When Beau Delaney, the Halifax hotshot whose exploits are the subject of a new Hollywood film, is charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, it’s lawyer and bluesman Monty Collins who takes the case. But when Beau’s family dynamics and the appearance of a mysterious child alert Monty that his client is keeping secrets, others join in to help keep Beau from a life in prison. Monty’s pal, Father Brennan Burke, has a hand in the investigation, as does Monty’s estranged wife, Maura. Watching all this is Normie, Monty and Maura’s daughter, who has the gift of second sight. When she starts having visions that involve Beau, she can’t tell whether they reflect something he’s done in the past—or something he might do in the future. It then becomes clear that Normie and Monty must rely on each other to discover the truth about Peggy’s death.
Children in the Morning: A Mystery (A Collins-Burke Mystery)
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“By having Normie tell the story, Arthur Ellis Award-winning Emery allows readers to walk beside the girl as she deals with her second sight, the abuse of other children, and the anguish she feels when the peace of her home life is threatened. Not since Robert K. Tannenbaum's Lucy Karp, a young woman who talks with saints, have we seen a more poignant rendering of a female child with unusual powers.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Fans of traditional whodunits will be well satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly
"This sixth Monty Collins book by Halifax lawyer Emery is the best of the series. It has a solid plot, good characters, and a very strange child who has visions." —Globe and Mail
About the Author
Anne Emery is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School who has worked as a lawyer, a legal affairs reporter, and a researcher. She is the author of Barrington Street Blues, Cecilian Vespers, Obit, and Sign of the Cross, winner of the 2006 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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This is book #5 in what is turning into the lawyer and bluesman Monty Collins and Father Brennan Burke franchise, appearing at the rate of about 1 per year, all set in early 1990's Halifax. As in all the rest, this book is an exploration of one or more social ills, theological and moral discussion, exploration of the benefits of distilled spirits, wrapped up as a mystery.
In this book the social ill is early childhood abuse, both by individuals and institutions, and the effects on the lives of young and not so young adults. The structure is unusual,in that the narrative comes from both the view of Monty, and his pre-teen daughter Normie (for Norma, the Druid priestess of the same-named opera), who is fey, i.e., appears to have second sight, although unfocussed. As with the previous books, eventually the mystery is solved, but left with loose ends, which is after all the way life works. It also leaves some of the moral issues left unresolved, presumably as an exercise for the reader. If you like that; a book that leaves you chewing on important questions, you will love this one; if you want everything neatly wrapped up, you won't.
Two quibbles! The introduction of a character with "second sight" who is important to the "investigation" allows the introduction of information and clues that could not otherwise have been discovered by the investigators, Collins and Burke. There is a supernatural "deus ex machina" quality in this novel that will not satisfy lovers of classical detection - but it works. Secondly, the ongoing background question of who is the father of the McNeil's infant child (she being the somewhat estranged wife of Collins), with hints that it might be Father Burke, is beginning to feel "cute."
In this book the social ill is early childhood abuse, both by individuals and institutions, and the effects on the lives of young and not so young adults. The structure is unusual,in that the narrative comes from both the view of Monty, and his pre-teen daughter Normie (for Norma, the Druid priestess of the same-named opera), who is fey, i.e., appears to have second sight, although unfocussed. As with the previous books, eventually the mystery is solved, but left with loose ends, which is after all the way life works. It also leaves some of the moral issues left unresolved, presumably as an exercise for the reader. If you like that; a book that leaves you chewing on important questions, you will love this one; if you want everything neatly wrapped up, you won't.
Two quibbles! The introduction of a character with "second sight" who is important to the "investigation" allows the introduction of information and clues that could not otherwise have been discovered by the investigators, Collins and Burke. There is a supernatural "deus ex machina" quality in this novel that will not satisfy lovers of classical detection - but it works. Secondly, the ongoing background question of who is the father of the McNeil's infant child (she being the somewhat estranged wife of Collins), with hints that it might be Father Burke, is beginning to feel "cute."
By Todd Hurley
Format:Hardcover
I have to admit that I was unaware of Anne Emery before I received my copy of "Children In The Morning". Since completing my first experience as a reader of her work, I have to say that I have been happily surprised by what I have discovered; a previously unknown author (to me), who is an excellent story teller, and is able to do so in some of the most interesting and rich culture that Canada has to offer. I am both proud and excited that Canada is starting to deliver writers with a growing amount of talent and doing so more and more often. It is when I continually discover new and brilliant authors that I am reminded of how diverse of a literary scene that Canada actually has. I think that far too often, Canadian authors draw the short end of the stick because of the massive size of our country. You compare us to our southerly neighbors and you see that they are dealing with close to the same land-size as we are, but they have ten times the population which means they have ten times the funding to support all of their authors. We are sometimes mistaken for a huge country, but we are only large in the geographical sense, not in population. So, as I discover a new Canadian author, I celebrate each time, just a little, for me, inside. Yay.
Now, about the book. It's good. Great even. I immediately took to the main character / protagonist Monty Collins, who I was delighted (and somewhat embarrassed) to learn is a recurring character in a series that Ms. Emery has been writing. This book is the fifth in the series. Yes I said fifth as in 5th! So I've got some catching up to do! But having discovered that this is a well developed series, I didn't feel lost or that I didn't know what was going on, not even for a minute. This has always been a sign of a good series writer for me. Whether they are able to keep their series interesting, without having to repeat everything to the point of boredom for those who haven't been following along, and whether or not they can keep the story interesting and exciting for those who are only tuning in for the first time on the fifth book!
In this installment of the Monty Collins series, we are introduced to Beau Delaney, a bit of a showboat, a prominent lawyer whose exploits have become the subject of a Hollywood film. He is also the father of ten children (most of them adopted). He has been charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, which is how Monty comes onto the scene. Right away he is aware that his client has been keeping secrets from him, then a mysterious "eleventh" child shows up demanding to take part in the trial. Finally, the last words heard from Peggy are, "the Hell's Angels!"
This is only a small glimpse of what the author has assembled for this story. What follows is a veritable class in murder mystery fiction. Now that I am aware that this series has been written for years, I can really appreciate the professionalism and experience within the prose. Before knowing that she was an established writer, I was keenly aware that this was a writer with a gift and most likely some experience. The words flow seamlessly from her and you are instantly in the damp streets of Halifax and the fog filled days down by the wharf. With a gift like this, Ms. Emery can easily get on with the story without worrying about how to create a sense of place. Further, the reader is able to settle down for the journey without worrying about where they are or where they are going. Such is the writing from Ms. Emery that you are at once trusting of her as your pilot, and if you trust your guide, you are at once ready to go anywhere they may take you. In this novel, she has done so with such a generous helping of composure, that I would gladly ride shotgun for her anytime.
Once you add in Father Brennan Burke, a close pal of Monty's, and the tenuous relationship with his estranged ex-wife, Maura, you are able to see where Normie fits into all of this. Normie, along with Monty are the two narrators of this story. We are treated to an eye opening yarn from these two narrators and indeed, two perspectives. Through the eyes of a child, and through the eyes of a middle-aged lawyer, who drinks too much and is heavier than he should be, we are told the story of Beau Delaney and the murder of his wife. Normie is said to be gifted with the `second sight', just like her spooky grandmother from Cape Breton. When Normie starts having visions that seem to involve Beau Delaney, she can't tell whether they are something from his past, or something that he is going to do in the future.
Ms Emery's story is at once a delight, as we are guided through the wonderfully rich culture and lifestyle of Nova Scotia, and then evolves into a masterfully captained ship of a mystery that has you all but shouting out your own suggestions for how to solve the mystery. In the end, even I was fooled - and I like to think that I read enough of these to at least have a pretty good idea of `who dunnit', but in this case, I was really happy with how it all wrapped up. It was neat and tidy, yet kind of crazy all at the same time.
After reading a work such as this, it really makes me think it's about time we got our Canadian mystery and thriller writers out of obscurity and get them some exposure to the world at large. It's all too clear that we have a brilliant and deep vein of home grown talent for writing in Canada. It's time to mine more gems like Anne Emery, and show the world how wonderfully rich the Canadian literary scene is.
Excellent book and a great summer read if you're looking for a great `who-dunnit' to read while on holidays. Also, it's great to know that there are four other books in this series.
If you've read it, drop me a line about what you thought about it!
~ todd
**special thanks to Sarah Dunn and ECW Press and NetGalley for supplying the ARC!!
The Hurley Edition
Children In The Morning by Anne Emery
Publisher: ECW Press
Publish Date: May 2010
Publisher website: [...]
Author Website: [...]
*please remember that, at the time of writing this, I receive no compensation for any of the reviews that I write here on the blog, nor do I promise any favorable reviews in advance of reading them.
Now, about the book. It's good. Great even. I immediately took to the main character / protagonist Monty Collins, who I was delighted (and somewhat embarrassed) to learn is a recurring character in a series that Ms. Emery has been writing. This book is the fifth in the series. Yes I said fifth as in 5th! So I've got some catching up to do! But having discovered that this is a well developed series, I didn't feel lost or that I didn't know what was going on, not even for a minute. This has always been a sign of a good series writer for me. Whether they are able to keep their series interesting, without having to repeat everything to the point of boredom for those who haven't been following along, and whether or not they can keep the story interesting and exciting for those who are only tuning in for the first time on the fifth book!
In this installment of the Monty Collins series, we are introduced to Beau Delaney, a bit of a showboat, a prominent lawyer whose exploits have become the subject of a Hollywood film. He is also the father of ten children (most of them adopted). He has been charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, which is how Monty comes onto the scene. Right away he is aware that his client has been keeping secrets from him, then a mysterious "eleventh" child shows up demanding to take part in the trial. Finally, the last words heard from Peggy are, "the Hell's Angels!"
This is only a small glimpse of what the author has assembled for this story. What follows is a veritable class in murder mystery fiction. Now that I am aware that this series has been written for years, I can really appreciate the professionalism and experience within the prose. Before knowing that she was an established writer, I was keenly aware that this was a writer with a gift and most likely some experience. The words flow seamlessly from her and you are instantly in the damp streets of Halifax and the fog filled days down by the wharf. With a gift like this, Ms. Emery can easily get on with the story without worrying about how to create a sense of place. Further, the reader is able to settle down for the journey without worrying about where they are or where they are going. Such is the writing from Ms. Emery that you are at once trusting of her as your pilot, and if you trust your guide, you are at once ready to go anywhere they may take you. In this novel, she has done so with such a generous helping of composure, that I would gladly ride shotgun for her anytime.
Once you add in Father Brennan Burke, a close pal of Monty's, and the tenuous relationship with his estranged ex-wife, Maura, you are able to see where Normie fits into all of this. Normie, along with Monty are the two narrators of this story. We are treated to an eye opening yarn from these two narrators and indeed, two perspectives. Through the eyes of a child, and through the eyes of a middle-aged lawyer, who drinks too much and is heavier than he should be, we are told the story of Beau Delaney and the murder of his wife. Normie is said to be gifted with the `second sight', just like her spooky grandmother from Cape Breton. When Normie starts having visions that seem to involve Beau Delaney, she can't tell whether they are something from his past, or something that he is going to do in the future.
Ms Emery's story is at once a delight, as we are guided through the wonderfully rich culture and lifestyle of Nova Scotia, and then evolves into a masterfully captained ship of a mystery that has you all but shouting out your own suggestions for how to solve the mystery. In the end, even I was fooled - and I like to think that I read enough of these to at least have a pretty good idea of `who dunnit', but in this case, I was really happy with how it all wrapped up. It was neat and tidy, yet kind of crazy all at the same time.
After reading a work such as this, it really makes me think it's about time we got our Canadian mystery and thriller writers out of obscurity and get them some exposure to the world at large. It's all too clear that we have a brilliant and deep vein of home grown talent for writing in Canada. It's time to mine more gems like Anne Emery, and show the world how wonderfully rich the Canadian literary scene is.
Excellent book and a great summer read if you're looking for a great `who-dunnit' to read while on holidays. Also, it's great to know that there are four other books in this series.
If you've read it, drop me a line about what you thought about it!
~ todd
**special thanks to Sarah Dunn and ECW Press and NetGalley for supplying the ARC!!
The Hurley Edition
Children In The Morning by Anne Emery
Publisher: ECW Press
Publish Date: May 2010
Publisher website: [...]
Author Website: [...]
*please remember that, at the time of writing this, I receive no compensation for any of the reviews that I write here on the blog, nor do I promise any favorable reviews in advance of reading them.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brilliant Canadian Mystery Writer, A Brilliant Canadian Mystery!
May 31 2010
By Todd Hurley
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I have to admit that I was unaware of Anne Emery before I received my copy of "Children In The Morning". Since completing my first experience as a reader of her work, I have to say that I have been happily surprised by what I have discovered; a previously unknown author (to me), who is an excellent story teller, and is able to do so in some of the most interesting and rich culture that Canada has to offer. I am both proud and excited that Canada is starting to deliver writers with a growing amount of talent and doing so more and more often. It is when I continually discover new and brilliant authors that I am reminded of how diverse of a literary scene that Canada actually has. I think that far too often, Canadian authors draw the short end of the stick because of the massive size of our country. You compare us to our southerly neighbors and you see that they are dealing with close to the same land-size as we are, but they have ten times the population which means they have ten times the funding to support all of their authors. We are sometimes mistaken for a huge country, but we are only large in the geographical sense, not in population. So, as I discover a new Canadian author, I celebrate each time, just a little, for me, inside. Yay.
Now, about the book. It's good. Great even. I immediately took to the main character / protagonist Monty Collins, who I was delighted (and somewhat embarrassed) to learn is a recurring character in a series that Ms. Emery has been writing. This book is the fifth in the series. Yes I said fifth as in 5th! So I've got some catching up to do! But having discovered that this is a well developed series, I didn't feel lost or that I didn't know what was going on, not even for a minute. This has always been a sign of a good series writer for me. Whether they are able to keep their series interesting, without having to repeat everything to the point of boredom for those who haven't been following along, and whether or not they can keep the story interesting and exciting for those who are only tuning in for the first time on the fifth book!
In this installment of the Monty Collins series, we are introduced to Beau Delaney, a bit of a showboat, a prominent lawyer whose exploits have become the subject of a Hollywood film. He is also the father of ten children (most of them adopted). He has been charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, which is how Monty comes onto the scene. Right away he is aware that his client has been keeping secrets from him, then a mysterious "eleventh" child shows up demanding to take part in the trial. Finally, the last words heard from Peggy are, "the Hell's Angels!"
This is only a small glimpse of what the author has assembled for this story. What follows is a veritable class in murder mystery fiction. Now that I am aware that this series has been written for years, I can really appreciate the professionalism and experience within the prose. Before knowing that she was an established writer, I was keenly aware that this was a writer with a gift and most likely some experience. The words flow seamlessly from her and you are instantly in the damp streets of Halifax and the fog filled days down by the wharf. With a gift like this, Ms. Emery can easily get on with the story without worrying about how to create a sense of place. Further, the reader is able to settle down for the journey without worrying about where they are or where they are going. Such is the writing from Ms. Emery that you are at once trusting of her as your pilot, and if you trust your guide, you are at once ready to go anywhere they may take you. In this novel, she has done so with such a generous helping of composure, that I would gladly ride shotgun for her anytime.
Once you add in Father Brennan Burke, a close pal of Monty's, and the tenuous relationship with his estranged ex-wife, Maura, you are able to see where Normie fits into all of this. Normie, along with Monty are the two narrators of this story. We are treated to an eye opening yarn from these two narrators and indeed, two perspectives. Through the eyes of a child, and through the eyes of a middle-aged lawyer, who drinks too much and is heavier than he should be, we are told the story of Beau Delaney and the murder of his wife. Normie is said to be gifted with the `second sight', just like her spooky grandmother from Cape Breton. When Normie starts having visions that seem to involve Beau Delaney, she can't tell whether they are something from his past, or something that he is going to do in the future.
Ms Emery's story is at once a delight, as we are guided through the wonderfully rich culture and lifestyle of Nova Scotia, and then evolves into a masterfully captained ship of a mystery that has you all but shouting out your own suggestions for how to solve the mystery. In the end, even I was fooled - and I like to think that I read enough of these to at least have a pretty good idea of `who dunnit', but in this case, I was really happy with how it all wrapped up. It was neat and tidy, yet kind of crazy all at the same time.
After reading a work such as this, it really makes me think it's about time we got our Canadian mystery and thriller writers out of obscurity and get them some exposure to the world at large. It's all too clear that we have a brilliant and deep vein of home grown talent for writing in Canada. It's time to mine more gems like Anne Emery, and show the world how wonderfully rich the Canadian literary scene is.
Excellent book and a great summer read if you're looking for a great `who-dunnit' to read while on holidays. Also, it's great to know that there are four other books in this series.
If you've read it, drop me a line about what you thought about it!
~ todd
**special thanks to Sarah Dunn and ECW Press and NetGalley for supplying the ARC!!
The Hurley Edition
Children In The Morning by Anne Emery
Publisher: ECW Press
Publish Date: May 2010
Publisher website: [...]
Author Website: [...]
*please remember that, at the time of writing this, I receive no compensation for any of the reviews that I write here on the blog, nor do I promise any favorable reviews in advance of reading them.
Now, about the book. It's good. Great even. I immediately took to the main character / protagonist Monty Collins, who I was delighted (and somewhat embarrassed) to learn is a recurring character in a series that Ms. Emery has been writing. This book is the fifth in the series. Yes I said fifth as in 5th! So I've got some catching up to do! But having discovered that this is a well developed series, I didn't feel lost or that I didn't know what was going on, not even for a minute. This has always been a sign of a good series writer for me. Whether they are able to keep their series interesting, without having to repeat everything to the point of boredom for those who haven't been following along, and whether or not they can keep the story interesting and exciting for those who are only tuning in for the first time on the fifth book!
In this installment of the Monty Collins series, we are introduced to Beau Delaney, a bit of a showboat, a prominent lawyer whose exploits have become the subject of a Hollywood film. He is also the father of ten children (most of them adopted). He has been charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, which is how Monty comes onto the scene. Right away he is aware that his client has been keeping secrets from him, then a mysterious "eleventh" child shows up demanding to take part in the trial. Finally, the last words heard from Peggy are, "the Hell's Angels!"
This is only a small glimpse of what the author has assembled for this story. What follows is a veritable class in murder mystery fiction. Now that I am aware that this series has been written for years, I can really appreciate the professionalism and experience within the prose. Before knowing that she was an established writer, I was keenly aware that this was a writer with a gift and most likely some experience. The words flow seamlessly from her and you are instantly in the damp streets of Halifax and the fog filled days down by the wharf. With a gift like this, Ms. Emery can easily get on with the story without worrying about how to create a sense of place. Further, the reader is able to settle down for the journey without worrying about where they are or where they are going. Such is the writing from Ms. Emery that you are at once trusting of her as your pilot, and if you trust your guide, you are at once ready to go anywhere they may take you. In this novel, she has done so with such a generous helping of composure, that I would gladly ride shotgun for her anytime.
Once you add in Father Brennan Burke, a close pal of Monty's, and the tenuous relationship with his estranged ex-wife, Maura, you are able to see where Normie fits into all of this. Normie, along with Monty are the two narrators of this story. We are treated to an eye opening yarn from these two narrators and indeed, two perspectives. Through the eyes of a child, and through the eyes of a middle-aged lawyer, who drinks too much and is heavier than he should be, we are told the story of Beau Delaney and the murder of his wife. Normie is said to be gifted with the `second sight', just like her spooky grandmother from Cape Breton. When Normie starts having visions that seem to involve Beau Delaney, she can't tell whether they are something from his past, or something that he is going to do in the future.
Ms Emery's story is at once a delight, as we are guided through the wonderfully rich culture and lifestyle of Nova Scotia, and then evolves into a masterfully captained ship of a mystery that has you all but shouting out your own suggestions for how to solve the mystery. In the end, even I was fooled - and I like to think that I read enough of these to at least have a pretty good idea of `who dunnit', but in this case, I was really happy with how it all wrapped up. It was neat and tidy, yet kind of crazy all at the same time.
After reading a work such as this, it really makes me think it's about time we got our Canadian mystery and thriller writers out of obscurity and get them some exposure to the world at large. It's all too clear that we have a brilliant and deep vein of home grown talent for writing in Canada. It's time to mine more gems like Anne Emery, and show the world how wonderfully rich the Canadian literary scene is.
Excellent book and a great summer read if you're looking for a great `who-dunnit' to read while on holidays. Also, it's great to know that there are four other books in this series.
If you've read it, drop me a line about what you thought about it!
~ todd
**special thanks to Sarah Dunn and ECW Press and NetGalley for supplying the ARC!!
The Hurley Edition
Children In The Morning by Anne Emery
Publisher: ECW Press
Publish Date: May 2010
Publisher website: [...]
Author Website: [...]
*please remember that, at the time of writing this, I receive no compensation for any of the reviews that I write here on the blog, nor do I promise any favorable reviews in advance of reading them.
5.0 out of 5 stars
"My client's heroics were an inspiration. If only I could play it for the jury and say: 'My Lord, I rest my case.' "
Aug 23 2010
By K. M.
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Last month I reviewed Anne Emery's previous Monty Collins/Fr. Burke mystery, Cecilian Vespers: A Mystery (A Collins-Burke Mystery). I had some reservations about it. Then I picked up Children in the Morning: A Mystery (A Collins-Burke Mystery), and as you can see by my five-star rating, I embraced this reading experience much more enthusiastically. Emery has produced an exceptional novel; it kept me engrossed throughout, and every character came alive for me -- most especially the two narrators who trade off the story: Monty and his fourth-grader daughter, Normie.
Normie's sections are very endearing and often sweetly comical. She first introduces herself and tells learning advance vocabulary and about not caring much for social studies except learning that "we burned down the White House when we had a war with the Americans back in 1812." She adds, "Tommy says we kicked their butts (he said that, not me). You never think of Canadians acting like that."
No, you really don't think of Canadians acting with such violence (and probably a lot of Americans have forgotten that bit of neighborly history anyway). But although Normie's prologue is innocently told, it is also a subtle introduction to her family's association with Beau Delaney, a man with ten children (most of whom are adopted) who has just been widowed and who will be charged with his wife's murder. Beau, who like Monty, is an attorney, adheres to the adage that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer, so he asks Monty to take on his defense. Beau has garnered quite a showy reputation for himself, and actions such as proving a convicted murdered innocent and getting him released make quite a few people think of him as a hero. Monty, his estranged wife, Maura, their friend, Fr. Burke, and Normie come into contact with Beau and his children as the court case is being prepared and then tried. All of them experience incidents involving Beau that make them uncertain about his innocence (which he loudly proclaims). Normie, who "has the gift of second sight," sees some disconcerting visions and knows they have something to do with Mr. Delaney but isn't sure how. The question becomes, who, really is Beau Delaney, and is he capable of acting violently? Is he capable of killing his wife and cold-bloodedly covering it up? Is he someone who acts like that?
Set in Halifax in 1992, CHILDREN IN THE MORNING is a terrific mystery. It's rich, satisfying, and doesn't reveal all until it's time -- although most readers will catch on to some of its secrets before they are officially revealed. And Normie is a wonderful, intelligent young girl from whom, hopefully, we'll hear more in the future.
___________
By the way, if you haven't already heard of it, there is another great mystery series set in Canada: Louise Penny's Three Pines books. I particularly recommend her about-to-be-published Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel.
Normie's sections are very endearing and often sweetly comical. She first introduces herself and tells learning advance vocabulary and about not caring much for social studies except learning that "we burned down the White House when we had a war with the Americans back in 1812." She adds, "Tommy says we kicked their butts (he said that, not me). You never think of Canadians acting like that."
No, you really don't think of Canadians acting with such violence (and probably a lot of Americans have forgotten that bit of neighborly history anyway). But although Normie's prologue is innocently told, it is also a subtle introduction to her family's association with Beau Delaney, a man with ten children (most of whom are adopted) who has just been widowed and who will be charged with his wife's murder. Beau, who like Monty, is an attorney, adheres to the adage that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer, so he asks Monty to take on his defense. Beau has garnered quite a showy reputation for himself, and actions such as proving a convicted murdered innocent and getting him released make quite a few people think of him as a hero. Monty, his estranged wife, Maura, their friend, Fr. Burke, and Normie come into contact with Beau and his children as the court case is being prepared and then tried. All of them experience incidents involving Beau that make them uncertain about his innocence (which he loudly proclaims). Normie, who "has the gift of second sight," sees some disconcerting visions and knows they have something to do with Mr. Delaney but isn't sure how. The question becomes, who, really is Beau Delaney, and is he capable of acting violently? Is he capable of killing his wife and cold-bloodedly covering it up? Is he someone who acts like that?
Set in Halifax in 1992, CHILDREN IN THE MORNING is a terrific mystery. It's rich, satisfying, and doesn't reveal all until it's time -- although most readers will catch on to some of its secrets before they are officially revealed. And Normie is a wonderful, intelligent young girl from whom, hopefully, we'll hear more in the future.
___________
By the way, if you haven't already heard of it, there is another great mystery series set in Canada: Louise Penny's Three Pines books. I particularly recommend her about-to-be-published Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
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