Winner of the Best First Crime Novel at the 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards!
Nominated for a Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel!
“Hammerhead” Jed Ounstead thought he’d traded the pro-wrestling world for the slightly less dangerous one of a bar bouncer and errand boy for his father’s detective agency, but the squared circle wasn’t quite done with him yet. When his former tag-team partner draws upon their old friendship for help in finding his kidnapped pet snake, Jed finds himself dragged back into the fold of sleazy promoters, gimmicky performers, and violence inside and outside the ring. As the venom of Vancouver’s criminal underworld begins to seep into Jed’s life, a steel chair to the back of the head is the least of his problems.
Cobra Clutch is a fast-paced, hard-hitting debut novel by A.J. Devlin that features an unstoppable combo: a signature move of raucous humour with a super finisher of gritty realism.

A.J. Devlin grew up in Greater Vancouver before moving to Southern California where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from Chapman University and a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from The American Film Institute. After working as a screenwriter in Hollywood, he moved back home to Port Moody, BC, where he now lives with his family.Cobra Clutch, the first book in the "Hammerhead" Jed professional wrestling mystery-comedy series, was released in spring 2018 and nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery and won the 2019 Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.The highly acclaimed sequel, Rolling Thunder, was released in spring 2020 and featured in the Vancouver Sun, The Province, The Globe and Mail, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal Reviews, Mystery Tribune Magazine, Punk Noir Magazine, CrimeFictionLover.com, and on CBC Radio's The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers. The third book in the series, Five Moves of Doom, was published in September 2022 by NeWest Press and featured on The House of Mystery Radio Show on NBC. It won the 2022 Crime Fiction Lover Editor's Choice Award for Best Indie Crime Novel, was selected by The Globe and Mail as one of the Best Books of 2022, nominated for the 2023 Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery, and shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Howard Engel Award of Excellence for Best Novel Set in Canada.

A.J. Devlin's profile page

• Winner, Best First Crime Novel At the Arthur Ellis Awards
• Nominated, Best Debut Mystery Novel at the Lefty Awards

"Cobra Clutch masterfully blends humor, mystery, thrills, action, romance, and heart into a hell of a story featuring a lively wrestler-turned-PI hero. The action scenes are intense, the quiet times heartwarming and engaging, and the humor expertly interjected to accentuate characters and breathe realism into the story."
~ John M. Murray, Foreword Reviews
"Set in Vancouver, BC, this intriguing debut offers a fast-paced, graphically violent mystery that pairs well with Glen Erik Hamilton’s Past Crimes. Fans of pro wrestling will appreciate “Hammerhead” Jed."
~ Library Journal
"...high-pitched violent action sequences, daring escapes, and a thrilling climax."
~ Stephen Knight, Quill & Quire
"Cobra Clutch uses humor and gritty realism and includes a former tag-team partner, a kidnapped snake, sleazy promoters, and violence inside and outside the ring."
~ BC BookWorld