Purgatory Chasm: A Mystery

*Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel

*Winner of the Reviewer's Choice Award from RT BookReviews for Best First Mystery

"Tander Phigg was a real jerk, but he was also a Barnburner. Barnburners saved my life. I help them when I can. No exceptions."

Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked Tander Phigg. But Tander's a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued Conway, and when a Barnburner has a problem, Conway takes care of it. Besides, all Tander wants is to get back his vintage Mercedes from a shady auto shop. But Conway soon discovers there's much more to the problem-especially when Tander turns up dead.

Conway was the last person seen with the victim, and on top of that, he has a record. He must catch the killer to clear himself, but he's also a man who honors his promises, even when the guy he made them to is dead.

In the tradition of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane, Steve Ulfelder's crackling debut mystery features a gritty, razor-sharp new voice in crime fiction that will stay with you long after the last page.


"A refreshing new character solving hardcore crimes.... crisp plotting, hard-boiled style and realistic dialogue." -Associated Press

"Combines elements of the thriller with tales of tangled families. Violence runs through the novel, but Ulfelder tempers it with compassion - and evocative prose. Purgatory Chasm may be hardboiled, but it's heart-wrenching, too." -Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Working throughout is the edgy, self-effacing voice of a flawed main character, a good guy with plenty of baggage who's just trying stay alive and to get it right this time." -The Boston Globe