Title: Five Ways to Disappear by R.M. Greenaway
B.C. Blues Crime Series Book Six
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A dangerous undercover assignment nearly puts Dion in his grave.
North Vancouver RCMP officers Leith and Dion have a gruesome new mystery lying at their feet. Up in the breezy heights of Paradise Road, a craftsman has been spiked to his lawn by his own artwork. Was it an aesthetics-fuelled feud with the neighbours? An enemy from the past? Or the most challenging of crimes to solve: a random attack?
Drawn into an offside mystery of his own, Dion befriends a young magician, who then seems to make herself disappear. But with the team closing in on the Paradise Road killer, he must put aside his personal dilemmas to take on the lead role in setting a trap for their volatile suspect. It’s a foolproof setup, but even the best laid plans can go awry, and this one leads him straight into a fight for his life.
Review:
Five Ways to Disappear by R.M. Greenaway is a character driven police procedural. Although this latest release is the sixth mystery in the B.C. Blues Crime series, it can be read as a standalone. But I highly recommend reading the mysteries in order for important backstory.
RCMP Constable Cal Dion is called to work a murder scene with his boss RCMP Corporal Dave Leith. The victim, Lawrence Follick, has rather brutally murdered in his own yard. The murder weapon is at the scene and might yield valuable evidence. Since the scene is somewhat isolated, Cal and Dave hope one of his neighbors might have witnessed somethin that will lead to the perpetrator.
Lawrence has also been volunteering his services for an upcoming magic show, so they have another avenue of inquiry to pursue. Cal is intrigued by one of the witnesses, Bianca, and an unexpected friendship springs up between them. When another death occurs in the area of the magic show, Cal, Dave and Constable JD Temple begin searching for a possible link in hopes of catching their killer.
Trying to recapture his former happiness, Cal is waiting to move into a new apartment. He is temporarily residing in a basement apartment and it is not helping his impending sense of doom. This is why he is so grateful to spend time with Bianca who is not forthcoming about herself. But briefly escaping his ominous dreams only lessens his anxiety for short periods of time. Cal is also trying to understand why JD is giving him the cold shoulder. Is there any way she knows his secret?
Dave is under stress as he prepares for an upcoming assignment. Working on Follick’s murder helps distract him from his concerns. Dave, Cal and JD are tracking down every lead, but they are growing frustrated by their lack of progress. They each look at the various clues differently but through their hard work, they are inching ever closer to the truth.
Five Ways to Disappear is an intriguing mystery with an eclectic cast of characters. The investigation is interesting to watch as Cal, Dave and JD try to make sense of scant evidence. Cal continues to wrestle with his conscience as his torment level increases. JD makes a surprising discovery about herself but it remains to be seen what she will do about it. Dave’s career is taking a possible dangerous turn as he is faced with his new assignment. R.M. Greenaway ends this newest mystery on the verge of a possibly pivotal moment that could bring big changes for one of the three members of the RCMP. Old and new fans will enjoy this newest addition to the B.C. Blues Crime series.
