Revenge Finds A Home by Bill Coultas

When almost 40-year-old Professor John Peyton is found on the East Coast Trail murdered from a bow and arrow shot through his neck, Irishman Bob Lynch knew his penchant for risky work assignments had come to fruition as the newest member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Assigned to the unusual homicide case of the deceased geologist, Inspector Lynch sets out to solve this murder mystery only to  discover that the arrowhead used by the perpetrator has strong connections to a now extinct Beothuk tribe of Newfoundland and Labrador natives.  As the investigation continues,  similar killings are discovered in Brazil, North Dakota, and British Columbia, all victims suffering the same fate; a bow and arrow through the neck using arrowheads made from the same Ramah stone. As extensive police work reveals a host of suspects and clues as well as a victim with a rather interesting personal and professional life, Detective Lynch is reminded of the memoir of his great-great-uncle Peter Lynch rescued by a native Beothuk tribe after abandoning his ship 180 years ago.  Strange connections between this modern day case and the memoir are revealed. Revenge Finds A Home by Bill Coultas is a unique blend of historical fiction and murder, following the lineage of two Irish relatives who find themselves in Newfoundland almost 200 years apart.

A slice of sunlight cut across John Peyton's eye as he slowly woke up from a contented sleep. His slowness to get up was likely due to the fact that he didn't have to be at the university teaching classes. 

He was fair itching to revisit the promising fossil find he had stumbled on just days before the fall semester. But he needed a couple of days at his country cabin to develop a game plan before heading off to the Cape Shore. He'd been combing the area all summer and now needed to focus in on a few key places before the cold weather set in. He was determined to have a good look at their unusual geological features, because he felt certain they would have great significance. Peyton imagined his findings would rival the world-renowned Mistaken Point and its well over 500-million-year-old fossils. That made them the oldest fossils in the world. Maybe his own find would even surpass those of Mistaken Point. He gloated at the thought and saw his reputation soar worldwide. Peyton slipped out of the king-sized bed, and suddenly the elevation made his head ache. He groaned, noting he had a bit of a head on. A slight hangover from the party last night. It turned out to be more fun than expected. There had been some shoptalk early on, but when two especially attractive female students arrived, things had gotten more pleasant and the drinks more frequent.

Though author Bill Coultas is no stranger to writing and producing creative works of art, Revenge Finds A Home is his first foray into the world of novel writing. Coultas captivates the reader from the very start with vivid images and continues the narrative with consistently detailed storytelling. He does a phenomenal job at incorporating the historical facts of european native relations into an authentic storyline and seamlessly melds it with a fictional modern day murder mystery. The two tales run side by side, providing a fascinating glimpse into the past that serves to enrich the present day murder investigation. Readers will feel the authenticity of the setting and the plot as they navigate police work alongside Detective Lynch and will be fascinated by the ever present complexities that propels a character's motivation to murder and drive to act. 

Revenge Finds A Home is a well-written provocative exploration of the concept of revenge and reminds us that "what goes around comes around". A copy of this crime novel can be purchased wherever Flanker Press publications are sold.