Storm Child

Finished June 23

Storm Child by Michael Robotham

This novel is part of the series that features psychologist Cyrus Haven, who often works with the police. Evie Cormac is a young woman who Cyrus fostered and then gave a home to once she reached adulthood. She was found hiding in a hidden space when she was a child, with her captors and abusers uncaught. Evie knows parts of her past, but has not recovered all her memories. 

When she and Cyrus are on vacation at a beach and the bodies of migrant refugees begin washing ashore, Evie has a traumatic response. When she connects with the one teenage boy who survived, and learns of the deliberate ramming of the ship he was on, she becomes engaged with his story. 

Cyrus becomes part of the police investigation, but the police don't realize the reach of the people who are behind this event. When Evie becomes determined to push her own boundaries and dig into her own memories to find the truth, she may also put herself and Cyrus in danger. 

Joining them is a female lawyer, who is a bit of a rebel herself. She works for an organization who help refugees, and has had contact with at least one of the women on the boat that sunk. As she uses her contacts and skills to help, she comes closer to the truth, as well as to Cyrus and Evie. 

This is a topical story in more than one way, and I found myself needing to know what happened to those involved. It had some surprising events that led to a range of emotions as the plot unfolded. 

Moving and very well plotted, this book is a great read. 

Big Sky

Finished August 6

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson

There was a long gap between the publication of the previous book in the Jackson Brodie series and this one. 

The book opens with a scene of Jackson helping a bride escape her wedding, It then jumps to events from a couple of weeks earlier, with two young Polish women being brought into what we can see is a human trafficking situation. It moves quickly on from there into the main body of the story which begins a week after that. 

Brodie is living in a seaside village in North Yorkshire and has his son Nathan staying with him for most of the summer as Nathan's mother Julia is busy on set for her television series, Collier's. He's also looking after Julia's aging Labrador, Dido. At the moment Brodie is working on a case where he is gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for a client, but he has a couple of encounters rescuing people from risky situations that bring him into contact with a darker criminal situation. 

There are parallel plots that end up intersecting at various points in the novel.

Four men who know each other, some better than others, play golf together and sometimes more. Thomas (Tommy) Holroyd runs a good transportation company, Andrew Bragg runs a travel agency, Stephen Mellors is a corporate lawyer, and Vincent Ives is a telcom-equipment area manager. Vince is a more recent member of the group, but he knew Steve years ago when they were young and saved Steve's life.

Tommy is married to his second wife Crystal, after his first wife died in a supposed accident falling from a cliff. His son Harry, from his first wife, is an interesting teenager who plays a key role in the plot, and daughter Candace is an infant. Andrew is married to , and they run a B&B together. Steve is married to Sophie and has two children, a teenage boy Jamie, and teenage girl Ida. Vince is married to Wendy and has a daughter Ashley who is on her gap year. Wendy has also recently asked Vince to move out as she doesn't want to be married to him anymore and he is now living in a pretty awful apartment on his own. Steve acted as his lawyer, but doesn't seem to have done a good job for Vince. 

Two young, but very capable female officers digging into old case files and notes about a man who is already serving time in a pedophile case. There was long suspicion that there was another man that they didn't get at the time, and DCs Reggie Chase and Ronnie Dibicki are thorough and persistent in their review of material and interviewing of potential witnesses. 

I really liked the Crystal who we see a good deal of. She's not well-educated, but she's smarter than she thinks, and a really good mom to both kids. I also liked Harry. He's got an interesting job that opens him up to different life experiences and a world he'd never imagined. He's younger than his age in some ways, and older in others. Vulnerable, with a hidden strength of character. 

The novel kept me wanting to read late into the night, and I loved how the plots developed and abutted each other on occasion before coming together dramatically near the end of the book. Well worth waiting several years for. 

Evil in Emerald

Finished August 28

Evil in Emerald by A.M. Stuart

This is the third book in an historical mystery series and is set in Singapore in 1910. Harriet Gordon is a widow living with her brother, a minister and headmaster of a boy's school, and their ward Will, a schoolboy. She helps with the paperwork at the school, and brings in extra income by typing up reports and other documents for the local police. 

Her tennis partner has convinced her to join the Singapore Amateur Dramatic and Music Society (SADAMS) for their upcoming production The Pirates of Penzance. Also in SADAMS are a journalist, Griff Maddocks; a friend and doctor's wife, Louise Mackenzie; a local police constable, Ernest Greaves ; a woman who is rumoured to have been on stage in London, Alicia Sewell; and an insurance broker, Tony Dowling. The director of the society is Charles Lovett, a lawyer, whose wife Elspeth organizes most of the supporting functions, such as costumes, and whose daughter Eunice, helps out wherever needed.

When a body is found badly burned in a fire on SADAM's premises, Harriet becomes involved as both an assistant to the police, and as someone with knowledge of the victim. Her boss, Inspector Robert Curran is in charge of the case, and has made some enemies of some of the colonial planters, one of whom has a definite grudge against him. As Curran investigates, the case takes him to other cast members of SADAMS, as well as to a local planter and another businessman. 

But Curran is also finding that his personal life has him distracted. His long-time partner Li An, a woman from a powerful Kuala Lumpur family is being drawn back into that family; and someone who brings news of his own family in need of assistance appears on his doorstep. 

This is a novel with a lot going on with both Harriet and Curran, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down until I finished it. 

Definitely a series with promise! 

Girl, Forgotten

Finished July 5

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

The beginning of this book has a day from the early 1980s, where a young woman, Emily Vaughn, is planning to go to her high school prom. She hasn't been to high school in months, and no one wants her there. The reason for that is her pregnancy. Here we see Emily encounter several young men, classmates as well as a teacher, and defy her parents' wishes to head to the school. She gets there, but never gets back home. 

This novel follows U.S. Marshall Andrea Oliver from her graduation day as a marshall through her first assignment. Andrea grew up in the witness protection program, although she wasn't aware of that until recently. Her biological father is a man who is in jail partly due to her mother's testimony. He was also one of the men suspected in Emily Vaughn death. 

When, on her graduation day, Andrea is offered the job of protecting a judge in Delaware who has been receiving death threats, she finds that the judge Esther Vaughn is Emily's mother, and there is a hidden agenda to her posting. Someone wants her to find Emily's killer, and they think it is Andrea's father. 

As Andrea gets her bearings in the small town, getting to know her partner, an experienced marshall with a quirky sense of humour names, Leonard (Catfish) Bible, as well as the locals, she finds there is more going on than she expected. 

As she learns how Bible thinks, she also learns that many people from Emily's life have secrets, and most of them are still in town. 

This is a book that has a lot going on, and some of the plotlines are eye-opening. Andrea has training, but she is learning her job as she goes, and sometimes, she makes a mistake. A book that will keep you guessing until the end. 

White Slaves

Finished June 15

White Slaves: 15 Years a Barbary Slave by Nicholas Kinsey

This captivating novel is based on real people and events, which the author researched. On June 20, 1631, 109 men, women, and children were taken by pirates from the community of Baltimore on the southwest coast of Ireland. Most of these people were English Calvinists who had started a fishery there. The ship that took them was working for the ruler of Algiers, and they were headed along with others, mostly men from France and Spain, back to Algiers to be sold as slaves. While the distance in a fast ship, like those the pirates used would have been a few days by sea, the need to avoid government ships of all nations, and the draw of more plunder meant the ship took more than a month to make the journey. 

Kinsey, takes us into the story of these people, giving them individual voices and bringing the characters to life. He follows quite a few of the people through the many years that they they were unable to return home, using what facts were available and inventing a story around them. The characters he covers include men, women, and children, and both English Calvinists and Irish Catholics. This book unveiled to me not just this historical event, but the entire culture of the times, giving us insight into politics, religion, and trade. 

Religion was interesting to see how people chose to observe, and the attitude of the British government of the time to any who had converted to Islam. Seeing how the different individuals dealt with their situation was also really interesting. Some were unable to stop longing for home and the way things had been, others moved on quickly, and others gradually found themselves new lives. The treatment of the individuals as slaves was also enlightening, compared to the limited information I remember learning about slavery of black people brought to North America. 

This is a book that immerses you into another time and place thoroughly, and the stories draw you on, making me want to know more about what happened to the different people Kinsey portrays. 

A wonderful read!

The Bookshop of Secrets

Finished January 22

The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

This novel is set in present day but is influenced by events of the past. Hope Sparrow arrives in the small town of Wanishin Falls, Minnesota looking to collect the books her mother left her when she died. They were held by a friend of her mother's for safekeeping, but Hope has discovered the friend passed away and thus followed the trail to the friend's hometown. The books are part of what Hope has come in search of, but she also remembers childhood stories of treasure and wonders what truth there is to them. 

When she arrives at the bookshop, Dusty Jackets, she finds the owners Ulysses and Margaret Barrick unable to locate her books quickly, partly due to the onset of dementia in one of them, and she agrees to stay and help for a place to stay and some payment while they search. With a timeline of two months set, Hope finds herself getting to know the people of the town, and exploring not only her own past, but also her future. Her dreams of owning a combination food and book truck are shared and begin to become real, but she has to decide whether her life will keep her running as she has or whether she can deal with her past and build a future that includes others. 

There are other young people here also stuck in their own ways, with expectations and baggage from others defining their present. From the bookshop owners' grandson Ronan to cafe manager Kat, to troubled teenager Tate Morgan, they are all finding their place in the world and looking for community. There is an underlying Christian theme to book that doesn't overpower the plot but plays a role in guiding it. 

I enjoyed the story, the book elements and the message of forgiveness and optimism that it held. 

Find You First

Finished May 6

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

I find Barclay's books real page turners, and read this one very quickly. It is a standalone novel with stories and characters that eventually cross paths.

One of the key characters, Miles Cookson, a self-made millionaire and technology entrepreneur in his forties has just been diagnosed with ALS. He thinks of his limited future, and what plans he must make. He makes plans to get his brother tested for the disease as well, hoping that it missed him. He also realizes that a decision he made around 20 years ago has ramifications now. When he was tight for money in college, he donated sperm for money. He is worried about any children created with his donations. He is determined to ensure that if they exist, they will be able to afford to get the best healthcare they can. But when he approaches the clinic, he is stonewalled and told that they will not release any information to him. 

As he tries to find a way to reach them, as quickly as he can, we start to learn the stories of other key characters. 

One is Chloe Swanson, a young aspiring filmmaker. Chloe, who was raised by a loving single mom, has recently decided to try and find her biological father, and she is documenting the journey by filming it. She has recently found a half-brother and met him, and is eager to find more information. She is an interesting young woman, bright and thoughtful. 

We get glimpses of other lives, a teen girl who has been drawn into the circle of a man very like Jeffrey Epstein. She wants to get out of the situation that she has found herself in, but doesn't know how. There is also a wealthy New York financier who has a big ego and odd tastes, such as craning a classic Winnebago into his home office. There is a young man, recently moved out on his own, who has been making money through somewhat dubious practices. 

The plot moves quickly and yet the characters have depth as well. You see what motivates them, and why they make the choices that they do. There is lots of action and many edge of the seat moments that will keep you wondering what will happen next and who is behind some of those actions. 

I enjoy this author a lot as he comes up with very intriguing plots that often relate to current events, as well as interesting and complex characters, especially in the series novels. He also includes lighthearted moments of humour. A great read.  

The Rogue Wave

Finished December 12

The Rogue Wave by Paul Nicholas Mason

This short novel mixes mystery and the paranormal in a battle of good and evil. The main character here is Matthew Harding runs a detective agency in Toronto where he handles cases with a metaphysical dimension. A young man, Andrew, comes to him regarding the recent disappearance of his fiancee Hannah. The two were on a tour boat in Nova Scotia when a sudden and huge wave swamped the boat, taking several people, including Hannah overboard. Some people were rescued, some bodies were found, and Hannah remained missing. An acquaintance of Andrew's has recently sent him a picture taken at a wedding in Mexico where a woman who looks very like Hannah is sitting with a man that she looks to be scared of. Andrew is sure that something else is going on, and Matthew takes the case. 

This is when the paranormal starts raising his head. Matthew has a near miss with a vehicle hit and run accident on the street near his office and receives a disturbing text message following that. Throughout the case a combination of threats, accidents and disturbing messages continues to follow him. When he goes in person to Nova Scotia, he finds that there were other weird happenings around the boat incident, and he goes on to Mexico to follow the lead of the photograph. 

Besides the disturbing incidents and the threatening messages, Matthew also encounters some other more benevolent people, who offer help and advice. 

I liked the paranormal or metaphysical side in this struggle between good and evil. and would have liked this book to be longer, going into more detail around some of the characters, like Hannah, and their feelings during this time, and Andrew and his paintings. I'd also like to know more about what happened to some of the people he encountered, like the translator in Mexico. 

This is definitely a unique type of mystery read that may appeal to a different audience than just mystery readers. 

The Ever Open Door

Finished November 29

The Ever Open Door by Julie Band

This debut novel was inspired by the author's own grandfather coming to Canada as a Barnado Homes orphan. Here the Barnado is a small but essential part of the plot. 

The main character here is Rachel Gilmore, oldest daughter of a shipowner in Liverpool in 1888. As the story begins, Rachel is at an event where her stepmother is being honoured. Because her stepmother is ill, Rachel is accepting the honour on her behalf and is escorted by her father. 

Rachel is a smart young woman and has been helping her stepmother with the household accounts as well as her father with his business accounts. 

Her stepmother is a trained midwife and has been working with the city's poor for years, and lately Rachel has been accompanying her on many of her visits. Now she has volunteered Rachel to help another agency with their books. Mrs Birt runs an agency that send orphaned children to Canada, and hopefully to a better future. 

Rachel's father's business is tight financially, and the investors and banks are applying pressure, and her father is considering all his options for the protection of the business, but when he is injured during the unloading of one of his ships, the family faces more immediate difficulties. 

Rachel is a girl who is smart and observant, and she notices the expressions and actions of the people around her. But she is also naive, despite her charitable activities and some of her choices get her into difficult situations. With her stepmother still not well, and her father's business tied up in legal situations, she tries to protect her younger sister Emily and herself. But sometimes she finds herself out of her depth and put into circumstances that place her and her reputation in danger.

I liked the spunk of the main character, and her resolve to do the right thing, even when it is a difficult one. She looks for opportunity and has ingenuity in her ideas. She is also a kind girl, raised to treat people of all classes with respect, and this serves her well. 

I also liked how the plot developed, slowly at first and then becoming a real page turner. I want to know more of Rachel's story to see where it leads. 

Invisible Murder

Finished November 8

Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, translated by Tara Chace

I've read the third book in this series and decided to go back are read an earlier one. This is book two. Most of the book takes place in Denmark with the Red Cross nurse Nina Borg, but the story really starts in Hungary, with a young man, Sándor who finds his life upended. He is a law student at university, but he has a secret. His mother is a gypsy, and he started his life growing up with her and his younger siblings, but during a time they were in a children's home, he was taken away by his biological father, given a new last name, and has lived his life in mainstream Hungarian society. When his younger brother Tamás asks a favour, he gets drawn into a situation beyond his control. He cares about his brother, but with his life also in tatters, he feels he has no choice but to follow his brother to Denmark and see if he can help.

Nina is sometimes helping with outreach to groups in need outside of her day job, but she's promised her husband Morten not to do it when he's away working on the rigs. Her relationship with her teenage daughter Ida is a fraught one, with the girl wanting little to do with her. Anton, at eight, is still a joyful child. 

There is also an older man, Skou-Larsen, who is worried about how his wife handles finances, and wants to try to put safeguards in place for after he dies. But there are limitations on what he can do, even though she appears to have fallen for a vacation property scam and lost a big chunk of money. He is also curious about the mosque being build near their home. As a former municipal employee with the building department, he is always curious about permits and details of new developments and worries about whether this one is all it says it is. 

We also see a man, Soren, who is part of PET, the terrorism side of the police force as they hear of a young Hungarian man who has been on some suspicious websites and now appears to be headed his way. His focus on similar online activity at a local university focuses on a young Muslim man who seems to have something to hide.

There is lots going on here, and as Nina gets drawn in to help with a mysterious illness affecting some gypsies squatting in an abandoned gas station, she finds herself in more trouble than she expected, and when Ida gets involved she begins to fear for their lives.

I really enjoy this series, with so many issues in a book. There is racism and religious prejudice, fear of others, domestic abuse, human trafficking, relics of the Soviet times, and so much more.

Close Call

Finished August 12
Close Call by Stella Rimington

This novel is the eighth book in a series featuring MI5 agent Liz Carlyle. I've also read the first one, At Risk. Here she works with MI6, the CIA, and the French intelligence authorities. Liz is in a relationship that is starting to get serious with Martin Seurat, one of her French counterparts at the DGSE. He has started talking about retiring and going into private security.
The story here starts in the Syria, where an American agent has a close call while infiltrating rebel groups. He is transferred to Yemen to try and move a rumour forward to discover whether it has merit in intelligence with a government minister.
Liz is just back from vacation with Martin when she is brought up to date by her deputy Peggy Kinsolving. This includes a "watching brief" on a possible smuggled arms shipment. This involves MI6 as well as the CIA. The first thing to come up on this brief is news of a meeting in Paris. The French are running the show there of course, with other countries involved, but a young agent makes a move that unnerves those meeting and they lose contact with the men. Photos of them however bring an unexpected surprise. One of the men is a former French agent, who got in trouble and has now moved to the side of the bad guys, including running arms. They are surprised he risked his home ground of Europe, but it does make it more likely that they can nab him and try to learn more.
Liz soon finds that the drop of arms is expected to be in England, in Cheshire. When she reaches out to Special Branch to find out more about the man they suspect of being involved she learns that a man from her past is also now in Cheshire. They didn't part on good terms, and Liz isn't sure that he can be trusted based on her past experience, so she explores different routes of gathering intelligence and mounting surveillance. The man in Cheshire has been suspected of human trafficking as part of a club and prostitution service he runs, but arms would be a new venture for him.
I enjoyed the action here and also like when I learn more about the personal lives of the main characters, to humanize them more. There are several things going on here, but they all relate to each other, and offer a fast-moving plot.
The author used to head up MI5 and so writes from experience and knowledge of the real world espionage services.

Secrets at Cedar Cabin

Finished February 14
Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble, read by Devon O'Day

This is the third book in a series, but the first that I've read. Bailey Fleming is working as a geriatric nurse in a seniors home in Michigan. She is still reeling from discovering her husband was already married, and then she gets the news that her mother has been murdered.
Bailey is mourning the sudden death of her mother, trying to figure out who would have killed her, and processing the aftermath of her fake marriage when she discovers that her mother had a big secret, and that someone is now after her with murder intended as well.
Bailey runs with only the bare minimum: the secret stash her mother left her, her handbag, and her cat. She is smart enough to hide her trail, and she runs to the cabin that her duplicitous husband gave her as a settlement to try to get her to keep her mouth shut about their relationship. It is several states away, in Washington, and when she gets there, the place has had the utilities shut off and is a mess.
She also discovers that she has an unexpected connection to the town of Lavender Tides, and as she begins to research her past, she also finds that the FBI are looking at her and her property as well.
This is a book with lots of secrets that need to be uncovered, with women being trafficked to high bidding renters and buyers, and with people who have faith that things will work out.
With a fast-moving plot, and interesting characters, I enjoyed the book, especially Bailey's cat Sheba, who is attached strongly to her.

The Wings of the Sphinx

Finished January 5
The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri

This continues the series featuring Inspector Montalbano in Sicily. In his personal life, Montalbano's relationship with his long-term girlfriend Livia is uncertain. They haven't spoken in a while and she isn't answering her phone when he tries to reach her.
When he is called to a nearby garbage dump where a body is discovered, he finds himself involved in a case of an unidentified young woman with a distinctive tattoo, of a sphinx moth. As he discovers the existence of other girls with the same tattoo, he finds the case may involve human trafficking, and the sex trade.
As usual, there is much good food being eaten, interesting interactions with his coworkers, and the sense of getting older that Montalbano is beginning to feel more and more.

The Guest Room

Finished March 8
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian, read by Mozhan Marno and Grace Experience

Bohjalian's books are always thought-provoking and surprising, and this is no exception. Here, Richard Chapman has done his younger brother a favour and hosted his bachelor party at his home in Bronxville. Richard's wife Kristin and 9 -year-old daughter Melissa are staying at Kristin's mother's apartment in Manhattan for the weekend. Richard figured that having the party at the house would tone it down in nature, although he did expect his brother's best friend Spencer, who did a lot of the planning, would likely hire a stripper.
What he didn't expect was that there would be two strippers, or that they openly offered a lot more than stripping, or that they would come with large Russian men to mind them. He drank more than he should and went to the guest room with one of the girls, Alexandra, but he could have done worse than he did. What no one expected was that one of the girls would take a knife to one of the Russians, or that the other Russian would be shot and the two girls would take off into the night in the SUV they came in.
Richard is in shock when he calls Kristin from the police station in the middle of the night to outline what has happened. Their house is a crime scene, and he has betrayed her trust. Their relationship is in a place he never imagined it would be. Richard's employer, a conservative investment bank, wants to distance themselves from the scandal, and just when Richard thinks it can't get worse, it does.
Alexandra too is in shock, She had no idea the night would end this way, and the girls have no real plan. Now they are desperately trying to stay out of the attention of both the police and the Russians. As she tells her story of being brought into the world of human trafficking, the methods used to manage her and her fellow captives, and her complicated naivity and knowledge, you will likely get as angry as I did.
One of the two narrators tells Alexandra's story. The other tells the story from Richard, Kristin, and Melissa's point of view.
With the increased attention on human trafficking in the news, this book is timely. The emotional reality of the book is strong and well done.

For a look at human trafficking in real life, read Invisible Chains by Benjamin Perrin.
For other novels with human trafficking as part of the plot, see here.

The Boy in the Snow

Finished March 23
The Boy in the Snow by M.J. McGrath

This novel is part of a series featuring Edie Kiglatuk. Here Edie finds herself down in Alaska from her home in Ellesmere Island helping her ex-husband Sammy in his bid to race the Iditarod. Sergeant Derek Palliser is the other member of Sammy's support team. Edie is out for a walk when she sees a spirit bear and follows it, losing her way. When she gets back on track, she finds a small baby dead in a spirit house, but it is unclear who placed him there.
Edie's search for the truth and for justice for the small boy lead her to political corruption, the dark underworld of human trafficking, and immense danger for herself and her friends.Edie does things she's never done before, like driving a truck, and uses her wayfinding and tracking skills to learn more about the young women in danger here.
The Iditarod is the background and the reason for Edie being in Alaska, and while never the focus for action, characters revolve around it, whether they are directly involved, or not.
There is also a focus on the fear of the "other", here a splinter group of Russian Orthodox believers that, because others don't understand their beliefs and they live apart from the community, are vilified and blamed for behaviours and actions they have no relation to.
The quest by some in this novel for power is one of both sheer determination and complex planning, as they try to stay ahead of events and have backups for anything going wrong.
Edie's own differences and reactions are something they didn't plan for, and she becomes the unravelling.
A very different environment with unique characters.

Necessary as Blood

Finished January 12
Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie

I've been reading this series in random order. In this one Gemma and Duncan are planning their wedding, but Gemma just wants to be married, and finds wedding planning stressful.
Meanwhile in Brick Lane, textile artist Sandra Gilles is working on a new piece that gets her wondering about the girls and women in her neighbourhood and she leaves her young daughter with a friend, but never returns. A few months later, her husband Naz steps out for a couple of hours and disappears. Gemma happens to be a friend to a friend and becomes involved. When his body is found, the pathologist suspects foul play and the case is referred to Scotland Yard. There, Duncan notes Gemma's involvement and takes on the case.
But Gemma finds herself involved in a more personal way as she has taken to Charlotte, the small 3 year-old daughter of Sandra and Naz and is determined that she be protected and properly looked after.
I like the mix of the personal and professional in this series, seeing how the two detectives both work together and live their lives together.
This case with its unmasking of those who prey on the vulnerable in society is a compelling one, and I could barely put the book down. I also really liked the quotes about Brick Lane, the part of London where this story is set, that began each chapter.

Rounding the Mark

Finished March 17
Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli

The seventh book in the series featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano is a definite winner. It had me hooked from the beginning, when Salvo expressed his unhappiness with the state of police ethics over the outcome of the G8 inquiry (about Genoa in 2001) and wanted to resign. With the police activities around the G20 in Toronto more recently, I could definitely relate.
When Salvo goes for his morning swim, he encounters a dead body, one that has been dead for some time, and exerts himself to tow it to shore. Bothered by the official lack of interest, he and his men begin an unofficial investigation into the man's identity and origin. Later, when assisting a local immigration officer on a minor matter, Salvo is present at the landing of a ship of refugees and sees a small boy try to take off. He manages to catch him and return him to the family group he belongs to, but is bothered by the incident. When he has a later encounter involving the boy, he resolves to figure out what is going on, and finds himself in a case involving the trafficking of minors. With alternating despair and humour, this novel shows a caring man, trying to make a difference in whatever way he can. Very satisfying.

Watching the Dark

Finished November 6
Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson

This is another mystery novel in the series featuring Alan Banks. Here, the story begins with the murder of a policeman, and leads to another murder, criminal activity involving migrant workers, and a trail to a case several years old. Annie is just about to return to work after her injury, and gets involved in the domestic end of the case. Banks is off digging into the cold case in Estonia, looking for the ties between the dead policeman and an Estonian journalist.
As usual I enjoy the personal and inner lives we see of these characters, how they relate to each other, the way their history affects their behaviour, and the likes and dislikes. There are weak criminals, repentant ones, and those too arrogant for their own good in the long run. Banks himself is a bit of a rebel, with a strong interest in justice, but not necessarily in following the rules. Annie is also so inclined, with an interest in helping those who have been victimized. She is still recovering both physically and mentally from her close call, and that also is brought into the story. We have the usual fellow police officers, as well as a few new ones, including a lovely blonde. And as in all Banks novels, we have music, both classical and modern, with a lean towards folk. Bringing in the recent criminal trends of human trafficking in its many forms and the drug trade, this novel is a nice addition to the series.

A Door in the River

Finished October 21
A Door in the River by Inger Ash Wolfe

This is the third book in the series featuring OPS officer Hazel Micallef. Here, Hazel is back living with her mother after recovering from back surgery. She is worried about her mother's health, but also her own future. There are plans for the local OPS office in Port Dundas to become a regional centre, with Ray Greene in charge, an officer who had previously worked under Hazel. Hazel is an angry woman, and not a diplomatic one. She tends to be aggressive in her encounters with others, and I found this made her a less sympathetic character for me. But she has a good eye for crime, as shown in the case here.
A local man is found dead, seemingly of a heart attack after an insect bite, but Hazel finds questions around the death. When she digs deeper, she finds her instincts right. This death occurred on the nearby reserve and Hazel immediately butts heads with the reserve police force. Doing her own investigation, she ignores jurisdiction and permissions and forges ahead with the case.
Her small squad shows enthusiasm and gets involved, with one young officer, Wingate, taking large risks to help the victims identified as the investigation moves forward. With the investigation unveiling illegal gambling, prostitution, and human trafficking, we see both local involvement and the international nature. Getting inside the head of one of the human trafficking victims and seeing how the experience affected her attitude toward life was eye-opening.

Worth Dying For

Finished March 20
Worth Dying For by Lee Child, read by Dick Hill
Wonderful, as always. Reacher is on his way to Virginia, continuing where he left off in 61 Hours. Again, he is in a rural area, this time in Nebraska. He has been let off near a small motel, the Apollo Inn, in the middle of nowhere. There is one other patron at the motel bar, a doctor well on his way to getting drunk. When a call comes in from a patient of the doctor, Reacher insists on driving him to the patient's home. What he finds there set him off against the victim's husband and gets the husband eager to have revenge. As usual, one thing leads to another, and Reacher is heavily involved.
The community is one bound to a very controlling family, seemingly locked in a situation they can't get out of. Some of the situation there are in is due to the family's greed. But there is also an incident dating back 25 years to a missing child that has set the community against each other. Reacher finds himself investigating this old case to try to find the truth, and he finds so much more. International smuggling is part of the scene and some very determined people are involved.
A great listen, very entertaining, with pageturning action.