The Good Detective

By: John McMahon

Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times Book Review Top 10 Crime Novel for the Year

"John McMahon is one of those rare writers who seem to have sprung out of nowhere. His first novel, The Good Detective, which is pretty much perfect, features a decent if flawed hero battling personal troubles while occupied with a murder case of great consequence to his community." (New York Times Book Review)

Introducing Detective P.T. Marsh in a swift and bruising debut where Elmore Leonard's staccato prose meets Greg Iles' Southern settings.

How can you solve a crime if you've killed the prime suspect?

Detective P.T. Marsh was a rising star on the police force of Mason Falls, Georgia - until his wife and young son died in an accident. Since that night, he's lost the ability to see the line between smart moves and disastrous decisions. Such as when he agrees to help out a woman by confronting her abusive boyfriend.

When the next morning he gets called to the scene of his newest murder case, he is stunned to arrive at the house of the very man he beat up the night before. He could swear the guy was alive when he left, but can he be sure? What's certain is that his fingerprints are all over the crime scene.

The trouble is only beginning. When the dead body of a black teenager is found in a burned-out field with a portion of a blackened rope around his neck, P.T. realizes he might have killed the number-one suspect of this horrific crime.

Amid rising racial tension and media scrutiny, P.T. uncovers something sinister at the heart of the boy's murder - a conspiracy leading all the way back to the time of the Civil War. Risking everything to unravel the puzzle even as he fights his own personal demons, P.T. races headlong toward an incendiary and life-altering showdown.

©2019 John McMahon (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“This unusually accomplished debut is the first in a projected series; with Marsh still having demons to deal with, the table is set for much more compelling, character-centric stories to come. Crime-fiction fans are advised to get in at the start.” (Booklist, starred review)

"First fiction is dangerous business: Many aspire, few succeed. Not so with John McMahon's debut, The Good Detective. Tight, fast, and addictive, I blistered this book in a single day. It has everything top-drawer crime fiction demands: murder, conflict, and a damaged, compelling hero, all delivered in prose so crisp and clean McMahon presents like an old pro. If he had a second novel on the shelves, I'd be reading it right now.” (John Hart, New York Times best-selling author of The Hush)

“[John McMahon is] a talented writer with a good sense of place, and readers are sure to look forward to Marsh’s next outing.” (Publishers Weekly)

Love the Character

My new favorite author!! Raw emotions and can be a little hard to listen to the prejudice that still exists today.
I'd recommend this book.

A good read

The narrator was pleasant to listen to and the story was a pretty good debut. It kept me entertained, but was not as developed as Greg Iles in comparison (of course, Greg Iles first works were not as developed as his later work either). I liked the characters and while there was a predictable nature to the story, it was still interesting.

Excellent New Detective Series

A great writer with a great tag line for the book and the twists and turns don’t disappoint. It’s easy to feel you have it all figured out, but the ending is not what you’d expect.

Another thing about the author, his style is crisp and fast. Very economical with words, so if you like long drawn out description of bullet manufactures this is not for you. McMahon moves the plot and story advancing character while paining enough of a picture for you to feel there vs wasting time on overblown subscriptions.

I enjoyed the narrator as well.

One of my favorite first novels ever!

I just wrote a long review and I went to edit and it was gone. I said that whoever said it was riddled with cliches was right ...BUT they were all used artfully. We can't have stories in this genre without them. This felt like the 10th or 15th book in a series. I have I think over 900 titles now with at least 850 of them in this genre. I can hardly wait for more from this guy. Also my first time with Jon Lindstrom. I wish he'd get some of Scott Brick's work. Not a huge slam against Scott but Scott is like eating the same dog food twice a day for a lifetime. I am going to go look/wait for more from both of these guys.

A real page turner!

I got the audio version and there were times when I didn’t want to get out of my car just to know what was coming up next.
The reader was outstanding, and he kept me on the edge of my seat!
All in all a great novel about a region of the country l know little about.

Avid Reader

This was one of the most interesting and enjoyable books. I will definitely read more books by this author.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I can’t wait to listen to another book with the same protagonists (?)
The plot is tight, interesting and complex without being silly. The issues are relevant: racism, political shenanigans in the police department as well as high up. Doubts, betrayal, conspiracies. I was most impressed by the subtle narrative of unspeakable cruelty and crimes against children. The details are alluded to as part of the investigation without unnecessary graphic descriptions. Mr McMahon doesn’t dwell on violence and the detectives do not get shot multiple times, recover and get beaten up again. I was interested in the psychological aspects and the historical context of racism in this small town in Georgia.

Overrated first crime novel.

Plodding writing, predictable plot, showcasing a police detective who is comfortable torturing women and acting well outside the law to suit his own purposes. Contemptuous of democratic institutions and the law, substituting easy revenge plot elements for thoughtful character and story development around some of the most important questions of our time.

An audible page turner

A couple of little loose ends but overall a really enjoyable book. Jon Lindstrom, who narrated kept the pace moving. Well worth a listen, I think, better than a read.

If you like True Detective, you’re gonna LOVE this.

P.T Marsh, this book’s main character is flawed but ultimately a great detective. We meet him at his lowest point: heartsick over family tragedies and an alcoholic.

The story takes place in rural Georgia and amid confederate jasmine and kudzu, starts with a grisly murder. There is conspiracy, a bit of spooky charm, and a 150 year mystery to solve!

P.T’s character arc and ultimate redemption felt very real; the plot may have been too ambitious for another author, but John McMahon pulls it off brilliantly! (In fact, I am stunned that this is his first novel!) The pace was excellent! P.T’s quirks and the dialogue with his dog injected a welcome bit of humor.

I don’t give many books a 5-star rating, but this debut novel deserves it for sure. I was disappointed by the end... not because of the storytelling, but because this book came out a month ago and now I have to wait patiently for the next one!

It is WELL worth a credit!

Like I said in the title of my review, True Detective fans will love this book! It is southern gothic at its best!