ripped from the headlines": a fictional account of a police-involved shooting and its aftermath that feels as real as anything you might see on the nightly news. Coffin's nearly three decades in law enforcement thrusts the immediacy of the job and its perils--physical and psychological, moral and ethical--into your hands. Good luck trying to put it down at a reasonable bedtime.
Beyond the Truth is in many ways a story "ripped from the headlines": a fictional account of a police-involved shooting and its aftermath that feels as real as anything you might see on the nightly news. Coffin's nearly three decades in law enforcement thrusts the immediacy of the job and its perils--physical and psychological, moral and ethical--into your hands. Good luck trying to put it down at a reasonable bedtime.
January 5, 2019
Having read and enjoyed the previous novels, my expectations were pretty high that this one would be great. I wasn't disappointed and in fact think that Beyond the Truth is Bruce Robert Coffin's BEST yet! I was hooked by page 2 and finished the book in a night because who needs sleep when reading this fast paced thriller?! Having lived in Portland it was easy to visualize the geographic areas and nostalgia for businesses I remember from my younger days. I look forward to the next installment of the Detective Byron series.
November 4, 2018
Beyond the Truth is a fast-paced mystery populated with characters readers care about. The author's attention to detail and personal knowledge of police procedures make this a compelling story that is certain to keep readers turning pages well into the night. Bravo!
August 20, 2019
Great story that felt incredibly authentic. Veteran police officer Sean Haggerty is involved in the questionable shooting of a teen. Loved the way that the author gradually built up a layer of clues and kept the reader guessing.
September 3, 2020
A fabulous read. A number of distinctive stories are interwoven: What happened the night Sean worked overtime ... at the park and at the convenience store?John and alcohol. The gun ... was there a gun? Drugs at Portland High School. The Maine winter. The FBI investigation. Diane’s future with the department and with John. Politics in the city and in the department. Lies and more lies. The kids and their many interactions with peers and parents. You’ll like a lot of them and feel for them in the interview room. As these all come together it is impossible to put this book down. Maybe in just a few more pages there will be a good place to pause, but there isn’t - not until the end of the last sentence. Don’t miss this outstanding entry in this consistently solid police procedural series.
I have only recently discovered Bruce Robert Coffin’s Detective John Byron books - thank you to the booksellers at the independent bookstore Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2020 in these times of great unrest about policing they should be required reading. With his decades of on the ground experience as a law enforcement officer, Coffin presents the human cost of doing this work. He highlights both the heroes and the bad apples. He recognizes that the power the job gives them requires more from them. He deftly reminds readers that those who we turn to in times of need, those who we also fear, are largely a mix of ordinary and some extraordinary human beings with all the problems found in everyone exacerbated by a profession which can require split second life and death decisions. The vast majority who receive little notice are good and caring individuals. Others who are rotten taint the whole group, can be unfairly protected, and need to be held accountable. His experience and resulting viewpoint as presented by the characters in his books needs and deserves to be heard.
I have only recently discovered Bruce Robert Coffin’s Detective John Byron books - thank you to the booksellers at the independent bookstore Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2020 in these times of great unrest about policing they should be required reading. With his decades of on the ground experience as a law enforcement officer, Coffin presents the human cost of doing this work. He highlights both the heroes and the bad apples. He recognizes that the power the job gives them requires more from them. He deftly reminds readers that those who we turn to in times of need, those who we also fear, are largely a mix of ordinary and some extraordinary human beings with all the problems found in everyone exacerbated by a profession which can require split second life and death decisions. The vast majority who receive little notice are good and caring individuals. Others who are rotten taint the whole group, can be unfairly protected, and need to be held accountable. His experience and resulting viewpoint as presented by the characters in his books needs and deserves to be heard.
November 21, 2018
Bruce Robert Coffin has created an enduring character in his John Byron series. This series ranks with the best, reminiscent of Michael Connelly's, Harry Bosch. With 27 years experience Coffin knows police work and he knows Portland, Maine. Beyond the Truth explores the hot button issue of police shootings from the view point of the police department. Opportunistic politicians, reporters and publicity hounds abound and John Bryon has to deal with departmental interference as well as his own lingering demons. Strongly recommend the series and believe Beyond the Truth maybe the best one yet. Mr. Coffin please keep them coming.
November 26, 2018
Wonderful Police Procedural
I loved this book. I enjoy reading police procedural books. This is fast paced, lots of twist and turns. It pulls the reader in from the first chapter and doesn’t give up until the very end. The subject is very much of present times. Teenagers shooting to avoid being apprehended. And it allows you to see that people in police work also have flaws. It is very realistic.
I loved this book. I enjoy reading police procedural books. This is fast paced, lots of twist and turns. It pulls the reader in from the first chapter and doesn’t give up until the very end. The subject is very much of present times. Teenagers shooting to avoid being apprehended. And it allows you to see that people in police work also have flaws. It is very realistic.
December 31, 2018
Just keeps getting better and better!
I love the fact that the author so obviously knows the town he's writing about- a place where we both grew up in. Each story Mr Coffin writes seems to pull you further and and further into John's story and life at 109. I hope he continues to write about John and his Portland haunts for many a year; Bruce Robert Coffin will definitely have this reader on the edge of her seat riding along Congress Street with Sergeant Byron!
I love the fact that the author so obviously knows the town he's writing about- a place where we both grew up in. Each story Mr Coffin writes seems to pull you further and and further into John's story and life at 109. I hope he continues to write about John and his Portland haunts for many a year; Bruce Robert Coffin will definitely have this reader on the edge of her seat riding along Congress Street with Sergeant Byron!
May 26, 2019
Terrific police procedural written by a man who spent nearly three decades as a cop, detective, and counter-terrorism specialist. The authenticity of the story is complimented by superb writing. This is police work from the inside--and inside the heads of characters who are brave, selfless, and flawed. Five stars for Bruce Robert Coffin who was recently nominated for the prestigious Agatha award at the 31st annual Malice Domestic mystery writers convention.
November 10, 2018
Another example of great storytelling.
A well pace plot of intricate storytelling that only a person with direct working police background could tell. This series of stories would make a great movie or tv miniseries. The main characters are rich in their own personal subplots. I look forward to more Bryon if there is more.
A well pace plot of intricate storytelling that only a person with direct working police background could tell. This series of stories would make a great movie or tv miniseries. The main characters are rich in their own personal subplots. I look forward to more Bryon if there is more.
November 9, 2020
No one writes a police procedural better than Coffin. Sure, he has the career experience to do this, but the reader gets from him a meticulous sense of the complexities of police work. Another achievement here is especially poignant in a contemporary sense. Yes, there are bad cops, but I can believe (Coffin certainly does) that most police persons are earnest and idealistic professionals. It is painful in this book to feel what they must feel when faced with unfair public abuse, fanned by protestors and politicians. Coffin does not abide corrupt cops any more than the public does, and protagonist John Byron says more than once that he is sympathetic to people who protest publicly, and acknowledges their constitutional right to do so. Coffin, more than any other procedural writer, helps the reader feel the pain of being a cop.
One also gets the sense of how difficult the jobs are. One morning, Byron comes arrives at work to find twenty-one phone messages. Senior management and politicians too often seem to support public relations and election chances at the expense of supporting their police departments. Some colleagues are lazy, corrupt, incompetent, or even all three.
I also commend Coffin for effectively conveying Portland, Maine's, sense of place. For those of us who have walked and driven these streets, and eaten in the restaurants depicted in the book, it is fun to enjoy the familiar.
Unfortunately, "Beyond the Truth" is not as effective as a work of fiction. The central problem is that John Byron is simply unlikable, and while Coffin undoubtedly expects the reader to be sympathetic to him, I can't figure out why anyone puts up with him. He is even gruff and distant with the people he is closest to. It's good to see Diane Joyner finally being more than just a walk-on, as she is in the first two books of the series. But something I can't define is missing, because while she is Black, she reads the same as any white character would.
I like procedurals, but I am also getting a bit jaded at some of the ways they all are similar. Is top police brass always an obstacle? Don't any police people work for top management which truly supports them? It is also difficult, I guess, to write these stories without having as many characters as a 19th Century Russian novel. (It is especially difficult to keep track of a large number of characters when reading on a kindle). Is there ever any humor behind the scenes in police work? Is the press ever enlightening rather than interfering dangerously? (The crime reporter, Davis Billingslea, seemed to be making progress towards being a decent human being in Book Two, but he backslides here).
Warts and all, though, this is a very good series and I will continue to look forward to the next installment.
One also gets the sense of how difficult the jobs are. One morning, Byron comes arrives at work to find twenty-one phone messages. Senior management and politicians too often seem to support public relations and election chances at the expense of supporting their police departments. Some colleagues are lazy, corrupt, incompetent, or even all three.
I also commend Coffin for effectively conveying Portland, Maine's, sense of place. For those of us who have walked and driven these streets, and eaten in the restaurants depicted in the book, it is fun to enjoy the familiar.
Unfortunately, "Beyond the Truth" is not as effective as a work of fiction. The central problem is that John Byron is simply unlikable, and while Coffin undoubtedly expects the reader to be sympathetic to him, I can't figure out why anyone puts up with him. He is even gruff and distant with the people he is closest to. It's good to see Diane Joyner finally being more than just a walk-on, as she is in the first two books of the series. But something I can't define is missing, because while she is Black, she reads the same as any white character would.
I like procedurals, but I am also getting a bit jaded at some of the ways they all are similar. Is top police brass always an obstacle? Don't any police people work for top management which truly supports them? It is also difficult, I guess, to write these stories without having as many characters as a 19th Century Russian novel. (It is especially difficult to keep track of a large number of characters when reading on a kindle). Is there ever any humor behind the scenes in police work? Is the press ever enlightening rather than interfering dangerously? (The crime reporter, Davis Billingslea, seemed to be making progress towards being a decent human being in Book Two, but he backslides here).
Warts and all, though, this is a very good series and I will continue to look forward to the next installment.
October 30, 2018
Goodreads Kindle Copy Win
A story that is prevalent in today’s news that highlights the story of a cop shooting a teenager. What happens to the detective as he goes through the scrutiny through his eyes as he battles the media but his inner demons of an alcoholic.
This is a gripping emotional journey.
A story that is prevalent in today’s news that highlights the story of a cop shooting a teenager. What happens to the detective as he goes through the scrutiny through his eyes as he battles the media but his inner demons of an alcoholic.
This is a gripping emotional journey.
November 24, 2018
A tense chilling thriller an author who has a background in law enforcement bringing reality to every page..A police officer shots a teenager and everything spills out of control multinlayered ripped from the headlines highly recommend.Thanks#goodreads for free copy.
June 7, 2019
As a Mainer and former Portland resident, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the local references. Beyond that though, I could not put down these books! I read the whole set of 3 in succession. I hope you write more!!
March 1, 2021
Incredible Volume in a Terrific Saga
Coffin writes with the authority of his having walked in the shoes of his protagonist and the language of a seasoned author. I’ve read his books eagerly after hearing him speak only once. My having reviewed mysteries for nearly thirty years meant I’ve rarely bought books, but I’ve gladly paid for these!
Coffin writes with the authority of his having walked in the shoes of his protagonist and the language of a seasoned author. I’ve read his books eagerly after hearing him speak only once. My having reviewed mysteries for nearly thirty years meant I’ve rarely bought books, but I’ve gladly paid for these!
April 16, 2019
Another good read especially for those readers with a familiarity with the Portland Maine area.
April 9, 2019
Bravo
Did not want to put this one down! Great action,great story,great characters.
Can't wa t to read the next book
Did not want to put this one down! Great action,great story,great characters.
Can't wa t to read the next book
September 3, 2020
RFG Book!
August 15, 2021
Another excellent read in the Byron series. There are stretches of what I have to assume are properly authentic procedural, given Bruce Coffin’s former profession, complete with frustrations, dead ends, humour, rage, hope, politics and betrayal. The by now familiar characters all get rounded out little more, not least the city of Portland; we’ve all heard the phrase that “the city/town is a character in itself”, and in the case of the Byron novels I think this is true: Bruce Coffin knows this city, loves this city, and buries these stories deep in this city. The whole builds until the final sprint toward what is a blistering climax. A fast, absorbing read. I’m thoroughly enjoying this series.
One that slipped through the edit net, though: Lagavulin is a single malt from Islay, in Scotland, not an Irish. Given Byron’s state at the time, though, you can’t blame him for getting confused ;)
One that slipped through the edit net, though: Lagavulin is a single malt from Islay, in Scotland, not an Irish. Given Byron’s state at the time, though, you can’t blame him for getting confused ;)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews