Idyll Fears

Police Chief Thomas Lynch investigates the disappearance of a six-year-old boy with a serious medical condition while coping with disrespect from townspeople and colleagues who don't like the fact that he's gay. It’s two weeks before Christmas 1997, and Chief Thomas Lynch faces a crisis when Cody Forrand, a six-year-old with a life-threatening medical condition, goes missing during a blizzard. The confusing case shines a national spotlight on the small, sleepy town of Idyll, Connecticut, where small-time crime is already on the rise and the police seem to be making mistakes left and right. Further complicating matters, Lynch, still new to town, finds himself the target of prank calls and hate speech that he worries is the work of a colleague, someone struggling to accept working with a gay chief of police. With time ticking away, Lynch is beginning to doubt whether he’ll be able to bring Cody home safely . . . and whether Idyll could ever really be home.


Genre: Mystery

"If you haven't discovered Stephanie Gayle yet, welcome to the show. Idyll Fears is a gripping read, a ticking-clock thriller populated with nuanced characters and anchored in convincing police work. Thomas Lynch is one of my new favorite leads - smart, spiky, and struggling to make his own place in a town that needs him, but may not deserve him. I can’t wait to visit Idyll again." - Glen Erik Hamilton

"Guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine. Lynch is a compelling, deeply human character - at once prickly, damaged, and heroic - and Gayle’s evocative prose breathes life into every twisty, thrilling page." - Chris Holm

"A fascinating mystery-and a believable, complicated hero." - Stephen McCauley

"Smart, spare, and insightful, this compelling procedural has it all: a uniquely endearing main character, realistic dialogue, a surprising and twisty story, and, above all, the talented and stylish storytelling of a confident and sure-handed new voice in crime fiction. Could not put it down!" - Hank Phillippi Ryan

"Stephanie Gayle proves that she’s in it for the long haul. Thomas Lynch is a fine, nuanced characte - a police chief readers can believe in and root for. The tale is riveting, right up there with the best police procedurals. I highly recommend it!" - Terry Shames