Barbara Fradkin's novels should be required reading for everyone who enjoys Canadian fiction at its finest. All her novels are well-crafted and capture the feel of Ottawa and the surrounding area with almost photographic clarity. The timeliness of her topic this time out (war crimes) and the sympathy and understanding she brings to it, make this novel of more than passing interest to anyone who is interested in this country. I've been told it won the award for best crime novel of 2007. This honour is well-deserved. A terrific book!

I flagged this novel as soon as it was announced. Having read three of this author's previous books, I was excited he had a new offering. I was not disappointed from the moment I cracked it open. Blechta has created an story that is nuanced and rich in detail without getting bogged down by it. The characters are vivid and interesting, and as always very real. The female vocalist around whom the whole plot revolves is a brilliant creation. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks crime fiction is not worth reading. A Case of You is a must-read!

I just finished reading When Hell Freezes over and did it in one, long, satisfying gulp. I didn't mean to spend the whole day reading, but I just couldn't stop. This author just keeps getting better with every book and I really enjoy the characters he comes up with. If you want to read a terrific thriller with an interesting setting and great characters, this is it! Highly recommended.

I don't usually read books cover-to-cover in one sitting, but Shooting Straight in the Dark had me up until 4 a.m. recently. Even though it's supposed to be a mystery, there is a lot more depth to the characters (especially the main character, Kit) than you normally find in genre fiction. The author has done a very good job making it all very real.

The plot, too, is quite good, involving a murder (naturally) but it's set against a backdrop of music, something I found very interesting and informative. Blechta has also given his protagonist another wrinkle: she's blind. He pulls off this aspect particularly well. He made me really feel what it might be like to be without sight.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this book. The writing is refreshingly good (often quite funny, too), the characters compelling and the plot rockets along to a very satisfying conclusion.

Can we hear more about Kit and her friends really soon?