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The Charlestown Connection

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 124 ratings · 49 reviews

Dermot Sparhawk, a former All American Boston College football hero, is stacking cans in a parish food pantry in Bostons Charlestown, when his godfather, Jeepster Hennessey, shows up with a knife in his back and dies at Dermots feet. Once slated for a professional football career, now a recovering alcoholic, with a torn-up knee, Dermot sets out to solve the murder of his g...more

Hardcover, 261 pages

Published August 1st 2011 by Oceanview Publishing

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Mar 04, 2012 Sgtret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whenever I hear an author interviewed on NPR, I, with few exceptions, open up my Kindle Fire and download the book. I would say NPR is batting around 600. Not bad in Major League Baseball, even better in minor league book review.

Tom MacDonald seemed to be the real thing, a local who wrote about his own streets, his own people. I live and work not far from these same streets so my interest was certainly captured. In fact we recently had visitors from Australia who rented a house boat in the same...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dermot Sparhawk, recovering alcoholic, football player with a blown knee, son of an alcoholic and wannabe detective is in a tight spot. His godfather, stabbed in the back; died in front of him. Dermot and his crew of boarders (Buck in a wheelchair and Harraqskeet Kid the mechanic) set out to find out why.
They may be in over their heads as Dermot is visited by several individuals all wanting to know what Jeepster Hennessey’s last words were. Did he give Dermot anything? Inquiring minds with guns...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Robert Carraher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Equal parts whodunit, murder mystery and caper novel, with a dash of conspiracy thriller elements, a la The Da Vinci Code. But that's where any equality ends. The Charlestown Connection goes beyond all of those to reach new heights in crime fiction. And this is a debut novel? Tom MacDonald, where have you been hiding?

Imagine debuting in the major leagues by pitching to Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jimmie Foxx, sticking with the Boston theme. Now, imagine you struck out the side on nine pi...more Equal parts whodunit, murder mystery and caper novel, with a dash of conspiracy thriller elements, a la The Da Vinci Code. But that's where any equality ends. The Charlestown Connection goes beyond all of those to reach new heights in crime fiction. And this is a debut novel? Tom MacDonald, where have you been hiding?

Imagine debuting in the major leagues by pitching to Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jimmie Foxx, sticking with the Boston theme. Now, imagine you struck out the side on nine pitches. That's what Tom MacDonald has done by choosing to walk the hallowed grounds of Boston's Charlestown neighborhood, the turf of such super stars as Robert B. Parker, Dennis Lehane and Chuck Hogan, you fellas can move over and make room at the top, because Tom MacDonald deserves a seat. I'm not sure I have ever read a better debut novel. Mr. MacDonald set the bar high, then cleared it in Superman fashion.

This book just jumped the turn stiles to move to the front of the line for best crime fiction of the year. Both hardboiled and noir, without using the usual clichés. It achieves a hardboiled "feel" through setting, an edginess, a sense of realness and the development of the characters. It gets it's "noir-ness" not through the usual morally bankrupt cast of characters (indeed, even the bad guys have a certain shady attractiveness) nor through the commission of evermore despicable and lewd crimes until the protagonist is so irredeemable that the devil considers retirement. No, it gets that feeling of noir through a certain sense of stoicism by the main players, a sense of darkness in the setting inside one of America's largest public housing neighborhoods and in Charlestown's colorful, troubled, and criminal past as well as the mix of cultures.

Where most hardboiled fiction is dialog driven , "Charlestown" has full grown characters and is more developed through the internal dialog, and observations of the protagonist, than on snappy one liners and tougher than tough tough guys. Although some of the life situations of the main characters will be familiar i.e. a recovering alcoholic hero, a paraplegic side kick, they are either not over done or are used in such an original and fresh way as to avoid any thoughts of cliché. And where noir tends to have a reliance on dark, brooding themes, a certain decay in the souls of the characters and a reliance on sex and sexual themes, or at the very least degenerate crimes and sins to drive the plot, this novel achieves that familiar sense of darkness without resorting to sensationalism, melodrama or gothic language.

From the opening paragraph, one of the best I have read in awhile, MacDonald establishes his debt to the greats of both those genre, while resolutely pointing the way towards the future and where, with a bit of artistry and a masters creativity, the genres can go.

The plot twists and red herring abound, but even the most experienced and adept at figuring out the puzzle, will be surprised, yet all the clues are there.

Employing all of the best elements from multiple branches of the crime fiction/thriller family tree against a historical backdrop of Charlestown and one of the most daring true crimes ever perpetrated, in addition to craftsmanship not usually found in a first time author, MacDonald has carved out a spot for himself at the very top. He is not an up and coming author, he arrived in style. Get used to seeing his name, because this author is going to be around for a long, long time.

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Aug 11, 2011 Barbara Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won a signed copy of this book from LibraryThing. It's set, of course, in Charlestown/Boston, Massachusetts. I seem to be in a Boston frame of mind and these books set there are making me want to go for a visit. I hadn't heard of Tom MacDonald before but I'm certainly glad I received this novel. He's a good old-fashioned storyteller in my eyes.

The best part of this story is the characters, especially the protagonist, Dermot Sparhawk who is half Micmac Indian and half Irish. He is a recovering...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Tim Knier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Large and well-spaced typesetting help pace a reader’s sprint through this novel that begins with a seemingly random murder in a derelict area of Boston and dashes through criminal underworlds to solve the murder and a 20-year-old museum heist.

The first several pages contain a superfluity of commas that could make a reader woozy. Technically, however, this interior device can aid in a psychological description of a 30-day wonder’s mental capacity. Unfortunately, Dermot Sparhawk, a newly chaired...more Large and well-spaced typesetting help pace a reader’s sprint through this novel that begins with a seemingly random murder in a derelict area of Boston and dashes through criminal underworlds to solve the murder and a 20-year-old museum heist.

The first several pages contain a superfluity of commas that could make a reader woozy. Technically, however, this interior device can aid in a psychological description of a 30-day wonder’s mental capacity. Unfortunately, Dermot Sparhawk, a newly chaired member of Alcoholics Anonymous, is astonishingly clear-headed, displaying little white-knuckle anxiety or pink-cloud euphoria throughout the story. That’s amazing serenity for a newbie who purportedly was a rampaging, blackout drunk one month ago.

The murder victim, Jeepster Hennessey (top-shelf cognac for high-bottom drunks), is touted as Sparhawk’s godfather; but their spiritual relationship isn’t clearly detailed. Jeepster is cast as Sparhawk’s father’s best war buddy, not Sparhawk’s baptismal guardian. This suggests that Jeepster serves allegorically to a Mario Puzo definition. Nice touch.

There’s an enormous cast of characters here. We almost need a playbill to keep them fresh—or maybe a score card similar to the Red Sox games periodically scattered in the story. Sparhawk seeks anonymity and justice as he runs into members of the Boston PD, the Irish Mob, Homeland Security, the FBI, the IRA and Somali terrorists, a mysterious prison literary society, as well as purveyors in forged art, and native South Boston bigots. I’ve never understood the Southie prejudice in Boston and this book doesn’t explain why, only that it exists. Sparhawk seems immune to Townie intolerance. With an Irish mother and a Canadian Indian father, he is denigrated only once as “half breed” by one character (cabby, page 103).

The novel will be more appealing to a mature audience or at least to trivia buffs. Otherwise remarks about John Updike, Warren Spahn, Joe Namath, or Allen Funt might be baffling. Plus, the book’s title should suggest some parody of the plot in The French Connection for anyone who has read that novel.

A splash of local color usually adds a smidgeon of charm in any writing, but this book has a tsunami of Bean Town geography. A non-resident visitor needs a city plat on the cover pages or an inserted map to judge the significance of each locale’s importance. Furthermore, a speed-reader may need to slow down to scamper through the textbook explanations on paintings, the processes in art forgery, and the Homovocalism code. Nevertheless, an apprentice thug might gobble up the descriptions of the levels of IRA punishment in criminal deterrence.

The book is a refreshing, fast-paced serving for any beach reader’s kit. Well done, Tom MacDonald—a good Scotsman—not McDonald for the Boston Irish (see page 6 for that explanation).(less)

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Jun 28, 2011 Cyberiasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Charlestown Connection
By Tom MacDonald
Oceanview Publishing

Review by Cyberiasha.com

The Charlestown Connection is fantastic!!!! You get mystery, suspense, and plot twists that will keep you on your toes. Dermot Sparhawk is a great character, a recovering alcoholic; the story follows Dermot after a horrific crime and delves deep into the heart of Charlestown and Boston’s underbelly. The intrigue is high and the pacing is steady bringing you face to face with one of the best kept secrets in the...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Shirley Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-5-star-reads

This is a great book! Art theft, beautiful women, a great neighbourhood (Boston's Charlestown district), a wonderful, larger than life hero in Dermot Sparhawk, great second characters, and a cracking good storyline. This is a first book by this author and I was priviiged to be given the opportunity to review it. I couldn't put the book down from the moment that I picked it up. Sparhawk is a great protagonist, and a wonderful character. Part Micmac Indian and part Irish. A big guy who finds himse...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's a lot to like about this book, but it falls short of the "good" mark. The set-up: Dermot Sparhawk, a townie in the projects of Boston, sets out to solve the mystery of his godfather's murder, and tussles along the way with the IRA, art forgers, local union bosses, the police, and the FBI. The author has an excellent sense of place (which Boston natives will appreciate) and a good pacing of dialogue, and the plot is outlandish but fun (and no more ridiculous that the plots of your average...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Beth Bedee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: boston, crime-thriller

This is an interesting version of a crime novel. Typically, they involve a cop. lawyer, or a P.I. Dermot Sparhawk is just a regular guy trying to solve a mystery that literally landed at his feet when his godfather staggers into his office with a knife in his back. Other than that initial murder, the crime here is not violent. Dermot spends the rest of the novel trying to figure out his godfather's last words.

The author is from Boston and that is evident. I love Boston literature when written by...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Debbie Maskus rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 04, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 60-books-for-2012, local-flavor

This was another book I just sort of stumbled across without big expectations for. I'm not from Boston, but having gone to school there, got to appreciate some of the good and not so good things about the various places. Love it when I am able to recall my own memories from places mentioned in the book. But I was also a student at MassArt (art school in Boston for those who don't know) when the heist at the Gardner took place. I had trouble putting the book down once I got not very far into it....more

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Jul 13, 2011 Darcia Helle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, fiction, suspense-thriller-mystery, first-reads-giveaways

The Charlestown Connection has an intricate, well-developed plot with multiple layers to keep a reader involved. Being from the Boston area, I enjoyed the city references. Tom MacDonald does a great job of capturing the feel of certain Boston areas and cultures.

While the plot entertains, for me, this one lacks character development. The story has a lot of characters, most introduced quickly with little explanation. The relationships felt superficial, since I knew next to nothing about most of th...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, adventure, boston, code, fiction, forgery, murder, mystery, viet-nam-vet

Our unlikely hero is from the projects in Boston's Charlestown. He is a permanently sidelined All-American Boston College Football hero, due to a mangled knee, and a recovering alcoholic. He runs the food pantry for Saint Jude Thaddeus Church. A pretty low-key guy, Dermot Sparhawk is a survivor of his past.

His evening shift is shockingly interrupted by pounding on the door, then his godfather Jeepster stumbling across the room and into his arms. Jeepster is a Viet-Nam veteran and best friend of...more Our unlikely hero is from the projects in Boston's Charlestown. He is a permanently sidelined All-American Boston College Football hero, due to a mangled knee, and a recovering alcoholic. He runs the food pantry for Saint Jude Thaddeus Church. A pretty low-key guy, Dermot Sparhawk is a survivor of his past.

His evening shift is shockingly interrupted by pounding on the door, then his godfather Jeepster stumbling across the room and into his arms. Jeepster is a Viet-Nam veteran and best friend of Dermot's father, also a Viet-Nam vet, both men were marines. Jeepster has spent most of the intervening years in prison. While trying to hold Jeepster up, he is told to "take it" meaning the key he held. Unable to carry on, he gasps "it opens..." then collapses, at which time Dermot sees a deeply imbedded knife in his back. With his last gasp, Jeepster breathes "Oswego" and dies. The only clue Dermot has is the word McSweeney on the key and Oswego, which means nothing to him. Author Tom MacDonald knows how to catch our interest.

As if this weren't enough, Dermot starts getting callers, mostly Irish, trying to find out what Dermot knows. In the meantime, Dermot is anxious to get to the bottom of who killed his godfather. What is going on? What do all these people want? How could Jeepster have anything of value anywhere? There is so much action in this book, so many threats, so few clues none of which make any sense. And what does the art world have to do with anything at all? Everyone seems to be owed big money, but from what? Throughout the journey the reader will venture into rough places and high class places looking for a sign, a clue, and what the words McSweeney and Oswego have in common.

A little-known concept of coding becomes a turning point, but not very easily. Not all people are who Dermot thinks they are, nor are they all after the same thing in the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed following Dermot through his journey of discovery, his integrity, and with the help of friends, how the code gets broken. Still there is a lot more to this and I encourage the reader to enjoy this fascinating trip to learn the full story. An exciting, action-packed mystery evolves over what happened in the food pantry.

This is a very interesting book, well-written and well-worth reading. I found myself captivated by what would happen next, who else may get killed, what will happen about the money owed, and the humour of the situation some of the characters find themselves in. Great job! I will be interested in reading other books by Tom MacDonald.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Kristine Kucera rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you enjoy the Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight series, I suspect you will also enjoy this story. (I have no concrete reasons for the comparison; but, there is something about the feel and tone of the story.) It is a simple tale that quickly turns into a complicated mystery - with much history behind it. It starts with a murder, a code word, and a key - and becomes so much more. I was disappointed to see that this is the only book with this character as I feel this could easily be turned into a se...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

There were a few things I really liked about this book, and a few things I didn't like. I liked the picture into urban Boston, yet at times it felt like too much, as though the author was writing more about the streets of Boston than his characters. The characters seemed one-dimensional, and I found it difficult to care what happened to any of them. And there were so many characters! One after another, very difficult to keep track of who was who. (As to be expected when you're writing a gritty n...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Connee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another book that I just found on a library display. At first I was not sure I would actually read it. It is not
my kind of book. However, after I got into the story I really liked the main character and thought that the
story was well done and not a bad read. It deals with a theft of treasured art work and copies of masterpieces that is quite a stretch. But it adds intrigue. It definitely is a book mostly about men and written by a man.
But the main character is appealing and cleverly does some go...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Larry Rogers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dermot Sparhawk was going to be big in pro football. Following an injury, he's a recovering alcoholic who runs a food pantry for a Catholic parish in a tough part of Boston. When his godfather stumbles into the food pantry with a knife in his back, and gives Dermot a key just before he dies, everybody and his brother (cops, lowlifes, the IRA) show up at his door to find out what his godfather told or gave him before he died. The book is OK 92 1/2 stars), but we've seen it all before. Three stars...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

'The Charlestown Connection' By Tom MacDonald is an even paced mystery that just keeps you wanting more. Dermot Sparhawk is a recovering alcoholic, former football star, and current management at a food pantry in the projects of Boston. When Dermot's godfather comes to him with a knife in his back, his dying words lead Dermot on the chase for the truth.

Dermot not only has to uncover the mystery of his godfather's last words, but he also has to deal with the IRA, FBI and the Boston mob throughou...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Bev Ness rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Charlestown Connection is a great first novel. Full of suspense, plot twists and great characters. I love crime novels and this one is great in part because it's local. Tom MacDonald is a great, new addition to the literary world. I look forward to reading more of his work and hope this book becomes a series, I like the protaganist and the cast of characters that he deals with. If you like crime novels that are gritty, smart and fast paced I recommend this one.

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Oct 01, 2012 Dava Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really wish there were degrees between three and four stars. This one is closer to a four than a three, hence my rating. It was a fun, quick, easy read. I wanted to know the main character better - it's almost as if we nearly know him, but not quite.

But, I didn't even come close to guessing how it would end, and the fact I wanted to know more about the main character is a good thing.

If you enjoy mysteries, this one is fun.

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Oct 21, 2011 Caitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

While reading this book I realized I must have learned more in my creative writing classes than I thought. This book was an example of what not to do, for me at least. I gave it three stars because of the last 50 pages or so, basically the point where the plot becomes interesting and exciting. But leading up to that is a bit of a slog to get through.
A couple of things bothered me: EVERYTHING happens through dialogue. And the protagonist is in his mid 20s but acts like his late 30s.

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Aug 16, 2012 L.T. Fawkes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tom McDonald $9.99 ****

On the day Dermot Sparhawk, a Micmac Indian born on the tough streets of Boston, gets his 30 day medal from AA, his godfather, having been stabbed in the back, stumbles into the food bank, mumbles a few mysterious words, and dies.

I liked the character Dermot a lot. Lots of detail about the tough parts of Boston, interesting characters, gritty dialog, good plot. I read it straight through.

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Jun 29, 2012 Kathleen Rota rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finished this morning and it was awesome! Very engrossing story that had great pacing and kept me fully engaged. Written by the husband of a friend and just won Best First Novel
at the Independent Book Awards Reception
at the Plaza Hotel, New York, NY

Tom has also been nominated for the
2012 International Thriller Awards
Best First Novel and is a finalist for the
American Librarians Association
Book of the Year Award

Check it out!!

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Sep 03, 2012 Robin Moore rated it 2 of 5 stars

The title caught my eye. The writer was featuring his book outside the Yellow Umbrella Bookstore in Chatham and I stopped to chat and learned we have some friends in common. Had a bit of trouble keeping the wiseguys straight in this book but in the end it's a townie that saves the day. I was assured by the author that this is a quick and easy book to read and this is most certainly the case.

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Aug 13, 2012 Gladys Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dermot, a recovering alcoholic who suddenly finds himself knee deep in murder, art theft, and detective work is a likable character. His encounters are believable and chocked full of surprising twists and turns.

I finished the book in an afternoon. I was anxious to find out what clues Dermot would uncover next. I will definitely add Tom MacDonald to my author list.

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Feb 09, 2013 Jeff rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

The Charlestown Connection was not the greatest mystery ever writen but it was not the worst either. This will go into the pile of books that I have read but will not likely read again.

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Oct 01, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

A wonderful story, with a very interesting main character. I would have given it another star if there wasn't so much profanity. Thankfully most of the profanity is in the first chapters. The story and the language gets better and better!

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Jul 31, 2011 James Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Charlestown Connection is a smart story. The writing is crisp and vivid. The characters are well defined and interesting. I think this would make a great movie. Looking forward to more of MacDonald's work.

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Aug 02, 2011 Anthony Fratto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Couldn't put the book down. MacDonald expertly weaves together a true-life crime with a fictional twist. If you like Boston crime lore, you will love the Charlestown Connection. Would make a great movie!

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Mar 12, 2012 Dave Moyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Some high points and an improbably ending make this book enjoyable, though with all the shady characters, it is difficult to know if one should be rooting for anybody.

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About Tom MacDonald

Tom MacDonald has Boston in his blood. Born in Dorchester and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts, he now works in Charlestown for St. MarySt. Catherine of Siena Parish as Director of Social Ministries.

MacDonald attended Stonehill College, earning a B.A. in Sociology. Fifteen years into a career as a computer programmer, he went back to school and received a Masters in Business Administration from...more

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