Category Archives: Dundurn

September 2, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan

Title: After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Fiction
Length: 296 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A modern queer tragedy about a pilot’s last words, an interrupted celebration, and the fear of losing everything.

“Utterly engrossing. Coen is a hero for our era, darkly struggling amid the aftershocks of loss, but doing so with dignity, humanity, and passion.” — Timothy Taylor, author of The Rule of Stephens

When the airplane piloted by Elias Santos crashes one week before their wedding day, Coen Caraway loses the man he loves and the illusion of happiness he has worked so hard to create. The only thing Elias leaves behind is a recording of his final words, and even Coen is baffled by the cryptic message.

Numb with grief, he takes refuge on the Mexican island that was meant to host their wedding. But as fragments of the past come to the surface in the aftermath of the tragedy, Coen is forced to question everything he thought he knew about Elias and their life together. Beneath his flawed memory lies the truth about Elias — and himself.

From the damp concrete of Vancouver to the spoiled shores of Mexico, After Elias weaves the past with the present to tell a story of doubt, regret, and the fear of losing everything.

Review:

After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan is a poignant novel of grief and discovery.

Coen Caraway and his fiancé Elias Stantos live in Vancouver but they are marrying in Mexico. Coen has already traveled to the resort when a television report rips his heart out. Elias is the co-pilot of a plane that has just crashed into the ocean. His last words, “pronto Dios,” lead to speculation that he deliberately crashed the plane.  Coen at first disbelieves the theory but as days pass, doubts begin to creep in. Regardless of his questions and staggering loss, Coen decides to remain at resort and invites his guests to join him for a celebration of life for Elias.

Coen puts on a good front that he is fine but when his close friends Vivi and Decker arrive, they are concerned.  So are his parents and his older brother, Clark. Despite their pleas to return to Vancouver, Coen goes full steam ahead with the celebration of life but it soon becomes clear that he is clearly struggling to cope with his tragic loss. As the accident investigation leads to even more questions about Elias, Coen is determined to try to understand the man he loved.  But will he find the answers he is searching for?

After Elias is an emotionally compelling novel that deals with some difficult subject matter. The chapters alternate between the present and Elias and Coen’s relationship in the past. Coen is the main narrator of the story, but are his recollections reliable? The cast of characters are vibrantly developed with relatable foibles and appealing strengths. Eddy Boudel Tan deals with sensitive topics in a compassionate but straight forward manner. This heartfelt novel comes to an emotional yet mostly satisfying conclusion. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this beautifully written, thought-provoking debut.

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Filed under After Elias, Contemporary, Dundurn, Eddy Boudel Tan, Fiction, Gay, Rated B+, Review

March 18, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Closing Time by Brenda Chapman

Title: Closing Time by Brenda Chapman
Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery Series Book Seven
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 392 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Secrets abound at a northern Ontario lodge when a teenage employee is murdered.

It’s late summer and a restless Officer Kala Stonechild has taken her foster niece, Dawn, on a canoe trip at Pine Hollow Lodge in the wilderness north of Sault Ste. Marie. But the getaway turns deadly when a teenage girl goes missing on her way home from an evening shift at the lodge’s restaurant.

After the girl’s body is found between the lodge and the nearby town of Searchmont, Stonechild reluctantly agrees to help with the investigation. She’s teamed with Clark Harrison, an officer she worked with during her last posting in northwestern Ontario. As the investigation heats up, Stonechild’s past threatens the close bonds she’s forged back home. Will she return to her life in Kingston, or will the rekindling of an old relationship lure her away for good?

Review:

The final installment in the outstanding Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery series, Closing Time by Brenda Chapman is an engrossing mystery.

Concerned about her niece Dawn and feeling on edge, Officer Kala Stonechild is taking some much needed time off from work. Leaving the city behind, Kala rents a cabin at a quiet, isolated lodge where she hopes spending time in nature will help decide her future. She and Dawn have only been on vacation for one day when a teenage employee disappears and is later found dead.  The officer working the case is none other than her former co-worker Clark Harrison. At Harrison’s request and the urging of Dawn, Kala joins the investigation. They quickly turn their attention to the people who last saw  victim Rachel Eglan alive. Could one of them have murdered the introverted sixteen year old?

Kala is very contemplative as she and Dawn try to spend as much time as possible in the wilderness.  For someone who has never had roots, Kala is uncertain whether she wants to remain in Kingston. Even her life with her niece is a little unsettled since Dawn’s mother might be released from prison after her parole hearing.  She is happy with her relationship with fellow police officer Paul Gunderson but is Kala really ready to permanently settle down?

Kala is soon quite busy as she and Clark begin questioning the people at the lodge. Kala senses owners Martha and Neal Loring and their cook Shane Patterson and his wife Petra are not being entirely forthcoming. Ian Kruger, Blaine Rogers and Thomas Faraday are long time renters who also fall under suspicion due to their proximity to Rachel. While Kala and Clark soon rule out other suspects, they turn their attention to Father Alec Vila. Rachel’s mother is deeply devout and Rachel regularly attended mass with her. Kala feels like they are inching closer to unmasking their killer when someone connected to the case is murdered. Will she and Clark catch the murderer before he/she strikes again?

Closing Time is a riveting mystery with well-drawn characters and a clever storyline.  Despite her distractions with her personal life, Kala is still an intuitive police officer with sharp instincts. The investigation into the murders moves at a steady pace. However, she and Harris have numerous suspects but no obvious motive the killings. With a jaw-dropping plot twist, Brenda Chapman brings this exciting mystery to an action-packed conclusion.

An excellent finale but I am a little sad this is the last time I will cozy up with the beloved characters from the Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery series.

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Filed under Brenda Chapman, Closing Time, Contemporary, Dundurn, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Stonechild and Rouleau Series

March 11, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: River of Lies by R.M. Greenaway

Title: River of Lies by R.M. Greenaway
B.C. Blues Crime Series Book Five
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In rain-drenched Vancouver, detectives Dion and Leith work to separate truth from lies in two seemingly unrelated cases.

February is the month of romance, but in North Vancouver it’s also become the month of murder. While the North Shore RCMP slog through the rain in the search for whoever left a young woman to die in the Riverside Secondary School parking lot — their first clue a Valentine’s Day card — a toddler mysteriously vanishes from a Riverside Drive home in the midst of a dinner party.

With Constable JD Temple’s full attention on the parking lot murder, Constables Dave Leith and Cal Dion work the kidnap … until a tenuous connection is made between the two cases, along with the thinnest ray of hope that the child could be alive and well in the hands of a childless couple. But when more tragedy rains down on the North Shore, lies must be unveiled before the ugly truth can emerge.

Review:

River of Lies by R.M. Greenaway is an intriguing mystery set in Vancouver. Although this latest release is the fifth installment in the B.C. Blues Crime series, it can be read as a standalone.

Constables Cal Dion, JD Temple and Dave Leith are called to the scene of a puzzling death. The body of janitor Tasha Aziz has been found on the grounds of a local high school. With no outward signs of violence, they can only speculate as to the cause of death. However, there are enough signs at the scene that lead them to believe Tasha is a homicide victim. With scant evidence, their investigation is virtually at a standstill right from the start.

Dion and Leith are next called to a wealthy couple’s home after Gemma Vale discovers her toddler Luna Mae is missing during a dinner party. Gemma points the finger at her ex-husband Zachary since they are in the midst of a turbulent custody dispute.  Since Gemma’s stepchildren have been staying with her, Cal and Dave question fifteen year old Tiago and nine year old Viviana.  Dion believes both of the kids know more than they are saying. And as the case progresses, Dion’s observations result in a bit of a dispute between him and Dave.  Cal notices something is off with Gemma and Zachary’s reactions to new information but Dave believes their responses are completely normal.

While Cal and Dave are busy with the kidnap case, JD is working to solve Tasha’s murder.  Unfortunately she is not finding any new evidence. JD is searching for Kyler Hartshorne when her investigation suddenly overlaps with Luna’s disappearance. Kyler and Tiago have an unexpected friendship and rumors indicate they may be somehow involved with Luna’s kidnapping. With Kyler nowhere to be found, hopefully Tiago will be able to fill in the blanks.

River of Lies is a multi-layered mystery with a cast of appealing characters and an engaging storyline. The dynamics between the various characters are interesting due to personal differences with their co-workers. The investigations of Tasha’s murder and Luna’s kidnapping plod along with little progress until the latter part of the book. R.M. Greenaway brings this unpredictable mystery to a twist-filled conclusion. Old and new fans will enjoy this latest addition to the B.C. Blues Crime series but the still unresolved investigation into Cal’s past will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next release.

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Filed under BC Blues Crimes Series, Contemporary, Dundurn, Mystery, Rated B, Review, River of Lies, RM Greenaway, Suspense

January 29, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round

Title: Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round
Dan Sharpe Mystery Series Book Seven
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, LGBT
Length: 280 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A case brings PI Dan Sharp to the northern Ontario wilderness, where he has to face his own dark past.

When a four-year-old autistic boy disappears on a camping trip, his mother is reluctant to involve the police. Instead, she calls in private investigator Dan Sharp after a ransom demand arrives.

On investigating, Dan learns there are plenty of people who might be responsible for the kidnapping. Among them are an ex-husband who wrongly believed the boy was his son; the boy’s surrogate mother, now a drug addict; the boy’s grandmother, who has been denied access to her grandson; and a mysterious woman who unnerves everyone with her unexpected appearances.

A trip to Lion’s Head in the Bruce Peninsula, where the boy disappeared, brings Dan unexpectedly into contact with his own brutal upbringing. But when a suspected kidnapper is found dead, Dan suddenly finds himself chasing the ghosts of the present as well as the past.

Review:

Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round is a multi-layered mystery that is quite compelling. Although this newest release is the seventh novel in the Dan Sharpe Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.

Private Investigator Dan Sharpe’s new clients bring him what should be a straight-forward  investigation. Janice Bentham’s four year old autistic son Jeremy has been kidnapped and a ransom demand has been made. She is accompanied by her girlfriend Ashley Lake and friend Eli Gestner who also love young Jeremy. They point Dan in the direction of surrogate Sarah Nealon, who has addiction issues and has asked for money from them in the past.  Janice also casts suspicion in the direction of her ex-husband Dennis Braithewate. Eli admits his former business partner Elroy James is furious with him over a deal that lost money. Janice would rather the police not become involved so Dan retraces their steps the night when Jeremy went missing. This part of the investigation brings him face to face with his own unresolved childhood. Will Jeremy be safely returned to his family? And will Dan make peace with the ghosts of his past?

Dan tries to keep an open mind as he begins questioning the people in Janice’s life. But as he quickly discovers, Janice’s life is complicated and she is less than honest with him. He is also taken off guard when he discovers an unknown woman is bothering them at their home. Although bringing Jeremy home is his first priority, Dan cannot help but wonder what she and her loved ones might be trying to hide and more importantly, why?

Dan’s personal life is in a bit of a muddle as he grows frustrated with his best friends’ lack of support with his relationship with police Sergeant Nick Trposki.  He is also worried about his son Kedrick’s lack of enthusiasm about Nick. Although his friends and family have reason for concern, Dan is becoming upset over their resistance to getting to know Nick.

Dan is emotionally guarded and closed off so he is struggling to fully let Nick into his life as their relationship grows more serious.  As he confronts his past throughout his investigation, Dan begins to understand himself better, but will these realizations result in positive changes in his life?

Lion’s Head Revisited is an intriguing mystery with an engrossing storyline. Dan is a multi-faceted, complex character who is quite intuitive. His inner musings provide valuable insight what makes him tick and he begins to identify the areas in life where he needs to make changes.  The investigation into Jeremy’s kidnapping is quite riveting and Dan is tenacious in solving the case. With stunning twists and jaw-dropping turns, Jeffrey Round brings this clever mystery to a pulse-pounding conclusion. An outstanding addition to the Dan Sharpe Mystery series that old and new fans are going to love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dan Sharpe Mystery Series, Dundurn, Jeffrey Round, LGBT, Lions Head Revisited, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

May 8, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Turning Secrets by Brenda Chapman

Title: Turning Secrets by Brenda Chapman
Stonechild and Rouleau Series Book Six
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 408 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Keeping secrets is a very bad idea.

Former teenage runaway and new single mother Nadia Armstrong moves to Kingston to turn her life around. But six months after she rents a low-end apartment, her body is found at an isolated construction site. Major Crimes begins piecing together her last days, uncertain if it is a case of suicide or murder. To make matters more difficult, a member of the team is leaking information, putting Staff Sergeant Rouleau in a precarious position.

Meanwhile, Officer Kala Stonechild’s niece, Dawn, is secretly corresponding with her father, who’s out on early parole and turns up in town uninvited.Dawn’s friend Vanessa is also keeping a dangerous secret — her relationship with an older man named Leo, who preys on young girls. And it’s not long before he has Dawn in his sights.

Review:

Turning Secrets by Brenda Chapman is a puzzling mystery with a socially relevant storyline. Although this latest release is the sixth installment in the Stonechild and Rouleau series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend the previous novels as well.

Kingston Major Crimes Officer Kala Stonechild cannot shake the feeling the death of Nadia Armstrong is not as straightforward as it seems. The young single mother appears to have committed suicide, but the information turned up during the investigation casts doubt on this theory. Her boss, Staff Sergeant Jacques Rouleau, is being pushed by acting Chief Willy Ellington to close the case. However, like Kala, Rouleau thinks there is more to Nadia’s death than meets the eye. Kala and Officer Tanya Morrison uncover interesting information about Nadia’s life outside of motherhood, but do these revelations have anything to do with her death?

Working long hours leaves Kala concerned about her teenage niece Dawn Cook who is unsupervised most days after school lets out. Dawn has finally settled into her life with her aunt and she has made a few friends. She is closest to Emily who is worried about another member of their circle, Vanessa, who spends most of her free time with her new boyfriend, Leo.  Dawn beings to agree after Vanessa introduces her to Leo, who is much older than the teenage girls and makes Dawn very uneasy. But Dawn has worries of her own since she is secretly meeting her ex-con father, Fisher Dumont, on the sly.

Throughout the investigation, there are also plenty of office politics playing out. Rouleau’s relationship with crime reporter Marci Stokes raises a few eyebrows especially since she is getting inside information about their cases. Kala’s burgeoning romance with fellow Officer Paul Gundersund runs into problems when his estranged wife returns to town.  Officer Woodhouse continues to rub his fellow police officers the wrong way with his prickly attitude. And Rouleau is unhappy with Chief Ellington’s pressure to close Nadia’s case.

Turning Secrets is an extremely  clever police procedural that is multi-layered and engrossing. The regular characters continue to grow and evolve as they work their cases and juggle their lives outside of Major Crimes.  Brenda Chapman’s topical storyline deals with somewhat dark subject matter but she deftly incorporates these issues into the unfolding story.  With shocking twists and stunning turns, this gripping mystery comes to a breathtaking and surprising conclusion. Another fantastic outing in the Stonechild and Rouleau series that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.

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Filed under Brenda Chapman, Contemporary, Dundurn, Mystery, Review, Stonechild and Rouleau Series, Suspense, Turning Secrets

March 13, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: Flights and Falls by R.M. Greenaway

Title: Flights and Falls by R.M. Greenaway
B.C. Blues Crime Series Book Four
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A string of incidents causes Cal Dion to learn some harsh truths about himself.

A single-vehicle crash on the Sea to Sky Highway is blamed on the notorious stretch of road — but when bad things start happening to the good people who stopped to help the victim, North Vancouver RCMP Constable Dave Leith starts to wonder if something darker is at play.

Leith and his partner, JD, work through clues that are as close to bizarre as they’ve ever seen. At the same time, Leith is keeping tabs on a murder suspect who is too close for comfort: Cal Dion, a cop and colleague, knows all about crime — and perhaps how to get away with it.

Dion is looking at a long fall from grace, but his mind is on the Sea to Sky killings, and he’s beginning to think the team is on the wrong track. Could it be that a crime from his turbulent past holds the key?

Review:

Flights and Falls by R.M. Greenaway is a perplexing police procedural that is set in British Columbia. Although this latest release is the fourth installment in the B.C. Blues Crime series, it can be read as a standalone. However, to fully understand an ongoing story arc, I recommend the previous novels as well.

Constables Dave Leith and JD Temple are investigating quite a few cases in this latest outing. Their first case is the puzzling car accident which resulted in death of a young woman.  This investigation takes an interesting turn when two people who were at the scene become victims of two unrelated crimes. The first known victim is new officer  Craig Gilmartin who was first shot at as he was walking down the street. Later that evening, he is shot in his own home and he is now in very serious condition in the hospital.

The next Good Samaritan has been reported missing by his wife and troubled RCMP officer Cal Dion  stumbles across his body in the forest. Once Cal learns of the deceased connection to the fatal car crash, he does a little quiet investigating on his own and comes up with an unusual theory about the cause of the accident.  He takes his suspicions to Leith who is skeptical but knows he cannot discount Dion’s  hypothesis. In the course of this leg of the investigation, JD becomes a mentor to Dezi Novak, a young woman who was also at the scene of the accident.

Since he is trying to maintain a low profile around his former co-workers and boss Sergeant Mike Bosko, Cal reluctantly lends a hand to the investigations.  He is aware that Bosko has his suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the car accident that left Cal with a traumatic brain injury and killed Dion’s friend and fellow officer. Cal is reaching the end of his mandatory counseling and he is experiencing regret over the decisions he made following the accident. More troublesome are his concerns that a witness from that fateful night will come forward and provide details about the events that occurred before the crash. Unbeknownst to  Cal, Bosko might be about to put the pieces together with the help of someone who is finally ready to reveal what promises to be damning information. Is Dion’s house of cards about to come crashing down?

Flights and Falls is a complex and multi-layered mystery that slowly comes together over the course of the investigation. Leith and Temple are in the forefront for the search for the truth how these three cases are linked.  However, Dion’s flashes of brilliance are crucial to solving the crimes. R.M. Greenaway pulls all of the disparate threads of the three cases together during the novel’s twist-filled conclusion.

Although the current mysteries are completely wrapped up, Cal’s fate once again hangs in the balance. A fantastic addition to B.C. Blues Crime series which will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next release.

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Filed under BC Blues Crimes Series, Contemporary, Dundurn, Flights and Falls, Mystery, Rated B, Review, RM Greenaway