Wolfe Trap

Clay Wolfe/Port Essex Mystery #1

by Matt Cost, Matthew Langdon Cost

What evil lurks in Port Essex, Maine?
Clay Wolfe is a former Boston homicide detective who has left the police department to return home to Maine to care for his elderly grandfather and open a private detective agency. Haunted by being orphaned at an early age, and jaded by the corruption of the big city, Clay is happy to hit pause and investigate minor crimes.

“I want you to find the person who sold the drugs that killed my grandbaby.”
When he is hired to find out who sold the drugs that killed a six-month-old baby girl, he has no idea of the evil that he is going to uncover in the underbelly of his hometown.

"Wolfe Trap" is a thrilling ride set in a small Maine town with rich characters and shocking plot twists that will keep the reader rapt until the final pages.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

312 pages, Paperback

Published June 23, 2021

About the author

Matt Cost also publishes under Matthew Langdon Cost.

MATT COST writes the Mainely Mystery and the Clay Wolfe/Port Essex Mystery Series. He’s also written several books of historical fiction. This is his first jaunt in combining his two loves of histories and mysteries into a historical PI mystery. Cost was a history major at Trinity College. He owned a mystery bookstore, a video store, and a gym, before serving a ten-year sentence as a junior high school teacher. In 2014 he was released and began writing. And that’s what he does. He writes histories and mysteries. Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Cost introduces his detective series with smooth and easy pacing that draws readers into the pretty and predictable life of Port Essex.

Read full review in the 2021 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a former homicide detective comes home to a small town in Maine, he thought his days of fighting crime and investigating what the dregs of the earth can do to others. Clay Wolfe never thought his peaceful existence would be shattered by one woman’s request to find the monster ultimately responsible for the death of her infant granddaughter. Little did he know, even in a small town, evil thrives in the dark and the menace is growing, a menace that could get him killed.

Matthew Langdon Cost’s latest series bursts onto the reading scene with high action suspense, a touch of raw humanity and a twisted plot that will have readers unable to put this tale down!

WOLFE TRAP has moments of darkness, genuine characters that are far from perfect and once it gets its claws into you, even the best detectives will fail to easily discover where they are headed on that path to the finish. Easy to read, with moments of rapidfire action, a heinous crime that already has the perpetrator and goes far beyond in unveiling “the rest of the story!” Will Clay make that giant leap into discovering who the greatest monster is and how far his reach goes?

Definitely a hidden gem on the horizon!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Matthew Langdon Cost! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Clay Wolfe/Port Essex - Book 1
Publisher : Encircle Publications (June 23, 2021)
Genre: Mystery
Print length : 263 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, this is an exciting read! Lots of mystery, plenty of action and great characters to boot!

Clay Wolfe, ex-Boston detective, has dealt with as many high-octane cases as he would like during his police career; he’s happy to have returned home to Maine to keep an eye on his aging grandfather and opens a detective agency which keeps him busy investigating minor matters. Until, that is, he is hired by a woman to find out where the drugs came from which killed her six-month-old granddaughter – and then life gets dangerous, both for Wolfe and those close to him.

Another heart-pounding thriller from the pen (keyboard?) of Matt Cost, an author who knows how to create a cast of appealing characters and then, once they get inside your head the fun begins! A riveting start to a new series which I’ll happily follow – so much going on, all cleverly plotted to make perfect sense and yet, when the final revelations come, there is always a surprise or two. A thrilling read, one I could hardly bear to put down, full of excitement and always throwing more questions into the mix. A dynamic novel, worthy of all five shining stars and my highest recommendation.

[Andy Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay Wolfe leaves Boston, where he was a Homicide cop to return home to Maine, where he can look after his grandfather and set up a little detective agency. Definitely an easier life... 


*Dude, don't do it!!! You know these things never turn out well *


Anyhow, before too long Wolfe is looking into a new case - find out who supplied the drugs that led to the death of a six month old baby. Before long he is up to his neck in dealers, gangland bosses - basically all the evil you can throw at him... 


*See, I told you it never turns out the way you hope*


This was a cracking read that passed by much quicker than I would have expected (gone in two sittings). The setting of small town Maine worked well for me and, with the depth of the back cast I can see this becoming a popular series. 

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOLFE TRAP is the first instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult CLAY WOLFE/PORT ESSEX mystery, crime, suspense, thriller series focusing on former Boston homicide detective turned private investigator Clay Wolfe.

Told from several third person perspectives WOLFE TRAP follows Port Essex PI Clay Wolfe as he is contracted by a third party to investigate the death, by heroin, of a six month old child but what Clay quickly discovers is that the small town of Port Essex, and Essex harbor are a major port for the distribution of heroin and illegal drugs. From lobster trappers, fisherman and the local PD, everyone is suspect including our story line hero. As Clay begins to uncover a trail of secret and lies, one by one, the suspects disappear or end up dead. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the potential fall out as those closest to Clay are targeted as his investigation hits too close to home.

WOLFE TRAP introduces the players and people of Port Essex Maine including Clay’s grandfather, former attorney Gene Wolfe; Clay’s assistant Baylee Baker; former Navy SEAL Weston ‘Westy’ Beck; PI/surveillance camera man Don;Crystal and Kelly Anne Landry; journalist Marie Cloutier; Clay’s friends with benefits, officer Donna Smith; billionaire Big Pharma CEO Niles Harrington and his daughter Charly, and their caretaker Scott McKenny. The requisite evil has many faces.

WOLFE TRAP is a story of betrayal and vengeance; drug smuggling and addiction; power, control, secrets and lies. The premise is engaging and intriguing; the characters are energetic and dynamic. Matt Cost pulls the reader into a character driven, detailed and spirited tale that could be ripped from the headlines of anywhere, any day.

www.thereadingcafe.com

[BJ Magnani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drinks, Drugs, and Lobstermen

Wolfe Trap is the first in the Clay Wolfe, Port Essex Mysteries from Matt Cost (author of the Goff Langdon Mainely mysteries and historical novels such as I am Cuba and Love in a Time of Hate.) The story begins when a grandmother of a baby who has been poisoned inadvertently by “heroin” seeks help from Private Detective Clay Wolfe. His new client leads him to uncover the trail leading to a heroin/fentanyl smuggling operation that sits right up on Maine’s coast (extras with your lobster roll).
Clay Wolfe, a hard-drinking ex Boston cop, likes his expensive Scotch “the occasional small sip sliding down his throat like bliss with a hint of danger.” He finds himself having sex with one woman—just because—while wishing he was in a relationship with another—but she works for him. While these are just small obstacles he must overcome, he sticks with the case even though it puts him, and the people he cares about, in danger.
Cost uses a style that is graphic, pushing the plot along with a cast full of characters that will have you hating the very bad, liking the affable, and rooting for our hero to pull out of the tailspin he finds himself in. There’s action, humor, and a feeling of old-fashioned noir fiction at play.
I enjoyed the book and found myself racing to the end to ensure our hero would live to see another day.

[Traveling Cloak · Rating 4 out of 5]

WolfeTrap is the first installment in Cost’s Clay Wolfe/Port Essex series. I have to say, I am always down for books like this. It is set in a sleepy, tourist town in the Northeast, which is not only creates a picturesque setting but also always factors into the plot in a really interesting way. I also like the fact that there are a few different plot lines playing out simultaneously, but in a small town like this everything is connected. The mystery is intriguing, and the pieces slowly unfurl to reveal a full picture that details the situation in its entirety.

I was really into the mood of the book, too. I do not know if this book is considered “noir” (as you all probably know, I am bad with sub-genres), but I get that similar-type of feeling from it. So much of the plot is pulled along by hushed conversations with cheesy dialogue in dark, smoky dive bars or *blush* in-between the sheets of secret lovers. I say all of these things in love, because it all adds to the detective book vibe in a very purposeful way.

Wolfe Trap hits those spots in the pleasure center of my brain that often get neglected by my steady diet of science fiction and fantasy. Recommended reading to anyone looking for an intriguing mystery that covers all the tropes of the genre and covers them well.

[Ali Bunke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect start to a crime series. I found the characters to be fully formed and enough back story is given to understand their motivations. True to a crime fiction story the characters are mostly flawed, but that is what made them engaging. The pacing is a little slow, but the was enough action to keep me invested.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOLFE TRAP is the first instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult CLAY WOLFE/PORT ESSEX mystery, crime, suspense, thriller series focusing on former Boston homicide detective turned private investigator Clay Wolfe.

Told from several third person perspectives WOLFE TRAP follows Port Essex PI Clay Wolfe as he is contracted by a third party to investigate the death, by heroin, of a six month old child but what Clay quickly discovers is that the small town of Port Essex, and Essex harbor are a major port for the distribution of heroin and illegal drugs. From lobster trappers, fisherman and the local PD, everyone is suspect including our story line hero. As Clay begins to uncover a trail of secret and lies, one by one, the suspects disappear or end up dead. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the potential fall out as those closest to Clay are targeted as his investigation hits too close to home.

WOLFE TRAP introduces the players and people of Port Essex Maine including Clay’s grandfather, former attorney Gene Wolfe; Clay’s assistant Baylee Baker; former Navy SEAL Weston ‘Westy’ Beck; PI/surveillance camera man Don;Crystal and Kelly Anne Landry; journalist Marie Cloutier; Clay’s friends with benefits, officer Donna Smith; billionaire Big Pharma CEO Niles Harrington and his daughter Charly, and their caretaker Scott McKenny. The requisite evil has many faces.

WOLFE TRAP is a story of betrayal and vengeance; drug smuggling and addiction; power, control, secrets and lies. The premise is engaging and intriguing; the characters are energetic and dynamic. Matt Cost pulls the reader into a character driven, detailed and spirited tale that could be ripped from the headlines of anywhere, any day.

www.thereadingcafe.com

[Jo-jean Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Wolfe Trap. If you've ever wondered what secrets a small town could hold behind closed doors, Matt Cost gives an intriguing look! You won't soon forget his compelling characters and plot lines.

[Terri (BooklyMatters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great fun, and the perfect introduction to what I’m sure will be one terrific crime series.

Clay Wolfe (oh, what an awesome name!) Is a former Boston homicide detective, who has now moved back to his home town, the idyllic Port Essex, situated on a coastal bay opening into the Atlantic Ocean, Maine. Clay has now hung out his shingle as a P.I and in this, the first of a new series, Clay battles an evil empire ruled by drug kingpins who are smuggling fentanyl-laced heroin into New England in, of all things, lobster traps.

It’s Paradise meets Dante’s inferno (an inside joke that will be clear if you read the book), as Clay stumbles head-first into the seamy underbelly of the modern-day drug crisis - drugs which are cheaply manufactured by big-Pharma, ensured a starring role in generations of misery through a devils handshake with the Medical industry and their proliferation of opioid prescriptions that cannot help by guarantee wave after wave of fresh addiction.

(We see the addiction crisis from several angles, and through several characters as we experience their tragedies first-hand, knitting into a theme that is compelling, tragic and timely).

Part James Bond and part Jesse Stone, Clay himself is a marvelous character - a tough but ultimately tender-hearted hero, who loves his brown liquor (more than a little bit too much) and is not afraid to get his hands dirty. In a lovely quirk, Clay is also quite a dandy, typically well-groomed and prone to wear outfits like tan slacks and turquoise button-downs, even to his encounters with the deadliest of assassins (and not unsurprisingly then, finding himself “grimacing at the mess he was making of his clothes”).

No hero is complete without a surrounding team to have his back, and Clay’s hands-on helpers are no exception . As the plot builds we find he has unwittingly assembled around him a unique and colorful medley of (mostly) somewhat unlikely crime-fighting partners, including (in no particular order):

- Westy, an old buddy of Clays, an ex Navy SEAL (who is one scary and Uber-capable dude).
- Baylee, Clay’s lovely receptionist, a survivor of domestic abuse who longs to be a P.I herself.
- Marie Clotier, a tough-as-nails female reporter, who will follow a story anywhere.
- Joe Murphy a spritely grizzled alcoholic who spends his days in various seedy bars. Murph serves as the nerve center of the Port Essex underground.
- Gene, or “Grandpops”, Clays elderly grandfather, a retired lawyer who is not afraid to tote a rifle and come along for the ride.

With plenty of twists and turns, and plenty of action, readers of crime and fast-paced action- thrillers will love this book. I can’t wait to read more of this series!

A big thank you to the author, Matt Cost, for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts shared are my own.

[Ed Sheehan]

Ed Sheehan’s review of Wolfe Trap by Matt Cost

Matt Cost’s novel, Wolfe Trap, starts with Clay Wolfe, a private investigator (PI) meeting with Crystal Landry, a worn out, low class woman in her forties. Crystal’s granddaughter was killed by her daughter or her daughter’s boyfriend by rubbing cocaine laced with fentanyl on her six-month-old granddaughter’s gums to keep her from crying. Crystal hires Clay to find the drug dealer who sold the drug to her daughter. She can only afford to pay Clay a fifty dollar retention. Clay smiles and takes the case. Clay had just recently left his detective job with the Boston police and hung his PI shingle up in his small home town of Port Essex, Maine.

Clay’s secretary Baylee Baker is introduced. She shot and killed her husband in self-defense as he was beating her, and after that, she got hooked on Xanax while trying to handle the stress. Her psychiatrist quit prescribing the drug and she started buying it from a local drug dealer who a normal reader would suspect is the man who sold the cocaine to Crystal’s daughter in the small town. That plot could work for good short story, but Clay’s investigation begins to uncover a large drug operation in the small town. Clay’s investigation becomes more and more dangerous the more he gets into it. Fortunately, Clay’s best friend is a former Navy Seal who helps Clay deal with the dangerous tasks.

I found this story fascinating. All of characters were wonderfully developed and the dialogue was very good. (I must say the print format that downloaded to my Android e-reader often put short dialogue of two people on the same line without a paragraph break. But I assume that and other formatting problems were not the author’s fault.) The plot thickened beautifully. My only suggestion would be to work on the action scenes to make them flow smoother, clearer, and handle the injuries more logically. I rank this novel four stars out of five.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gordon Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have reviewed Mr. Cost’s work earlier this year, and find myself repeating those comments and applying them to this novel. However, for those of you who missed “Mainely Money,” here goes. Generally, this author writes a great action novel but tends to fall in love with his research, and expects us to do the same.

“Wolfe Trap” ticks all the boxes of a Smalltown America Private Detective novel with the added bonus of a primer of everything going on in the U. S. drug trade, legal and illegal.

The narrative form, involving the author’s frequent intrusion with historical and social bits of information, is great for creating atmosphere, but this means a lot of explaining, which puts a fine screen between the reader and the characters, reducing our emotional attachment to the story. The technique of giving this information through long periods of inactive conversation has its limits, especially when the characters are telling each other facts they both probably know.

As in his other novel of the same style, the main strength of the writing is the characters. All of them are interesting, and every one (good, bad and neutral) evokes reader emotion. There is a certain amount of stereotyping, as is expected in this genre, but they are all characters we love (and love to hate).

Conflict includes just about every ill caused by America’s lack of medical coverage, Big Pharma, Mexican cartels, filthy rich billionaires, small-town corruption and Chinese drug lords. The plotline is complicated enough to keep us guessing, and realistic enough to draw us in and keep us involved until the final compulsory gun battle. A notable departure from the usual style; there are no fainting, fallible females in the battle scenes. In this story, the girls get down and dirty with the best of them.

Recommended for readers who like their Detective Action stories with great characters, a small amount of intense action and a dollop of education thrown in.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

Could a quiet New England port be a conduit for drugs into the Eastern United States? Clay Wolfe, a former Boston detective, has formed his own company as a private detective in his home town of Port Essex, Maine. The main industry in the quiet fishing village is a large fleet of lobster boats.

Matt Cost has developed a very believable and vulnerable character in Clay Wolfe. His office manager is also a very interesting character. Each of them is coming out of bad or abusive relationships and is a bit tentative about making long term commitments. Clay has a well-deserved tom cat reputation.

Attempting to get to the bottom of the source of drugs coming into New England, Clay is interviewing a local lobsterman. A very well-trained assassin sent a tight grouping of projectiles in the man’s chest. Thus begins a quest for the killer.

The atmospheric descriptions of the story along with the well-developed characters kept me turning pages to get to the climax. It is a fast paced read; enjoy this page-turner. 5 stars - CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

[Bookswithacuppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former homicide detective Clay Wolfe (you already know you’re in for a treat when your protagonist has a name like that!) has returned to Port Essex, Maine and started his own PI business. His days consist of cheating spouses, lying employees and being the occasional bodyguard. Then Crystal walks through his door… For half his going rate, and hoping that chasing down some small low life drug dealers would rejuvenate his soul, he accepts. If only Clay knew….!

This was a fantastic introduction into what I suspect will be a cracking detective fiction series. Within the first few pages I was drawn in to Matt’s punchy writing and Clay as a character. He is the perfect combo of witty and vulnerable. He has his demons, but is a genuine chap with a kind heart, who prides himself on his impeccable attire.

With a dynamitic plot, the start fizzled along slowly, inch by inch, as we got glimpses of what Clay was getting himself into. Then BOOM! The story explodes and all hell breaks loose! Clay is sucked into the modern day drug crisis that tragically affects so many, which we witness through the characters first hand.

The characterisation and dialogue is expertly done - Matt is a wizard at drawing you in to really invest in these characters.

I would absolutely recommend this book to all detective fiction lovers out there, and I’m especially looking forward to joining Clay in more thrilling cases like this!

I was gifted a kindle copy of this book by Random Things Tours. My review is voluntary and thoughts entirely my own.

[Susan Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Clay Wolfe returns to his home town of Port Essex to hang out his private detective shingle, he's looking for respite from his former job as a Boston detective. Figuring his small town will allow him to watch over his elderly father and get him away from the crimes of the city, Wolfe acquires an office manager and an old friend who was a Navy SEAL. When a young woman approaches him to find out who provided the drugs that killed her baby, he takes on the case, not realizing how complicated and deadly it will become. His little group of friends join in a David and Goliath fight. What interested me about Cost's book is that the middle-which is so difficult to write and keep readers interested--is quite a page-turner. This is where a mystery often lags, but not this one. It's quite a story with twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end.

[saanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book wasn’t necessarily bad, I have given it a rating of 2.5 rounded to 3 because I believe it is a bit to mature for my age. As a teenager, I found the book to be a bit boring at times, and the increasing number of characters being introduced did nothing but confuse me.

The book kept switching between point of views of various characters. I took this as a positive as I found out what each character was thinking, which made the book slightly more interesting. However, it was also a negative factor as it helped the reader solve part of the mystery quite early on in the book. As an avid mystery reader, I also liked that the main character, Clay Wolfe, used logic and reasoning to get to the bottom of the crime, and didn’t make any sudden conclusions.

Note: I received an advance review copy of this book for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J.B. Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfe Trap is a taut detective-thriller with evocative local color, great characters and a twisty plot. The protagonist, Clay Wolfe, has left his job as a homicide detective in Boston for a small town in Maine in order to escape urban corruption and look after his aging grandfather. Opening a private detective agency specializing in insurance fraud and divorce matters, he finds his somewhat boring new existence upended when a client asks him to find the source of drugs that killed her grandbaby. He agrees, commencing a suspenseful hunt involving quirky comrades, devious antagonists, and a dramatic conclusion. I look forward to reading more of Cost's Port Essex series!

[Ngoni Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfe trap is one hell of a crime mystery, a lot of unexpected twists and turns. It also got a lot of funny moments that you can't help but laugh out loud.

I loved the way it starts slower and then picks up the tempo as the story progreses. At one point I thought I had it figured out but was amazed at the twists, as well as unexpected suspects. It's well written and every detail merges perfectly without a fuss.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town, retirement, sounds great, right? Maybe take on some light work as a PI...unfortunately that isn't what fate has in store for Wolfe. The town might be small, but the evil runs deep. The characters were well fleshed out and believable, the pacing was perfect, and there were enough twists to keep you guessing. If you're looking for a mystery where things are definitely not as they appear, then you're going to love this book as much as I did! I cannot wait to see what lies in store for Wolfe in the next installment.

[S. Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A former police detective, Clay Wolfe returns to his home town in Maine as a private investigator to find nefarious goings-on involving the drug trade. Helped by a quirky cast of characters, Clay has to find and stop whoever is importing heroin in lobster pots and yet stay one jump ahead of a vicious Russian drug enforcer. The action is fast moving, and the characters likable and engaging. Like all of Cost's books, along with a great plot and characters, Wolfe Trap offers a view of Maine life rarely seen by those who are so unfortunate as to live elsewhere.

[Stacey Groves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read a book by Cost before but I enjoyed the story. Whilst not as fast paced as some there was a good plot that kept me turning the pages.

The characters were good, enough back story to help you understand them without going overboard. I imagine future books will add more to the characters and their relationships.

Enjoyable read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't give the same rave reviews other readers have given this book. I won't say I didn't dislike the Wolfe Trap they story was interesting but not compelling me enough to want to move forward with the series.
The characters were a little bland and flat. The story is very slow moving and at times wondering if someone them were adults of small children at times due to their reactions or lack of action.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Wole Trap.

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. The main character is a bit wimpy but the sort of guy most of us would be friends with. Enjoyed all the characters. Plot line is mildly implausible but not wildly so. I would probably read another book in this group but won't go out of my way to find it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Buffyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed exclusively for InD'Tale Magazine.
InD'Tale June 2021 Reviews

[Jay Ruud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Known for his previous series of “Mainely” mysteries, in Wolfe Trap Matt Cost sets off on a new series of crime novels featuring Clay Wolfe, a former homicide detective from Boston now working in his home town of Port Essex, Maine, as a private investigator. The novel opens in a style that recalls—almost parodies—the hard-boiled detective fiction popularized by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler back in the ’40s. Wolfe is a hard-drinking, wise-cracking former cop with an eye for women. But a reader is quickly pulled from any expectation of seeing Humphrey Bogart or William Powell emerge from the P.I. office by a very contemporary crime: a grandmother wants Clay to discover who has supplied her daughter with the heroin that ultimately killed her six-month-old grandchild. His client is short on cash, but Wolfe takes the case anyway, having a soft spot for the woman’s pain.

Soon after, another case drops into Clay’s lap, one that is likely to be a lot more lucrative: he is approached by a billionaire CEO of Big Pharma who says that a valuable sculpture—a Rodin piece—has been stolen from his Port Essex vacation home. It seems an odd distraction from Wolfe’s main case, but soon enough the investigations mesh and the plot is off to the races.

The story moves fast and the book is hard to put down. Clay has a few allies, including his grandfather, the former attorney Gene Wolfe; his old pal and former Navy SEAL “Westy” Beck; and the journalist Marie Cloutier. He also has the requisite straight-talking hard-boiled P.I. assistant Baylee Baker, who explodes the stereotype by showing herself to be competent partner-material in the sleuth business. And then there’s the police officer and casual sex-partner Donna Smith, whose motives seem murky at best.

Wolfe’s queries into what seems a simple case uncover a complex criminal enterprise and an international cartel bringing illegal drugs through Port Essex’s provincial harbor, and lead the reader into a violent, breathless climax. This first Clay Wolfe novel is beautifully successful at what it sets out be: a contemporary noir novel that could be ripped from today’s headlines. If that's what you're looking for, this book is for you.

[Amys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grand Read!

Matt Cost writes a thrilling mysterious tale with Wolfe Trap. This book is part of the A Clay Wolfe / Port Essex Mystery Book series, and this is volume one. The reader is introduced to Clay Wolfe, a former Boston Detective, who has moved to Maine to take care of his grandfather, and to get a break from all the homicides in Boston. He decides to open his own PI agency, and thinks that it will be a lot of minor crimes, compared to the intense ones he witnessed in Boston. His past has made him edgy and raw, but that is part of his charm, and his intensity, he hopes to lower it. Then, he gets his first case, and it brings him into a spiral of evil and plot twists that make his new home, a reflection of his old home. His new home isn't quite as it seems, and he learns that pretty fast. Whatever this author writes, I want to read. This author brings the story to life. The characters are so real, it's like being with them within the story. This author is a great storyteller. The reader just embarks on a superb journey. You never know what is around the corner, or how far evil is really driven in this town. The big bad Wolfe is waiting. Wolfe Trap is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have previously read all of the Mainely series that Matt has written and really enjoyed them. So couldn't wait to read his new series. This is book one and it already hit me hard, I didn't want to put the book down. It is nitty and gritty and set in a small town in Maine, I have been there before and loved it, so could imagine it more. There are lots of characters, Clay is the main character who was a homicide detective but left it to look after his grandfather and to also open up a private detective agency. We see his first case come in where he has to help a desperate grandmother find out who gave her daughter drugs and there is a baby involved. The drugs world is a dangerous place, can Clay help her before he gets himself caught up into it all? There are a mixture of characters some good and some bad. I love any book that is about being a private detective it really interests me and you don't see many books written about it. There are some shocking twists that I didn't see coming. I loved the beginning, middle and end and really look forward to the next book.

[Scott Lipanovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfe Trap, the first of Matt Cost’s mysteries set in Port Essex, Maine, is on par with the four “Mainely” mysteries Cost previously wrote. (Mainely Fear, Mainely Money, etc.) We are given a cast of interesting characters, rich plotting and plenty of action. P.I. Goff Langdon of the four Mainely books is replaced by Clay Wolfe, who fled the corruption of the Boston police force, returned to his hometown and set up shop as a P.I.

Wolfe is a hard drinking man who tosses back liquor like others might down Diet Cokes. Most of his buddies can keep pace with him.

Author Cost adds plot complications seamlessly. What begins as a fairly simple search to find out who sold drugs that ended up killing a six-month-old grows into Clay Wolfe uncovering an international drug running operation. As Wolfe moves up the food chain to ever-bigger fish, the stakes rise, rise, and reach a violent climax.

The large number of characters, and the amount of action, may overshadow the skill with which the author gives the reader the landscapes and culture of Maine, his hometown, so to speak.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former homicide detective Clay Wolfe has opened his own private investigation business. His grandfather, Gene, had fallen and Clay has returned to Maine to take care of him. A woman hires him to find out who sold drugs to her daughter that killed her six-month-old granddaughter. She knows her daughter is ultimately at fault, but wants the person who sold the drugs to pay as well. This case will take on epic proportions as Clay finds himself up against a sophisticated drug ring run by people who will not hesitate to kill to protect their profits and their identities. When he is approached by a wealthy man who wants him to recover a stolen family heirloom, is there really such an item or does someone want him distracted from the drug case? I enjoyed Clay’s character, a wise-cracking former cop, with “friends” that aide him in his investigation. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)