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Detective Byron #4
Within Plain Sight
The latest gripping installment of the award-winning, #1 bestselling Detective Byron mystery series: a grisly crime captivates Portland, sending John Byron and his team on a wild chase to catch the killer before it’s too late
“These books are absolutely superb, beautifully plotted. I can’t recommend them highly enough.” —Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling co-author of the Pendergast series
Amid the dog days of summer, Detective Sergeant John Byron is called to the scene of a horrific crime: a young woman’s body, dismembered and left in an abandoned Portland lumber yard. The killing shares striking similarities with a spate of murders committed in Boston by a serial killer known only as the Horseman.
As Byron’s team investigates the case, they quickly push up against powerful forces in town. But Byron will stop at nothing to find the truth, not when there is a killer on the loose and everyone is a suspect. Has the Horseman expanded his killing field? Is this the work of an ingenious copycat—or is nothing what it seems? One thing is certain: Byron must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.
“These books are absolutely superb, beautifully plotted. I can’t recommend them highly enough.” —Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling co-author of the Pendergast series
Amid the dog days of summer, Detective Sergeant John Byron is called to the scene of a horrific crime: a young woman’s body, dismembered and left in an abandoned Portland lumber yard. The killing shares striking similarities with a spate of murders committed in Boston by a serial killer known only as the Horseman.
As Byron’s team investigates the case, they quickly push up against powerful forces in town. But Byron will stop at nothing to find the truth, not when there is a killer on the loose and everyone is a suspect. Has the Horseman expanded his killing field? Is this the work of an ingenious copycat—or is nothing what it seems? One thing is certain: Byron must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2020
121 people are currently reading
206 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 69 reviews
December 27, 2019
Another great addition to this series. Detective John Byron is back & he’s got a full plate. First up is a new case. The body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned yard &…um…let’s just say obtaining an ID will be tricky.
The investigation is complicated by a few factors. Usually police hope to dig up even one good suspect. John & his crew have the opposite problem. They’ve got a whole herd of viable candidates, some of whom are part of a well known & affluent family with a lot of political pull in the Portland area.
Naturally this makes department brass a little nervous, including the freshly appointed chief. When details start leaking to the press, the results are disastrous. A new boss, office politics, a crazed father & changes in his personal life are just some of the headaches John is dealing with. And that’s before you take into account the weasel infestation. No, not the furry 4 legged variety. These varmints walk upright. One is a journalist who lives for lurid headlines. The others are a couple of John’s colleagues who would like nothing better than to see him fail.
Due to the wealth of suspects John & his crew have to dig deep, uncovering family secrets & lies in the process. As pieces slide into place, you might find yourself changing your mind more than once as the investigation progresses. I did. The procedural aspect is done very well & you get a real sense of the grunt work involved.
It’s a proper head scratcher. The plot is intricate with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed the returning cast of characters. They have distinct personalities & the relationships between them are the heart of the story. Tension starts to build & by the time you hit the 3/4 mark, you’ll resent having to put it down.
I think one of the most remarkable things about these books is how consistently well written they are. As with all series, you might enjoy some story lines more than others but it’s the core characters that keep you coming back. I gradually let go of some long running series I’ve read for years as it started to feel like they were going down roads already travelled. So I’m thrilled to come across a new one to follow. Bring on book #5!
The investigation is complicated by a few factors. Usually police hope to dig up even one good suspect. John & his crew have the opposite problem. They’ve got a whole herd of viable candidates, some of whom are part of a well known & affluent family with a lot of political pull in the Portland area.
Naturally this makes department brass a little nervous, including the freshly appointed chief. When details start leaking to the press, the results are disastrous. A new boss, office politics, a crazed father & changes in his personal life are just some of the headaches John is dealing with. And that’s before you take into account the weasel infestation. No, not the furry 4 legged variety. These varmints walk upright. One is a journalist who lives for lurid headlines. The others are a couple of John’s colleagues who would like nothing better than to see him fail.
Due to the wealth of suspects John & his crew have to dig deep, uncovering family secrets & lies in the process. As pieces slide into place, you might find yourself changing your mind more than once as the investigation progresses. I did. The procedural aspect is done very well & you get a real sense of the grunt work involved.
It’s a proper head scratcher. The plot is intricate with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed the returning cast of characters. They have distinct personalities & the relationships between them are the heart of the story. Tension starts to build & by the time you hit the 3/4 mark, you’ll resent having to put it down.
I think one of the most remarkable things about these books is how consistently well written they are. As with all series, you might enjoy some story lines more than others but it’s the core characters that keep you coming back. I gradually let go of some long running series I’ve read for years as it started to feel like they were going down roads already travelled. So I’m thrilled to come across a new one to follow. Bring on book #5!
December 31, 2020
Bruce Robert Coffin’s latest Detective Byron mystery, WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT, sizzles and pops like thick-cut bacon tossed into a smokin’ hot skillet.
This fast-paced tale has it all -- the gruesome murder of a young woman, her headless body found in a shuttered lumber yard; a star-power family with a famous actress for a matriarch; more plot twists and turns than an Olympic slalom course; treacherous police department politics and the internal angst of Detective Sergeant John Byron, newly sober and trying to live up to his 90-day AA coin in the middle of a triple-decker stress-sandwich case.
Byron is an old-school murder cop who doesn’t gladly suffer fools, particularly lazy colleagues and career-climbing superiors. He’s thorough and obsessive, willing to throw protocol and chain-of-command out the window and put himself in harm’s way in pursuit of his prey. But he’s also a natural-born leader who takes care of his team.
The author has you riding shotgun in Byron’s head as he and his team painstakingly pursue every lead in a case where the suspects pile up, including the famous actress and her two sons, a boozehound businessman who pawed the victim at the five-star restaurant run by the sons and an ex-boyfriend who smacked her around and refused to believe it when she broke off the relationship. There’s also the dead-bang match of a headless victim to the modus operandi of a Boston serial killer on the loose dubbed the Horseman.
Add a few gunsels and thugs, a homeless Desert Storm vet who finds the head in a garbage bag at the bottom of a Dumpster he’s using as overnight lodging and a dark family secret and you’ve got the recipe for a mystery that will keep you guessing until the final bullet-riddled revelation.
Coffin’s a master of pace, deftly switching between the step-by-step progress of the case, sudden action, back-stabbing colleagues and the backstory of Byron’s struggle with the bottle and his relationship with a black colleague named Diane. All of these elements are seamlessly dovetailed and keep you turning page after page.
Chalk up another Detective Byron winner for Bruce Robert Coffin.
The author provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jim Nesbitt is the author of three hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch, a cashiered homicide detective -- THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER and THE LAST SECOND CHANCE. His website is: https://jimnesbittbooks.com
This fast-paced tale has it all -- the gruesome murder of a young woman, her headless body found in a shuttered lumber yard; a star-power family with a famous actress for a matriarch; more plot twists and turns than an Olympic slalom course; treacherous police department politics and the internal angst of Detective Sergeant John Byron, newly sober and trying to live up to his 90-day AA coin in the middle of a triple-decker stress-sandwich case.
Byron is an old-school murder cop who doesn’t gladly suffer fools, particularly lazy colleagues and career-climbing superiors. He’s thorough and obsessive, willing to throw protocol and chain-of-command out the window and put himself in harm’s way in pursuit of his prey. But he’s also a natural-born leader who takes care of his team.
The author has you riding shotgun in Byron’s head as he and his team painstakingly pursue every lead in a case where the suspects pile up, including the famous actress and her two sons, a boozehound businessman who pawed the victim at the five-star restaurant run by the sons and an ex-boyfriend who smacked her around and refused to believe it when she broke off the relationship. There’s also the dead-bang match of a headless victim to the modus operandi of a Boston serial killer on the loose dubbed the Horseman.
Add a few gunsels and thugs, a homeless Desert Storm vet who finds the head in a garbage bag at the bottom of a Dumpster he’s using as overnight lodging and a dark family secret and you’ve got the recipe for a mystery that will keep you guessing until the final bullet-riddled revelation.
Coffin’s a master of pace, deftly switching between the step-by-step progress of the case, sudden action, back-stabbing colleagues and the backstory of Byron’s struggle with the bottle and his relationship with a black colleague named Diane. All of these elements are seamlessly dovetailed and keep you turning page after page.
Chalk up another Detective Byron winner for Bruce Robert Coffin.
The author provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jim Nesbitt is the author of three hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch, a cashiered homicide detective -- THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER and THE LAST SECOND CHANCE. His website is: https://jimnesbittbooks.com
September 20, 2019
I got to read an advance copy of this book and highly recommend it. The series is terrific and this fourth book is a particularly satisfying police procedural. The Portland, Maine setting rings very true. The dialog crackles. The mystery at the heart of the story is convoluted enough. The character of John Byron continues to be interesting. I particularly like his rather mordant view of people, what you would expect from someone who's seen as much inhumanity as he has, and his sense of humor. I hope the series will continue!
February 1, 2020
The discovery of the headless corpse of a young woman in a Portland Maine lumberyard leads Detective John Byron places he didn't expect to go. Is this murder connected to those committed in Boston by the Horseman? Byron's suspect list is studded with problems- political problems- but he doesn't care. The classic tortured detective, he's struggling with sobriety and to deal with his colleagues, some of whom are just childish in their behavior. It's neatly written with some good twists. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
May 28, 2020
I enjoyed this murder mystery a lot. It was realistic, tense, and exciting, with many unexpected twists. The characters are multidimensional and their relationships realistic and interesting set in the Portland Police detectives unit.
January 10, 2020
Must read! Bruce Robert Coffin has done it again; he’s written another high-octane investigation for Detective Byron in a Portland murder. This is one you want want to miss. Highly recommended read.
May 28, 2022
Bruce Coffin created a masterpiece when he wrote his latest book, “Within Plain Sight.” A compelling narrative that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until a climax guaranteed to leave you breathless. Coffin’s tenure as Detective Sergeant in charge of violent crimes for the largest city in Maine infuses his John Byron novels with authenticity. For any skeptics who need more evidence before parting with their hard-earned cash, check out RLawtonSquared.com for a longer review. We won’t divulge whodunit, only why you should buy it. Look under Rob’s Review Corner, “A great place to learn about great books.”
February 23, 2020
Bruce Robert Coffin
I immensely enjoy this series! I’m thrilled that there will be more to come! I highly recommend and look forward to the next adventure!
I immensely enjoy this series! I’m thrilled that there will be more to come! I highly recommend and look forward to the next adventure!
February 10, 2021
Required Reading for Police Procedural Lovers!
Every book in this series is fast-paced and thrilling. Characters are compelling and situations believable. Among the best series I’ve read in 50+ years of reading, writing , and talking about crime fiction!
Every book in this series is fast-paced and thrilling. Characters are compelling and situations believable. Among the best series I’ve read in 50+ years of reading, writing , and talking about crime fiction!
May 18, 2021
This author keeps getting better! Can’t wait to read the next in series.
June 10, 2021
Another who done it bryon proves he can still catch the bad guy cannot wait for book 5 well worth reading
May 15, 2021
This was a Great series.
I was sad when I finished the last one. Great author. Great stories. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
I was sad when I finished the last one. Great author. Great stories. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 24, 2023
I really like Detective Sergeant Byron, Lady Di, and the 109 and hope there will still be a No. 5, although it has been several years since this one was released. I just discovered this series and read all four in a row.
June 4, 2023
This author has always been my east coast Michael Connelly with his John Byron character reminding me of Harry Bosch. He writes a really good police procedural having had the experience in the field. A good gritty cop book that I kinda figured out the perp but appreciated the reveals as they happened. The supporting characters really complement the story.
The book seemed a little longer to me but it is listed as 343 pages. Given it was published in early 2020 I don’t know if there will be another book from this author but I hope it happens if he wants it to!
The book seemed a little longer to me but it is listed as 343 pages. Given it was published in early 2020 I don’t know if there will be another book from this author but I hope it happens if he wants it to!
January 17, 2020
I liked this detective mystery novel. It has a good balance of character development and police procedure. The investigation into the murder is complex but John Byron, lead detective, methodically pursues the murderer. Coffin crafts Byron and his team members in a way so they come across as real people with real issues, like a pregnant wife who keeps having false labor. Coffin also creates a realistic police department with internal politics and strife.
The murder investigation is a difficult one. As Byron pursues leads, a number of suspects surface. Coffin added a few red herrings to keep us guessing. A strong part of the novel is Byron himself. We get into his head, such as his battle staying sober. Coffin provides just enough internal thinking before going back to intense action.
The setting, characters, and plot are all good. I do hope Coffin continues the series as I have come to enjoy the interplay of Byron and his team as they work diligently to solve the mystery.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The murder investigation is a difficult one. As Byron pursues leads, a number of suspects surface. Coffin added a few red herrings to keep us guessing. A strong part of the novel is Byron himself. We get into his head, such as his battle staying sober. Coffin provides just enough internal thinking before going back to intense action.
The setting, characters, and plot are all good. I do hope Coffin continues the series as I have come to enjoy the interplay of Byron and his team as they work diligently to solve the mystery.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
March 8, 2020
A grisly murder. A Hollywood chef. His movie star mother. A disgruntled ex-boyfriend. Plenty of suspects but the clues are scant.
Detective Sergeant John Byron is doing his best to find justice for the murdered young woman and take a dangerous criminal of the street. In what little spare time he has, he parses to AA meetings, his girlfriend, and family. He’s a man who constantly endeavors to be a better person and not afraid to admit when he’s wrong. I like that about him.
This fourth Detective Byron mystery is a page turner. The story is fresh. The voice is authoritative. I like this cop. Can’t wait for the next installment.
Detective Sergeant John Byron is doing his best to find justice for the murdered young woman and take a dangerous criminal of the street. In what little spare time he has, he parses to AA meetings, his girlfriend, and family. He’s a man who constantly endeavors to be a better person and not afraid to admit when he’s wrong. I like that about him.
This fourth Detective Byron mystery is a page turner. The story is fresh. The voice is authoritative. I like this cop. Can’t wait for the next installment.
March 3, 2020
Another gripping entry in this most excellent series that literally drips with authenticity. In the genre of police procedurals, Bruce Coffin excels like no other author I have read. This one is the best in the series so far, really enjoyed the chase scene in the final chapters along the streets, avenues and places so familiar to me, being a South Portland resident ... I felt like I was along for the ride.
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February 8, 2020PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020: A book that’s published in 2020; A book with a three-word title
I love this series set in Portland, Maine. I always fly through the novels and I love the mentions of places I actually go. I heartily recommend all of the Detective Byron mysteries!
I love this series set in Portland, Maine. I always fly through the novels and I love the mentions of places I actually go. I heartily recommend all of the Detective Byron mysteries!
February 24, 2020
I was looking forward to this latest John Byron novel and it did not disappoint! Well-written police detective story that I could not put down. As a former Portland resident I really enjoyed all the local references, making this more interesting. I hope there is a 5th novel coming in the future!
February 9, 2020
All of the Byron books are good and they keep getting better and better. I got nothing done on Saturday because I couldn't put this down. The end was a page turner. I can't wait for book 5!
February 24, 2020
A real page turner. Nuts and bolts detective work, especially enjoyable if you have a working knowledge of Portland, Maine. Looking forward to the next book in the Detective Byron series.
January 12, 2021
Love these books!!!! Patiently waiting for the next!!!
February 24, 2024
Probably the best of the 4 books
January 12, 2022
Within Plain Sight was another suspenseful read from Bruce Robert Coffin. In this installment detective sergeant John Byron is faced with finding the murderer of a young woman, who is found decapitated in a lumberyard that is no longer operational, and the head of the victim is separately discovered in a dumpster by a homeless person. Meanwhile two murders have taken place in Boston that were also differentiated by head removal. Is the murder in Portland, ME related? As is usually the case, Byron follows a slow process, as he methodically traces the clues to the eventual killer. In this novel, there are a host of suspects, but patience and persistence eventually lead to truth. Byron is accompanied by the same cast of characters that surr0unded him in the first three novels, including Lieutenant Martin LeRoyer, Mel Stevens, Mike Nugent, Gabe Pelligrosso, Dustin Tran, and Diane Joyner. A woman, Pamela Lynd, has taken over as Portland's new police chief, and making favorable first impressions is a goal of most everyone in the department except John. Several egregious leaks plague the investigation, and eventually the culprit is identified. I was quite interested in this subplot. I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, but Bruce Robert Coffin is perhaps the most rigorous in producing true mysteries. As I devour his works, I am constantly trying to organize the clues in order to predict the ultimate criminal. Coffin also seems to have his characters follow all the proper steps for investigating crime, and I appreciate that as well. My greatest disappointment with this book was that it is number four in the series, and as near as I can determine, the last of John Byron. Hopefully Bruce Robert Coffin is formulating new ideas, and a new John Byron mystery will arrive in 2022.
October 29, 2020
Michael Connelly is my go-to for police thrillers. I’m adding Bruce Robert Coffin and his Detective Byron Mysteries to that very short list. The series goes from strength to strength in book four, “Within Plain Sight.” This is you-are-there police work as Byron deals with the gruesome murder of a young woman and enough suspects to fill three investigations. Tough and whip smart, Bryon is at the center of it all, a driven murder cop who follows leads, suspects, clues and intuition and plows through anything and anyone—police bureaucrats and reporters included—that gets in his way. Crackling dialogue, characters you feel you're living with, a plot that turns the pages for you. It doesn’t get any better.
February 9, 2020
Bruce Robert Coffin continues his outstanding John Bryron series. He gives us another intriguing mystery with multiple suspects. The story is well structured and written. The main characters continue their development and the inner workings of the Portland PD are detailed. Coffin knows police work and his city of Portland. This has been a great series and I am looking forward to the next installment.
February 24, 2020
Excellent job, Bruce!
This is my favorite John Byron book to date. Well written and riveting! I especially enjoyed the chase scene in my back yard or close to it and I always enjoy how you weave in our the local hot spots. This was a fun read!
This is my favorite John Byron book to date. Well written and riveting! I especially enjoyed the chase scene in my back yard or close to it and I always enjoy how you weave in our the local hot spots. This was a fun read!
May 19, 2020
In this fourth installment of the author’s Detective John Byron series, we find our protagonist challenged by his newest homicide case. A gruesome crime, multiple suspects, and a team he cannot always count on set the stage for a difficult investigation. I highly recommend this book, which will have your heart racing more than once.
April 7, 2020
Couldn't put it down.
It's almost 3:00am and my alarm is set if 6:30 but I couldn't stop reading. It's that good. Once again John Byron, Diane, Nugent, Tran, Mel and the rest of the gang do their best. Another compelling, gritty, and fantastic story.
It's almost 3:00am and my alarm is set if 6:30 but I couldn't stop reading. It's that good. Once again John Byron, Diane, Nugent, Tran, Mel and the rest of the gang do their best. Another compelling, gritty, and fantastic story.
November 4, 2020
Best one yet! Gripping, twists and turns, some humor thrown in....couldn't put it down! Bruce's Detective Byron series delivers-and then some!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews