RM Greenaway

'Cold Girl' was a debut novel and the first book in what is now a six-book crime series by R. M. Greenaway. I picked it as one of the books for my 'Cold Comfort Reads' challenge because I wanted a book that would take me back to winter in the mountains. 'Cold Girl' certainly delivered on that, the story has a strong sense of place. I could feel the cold and sense the endless woods pressing in in the dark.

I found 'Cold Girl' to be a strange but compelling story. The story is framed around an show more RCMP investigation into the disappearance of a local woman in a rural BC town but it is written less as a whodunnit and more as an exploration of the character, motivations and limitation of two of the RCMP officers investigating the case and to display the lives of a small group of friends in their local habitat.

I loved the writing. R. M. Greenway has a gift for taking the reader right inside the main characters' heads without dropping into the first person. After a couple of paragraphs of sharing a character's thoughts, I had a clear view of who they are and some empathy for their situation.

She uses this talent mostly to take us inside the minds of the two investigators, neither of whom is typical. The RCMP lead, a detective called Leith, is convinced of his own mediocrity. He's a plodder who knows he can't see the big picture but who gets results by working the details rigorously. He has an ambition to move to a homicide unit in Vancouver but doubts that he has the political savvy to get there. Dion, one of the Constables assigned to help with the case, is not who he seems to be. Even he is not sure who he is anymore. He is recovering (probably recovering - he's not sure how to tell) from a brain injury that has turned him from a hotshot detective to a man who has to take notes to remember the names of his colleagues but who still has moments of deep insight and an uncanny knack for ending up at the centre of things.

I enjoyed seeing the case from the eyes of these two men and seeing them misunderstand and clash with each other.

The secondary characters - police chief, an ambitious but ruthless local constable and band members from the missing woman's band, are all well drawn. I felt as though I was meeting people not just suspects or plot devices.

The plot surprised me a few times. I didn't see the ending coming but I believed in it when I got there. What I liked most was that the people powered the plot. This investment in the people meant that R. M. Greenaway could give a realistic portrayal of how much of a grind an investigation can be without becoming dull.

It looks as though future books also feature Leith and Dion, although, based on how the first book ended, I'm not entirely sure how that will come about. I'm going to read the next book in the series, 'Undertow' to find out. show less

Well, that’s a new one. When it comes to murder weapons, for some reason I never considered a Porky the Pig whirligig. Who knew…and much more efficient than I would’ve guessed 😱

(short recess while you visualize the above)

Done? Good. This is how we meet Beau Garrett, a cranky OAP of the get-off-my-lawn variety who lives in North Vancouver. About all Beau has left in this world is a drafty cottage, bad memories & a quick temper. Unfortunately, all three will be tested when a stream of show more uninvited visitors begin to pop by.

Among them are RCMP detectives Cal Dion, JD Temple & Dave Leith. They’re in the area due to the whirligig incident but soon have another body on their hands (one word: unicycle). Various threads lead them to a travelling magic show at a nearby park where Cal meets a flighty young woman named Bianca. And their subsequent friendship just might be the death of him….literally.

There are mysteries to solve, killers to catch & cases to close. But what struck me most was a common theme among the characters. Each is pretending to be someone they’re not. They have different reasons for wearing a facade….fear, boredom, guilt or just the need to escape reality.

In Cal’s case, it’s self preservation. Faithful readers will be familiar with the “event” in his past & how it’s been slowly eroding his mental health. Here we see just how heavy that burden has become & the effect on his relationships with colleagues. Ever since book #1, I’ve been wondering how this would play out but I was still surprised by the final lines on the last page.

This is book #6 in the series & although each contains a stand-alone investigation, I’d recommend reading them in order because of the history between the main characters. That’s especially true with this instalment as it feels like several subplots have reached the boiling point. I’ve grown fond of these characters so despite the fact I’m more than a little nervous about where the author takes them next, I’ll be awaitin’ on #7. show less

Vancouver’s Sea to Sky highway can be a beautiful but treacherous drive. So when a young woman rolls her car, it’s hardly front page news. Sadly, despite the help of 2 men who stop to help, she dies. Oddly enough, both are seriously assaulted in the days following the accident.

One is found by demoted detective Cal Dion & his partner. Once upon a time it would have been his case. But these days he hands over the reins to former colleagues Dave Leith & JD Temple. When the second man is show more shot, the RCMP have to wonder if/how these events are connected.

All those involved were strangers & you know what that means…..endless hours of interviews & shuffling paper trying to find a common thread. Cal finds himself seconded to the team & it’s the last place he wants to be.

If you’ve been following the series, you’ll feel his pain. You see a couple of years ago, Cal did a bad thing (although we still don’t have the full 411 on that yet). Another cop died & Cal’s injuries left him with a wonky brain. His spotty memory was legitimate at the time & everyone bought his version. But someone else was there & saw what happened. And then there’s that anonymous phonecall made to Sgt. Mike Bosco, head of the elite unit.

Bosch is a smart, affable man who deals in secrets. He can’t shake the feeling Cal remembers more than he let on & enlisted Leith to keep an eye on the young cop. Unaware of their alliance, Cal went to great lengths to avoid Bosco while working with Leith. So when he got demoted all he felt was relief. Now he’s back with the team & squarely under Bosco’s watchful eyes once again.

As far as the investigation goes, all I’ll say is you get a killer with a most unique M.O. Who’d have thunk it? There are plenty of twists, subplots & red herrings to keep you on your toes. But a couple of elements in particular made me really enjoy this. One is a bigger role for JD Temple. She…is…hilarious. I love her dry sarcasm. She’s a smart, tough cop who’s casual asides had me grinning like a loon in the middle of a dramatic scene. And through one of the sub plots connected to the investigation, we get to see the softer side she usually keeps under wraps.

The other thing was the progression of the overall story line of the series. In the previous 3 books we got a slow drip of information re: the night Cal lost his partner & scrambled his brain. We know the end result but still have so many questions about what led up to it & the mysterious witness. In this outing things take a huge leap forward & the identity of the anonymous caller made my jaw drop. Holy cats….uh, Cal? Might be a good time to look into a transfer, buddy. To somewhere like…oooh, I don’t know…Guam, maybe? However, the final pages make it clear the informant might face a few challenges of their own.

As always, it’s a pleasure to spend time with Cal & watch as he, Leith & Bosco engage in their intricate dance. The situation feels like it’s coming to a head & adds a growing background tension to the criminal investigations. So I’ll close with a note to the author: please write faster. In the meantime I’ll check out job opportunities in Guam. show less

This book picks up where Undertow left off & there have been a few changes for our 2 MC’s due to the fallout from their last case. Cal Dion is back in uniform, pounding the beat with a shiny new partner who might be a good cop if he ever stopped talking. But oddly enough, Cal is almost content with his lot.

When we first met him (Cold Girl), Cal was returning to work after suffering a head injury in a car crash that killed his best friend. Cognitive blips & difficulty reading/writing were show more his constant companions. And while he became adept at hiding his limitations from coworkers, Cal was only too aware he was no longer a hotshot detective. Frustration & depression ensued & in book #2 we watched as he went off the rails & risked everything. Now he’s in a better place. Cal’s accepted his faulty wiring & is lucky to still have a job.

Dave Leith was Cal’s partner in homicide. He’s still working elite crimes & trying to get used to big city life. Now their paths cross again as a series of bizarre crimes begin to pop up around the North Vancouver detachment. First a body is found on a derelict property & it’s been there a while. A hiker dies mysteriously on a densely forested trail. A teenage girl is found dead on Hallowe’en. Excluding nosy neighbours, tips are hard to come by. Well…unless you count reports of a wolf-like creature spotted in the woods around the cycling trails.

In alternate chapters we meet Stefano Boone, a young guy who works at a diner. He lives in his parents’ basement, has no friends & he’s…em…kind of going through something. Best to leave that alone until you meet him yourself.

There are other characters that flesh out the story lines & several will trigger your spidey senses. As the investigations progress, Cal also has his suspicions. Thing is, it’s hard to know if he’s on the right path. Is the person of interest really a little hinky or has Cal’s memory just sprung another leak?

This is book #3 in the series & it’s my favourite (so far…). It’s not just the multi-story lines, great twists & characters I’ve come to know. It’s also the writing. I can’t help but feel the author has really hit her stride. The flow & pacing make for an effortless read with little nuggets of info dropped in all the right places that make it hard to put down. The prose is self assured & economical with enough description to create an atmosphere that is dark, foreboding & tense.

The pace picks up near the end as the puzzle pieces begin to click together. It’s like a fog lifts to reveal startling truths. There are some satisfying conclusions (for 1 character in particular…what a git!) but not everything is neatly folded up & put away. An event from Cal’s past has lingered in the background like a spectre since the first book & it’s starting to take shape. If details surrounding the crash that re-wired his brain come out….well, Cal’s going to have a very bad day. Or decade. That alone guarantees I’ll be in line for book #4.

Recommend reading in order due to ongoing story lines that reference the characters’ personal histories & evolving relationship. show less