OR

Kindle Price:	$5.99
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Joseph Flynn

+ Follow

More books from this author

Nailed (A Ron Ketchum Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Joseph Flynn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 2,409 ratings

Book 1 of 3: A Ron Ketchum Mystery

See all formats and editions

Ron Ketchum saw his share of the dark side of life as a cop in Los Angeles. Then he left L.A. to become the chief of police in the Sierra Nevada resort town of Goldstrike. One sunny morning in the mountains, though, he comes upon a crime unlike anything he’s ever seen before.

He finds the body of an African American man nailed to a tree.

The victim is a highly respected minister, and his father is the nationally known televangelist Jimmy Thunder. Ron, on the other hand, has described himself in court as a recovering bigot.

Goldstrike’s mayor for life and movie icon, Clay Steadman, wants Ron to catch the killer fast. Adding to the pressure, the victim’s grandmother comes to town. She tells the media mob that has descended on Goldstrike that God will curse the town until the killer is caught.

That’s when a rogue mountain lion begins attacking people. At first, the attacks happen on the wilderness outskirts of Goldstrike. Then the predator moves into town, leaping a fence into a family’s backyard. Finally, it turns the tables on one of the hunters sent out to bring it down.

Looking for a killer, hunting a lion and defending his own integrity — makes being a cop in L.A. seem like the good old days.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004U362DC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stray Dog Press, Inc. (March 26, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 26, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3100 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 478 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #390,730 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #18,802 in Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #31,145 in Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #50,355 in Mysteries (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 2,409 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Joseph Flynn

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Joseph Flynn has been published both traditionally — Signet Books, Bantam Books and Variance Publishing — and through his own imprint, Stray Dog Press, Inc. Both major media reviews and reader reviews have praised his work. Booklist said, “Flynn is an excellent storyteller.” The Chicago Tribune said, “Flynn [is] a master of high-octane plotting.” The most repeated reader comment is: Write faster, we want more.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

2,409 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

K. Mitnick

They just don't get any better than this.

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

It isn't often that a book grabs you so quickly that you are totally immersed in the story before the first chapter is finished. Especially when the chapters are short and punchy as they are in Nailed.

Full disclosure: I have read (and reviewed) other books by Joseph Flynn. Those reviews are also 5-stars. So I was fully prepared to like this one. But I was not expecting to get so enthralled as quickly as I did.

I've said before that there are certain books and certain authors whose work is so good that they are put in a special place in the library to be read again and again. This one certainly fills the bill that way.

Mr. Flynn does an amazing job of humanizing his book's characters. There's always a proper amount of admiration for the "good guys" and an equal amount of disdain for the other side. What always works well, and not too many authors are good at, is getting the dialogue between the characters to seem real. In Nailed, the conversations are really, really good and totally believable. Most of all, even the minor players in the story are right for what they are and for what they do and say.

For me, a book review is something that speaks to the way a book is written rather than being another way (obviously much shorter) to tell the story. There are over 300 amazon reviews of this book, so another one retelling the story seems kind of pointless.

The bottom line here is that Nailed is as good a crime thriller as you are likely ever to read. That should be enough reason for you to get this one. Don't miss it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

William Mead

Plenty of suspects

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2011

Verified Purchase

Nailed is a very good read.

The plot manages to be original and gripping without being preposterous or overly gory. The main plot pits the police against a murderer who seems on the surface to have a racial message, crucifying a black man. The victim turns out to be a minister whose life is apparently above reproach, so perhaps the murderer is driven by some religious motive. Or perhaps it's a personal crime, most likely related to the victim's father, who has made more than his share of enemies on his way to becoming a corrupt televangelist. At the same time, a mountain lion is attacking people in the area, wherever he can find easy prey. While the police investigate the murder, the game warden pursues the renegade cat with help from others.

The characters are varied and well developed. The police chief, a white man, and the deputy chief, a black man, are both ex LA policemen who have helped each other through tough spots in the past. They work well together, but not completely without occasional stresses. Since this case involves a murdered black man, some mild racial tension arises between them. The third protagonist is a game warden, a woman, adding a romantic interest which is handled in a fairly mild way. All three protagonists are likable, generally moral people.

Goldstrike is a small, scenic mountain community with a mix of ordinary folks and a well-to-do upper crust. The town, like many in the US, has a minority of blacks and a majority of whites that have a range of (seldom-visible) racial attitudes that are forced into the open under the current circumstances. The dual threat to the community ignites a climate of fear and suspicion.

The list of suspects grows as the investigation progresses, and each seems to have sufficient motive to have committed the crime. At one time or another, the reader will probably suspect every one of them, so the solution of the crime is masked quite well. At the same time, the outcome seems reasonable and satisfying.

Racial themes are handled fairly realistically. The attitudes extend from sincerely color-blind (as far as we can tell) to deeply prejudiced, on both sides of the racial divide. I suspect the reader will spend a little time mulling where he stands in the spectrum of prejudice. The religious subtext is very minor, and there is no attempt to deal in depth with religious issues.

The plot is developed with meticulous attention to detail, and I'd rate the book excellent in this respect. However, in terms of overall credibility, I think the large aspects of the plot are a little less believable. For example, the motives of the murderer don't seem adequate to motivate the crucifixion, which seems to me to require a more deranged mind than is seen in the killer's character.

Overall, I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a very well written murder mystery.

41 people found this helpful

Helpful

Leta R. Brown

Awesome read

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

I loved this book. It has humor, excitement, and multiple mysteries. The identity of the killer was just difficult enough to keep you reading! Job well done.

Helpful

Benjamin Thomas

Great mystery, Great characters, Great setting. Nicely done

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

This one really surprised me...and in a good way. The first in a projected series, it's a nice police procedural/mystery story that introduced me to some nicely fleshed out characters. For me, the characters make all the difference. I've read so many mystery/thriller novels that I need something more than just a new setting or new time period, etc. This novel, happily, combines great characters with a nicely developed plot. And the mystery itself ain't bad either.

Ron Ketchum, formerly an LA cop, has left that hectic life and is now the chief of police in a small resort town in the Sierra Nevadas, called Goldstrike. The town is full of celebrities of all sorts, the mayor is a film star and Ron Ketchum, himself, is a self described "recovering racist". So when the body of a black man is found nailed to a dead tree, the hunt is on. And about the same time, a rogue mountain lion is on the prowl, claiming human victims. Lots of rich material here.

I was happy to see this was not just a superficial mystery novel that seem prevalent on the bookstore shelves (or e-shelves) these days. Sure there are lots of red herrings, and we do get the big reveal of whodunit at the end. But it also delves deeper into some tough issues, namely racism. There is one particular lengthy scene of a town hall meeting where the mayor displays great leadership when confronting the serious situations facing the small town. Racial attitudes play a large role in how various characters react and the mayor's response makes one yearn for just such a mayor for every town in America.

The only bad news with this book is that now I have another author to add to my "definitely read" list. I look forward to more in this series as well as trying his Jim McGill series.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Arvid Reeve

I enjoyed them equally as well

Reviewed in Canada on May 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

I read the John Tall Wolf series before reading the Ron Ketchum series. I enjoyed them equally as well. Good characters with apparent decent morals and compassion for others while at the same time, exhibiting human frailties and then striving to overcome them. Best read in sequence - Nailed, Defiled, Impaled. Hope Joseph Flynn will write more with either the same characters or others of like personalities.

One person found this helpful

Yun

guter Krimi

Reviewed in Germany on January 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

... denn man ist hier sehr lange auf der falschen Fährte, was den Täter angeht. Dabei helfen gut ausgearbeitete Charaktere und Setting und der interessante Aufbau mit Rückblenden, um die Charaktere besser kennenzulernen und die Hintergründe der Handlungsdynamik zu verstehen. Sprachlich gesehen ist das Buch sehr gut, mir sind keine Fehler aufgefallen.

Translate review to English

LikkleNitty

Lions eating rich folks. That's just how Flynn rolls.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

What a fantastic read. You don't usually get good quality stuff for free, so I was pleasantly surprised when I picked this up. Thanks Joseph Flynn!

The story's central theme was racism. The author raises many valid points and different POVs for the reader to digest. There's a slightly preachy undertone to it and it becomes a little repetitive after a while. However, there's murder, retribution, revenge, blood, FBI, people running about with guns and a freakin' MOUNTAIN LION eating rich folk. Are you sold?

The back stories like the history of the town and the Chief's past were brilliant and added an extra dimension to the book. I also really liked how there were so many possible suspects; I couldn't guess who it was until very near the end. I dislike stories that are obvious and the baddie can be easily guessed, but very little chance with this!

The characters were actually quite interesting, likeable and 90% believable. The romantic storyline wasn't obscenely "sexed-up" or squishy, lovey-dovey. The only person that I found slightly grating was Mayor Clay. Clay is your typical retired Hollywood A-Lister who makes his fortune and goes off to live the high-life out in the sticks near a beautiful lake. He ends up being the control freak of the town and molly coddling everyone! Man needs to keep his fingers out of all the pies.

It wasn't love at first read though, as I found the start a little confusing. In the first chapter, the over use of the main characters' job descriptions was slightly jarring, especially when you're not familiar with who's who in terms of names and titles. I initially thought Ron was the Deputy Chief and Oliver was the Chief and ended up having to reread the first few paragraphs again.

However, I loved the writing style and really enjoyed the story. I'll definitely get the next book - thanks Mr Flynn, you have a new fan!

fran mcdonald

Five Stars

Reviewed in Australia on November 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very enjoyable

helen

Good Story

Reviewed in Canada on July 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this mystery which includes a tandem story about a dangerous cougar that has developed an appetite for humans. I thought the mystery dragged a bit and the cougar was a bit over-the-top, but the book is well-written and comes to a satisfying conclusion.

OR

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

Nailed (A Ron Ketchum Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

Product details

Videos

About the author

Joseph Flynn

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries