Last night while browsing at my local Barnes & Noble, I was thrilled to see Stephanie Gayle’s new release, Idyll Fears, faced-out on the New In Paperback Mystery shelves.
I talked about Idyll Fears on Episode 26 of the Book Cougars and my review of this Connecticut-based mystery was just posted on Criminal Element yesterday.
Check it out:
Idyll Fears by Stephanie Gayle is the second book in the Thomas Lynch series, where the gay Chief of Police must deal with homophobic opposition as well as a frantic search for a missing six-year-old with a rare, life-threatening medical condition.
Idyll Fears is the second entry in Stephanie Gayle’s Thomas Lynch series. Thomas Lynch is the Chief of Police in Idyll, a small fictional town in Connecticut. Part of the drama in Idyll Threats—the first book in the series—was Lynch being outed as gay. While still a big deal today, back in 1997—when this book is set—it was an even bigger deal for a high-ranking public figure to be gay. Particularly in a small town. It was big news, it was scandalous, and not everyone wanted (or wants) to be a poster child or role model for underrepresented groups.
Chief Lynch is now dealing with the fall out of being outed, and he’s not sure if he’ll stay in Idyll. The town is still buzzing, and Lynch is still getting to know the town, the men on the police force, and his formidable secretary, Mrs. Dunsmore, an older woman who has been in her position for a long, long time. Anonymous, homophobic phone calls are being made both to his home number and the police station. The calls are logged, complete with the caller’s phone number thanks to the new technology of *69, which the callers aren’t sophisticated enough to realize is being used. “Homo,” “Queer,” “We don’t want your kind here.” Happy Holidays, Chief!
Oh! I haven’t heard of this series. I just added Idyll Threats to my TBR 🙂