May 1999. Two college friends returning from their graduation party at night. One drunk, one still sober enough to drive. One of them makes a fatal mistake. Eighteen years later a team of assassins ambushes Finn Carroll, a failed artist living a miserable life, attempt to murder him and stage it as a suicide. Finn survives and is shocked to find out they have left behind a suicide note mentioning a catastrophic incident in his past that only Finn knows about. Baffled, he moves to Musqasset Island, a remote island being blasted by a severe nor’ easter, to stay with an old friend - only to realize he has trapped himself amidst the very people who want him dead. Does the eighteen-year-old incident have anything to do with Finn’s current state of affairs? Even if it does, why now? Finn needs to discover these answers fast, or else … Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon is one hell of a psychological thriller that took me by storm.

The pièce de résistance of Fishermen’s Court is its watertight plot. I could not find a single loophole in it. Wolfendon plunged me into action from page one, and the unrelenting, brisk pace resulted in taut suspense throughout the novel. Moreover, the author did not show his hand until the end, resulting in a satisfying denouément. Seldom do thrillers have space for character development. However, Fishermen’s Court proves to be different here as well. Wolfendon, without any exaggeration, has brilliantly portrayed the metamorphosis of Finn from a dispirited, depressed man to a man with a purpose. The author has deftly dealt with the literary ploy of getting trapped on a remote island during a raging storm.

Fishermen’s Court is hugely atmospheric, thanks to the author’s vivid descriptions. Further, Wolfendon’s "delirious love affair with the English language" shines through in this novel. He has a word for every situation, every tool, and every emotion. The crisp sentences made it a breeze for me to read this novel. If you want to read a suspenseful thriller with loads of action, just grab Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon and settle on a comfy sofa. You won't notice when the time has passed. It’s a promising debut; I will be watching out for more from him.

I quite enjoy those rare occasions when I find myself able to drop what I must do and turn my attention to what I choose to do. Precisely this happened over the time I read Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon. The tale opens with an introduction to Finnian Carroll, a thirty-something-year-old who, having known better days, finds himself battling depression. But then one night after moving into his parents’ home following the death of his mother, Finn’s life as a computer game artist grows decidedly worse. This occurs when one of a group of thugs attacks Finn from behind and then, with the help of his criminal cohorts, holds Finn hostage while they try to stage a suicide attempt for him via a drug and alcohol overdose. Fortunately, Finn retains a bit of consciousness. He reads the fake suicide note his felonious visitors leave behind, then drags himself to find help. Upon awakening later in a hospital, Finn is certain of a couple of things: first, Finn’s visitors seem to know of a long-held secret that could bring harm to him and another, and second—and perhaps of paramount importance—he does not want to die.

Fishermen’s Court is set on Musqasset, an east coast island, from whence Finn had moved some years back. There he left the love of his life Jeannie, his best friend Miles, and a full panoply of supporting characters, many of whom had been Finn’s artist friends when he resided there. Finn returns to the island to seek refuge from his would-be killers and to figure out who could possibly know his old secret. But secrets have a way of causing damage—and of making their way to the fore. In this respect, I found that this tale rang vitally true. Even better, the fullness and the authenticity of Andrew Wolfendon’s characters was masterful. Finn was sarcastic but entirely believable; Jeannie was self-destructive in a way I’ve seen play out with real people in real life more times than I could count; Miles exhibited the kind of self-centeredness one might expect from someone in his position; and so on. If you’re looking for an adventure and enjoy character-driven tales, you are sure to enjoy Fishermen’s Court.