Category Archives: Dundurn

July 11, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: When the Flood Falls by J.E. Barnard

Title: When the Flood Falls by J.E. Barnard
The Falls Mysteries Series Book One
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 424 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When a phantom stalker targets her friend, Lacey McCrae’s crime-busting skills are tested to their limits.

With her career in tatters and her marriage receding in the rear-view mirror, ex-RCMP corporal Lacey McCrae trades her uniform for a tool belt, and the Lower Mainland for the foothills west of Calgary. Amid the oil barons, hockey stars, and other high rollers who inhabit the wilderness playground is her old university roommate, Dee Phillips. Dee’s glossy life was shaken by a reckless driver; now she’s haunted by a nighttime prowler only she can hear.

As snowmelt swells the icy river, threatening the only bridge back to civilization, Lacey must make the call: assume Dee’s in danger and get her out, or decide the prowler is imaginary and stay, cut off from help if the bridge is swept away.

Review:

When the Flood Falls is a gripping first installment in J.E. Barnard’s new series, The Falls Mysteries.

After recently resigning from the RCMP, Lacey McCrae is working as a gofer for a security firm that is installing a security system for a new art museum. Her temporary position provides her with the opportunity to reconnect with her former university roommate, Dee Phillips, who is president of the museum board. Lacey quickly realizes all is not right with Dee who, like her, is recently divorced. She finally gets Dee to open to her and  her concern turns to outright worry when Dee confesses someone appears to be stalking her. Lacey is quick to offer to help her figure who is behind the mysterious goings on, but will she uncover the identity of the elusive perpetrator?

Due to her experiences with her abusive ex, Lacey is quick to believe that Dee’s ex-husband Neil is behind the recent events. She becomes even more convinced after she makes an unexpected discovery, but can she find the proof to back her supposition? The situation with Dee soon takes a shocking turn which also coincides with the disappearance of Jarad Fiske, the young hockey player who, months early, was involved in a hit and run in which Dee was injured and her dog was killed.

As the search  for Jarad intensifies, Lacey continues her investigation into who would want to harm Dee. She still believes Neil might be responsible, but with the help of Dee’s neighbors, Jan and Terry Brenner, they widen their search for the suspect. The case takes a stunning turn when the reason for Jarad’s disappearance is revealed.

Despite a bit of a slow start, When the Flood Falls is an interesting mystery with an engaging cast of characters. The investigation into who is stalking Dee moves a steady pace but Lacey suffers from tunnel vision for a good part of her quest for answers. With plenty of unexpected twists and some fantastic red herrings, J.E. Barnard brings the novel to an action-packed conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this first novel in The Falls Mysteries series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dundurn, JE Barnard, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Falls Mysteries Series, When the Flood Falls

May 16, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: Bleeding Darkness by Brenda Chapman

Title: Bleeding Darkness by Brenda Chapman
Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery Series Book Five
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 392 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Two murders, fourteen years apart, both shrouded in secrets.

David McKenna lies dying in a Kingston hospital, his children gathered from across the country to say a final goodbye. But the family reunion opens old wounds. David’s only daughter, Lauren, never recovered from the unsolved murder of her high school best friend fourteen years earlier ― or the suspicion that her brother, Tristan, was behind it.

Before David breathes his last, Tristan’s pregnant wife disappears and the Major Crimes Unit is called in to help find her. With Kala Stonechild struggling to reconnect with her foster niece and Zach Woodhouse making trouble for Staff Sergeant Jacques Rouleau, tensions are running high on the team, but they must put their personal problems aside when a woman’s strangled body is found frozen on the Rideau Trail.

With a winter storm sweeping the shores of Lake Ontario, the team uncovers unspeakable betrayals that give more than one suspect a reason to kill …

Review:

The fifth installment in the marvelous Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery series, Bleeding Darkness by Brenda Chapman is a superb police procedural. This latest release can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the entire series.

David McKenna is dying and Evelyn has summoned their three children Adam, Lauren and Tristan to say their final goodbyes. Lauren is unmarried and although her relationship with Evelyn is fractious, she adores her father. Her older brother Adam is the golden child of the family and he is a pilot who is married to Mona and they have a special needs son, Simon. Lauren is closest to her younger brother, Tristan, who is married to Vivian and they are expecting their first child together. Fourteen years earlier, Tristan was the suspect in the murder of his ex-girlfriend and Lauren’s best friend Zoe Delgado’s murder which still remains unsolved. So when Vivian vanishes and is later found murdered, suspicion inevitably falls on Tristan. With Officer Woodhouse leading the investigation into Vivian’s death, Officer Kala Stonechild is assigned to look into Zoe’s unsolved murder to see if the two cases are connected.

The McKenna family is extremely dysfunctional and their bedside gathering highlights their difficult relationships. Lauren is a successful business owner who drinks too much and looks for love in all the wrong places. Her visits home are extremely limited and she rarely sees her brothers. Adam’s job as a pilot makes him a bit of an absentee husband but Mona is a dedicated mother to their son. Tristan is a published author whose first novel was a success but he has struggled to publish any other works. His marriage to Vivian hit a rough spot the previous year, but with the impending birth of their child, they are committed to making a go of things. Tristan is absolutely stunned by her murder and his worst fears come true when Officer Woodhouse zeroes in on him as the prime suspect in her death.

Kala is not one to make waves so she is content to scrutinize Zoe’s unsolved murder. She is not as convinced as Woodhouse that the two cases are linked especially since the manner of death in each case is different. Kala is surprised when Lauren reveals troubling information about the long ago murder but with incomplete information, the new lead does not yield a new suspect. The one thing Kala is certain about is the killer (or killers) knows the McKenna family but with so little evidence in either case, she is uncertain whether or not they will make an arrest anytime soon.

With trouble brewing behind the scenes, Staff Sergeant Jacques Rouleau has no choice but to assign Woodhouse as the investigation lead. He is a bit dismayed that Woodhouse is determined to prove Tristan is the killer but he has complete confidence in Kala. When new evidence comes to light, Jacques fully supports her plan to try to unmask the murderer. Needless to say, everyone is on edge during a confrontation that leaks to an absolutely shocking confession by the killer.

Bleeding Darkness is an intricately plotted mystery that is quite riveting. Stonechild, Rouleau and the rest of characters (with one notable exception) continue to evolve and grow with each new installment of the series.  In addition to the mystery aspect of this newest release, Brenda Chapman incorporates a Romanian atrocity into the storyline through the back story of the McKenna’s neighbors.  Old and new fans of the Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery series are sure to enjoy this latest outing in which Kala once again shines as a police officer whose compassion puts her head and shoulders above some of her fellow officers.

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

April 18, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: Creep by R. M. Greenaway

Title: Creep by R. M. Greenaway
B.C. Blues Crime Series Book Three
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 392 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Leith and Dion are on the hunt for a different kind of murderer … and he’s a real animal.

It seems the October rains have brought death and disaster to North Vancouver. A missing hiker is found by his son and daughter, a foul smell leads to a mauled body in a crawl space, and a small boy is attacked by a man in wolf form.

Once an up-and-coming Serious Crimes investigator, these days Constable Cal Dion is back on general duties, feeling out-of-the-loop and rebellious. On a routine canvassing task, he finds himself questioning an attractive witness, one he feels is peripheral enough to the crawl space case that he would be safe in asking her out. Of course, it’s the worst decision.… Constable David Leith is in the thick of the same investigation, a case complicated by rumours running wild and a most elusive suspect. Halloween has brought out the ghouls for Leith and his team … and possibly a shapeshifter as well, with murder on its mind.

Review:

Creep by R. M. Greenaway is an enthralling police procedure which features several intriguing mysteries. This third addition to the B.C. Blues Crime series can be read as a standalone but I strongly recommend reading the novels in order to fully understand the characters’ backstories.

Back in uniform, Constable Cal Dion and his new partner Constable Randall are called to the scene of Aldobrandono Rosetti’s death. Rosetti inexplicably died while out hiking, but a few puzzling observations stand out to Constable Randall.  Could there be a more sinister reason for his unfortunate passing?

Constable David Leith arrives at an abandoned house where a search is underway for the source of a very unpleasant odor reported by neighbors. The discovery of a corpse inside a canvas bag  raises everyone’s eyebrows since the body has apparently been mauled by an animal.  With one of the deceased’s arms having been hacked off, the police have more questions than answers. When strange reports of a werewolf begin making the rounds, Leith and the rest of the investigators have their hands full trying to uncover the truth about what happened to their victim.

Following the hit and run death of a young girl on Halloween, Dion and Randall are soon at odds over Randall’s continued insistence in pursuing the person she believes is responsible. Could there be any truth to Randall’s assertion that someone in the RCMP is trying to cover up for a loved one’s involvement in the tragic death?

Cal is still struggling with his memory issues and a lack of faith in his instincts that are a result of his earlier car accident.  He continues to have difficulty with losing track of his thoughts when he is interrupted before he can follow through with tasks. Cal is also still haunted by the series of events that occurred the night of his car accident and he deeply mourns the loss of his best friend. Cal has difficulty controlling his emotions and when frustrated, he continues to make questionable and impetuous decisions that put him in dangerous situations.

Leith has yet to fully assimilate to city life and he and his wife, Allison, are in the midst of house hunting. He remains wary of fully trusting Cal and he is quite concerned that Sergeant Mike Bosko’s off the books investigation into Dion’s past is ongoing. Despite his qualms, Leith does not hesitate to request Cal’s assistance in continuing the investigation into the hit and run case once it comes to a standstill.

Creep is an engrossing mystery with several secondary story arcs that unexpectedly converge in surprising ways.  The characters are somewhat colorful and they are vibrantly developed with realistic strengths and all too relatable foibles.   The various investigations unfold in a believable fashion with some clues yielding results while others lead to dead ends. R. M. Greenaway brings the novel to an exciting conclusion although the questions about Cal’s past remain unanswered.  Hopefully the truth about Cal will be answered in the next installment of the B.C. Blues Crime series.

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

February 25, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: The 11th Hour by Kristine Scarrow

Title: The 11th Hour by Kristine Scarrow
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Length: 192 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Annika Dietty thinks her future is with Dylan Sopick — until they run away together.

One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.

But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but very soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs support that she can’t provide. She wants to get him help — if she’ll get the chance.

Review:

The 11th Hour by Kristine Scarrow is a gritty young adult novel about teen love that goes terribly wrong.

Seventeen year old Annika Dietty and her eighteen year old boyfriend Dylan Sopick have been dating for the past six months. After Annika begins giving up her extracurricular activities and stops hanging out with friends so she can spend more time with Dylan, her parents order her to end their relatioship. Convinced he is the love of her life, Annika agrees to Dylan’s plan to run away together. However, once their plan is put into motion, Annika begins to see an unexpectedly dangerous side of Dylan that frightens her.  Unfortunately for Annika, Dylan has kept crucial information about himself hidden and these omissions leave her in a very precarious situation when their plans begin to go awry.

Annika is very sheltered so she is somewhat naive. Her parents are very involved in her life and they closely monitor her friends and activities. Dylan is Annika’s first serous boyfriend and although her parents initially like him, they have become alarmed by the recent changes in her behavior. After they forbid her to continue dating him and her friends confront her about her recent decisions, Annika clings even tighter to Dylan.

Dylan was not the best student but he was a star basketball player. He has carefully edited out the less than stellar parts of his life and Annika is mostly unaware of his somewhat troubled history. At first excited as they start out on their journey, Dylan does not handle adversity well and his mood darkens as things begin to go wrong. Annika is stunned when he lashes out in anger over what she perceives to  be a minor mistake and things between them quickly deteriorate.

Written from both Annika and Dylan’s perspective, the story begins with the couple running away so very little of their history is known at first. It is quite clear that Annika is a little too trusting but she is a likable young woman. Dylan is all over the place with his moods shifting quickly as he reacts to the various situations. He is immature but it is quite obvious his problems go much deeper than his lack of life experience.  There is not much context for what is wrong with him after the situation between him and Annika rapidly escalates into a crisis.

The 11th Hour is a short young adult novel that deals with some very difficult subject matter.  Kristine Scarrow delicately handles these topics with a great deal of sensitivity but exactly what is wrong with Dylan is not adequately explained.  The situation between Dylan and Annika ends abruptly and the novel’s conclusion is very heartbreaking. Despite a few flaws and frustrations, it is a worthwhile read that I recommend to teenagers.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dundurn, Fiction, Kristine Scarrow, Rated C+, Review, The 11th Hour, Young Adult

March 27, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: Shallow End by Brenda Chapman

Title: Shallow End by Brenda Chapman
Stonechild and Rouleau Series Book Four
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Still waters run deep.

English teacher, mother, wife, and convicted child predator Jane Thompson has made parole and she has a plan. She begins her life in the shadows while she bides her time. One month later, the bludgeoned body of the student she was found guilty of corrupting four years earlier is found on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Officers Stonechild and Gundersund head up the investigation and Jane Thompson quickly becomes the prime suspect. But knowing guilt and proving it are two entirely different things.

Wading through deeply buried secrets to the truth will take Stonechild and the team on a twisted journey into the heart of evil. The question is: who will come out the other side?

Review:

Shallow End by Brenda Chapman is a riveting mystery that has plenty of unexpected twists and turns.  This fourth installment in the Stonechild and Rouleau series can easily be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the other books in the series.

After teenager Devon Eton is murdered, Staff Sergeant Jacques Rouleau assigns Detectives Kala Stonechild and Paul Gundersund to the case.  Devon’s parents, Hilary and Mitchell are convinced Jane Thompson, the teacher who was convicted of sexually abusing their son four years earlier, is responsible for his death. Recently released from prison, Jane is attempting to rebuild her life and reconnect with her two children.  Stonechild and Gundersund’s investigation turns up no evidence against Jane and in fact, they are having a difficult time uncovering any leads in the case.  Does Devon’s best friend Charlie Hanson know more than he is telling? What possible motive would Jane have for killing Devon?  Stonechild and Gundersund  hope the answers to these very intriguing questions will help them unmask Devon’s killer.

Rouleau, Stonechild and Gundersund are seasoned detectives but their investigation quickly hits a brick wall.  Stonechild is very intuitive and she relies are her instincts just as much as she does the evidence.  Not wanting to reveal her theories until she has more information, Stonechild is a bit of  a loner who plays her cards very close to her vest for much of the investigation.  Gundersund cannot help but be a little concerned that Stonechild is reverting to old habits, but he knows she will confide in him once she the evidence to back to up her hunches.

Kala and Paul are not as certain as the Etons that Jane is responsible for their son’s death.  They turn up a few inconsistencies during their interviews with Devon’s teachers and classmates.  By all accounts, he is an incredibly smart young man who is well-liked by his peers but his coach’s assessment of his player is not quite as positive as everyone else’s.  They are also quite certain that Charlie knows much more than he is telling but he is rather uncooperative during their interviews with him.

In addition to the ongoing investigation, the detectives assigned to the case are struggling with personal issues as well.  Kala grows increasingly worried about the situation with her niece Dawn, who is not settling in with her foster family.  Paul despairs of ever getting free of his estranged wife, Fiona, who refuses to believe their marriage is finally over.  Rouleau is still grieving his ex-wife’s death and he continues to be concerned about his father.  Fellow detective Woodhouse continues to be a thorn in everyone’s side due to his off color jokes and sly behavior.

Shallow End is an incredibly well-written police procedural with a clever storyline and brilliant plot twists.  Brenda Chapman keeps the murderer’s identity and motive for the crime tightly under wraps right up until the novel’s explosive conclusion.  An absolutely outstanding addition to the Stonechild and Rouleau series that old and new fans do not want to miss.

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

March 22, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: Undertow by R.M. Greenaway

Title: Undertow by R.M. Greenaway
B.C. Blues Series Book Two
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 424 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A heartbreaking set of murders bring detectives Leith and Dion together in the Lower Mainland, where violence flows like a riptide.

Last summer the inlet waters washed an unnamed woman’s body onto the rocks of North Vancouver’s Neptune shipyards. When RCMP Constable Cal Dion returns home after a year’s absence, he finds the case still open and grown cold.

While Dion works to fit back in and put closure to the Jane Doe drowning case, newly relocated Constable Dave Leith is learning to cope with his first big-city posting. But they have bigger concerns: Why would anyone beat up a young electrician, then track down his wife and baby girl to finish them off? It is a motiveless and haunting killing that leaves behind one small witness and a handful of cryptic clues. And who battered and asphyxiated a wealthy nightclub owner in his own garage? A case of home invasion, by the looks of it. But Leith has a less abstract set of suspects to deal with: the victim’s business partner and his strange little clan.

The North Vancouver General Investigations Section is put to the test, with two files to solve, one tragic cold case, and Dion seemingly lost at sea.

Review:

Set in Canada, Undertow by R.M. Greenaway is an intriguing police procedural.  This latest release is the second installment in the B.C. Blues series and while it can be read as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading the series in order to fully understand the characters’ backstories.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constables Cal Dion and Dave Leith have recently been transferred to North Vancouver and are once again working together.  Leith is struggling with living apart from his wife and daughter and he is also trying to assimilate to his transition to a life in a big city. Dion is still making progress with his recovery from a traumatic brain injury but he is frustrated by  his memory lapses and lack of focus. He is also depressed as he tries to settle back into his old life but does not fit comfortably in the world he once inhabited.

Leith and Dion are both trying to solve the heartbreaking murders of the Liu family when they are called to the scene of the puzzling murder of wealthy businessman Oscar Roth. The investigations into the murders are not really turning up any leads when Dion makes a sudden decision that leads to some very enlightening information.

Dave is much older than Cal and he is a competent constable who relies on old fashioned detective work during the investigation.  Despite Cal’s cognitive problems, he is quite intuitive but these flashes of brilliance sometime slip away before he can fully comprehend what he has just discovered.  The two men do not seem to really like each other but they do set aside their differences during the investigations.

Cal has plenty of tricks to make it appear that he is fit for duty.  But maintaining the facade that he is back to normal is exhausting and he doubts his competence.  His inability to fit back into his old life leads him to make a somewhat impetuous decision about his career.  He then becomes unexpectedly involved with some of the key witnesses in the investigations but can he really turn off the instincts that have become second nature to him over the years? When he unexpectedly stumbles onto a witness that could help solve the Liu murders, he is quick to call Dave but has Cal inadvertently tainted the investigation?

Despite the sometimes confusing storyline involving Cal Dion’s past, Undertow is a riveting murder mystery.  The investigations are fairly straight forward even though it takes a while for the pieces to begin to fall into place.  Dion and Leith are both likable protagonists and in spite of  their very different styles when it comes to detective work, they are a formidable investigative team. R.M. Greenaway has an enjoyable writing style but the slow parceling of information about Dion’s past is sometimes a little frustrating. This newest addition to the B.C. Blues series comes to a very clever conclusion that wraps up all of the loose ends with the current investigations.  However, readers will have wait for further installments to (hopefully) learn more about Cal Dion and his tangled past. 

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Filed under BC Blues Crimes Series, Contest, Dundurn, Mystery, Rated B, Review, RM Greenaway, Undertow