Oh, it has been waaaay too long since the last book by Inger Ash Wolfe in this absolutely wonderful Canadian series! My copy of A Door in the River arrived - I set it aside and picked the day I would read it. Yes, the one day, because I absolutely knew I wouldn't be able to put it down. (And I was right!)

A Door in the River again returns us to Port Dundas, Ontario and Inspector Hazel Micallef. Hazel is a wonderfully different protagonist - one I cannot get enough of. She is sixtyish, lives with her eighty eight year old mother (who is great character on her own - her snappy comebacks are priceless), has just recovered from back surgery (she recuperated in the basement of her ex husband and his new wife) and has finally kicked her addiction to pain pills, although whiskey still calls to her. She is obstinate, intelligent, tenacious and not the easiest person to get along with. But is she a good cop? Yes, but her talents will be tested with this latest case.

"The force of her will and her peculiar way of building evidence for a case was something to see. He understood why she'd driven Ray Greene crazy. And in the end you had to agree with her! There was no way you were going to make your own logic as internally consistent as hers. Supposedly this was "instinct". He'd never really seen it. Too bad she wielded it like a mallet."

A local all round good guy is found dead behind a native smoke shop on reservation land. The local band police investigate and do an autopsy. Death is ruled accidental - anaphylactic shock by a wasp sting. But Hazel knew the man and can't help but wonder why he was on the reserve late at night - he didn't smoke, the store was closed and why was he parked back in the shadows? And so she decides to re-examine their findings. And of course she ruffles some feathers. But what she turns up....

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! The plot is an absolute nail biter. The tension was so high, I had a very hard time the last eighty pages not turning to the end to see what happened. I managed not to - and I'm glad I didn't. There are some twists I didn't see coming and I was lulled into a false sense of security by the last few pages. (Happily) Caught unawares again.

Now, the crimes are dreadful, (but really, could have been taken from newspaper headlines) so gentler readers be warned.

But for me it is the characters that make this series. For all her irascibility, Hazel does have some soft spots. And Detective James Wingate, is one of them. He is a gentler, calming influence on Hazel's team. James was introduced in the previous book and again takes a primary role in this book. Really, all of the characters come across as real and the dialogue is believable. You'll love to hate the bad guys.

It's so great to see a series set in Canada - and this is one of my all time favourites. Highly recommended.
There are lots of sub plots that hint at a continuation of this series. Hazel's previous deputy has returned as her superintendent, the force is being amalgamated and Port Dundas itself is slated for radical changes. I can't wait to read the next book.

For the first two books, the true identity of Inger Ash Wolfe was a mystery. Names of Canadian authors were bandied about, but Michael Redhill has claimed her as his own at last.

I recently had a patron ask if I knew of a good historical mystery series for her. She was older, and said she liked stories set in the war years such as Charles Todd's Bess Crawford books. (which she highly recommended) Well, I did indeed have a series for her, but although I was familiar with Charles Todd's Inspector Rutledge series, I had never read one of the Bess Crawford books. Her recommendation resulted in me picking up the latest installment of this series - An Unmarked Grave.

Bess Crawford is a World War I nurse. 1918 finds her at the front lines in France, with war casualties and the Spanish influenza contributing equally to the dead waiting to be buried. But when an orderly points out a body to Bess that isn't wrapped right, she is shocked to find she recognizes the man from her father's regiment. It wasn't the flu or war that killed him - she suspects foul play. But exhausted and physically worn down, she falls prey to the flu herself before she can report what she thinks might be murder. Back in England she does advise her father of her suspicions. But the body is long buried. Did she imagine what she saw? Or is there a murderer in the ranks? Bess is determined to find the answer and wants to return to France.

Todd's writing brought this time period to life. The dialogue, social mores and expectations of the time were wonderfully depicted, creating a strong sense of atmosphere. Bess is such a great character - kind, dutiful, compassionate, strong, determined and intelligent. All of the characters were equally well drawn and just as engaging. I liked the idea of a woman being the sleuth in this time period, when men were the traditional 'leaders'. Bess is more than up to the task.

The plotting is good, slowly unravelling over time. This is a gentler mystery, meant to be savoured and enjoyed.

I choose to listen to A Unmarked Grave. The reader was Audie award winner Rosalyn Landor. She has a wonderfully rich, crisp British accent that perfectly suited the mental image I had of Bess. She portrayed all of the characters just as well. Most of the other characters were male and Landor came up with believable voices for them. Bess's father had a nice, gruff, regimental tone. The 'yank' soldier's voice was spot on as well. Her voice added much to the overall feel of the book, conveying emotion and setting easily.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up another in this series. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs character would enjoy this series. (This was my recommendation to my patron)

3.5/5

I read and enjoyed Emily Arsenault's previous book - In Search of the Rose Notes - last year.

In her latest release, Miss Me When I'm Gone, Arsenault again utilizes journals, books and visiting the past to solve the present.

Gretchen and Jamie were close friends in college, but their lives diverged as time passed. Jamie is married to Sam, expecting her first child and works as a part time editor. Gretchen is divorced, childless and a published author. Her first book was called Tammyland - a memoir of her travels after her divorce that specifically drew upon her love for female country singers such as Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. She had started work and research on her second book - ostensibly about the flip side - male country singers and her continuing journey. But, after giving a reading at the library in her old home town, Gretchen is found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Her death is ruled accidental. Her family asks old friend Jamie to act as her 'literary executor' and try to assemble the research of her second book for the publisher.

As Jamie begins to read Gretchen's notebooks, she realizes that what she was really researching was her biological mother - killed when Jamie was only seven. The murderer was never caught. Was that fall accidental? Or is someone not happy with the past being revisited?

Miss Me When I'm Gone is told in a three part narrative. In the beginning I did have to stop and get my bearings when starting a new chapter. The first stream is excerpts from Tammyland. The second narrative is through Gretchen's research notes on the second book. And it is these notes that send Jamie looking for answers as well. The third is from Jamie's present day viewpoint.

I found the use of the country western singers, their songs and their lives to be an especially inventive, unique and a fascinating way to draw a portrait of Gretchen. Her writings in this book are quite introspective. Many of the stories told in this book had me heading the internet 'just to see.' (Loretta Lynn and Burt Reynolds did indeed have a fling.) The excerpts from Tammyland were actually my favourite part of the book. I am familiar with and enjoy this type of music, but those not enamoured of country western tunes may not appreciate it as much.

The notebooks allow us to discover the clues and try to piece together the mystery along with Jamie. Jamie was a character I had a hard time nailing down. I appreciated her loyalty to her friend and her determination to find answers. What I couldn't understand was her seeming indifference to being pregnant. Although she is concerned with the baby's health, it is her relationship with her husband I found off putting. She blatantly ignores his concerns, her safety and the child's safety. I'm not sure why Arsenault made this character preganant - perhaps only to provide another difference between the way her life and Gretchen's lives evolved? Sadly, I didn't really ever warm up to Jamie and this influenced my final opinion of the book.

Miss Me When I'm Gone is hard to classify. It has a mystery component, but it was the relationships that took center stage - which gave it more of a women's fiction bent. There's lots of material here that book clubs could sink their teeth into

I was lucky enough to be an early reader (and fan) of John Verdon's debut novel - Think of a Numb3r. I love getting in on the ground floor of a new series. His second book - Shut Your Eyes Tight - was just as good and proved that Verdon wasn't a one book wonder. The latest book in his Dave Gurney series - Let the Devil Sleep - was fantastic! John Verdon just gets better and better.

Retired NYPD Homicide Detective Dave Gurney has spent the last six months recovering from gunshot wounds sustained during his last attempt to bring down a serial killer. Yes, he's retired - but can't help himself - puzzles intrigue him and unsolved cases still call his name. He had the highest solve rate in the NYPD's history when he retired. But this time, he just can't seem to shake things off - he's out of sorts, short tempered with his ever patient wife Madeleine, can't stop worrying about his lingering symptoms and has no interest in doing anything. When Connie, an old journalist friend contacts him to ask a favour, he agrees out of a sense of obligation. Her daughter Kim is doing a series of interviews with families of the victims of a serial killer dubbed The Good Shepherd. Ten years ago, the killer targeted the wealthy, specifically those driving black Mercedes. The case remains unsolved and Kim would like to have him look over what she's doing with his cop's eye and give her feedback.

But a lot occurs in that one day - there's more going on with Kim than she initially mentioned. And the interviews and files on The Good Shepherd pique Gurney's interest. It is Madeleine who notes that Gurney has done more in a day than he has in months - and he's not worrying about his symptoms every five minutes. Slowly, but surely, Dave is hooked again. He believes the initial investigation was flawed.

In the beginning of the series, I wasn't sure what I thought about Gurney. But, as the series grows, so
does Dave. This time out, we get to meet his son Kyle, with whom Dave has a difficult relationship. Verdon explores this dynamic well, letting us get a view of Gurney beneath the controlled exterior. Gurney's enigmatic wife Madeleine continually intrigues me. Her love of nature, colour and life are in stark contrast to Gurney's pursuit of killers. What makes this marriage work? Verdon allows to see into this relationship a little more every time. Madeline is still my favourite supporting character. Another recurring character is Detective Jack Hartwick. The testy relationship between Jack and Dave is entertaining. I did find it hard to warm up to Kim; I found her to be manipulative and self centered.

So, the characters are great. What about the plot? Well, this is where Verdon shines. The plotting is impeccable, complex and devious. There are two plot lines running simultaneously - could they connected? Gurney's reasoning and thought processes were fascinating. I enjoyed the matching of wits between the FBI, their psychologist consultant and Dave. We get to reopen the case with Dave as he explores past files. However, the past is not content to stay buried and the tension, thrills and stakes are heightened as the killer puts Dave squarely in his line of sight. I had absolutely no idea whodunit until the last few pages. I love not being able to figure out the case until the end.

Just a great series. You could read any of the books as a stand alone, but I bet you'll be hunting down the other two!

I read the first book - The Hypnotist - by the Swedish husband and wife team of Lars Kepler last year. I was quite intrigued with their recurring character Inspector Joona Linna, so I happily picked up their latest North American release - The Nightmare.

Two deaths, that at first glance appear to be accidental or suicides, draw the attention of Inspector Linna. Linna sees things differently from others. He has that little 'something extra' in the way he views crime scenes and evidence, often spotting clues or links that others miss. When he decides that the two scenes are linked, he puts himself on the case, against the wishes of his superiors and the leader of the investigation. Linna is never loud or pushy - he simply ignores much of what is said and continues on. And when he is proven right, how can they take him off the case?

And the case is a mystery - the killer is quick, silent, incredibly devious and frightening - he seems to know the victims' worst nightmares - and makes them come true. He's killing in order to obtain something - but what? Kepler has changed things up a bit with this second book. The mystery, tension and psychological thrills are all there, but some political plotting and social commentary is also worked into the mix. (I was quite stunned by some of the statistics listed in the book and had to go online to check them - and yes they're true. "Every single day thirty-nine million bullets are made. The nine largest exporters of weapons in the world are the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and China.")Interestingly, the flyleaf and promos for the book only make reference to the unusual murders, not the weapons plotline. I do wonder if this combination was a bit too ambitious - it seemed to get very, very busy. Either storyline on its own would have been good.

I think what I do like about Kepler's books is that I have no idea what to expect - I always feel a little off kilter. Joona Linna's thinking is non linear and his take on things is always refreshing. The Nightmare is populated by odd characters with strange penchants and proclivities that give an unsettled feel to the narrative. The scene with the television personality left me bewildered as to why it was included. The book is translated from the original Swedish by Laura A. Wideberg and I found the cadence of some of the prose added to the off kilter feeling.

But, did I like it? Yes. I am definitely a fan of Inspector Linna and will happily pick up the third book in the series - already released in Sweden.

I picked up Robert Dugoni's debut novel The Jury Master back in 2006. I quite enjoyed it, but for some unknown reason, I hadn't read another of his books until I picked up his latest - The Conviction. (I know I've missed a lot of good reads in between.)

Lawyer David Sloane is Dugoni's recurring character. He's known as 'the lawyer who does not lose'. In the courtroom maybe, but in his personal life Sloane has suffered some losses. His partner Tina was brutally murdered - in front of her son Jake. Jake is dealing with his grief by abusing drugs and alcohol and engaging in petty crimes that are rapidly escalating. Sloane had raised the boy with Tina. In a last ditch effort to keep him out of detention, Sloan agrees to get him sucessfully through rehab this time. When an old friend, Detective Tom Molia, invites Sloan and Jake on a camping trip with him and his son T.J., it seems like a great idea.

And it was....until Jake decides that breaking into a local business in the small town of Truluc is a good idea...and he has T.J. was with him. Unbelievably, the boys are caught, tried and convicted within six hours and sent to Fresh Start, a local boot camp, for six months. All without their fathers' knowledge.....

Oh, this was such a page turner! Although, sometimes I didn't want to turn the page, fearing the worst, but needing to know to know what would happen next. As Sloane and Molia work feverishly on the outside to get the boys released, Jake and TJ struggle to survive inside the camp. And I feverishly kept turning pages.

Dugoni's main premise for The Conviction has it's basis in reality. Stories of abusive youth detention camps are fact - not fiction.

I had forgotten how much I liked the David Sloan character. I'm fascinated by the courtroom drama and legal machinations. (And Dugoni does these well - he worked as a litigator before turning to writing.) But for me the best legal stories have elements outside of the courtroom as well - legal thrillers seems to be an apt description. Sloan is a bigger than life character in both arenas, willing to do whatever it takes to free the boys. He's the guy you'd want in your corner.

The Conviction has it all - great plotting (with twists I didn't see coming at all), non stop action, chills, thrills, strong characters and a clearly defined good vs. bad dynamic that will have you on the edge of your seat and staying up late to finish.

The Conviction can certainly be read as a stand alone, but if you're like me, you'll be hunting down the previous books in the series. Highly recommended

David Ellis's latest book - The Wrong Man - is the third featuring recurring character Jason Kolarich.

Kolarich is a defense lawyer, with a penchant for taking on seemingly impossible cases. This time he's asked by the family of homeless Iraq War vet Tom Stoller to defend him against murder charges. It seems hopeless - Tom was found with the victim's personal belongings and the murder weapon in his hand. But Tom can't or won't defend himself - he's suffering from severe PTSD and perhaps other mental illness. It's up to Jason to speak for him.

The opening line of the prologue was written to catch and hold a reader....
"Something bad is going to happen to Kathy Rubinowski tonight." And this reader was captured from first page to last.

As Jason and his team (I liked the supporting cast a lot) dig further, they come up with an alternative scenario - and what they uncover puts a target on Jason's back.

Kolarich is a big, imposing guy with a larger than life personality. The courtroom scenes are interesting and I enjoyed the legal machinations. But Kolarich is not your run of the mill defense attorney. He's out chasing down leads with and without his investigator. I did question his inclusion of a woman he's seeing as part of the team - it just seemed odd. As a lawyer, he skirts the law sometimes and others he outright ignores it - all in the name of protecting his client. He is now sure Tom is innocent. "The rules of ethics in my profession, last I checked, weren't optional. when did I start treating them that way?"

Ellis has crafted a really good thriller, combining courtroom drama, conspiracy and more with the end result being a page turner of a read. The plot was a little far fetched in places and I saw the end coming, but I enjoyed the ride. Ellis has the thriller format down pat - lots of action, danger and a compelling plot. I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series

The Key is the second book in Simon Toyne's debut trilogy. I was hooked by the first book - Sanctus - and have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next.

If you have not read the first book and plan to, you may want to skip this review - I don't want to spoil it for you. And really, to fully appreciate The Key, you should read Sanctus first.

Liv Ademson has escaped from the Citadel - the enclave of an ancient sect of secretive monks known as the Sancti. She's in the hospital, unable to remember what happened before the explosion.....

Something momentous did occur, but there are those who are determined that Liv should not live.... (sorry, couldn't resist)... the Vatican, the monks and a mysterious man known as The Ghost. But she must survive..... "The fate of man lies in the hands of one woman."

I won't go into much more detail than that. In The Key, we get to know more of the history of The Citadeland past characters such as Gabriel, Inspector Arkadian and more return. Toyne kept my interest from first page to last. He successfully combines history, mystery, intrigue, action and yes, romance in a fast paced page turner. And again, he has left us with a wonderful cliff hanger ending. I can't wait to see where book three goes - although I have an idea.

Although I read the first book, I chose to listen to The Key in audio book format. The reader was one of my favourites - Simon Vance. He has a rich, powerful voice - just perfect for this type of book. His English accent is quite easy to understand and the different voices he provides for each character are believable. Listening to this type of book brings the tension and action to life. I was hard pressed to shut it down and head inside to work!

Readers with strong religious beliefs may not enjoy Toyne's alternative views. But fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry and of course, Dan Brown will enjoy it.

Bryan Gruley is another new to me author. The Skeleton Box is the third book in Gruley's Starvation Lake series.

Starvation Lake is a quiet, small town in Michigan where nothing dangerous really ever happens, but a recent series of break-ins has the town worried. The break-ins are occurring on bingo nights - when most of the town's elderly residents are out. Nothing is ever taken, but their belonging are being rifled through. The pressure is on for the sheriff to solve these cases - it's a re-election year. And the stakes are upped when a break-in turns to murder.

Gus Carpenter, editor of the local paper is covering the biggest story of his career. The victim is someone near and dear to him. And as he digs deeper into the story, he finds it taking him places he never expected - and much closer to home than he could have imagined.

Gus is Gruley's recurring protagonist. I really liked Gus - he just came across as real, down to earth and believable. He's dealing with job stress/cutbacks, an elderly mother with the beginnings of dementia and an on again off again relationship - with a local deputy. He's not painted as an infallible, intrepid reporter, but just a regular guy.

The mystery in The Skeleton Box is timely and features a good solid plot. But for me, it was the town of Starvation Lake and its' residents that took centre stage. Characterization is Gruley's strong point. I loved all the colourful citizens. My only problem was that everyone has a nickname as well. I had a wee bit of trouble keeping everyone straight.(Take note - Bryan Gruley's nickname is Grules!) Gruley has painted a vivid, accurate portrait of the town. The River Rats hockey team, their players and the town's support is so spot on I thought Gruley was writing about my small town. ( Go Irish!) The various hockey analogies used were quite effective.

Even though I have missed the first two in the series, I was able to enjoy this book as a stand alone. (But it would be definitely worth looking up the first two) Folksy is a term that popped to mind when I was trying to think of how to describe Gruley's writing.

I first discovered Robert Goolrick when I read A Reliable Wife. I was captivated by his writing style and his storytelling. I was eager to read his latest novel - Heading Out to Wonderful.

Charlie Beale rolls into the small town of Brownsburg, Virginia in 1948. Brownsburg is off the beaten path and nothing much happens - life goes on in day to day set rhythms. But the arrival of this stranger and his two suitcases brings change. Charlie has one suitcase full of money and the other full of his butcher's knives. After days spent silently wandering the town, he decides that this sleepy town will become the home he is looking for. He secures a job with the local butcher Charlie, allows Charlie's wife Alma to fuss over him and becomes friends with their five year old son Sam. And with the money, he begins to buy land and a house.

Heading Out to Wonderful is Sam's narrative - told many years later.

"This story actually happened, and it happened pretty much the way I'm going to tell it to you. It's a true story, as much as six decades of remembering and telling can allow it to be true. But I still ask myself sometimes late at night, about what happened, how it all turned out, about the life I've led, you know, everything. I ask myself the same questions they ask me, these people who've only heard about it, who weren't even around when it all took place. What happened and why did it have to happen in the way it did?"

What happened? Charlie Beale saw Sylvan Glass - the young wife of the town's richest man. And that, my friends was the beginning.....

I love Goolrick's writing style. It is full of opposites, of push and pull. The story is stark, but the language is rich and full. The tale is full of tension, but the journey there is told in a leisurely fashion with eloquent prose that had me stopping, rereading, enjoying and only then moving on to the next page.

Charlie and Sylvan are magnets inextricably attracted and young Sam is witness to all. Goolrick takes his novel places I didn't see coming - the final chapters caught me unawares. Heading Out to Wonderful again explores love, attraction, friendship, betrayal and inevitability. Sam's accounting of things takes on an almost otherworldly, mystic feel, as though we've been allowed to see behind the curtain.

As Charlie says..... "Let me tell you something son. When you're young, and you head out to wonderful, everything is fresh and bright as a brand new penny, but before you get to wonderful, you're going to have to pass through all right. And when you get to all right, stop and take a good, long look, because that may be as far as you're ever going to go."

Pick up a copy of Goolrick's book - you'll pass straight by all right and directly on in to wonderful.