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Jimmy Gage Mystery #1
Flinch
His last novel, Heartbreaker , was called by the Chicago Tribune “recklessly exciting and wildly funny. [It leaves the] reader gasping for air and begging for more.” With Flinch , Robert Ferrigno’s electrifying and darkly funny new novel, we get what we’ve been waiting for.
At the center is Jimmy Gage, a tabloid writer for Slap magazine who’s been contacted by someone calling himself “The Eggman,” a serial killer who has laid claim to six unsolved murders around Los Angeles—except the whole thing is declared a publicity hoax by the police, who’ve branded Jimmy a publicity hound.
But then a year later, crime-scene photographs of the murders turn up in the possession of Jimmy’s brother, Jonathan, a high-profile plastic surgeon. Although Jimmy acknowledges that this makes Jon-athan a suspect, he also realizes that this might be simply one more round in the psychological games the brothers have been playing—and Jonathan mostly winning—since they were children. It’s a twisted sibling rivalry newly charged by Jonathan’s recent marriage to Jimmy’s former girlfriend.
Throw into the mix Jonathan’s impeccable standing in the community (as compared to Jimmy’s lack of one) . . . the female detective who can’t decide which brother to believe . . . and the thugs, con-artists, baby-faced brainiacs, and hard-edged women who are potentially lethal distractions in Jimmy’s life.
But the distractions will have to Jimmy’s committed to discovering the identity of the killer, and no one gets a better pay-off from his obsession than the reader of this edgy, fast-forward, unstoppably entertaining novel.
At the center is Jimmy Gage, a tabloid writer for Slap magazine who’s been contacted by someone calling himself “The Eggman,” a serial killer who has laid claim to six unsolved murders around Los Angeles—except the whole thing is declared a publicity hoax by the police, who’ve branded Jimmy a publicity hound.
But then a year later, crime-scene photographs of the murders turn up in the possession of Jimmy’s brother, Jonathan, a high-profile plastic surgeon. Although Jimmy acknowledges that this makes Jon-athan a suspect, he also realizes that this might be simply one more round in the psychological games the brothers have been playing—and Jonathan mostly winning—since they were children. It’s a twisted sibling rivalry newly charged by Jonathan’s recent marriage to Jimmy’s former girlfriend.
Throw into the mix Jonathan’s impeccable standing in the community (as compared to Jimmy’s lack of one) . . . the female detective who can’t decide which brother to believe . . . and the thugs, con-artists, baby-faced brainiacs, and hard-edged women who are potentially lethal distractions in Jimmy’s life.
But the distractions will have to Jimmy’s committed to discovering the identity of the killer, and no one gets a better pay-off from his obsession than the reader of this edgy, fast-forward, unstoppably entertaining novel.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ferrigno
57 books82 followersRobert Ferrigno is an American author of crime novels and of speculative fiction. I've written twelve novels in the last twenty years, most crime thrillers. Sins of the Assassin was a finalist for the Edgar, Best Novel, by the Mystery Writers of America in 2008, and my comic short story, "Can I Help You Out?" won the Silver Dagger, Best Short Story, by the Mystery Association of Great Britain.
Series:
* Jimmy Gage Mystery
* Assassin Trilogy
My most recent book is The Girl Who Cried Wolf (2013), a contemporary crime thriller.
Series:
* Jimmy Gage Mystery
* Assassin Trilogy
My most recent book is The Girl Who Cried Wolf (2013), a contemporary crime thriller.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 5, 2015
Flinch features something Robert Ferrigno excels at, gritty crime with individuals who operate under their own moral code or lack thereof. Jimmy Gage is a writer, his latest gig was at SLAP magazine which covers the underbelly of Los Angeles and area. A serial killer, tagged the Eggman, has been operating in the area for a number of years. Jimmy has received several taunting letters from the killer, but the police considered the file inactive as no new evidence has emerged. Jane Holt is a detective in the homicide division who is as obsessed with the case as Jimmy. They run their own unofficial investigation.
While the hunt for a killer is on, a second storyline winds through the book. Jimmy was involved with a young ex-addict who was trying to protect his wife and daughter from a violent dealer. Tragedy resulted and it doesn't sit well with Jimmy.
I wouldn't classify Flinch as a serial killer book, in some ways this plot line seems incidental to the story. It's all about the sordid side of life which goes unnoticed by most of us. Although this isn't my favorite Ferrigno novel, I highly recommend his books to people who don't mind crime novels that expose a darkness we may be oblivious to.
While the hunt for a killer is on, a second storyline winds through the book. Jimmy was involved with a young ex-addict who was trying to protect his wife and daughter from a violent dealer. Tragedy resulted and it doesn't sit well with Jimmy.
I wouldn't classify Flinch as a serial killer book, in some ways this plot line seems incidental to the story. It's all about the sordid side of life which goes unnoticed by most of us. Although this isn't my favorite Ferrigno novel, I highly recommend his books to people who don't mind crime novels that expose a darkness we may be oblivious to.
August 27, 2015
I really liked this one. The ultimate game of Flinch. Clever, fast moving and I was kept guessing all the time. I fell in love with the characters in this one. I even felt some sympathy for the villain. Very good read.
February 8, 2022
Read in 2002. This fast-paced mystery is recklessly exciting and wildly funny. One of my favorites that year.
February 22, 2014
Jimmy Gage is a jerk. He’s abrasive, confrontational, and at times needlessly hurtful to people who don’t deserve it. He drinks too much, drives too fast, falls for the wrong women, and hangs out with cops, small-time crooks, and LA lowlifes on the make. He also has serious investigative chops, a bullet-proof sense of personal integrity, and a world-class set of cojones. He is, in other words, a hard-boiled detective hero for the new millennium: “A knight in slightly tarnished armor,” wielding a cell phone.
Flinch is the story of Jimmy’s interactions with his epically dysfunctional family, his search for the identity of a mysterious serial killer known as The Eggman, and his unlikely role in a theft where the Persons of Interest all seem to have walked out of a Donald Westlake novel. Three plots, multiple subplots, and a dozen significant characters make this a more complex story than the blurb or the length of the book suggest it will be, but Ferrigno handles the mechanics of the story deftly, delivers a satisfying resolution, and manages to make Jimmy into a fully-rounded hero while letting him remain a jerk. Several supporting characters develop more depth than the story strictly requires; that one of them is dead when the story starts, appearing only in flashbacks, hints at the author’s talent.
This is the kind of novel that’s easy to recommend by comparing to the work of other, better known authors: “If you like Robert Crais, or Carl Hiaasen, or Don Winslow . . . ” and so forth. All of that’s true, but it’s also slightly misleading. Flinch is very much its own book, with its own distinctive feel: There’s more sourness under the flashy humor, more palpable regret in the characters’ back stories, and more grit in the action. I’ve read a couple of dozen books like it, but never one exactly like it . . . and, having done so, I’m intrigued by Ferrigno.
Flinch is the story of Jimmy’s interactions with his epically dysfunctional family, his search for the identity of a mysterious serial killer known as The Eggman, and his unlikely role in a theft where the Persons of Interest all seem to have walked out of a Donald Westlake novel. Three plots, multiple subplots, and a dozen significant characters make this a more complex story than the blurb or the length of the book suggest it will be, but Ferrigno handles the mechanics of the story deftly, delivers a satisfying resolution, and manages to make Jimmy into a fully-rounded hero while letting him remain a jerk. Several supporting characters develop more depth than the story strictly requires; that one of them is dead when the story starts, appearing only in flashbacks, hints at the author’s talent.
This is the kind of novel that’s easy to recommend by comparing to the work of other, better known authors: “If you like Robert Crais, or Carl Hiaasen, or Don Winslow . . . ” and so forth. All of that’s true, but it’s also slightly misleading. Flinch is very much its own book, with its own distinctive feel: There’s more sourness under the flashy humor, more palpable regret in the characters’ back stories, and more grit in the action. I’ve read a couple of dozen books like it, but never one exactly like it . . . and, having done so, I’m intrigued by Ferrigno.
February 9, 2010
My 1st Ferrigno and I find this one a fun read...this is the 1st of 2 books in the Jimmy Gage series...great dialogue and off-the-wall characters reminiscent of Elmore Leonard's novels...Ferrigno may be able to replace Leonard in this genre, now can we find someone to fill the void left by Robert K. Parker???
October 31, 2007
A refreshing book for me... the characters are so much fun and develop so quickly that I really got hooked early. The story itself was very original and a lot of fun.
I will definately read more Ferrigno in the future...
I will definately read more Ferrigno in the future...
April 9, 2013
Flinch by Robert Ferrigno - I liked this book a lot. Just a really good and original mystery with some decent humor too.February 23, 2016
It's a great book. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is halfway through I realized I had already read it and started to recollect the plot of the book. i know I liked it much more the first time around
October 18, 2008
Ferrigno is an excellent writer, and he always seems to come up with original stories that keep you guessing until the end.
May 6, 2010
A tabloid movie critic, along with a lady detective, on the trail of a
serial killer. Written in Ferrigno's own inimitable style; smooth,
witty, intelligent. Good story.
serial killer. Written in Ferrigno's own inimitable style; smooth,
witty, intelligent. Good story.
June 5, 2010
RATING: 3.5
October 4, 2010
Still working my way through the works of Robert Ferrigno. I love it that his novels take place in Long Beach and Orange County.
January 1, 2026
Pretty good. Reminded of the books by Elmore Leoanrd.
March 7, 2013
A great book dedicated to a great guy by his great brother.
Want to read
April 7, 2019Synopsis: journalist Jimmy Gage recently married his brother Jonathan's ex. He suspects that Jonathan is a serial killer. It's a whirlwind.
August 26, 2025
Jimmy Gage, a tabloid reporter, wonders if his brother is a serial killer. This is a very entertaining trawl through the depths of affluent Orange County California. 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews