Amy Tector

I got my hands on an advance copy, and everything about this worked for me: the diverse cast, the deep dive into Parisian history, the unfolding mystery element and its slow reveals. Alice works as an intern at a Parisian expat newspaper called 'Bonjour Paris'. An important discovery is the catalyst for a front page story that may be the publication's salvation, if she and her friends can piece together its details in time and keep a lid on the story while they're at it.

A competing paper show more and some stubborn clues that require careful unravelling are the surface impediments, but the personal issues of the core team may prove their real undoing. Alice lacks self-confidence and wrestles with her Iranian heritage, Lily has to enlist a friend-with-complications to help the cause, and Daphne's marriage is on the rocks. Other characters are like satellites who will spin out of orbit if these three can't work through their challenges.

I was enjoying the ride in a casual way, so I wasn't prepared to get so swept up in the ending. Amy Tector brings a unique brand of humour to the proceedings, and demonstrates her skill at playing English, French and American perspectives off against one another. She also has a phenomenal gift for chapter titles. Take this one to the beach. show less

Best of the series so far. The coroner Dr. Cate Spencer is back, a known entity I could dive right in with. After a brief recap of her investigation into her brother Jason's death in the Congo, she assists at the murder scene outside a Quebec neighbour's home and lends a hand with the investigation. Setting plays a stronger role on this outing, sharing a strong taste of Quebec's eastern townships and a deeper look into Cate's past as she revisits her old stomping grounds. Cate is more show more self-aware this time, learning to recognize and manage her worst habits without losing her edge. She's also no longer a beginner at murder investigation, identifying and following the clues to unravelling not only a murder but also the mystery of some fabled lost gold. References to Jess Novak and Detective Lemieux from the first book begin to tie the series more closely together. Extra points for bringing Rose back, a side character who isn't dismissed and forgotten after making herself important to the hero. Also have to say (whether or not we see her again), I like Madge a lot. show less

It's ten years after the first Dominion Archives novel and now we're introduced to Dr. Cate Spencer, Ottawa coroner, as she examines the body of a Dominion Archives employee who appears to have committed suicide. Cate has a harder edge than the author's previous heroines, and no wonder: she's a divorced alcoholic threatened by panic attacks if she encounters her ex, while she mourns her recently deceased brother and is combating an emotionally abusive father. But there are just enough show more oddities to cast some doubt on whether it's really a suicide after all. Cate vows to get to the bottom of things, even if she has to step on police toes to do it.

While almost none of the prior novel's characters are mentioned, it's clearly the same fictional universe and it takes place in the same city. The author brings Ottawa to vivid life once again, including several landmarks I remember from my own visits. Making the coroner the sleuth is an interesting angle, but Cate has a stronger stomach than I do; I had to skim a couple of detailed parts that would appeal to a CSI fan. I was most impressed with Cate's character depth and her personal journey through her struggles, which generates just as much tension as the mystery does. There were a lot of moving pieces in this one, more than I could penetrate to guess who the killer was, but it all fit together in the end. show less

"It is the aim ... of Rembrandt to paint the foulest things he could see by rushlight." Jess Kendall is an intern with Canada's Dominion Archives when she finds a body in the art vault. Who killed him, and what was their motive? The murder coincides with a discovery in a new archives acquisition, and Jess begins to wonder if there's a connection.

There's an interesting transition for Jess over the course of the novel, as she goes from wide-eyed newcomer struggling for a job and stumbling show more over a body to becoming integral to the murder investigation and puts solving the mystery ahead of her career. At the same time there's a matching tonal shift, from a breezy fish-out-of-water story to real danger.

Jess is well drawn and I liked the secondary romance plot, but this is less character-driven than the author's first novel: this time, it's mystery first. Clues and suspects abound, so which of them are red herrings and which are the real deal? There were enough moving pieces to keep the solution well obscured until the conclusion. Jess tackles her naivete head-on and is ready to suspect anyone, which I appreciated, but even she gets caught by surprise. show less