Under Fire

Fairbridge #1

by Peter van der Walt

The quirky little city of Fairbridge is about to explode at the intersection of sex, religion and politics.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Fairbridge is home to a sizeable LGBT community; as well as American Evangelical Christianity’s brightest rising star.

The people have embraced the contrasts and paradoxes as part of life in the New South. Students, hillbillies, snake handling tent revivalists, a new police chief, a feminist lesbian bar owner, rich out-of-staters… they all call Fairbridge home.

So far, the uneasy peace has held. Paul Draker – a gay, former Combat Rescue Officer – returns to the city to live out his days peacefully in the woods of Western North Carolina. But as the edges of the peace begin to unravel, and the culture wars reignite, he is on a collision course with a tortured soul on a perverse mission to kill as many LGBT people as possible.

Genres: Contemporary

252 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2019

About the author

Peter van der Walt is a fiction author, although you may find some non-fiction and the odd essay out there. Fans can find his newsletter, posts, updates and developments at petervanderwalt.com. Currently, he is hard at work on his next story. When not writing, he has far too many interests to reasonably keep up with. He lives with his partner in Devon, England.

Reviews

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this book. It's controversial, it's shocking, and it's thoroughly compelling from start to finish. Under Fire is written in a rapid-fire style that can and at times does come across as choppy, but it somehow works for this one. The story feels a little like reading a true crime book. In fact, the whole time I was reading, I could imagine reading about something like this happening or hearing about it on the news.
We learn about several characters throughout this book with Jimmy and Paul being most prominent, and Peter van der Walt does an excellent job of writing characters that feel real. Love them or hate them, these are people we could pass on the street, converse with in checkout lines, people we could know. We may not get everything about them, but how often do we get inside the heads of people we're acquaintances with in real life? People have their secrets, the things they don't want others to know, and we see that here with the people of this small town - the police chief stuck between a rock and a hard place, the bar owner determined to be who is, the church pastor spewing more hate than love.
And then there's Jimmy and Paul. Jimmy simultaneously repulsed me with his actions and broke my heart with everything he's endured, and Paul, who seems pretty straightforward has his own demons to deal with and may just be more than what we see.
I'm rather picky when it comes to thrillers, and in all honesty, I come away disappointed more often than not, but this debut by Peter van der Walt is everything a thriller should be and then some. I was hooked from the very first page and couldn't put it down, and after that conclusion, I'll be impatiently waiting for whatever comes next in this series.

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and did it grab my attention all the way through. The characters are so real. The story flow kept my attention and I hated to set it down.
I have to say this is a lot different than any of the other books I’ve read. I don’t think there is a hea nor even a hfn. The story pulls no punches. The situations are described so I had no questions what was happening. I’m not sure I liked any of the characters but Tina. I felt sorry for Jimmy. He had a life so horrible that no one deserves to be subject to that. His dad is the one I felt should be tortured but other than he died I don’t know if he ever really suffered for what he did. Jimmy grown up is totally unbalanced and no one ever steps in to do anything for him. Pastor Stevens does nothing to help him. Pete I’m still not sure about. He has his own problems and they don’t seem to get addressed or resolved. His actions are somewhat understandable other than I’m not sure Jimmy deserved what he got. I think he deserved to die more than what he is left with. The ending if probably more true to life that the syrupy hea most stories have. I would not mind getting more on where Pete’s life goes but I really enjoyed this book no matter. I will look forward to the next.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was a little wary of reading this at first because of how wrong a story like this could go if not done well. That being said, I did end up enjoying the book and thought it was a realistic look at LGBTQIA+ living in the south. However, I do wish the book had been more character driven. There were moments where it seemed like we were going to get more information and development with a character, but then we'd just get the smallest nugget of insight before moving on. This ended up leaving me with a lot more questions than answers, which was a little frustrating. But overall, a good read.

I am reviewing this book voluntarily after receiving a free copy.

[Elanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never read a book twice.. (well perhaps The Fountainhead) but this gem did not leave my bedside table and I ended up looking at it again.. And read it again.
Sure enough, the second time round entertained just as much. Entertainment of a different kind this book:  a rapid fire pace that shoots from the pen of Peter introduces characters cloacked in realism. We know them. Flawed, pained.. In conflict with human duality and morality. With what is considered 'socially acceptable' and opens up so many questions around that in itself. The search for acceptance and love...
It's a crime story and yes, Peter cleverly pulls us deeper... until the surprising and slightly shocking end. The anti-hero.
I eagerly await the next book.

[PortlandAvidReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping thriller

Once I started reading Under Fire I did not want to put it down. It reads like a true crime book, or a documentary on hate crimes. Compelling.

This is a window into the LGBT experience in the U.S.

I highly recommend Under Fire and look forward to the next book in the series.

[Sharon Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this gritty thriller although it was not what I was expecting when I picked it up. The writing is excellent and the story is definitely good.
I will be reading the next book in the series when it is published.

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. This was a great read. The potential for it to be a true story rather than a novel in today's political and social climate is real. I was impressed with the way the story developed and was engrossed from the first page. Peter van den Walt is an amazing storyteller. I am eagerly anticipating the release of the next book in this series.

[Renier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating thriller that reads with a punchy pace. I laughed and mourned with the characters of Fairbridge.

[PaperMoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hate-crime thriller set in a NC university town of Fairbridge. The plot pacing is indeed gripping and kept my attention til the end; kept my attention as in 'deer in the headlights', horrified kind of way. The POV switches mainly between Paul, the protagonist (retired top grade marine with expert skills) and antagonist (psychologically twisted serial killer) before adding in a third (town police chief) and then a fourth (FBI agent gone slightly to seed)! As the killings continue unabated, the drama escalates towards impending catastrophe as Fairbridge holds it LGBTIQ pride march. I didn't warm to Paul much and his actions toward the end left a bad taste in my mouth. 2.5 stars at best.

[Nicole Rumsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but I really liked it. The pace was fast, and it held my attention. I'm looking forward to more in this series!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive. Shocking. Explosive!

Addictive. Shocking. Explosive! Perfectly paced and engrossing. A very tightly plotted gay thriller you’ll find hard to put down! Bravo!