This was a really good quick to read murder mystery. It takes place in a small village in the Laurentians, near Mont Tremblant. An elderly widow is living on her own in a remote, rural setting. She was a bit of a hermit so no one knew her well except the local handyman who did some work for her. He’s the one who finds her body outside in the cold fall weather.
The story involves a long hidden identity, Nazis hiding in Canada at the end of WW2, and family conflict. It highlights a very good police detective Romeo Leduc and a local resident Marie Russell who unearths long hidden memories of her own during the investigation.
I had trouble putting this down…always a good sign. ( )

I listened to an unabridged copy of this boo. It was read by the author, which I think is a plus. At times this book seemed too long. It wasn’t character development, which was fine, not outstanding. An older woman is killed in her home and it’s up to Romeo LaDuc to solve the case. The other protagonist, Marie,is dealing with putting her mom’s house in order for it to be sold, her sister who doesn’t help, two adult children, and her mother’s Alzheimer’s, all while working on a book. The plot is realistic and the ending lends itself to a sequel. Marie recalls two disturbing sexual incidents when she was younger, once with a father of a friend and the other with a 17 yo male babysitter. These don’t seem to have shaped her but it is interesting that the author included them. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for this review. ( )

I listened to an unabridged copy of this boo. It was read by the author, which I think is a plus. At times this book seemed too long. It wasn’t character development, which was fine, not outstanding. An older woman is killed in her home and it’s up to Romeo LaDuc to solve the case. The other protagonist, Marie,is dealing with putting her mom’s house in order for it to be sold, her sister who doesn’t help, two adult children, and her mother’s Alzheimer’s, all while working on a book. The plot is realistic and the ending lends itself to a sequel. Marie recalls two disturbing sexual incidents when she was younger, once with a father of a friend and the other with a 17 yo male babysitter. These don’t seem to have shaped her but it is interesting that the author included them. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for this review. ( )

This is the author's first novel, although she has been writing plays for decades. It isn't surprising to find out she's a teacher, since the book seems so intent on its various digressions into animal behavior, though you might not suspect she was an English teacher (at Dawson University, one of Montreal's English-language universities). Her experience as a teacher and in theater also probably explains why she does such a good job of reading her own audiobook, which is the version I consumed.

The story itself, which starts with the murder of an elderly woman in the Laurentians north of Montreal, is a good one, although the seemingly endless digressions that make up much of the first half of the book slow down the development of the story. At first, I put it down to what I call "first-time novelist syndrome"--where the author figures maybe he/she won't get a chance to publish a second one, so they are cramming in everything they have to get out of their heads (or notebooks). As it turns out, a lot of the digressions about one of the main character's (Marie's) childhood neighborhood and neighbors end up having some bearing on the story. Other digressions seem to be just the author's own opinions. The other main character is a Surete de Quebec detective, Romeo LeDuc, who has a back story of his own, though not as extensive. They are both attractive characters--and attracted to each other as well. The mystery at the center of the story is a good one as well, although the characterization of the pivotal figure of Ennis Jameson was a bit off in some way for me--but maybe some people are just that way.

While this isn't a great book, it is a solid and entertaining one. The setting, in the small towns and "mountains" north of Montreal is very well drawn, and the supporting characters are also good. As Quebec detectives go, Leduc is no rival for John Farrow's incomparable Emile Cinq-Mars, but who could be? Leduc's character has lots of room to grow, however, and I'm happy to see there is already a sequel, which takes place in Montreal itself apparently. Having spent a lot of time there pre-COVID, it is one of my favorite settings for fiction, so I will definitely listen to it as well at some point. ( )

As a crime novel, it's not bad but if you are looking for something with a Canadian setting and a real Canadian feel to it, this book is excellent. ( )