Review: Frame Up by James Phoenix

A Mysterious Review of …

Frame Up by James Phoenix. A Fenway Burke Mystery.

Review summary: The narrative in this debut mystery is crisply written, a little punchy even, which seems to fit well with the character of Boston PI Fenway Burke. There's a sense of familiarity to much of what happens, in part intentional, in part conventional, but overall this is a good introductory investigation. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Frame Up
James Phoenix
A Fenway Burke Mystery
Grey Swan Press (September 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Fenway is living alone and nursing his wounds from his recent divorce. He's drinks too much and doesn't seem to know what to do with himself. A childhood friend with a shady background approaches him about clearing a man serving a life sentence for a crime his friend says he didn't commit.

Against his better judgment Fenway takes the case and soon finds himself in over his head … way over his head.

Almost right from the start Fenway doesn't like the smell of things and finds out very quickly that his client's a patsy who's been framed up to take a fall. But knowing it and proving it are two different things.

As he digs deeper, bodies start to pill up and he finds himself up against sinister forces far beyond his imagining, people with unlimited financial resources and International connections with some of the most violent and ruthless men on the planet. Nothing is as it seems. He's got to clear an innocent man, find the true culprit and somehow stay in one piece.

And the odds aren't good … Not good at all.