I'm originally from Massachusetts, and I love reading books that are set in the area, so the title of this book immediately drew my interest. The premise sounded intriguing and did not disappoint. I know very little about the mechanics of cars and car racing, but most everything was sufficiently explained so I did not feel lost in those details. The plot itself moves quickly and the timing of pivotal details kept me both interested and suspicious, and I loved how everything tied together in the various conclusions. This book was definitely a winner, and I'm looking forward to reading more Conway Sax adventures! ( )

Purgatory Chasm starts off with tremendous promise. The writing is smooth, with lots of well written dialogue that moves the story forward while also giving us a great feel for the characters. Ulfelder's style is quick and uncluttered, immersing us in the story as the suspense builds.

Unfortunately, it all fell apart for me early on. I didn't find the plot or the characters' behavior believable.

Some highlights:

- Conway Sax is street smart, independent, on parole, jobless, and inexplicably gets total financial support from his girlfriend while he does whatever he wants instead of looking for a job.

- Said girlfriend, an independent, opinionated, single mother is ridiculously tolerant of Sax's childish and selfish behavior, gives him the cold shoulder when he isn't around enough, but never once suggests he grow up and support himself.

- Never once do we learn where the girlfriend is getting enough money to support herself and her daughter, and also support her boyfriend and his grand adventures.

- Sax has blind dedication to a secret group within the AA that apparently extends beyond death and also apparently does not require any other member of this same group to help in any way.

- Sax not only helps his AA friend, but also, for reasons unknown, risks his life to help two people who'd knocked him unconscious and flattened his tires.

- A family who didn't know Sax at all instantly trusts him and moves into his home.

- Sax is knee-deep in murder, has all sorts of leads and evidence, but lies to the cops and conceals most of what he finds.

- All cops are incompetent.

This story does have some high points. The dialogue felt genuine and offered some comic relief around the crime. The first person narration worked well for both the story and the Sax's character. But the execution here just didn't work for me. ( )

A checkered past and a bad ass attitude, Conway Sax is a man on a mission. A member of the AA group, the Barnburners, Sax believes in vigilante justice when a fellow Barnburner, Tander Phigg is murdered. Made to look like a suicide, too many things don't add up, including Phigg contacting Sax to help retrieve his old Mercedes from a repair shop prior to his suicide. Murder, intrigue, drugs, drama, Purgatory Chasm touches all the bases of a solid suspense. Ulfelder's characterizations are clear and solid and you are left wanting to see more of the characters depicted. ( )

This book started a bit slow but the last 80 pages are chock full of twists and turns that make this book in my opinion fodder for a major motion picture. Its the author's first book and he was up for an Edgar award for Best First Mystery.. The book centers around a series of complex family ties and a Mercedes Benz that takes way too long to repair. Ulfelder looks like a new author with much promise. ( )

I was fascinated to learn that Purgatory Chasm is a real place in Massachusetts. Purgatory Chasm the book is a fast-paced mystery novel whose main character, Conway Sax, is a sometime auto mechanic with a past involving alcohol and time in prison. And Conway Sax is a Barnburner, a member of a select group of AA members who will do anything for each other.

Author Steve Ulfelder tells the story in first person, giving us the sense of speed and obsession that pervade the whole novel. We know from the first paragraph that Sax does not like fellow Barnburner Tander Phigg. But when Sax finds Phigg’s strangled body, he is determined to carry out his promise of loyalty, and puts his own life in danger as he searches for Phigg’s killer. Conway Sax has given up drinking, and he possesses the single-mindedness recovering alcoholics often possess. He uses this focus to deal with his relationships as well as the shady characters who intrude in his life as he searches for the murderer.

The book is populated by complex characters who struggle with their troubled pasts and whose lives intersect in often cataclysmic way. Conway Sax’s own father turns up sober for once in his life, a fact which should have made Sax suspicious, about the same time as Phigg’s estranged son and his Vietnamese wife and child, whom Sax takes under his wing. And the reporter seen with Phigg just days before his death – who is she really?

Purgatory Chasm is Ulfelder’s first novel, but he clearly has the ability to get inside the minds of his multi-faceted characters and bring out their best and worst. His casual style moves the reader along at a rapid pace that fits perfectly with the theme of automobiles and racing. Even though I am not an auto racing enthusiastic and can’t even change a tire, I found myself caught up in the story. Ulfelder has created Conway Sax as a flawed human being with a sense of integrity and honor. I look forward to more of his novels.
(As published in Suspense Magazine)