Kitty St. Clair's Last Dance

Finished August 1

Kitty St. Clair's Last Dance by Kate Robb

I enjoyed Robb's first novel and was excited to see this one at my local library. I'm glad I picked it up as this is a definite winner. Set mostly in the small Ontario town of West Lake on Lake Huron, the main character here is a local girl, Julia (Jules) DeMarco. Jules works at the local retirement home, Sunnydale, as does her best friend Zoe. Jules had wanted to go to med school, and had taken her MCAT, but financial and family issues made that not an option for her. She loves West Lake, and has seen the influx of tourists and the introduction of more vacation homes in the nearby towns drive out local residents and small businesses, such as her favourite butter tart bakery. 

When one of the residents, Kitty St. Clair, dies, Jules is surprised to learn that Kitty left her a building in town. It used to be a dance hall, but has been sitting empty for years. When Jules comes across Kitty's diary from the months before she married a Toronto man, she begins reading it for clues to why Kitty left her the building. Instead, each time she reads a diary entry, she finds herself back in the past as she sleeps, existing there as Dotty O'Brien, one of Kitty's friends. Her first dream visit takes her to May 1949, where Kitty and Dotty go to the dance hall one night where Kitty hopes to meet Beau St. Clair, a young man from Toronto she's been corresponding with since the previous summer. She also sees a local boy, Knots, who works at the dance hall, and who is very interested in Kitty himself. 

As the dreams give Jules more knowledge of Kitty's circumstances, she also considers that the building, once probate goes through, may offer her a chance to pursue her dream of med school after all. When she finds out that a man from Toronto is in town looking to acquire the property for a condo development she is torn in two ways. The first is whether to sell for her own future, but draw the town into the real estate issues she's seen in nearby towns. The second is when she realizes that the man is one she has a past with. Two years earlier, she spent a night with Reeve Baldwin and never heard from him again. Can she trust him? Why is she drawn to him still? 

I enjoyed the characters here, seeing both Kitty and Jules deal with their dilemmas, and the other small town residents, both those in the retirement home, and the locals like Zoe, and Donny at the Legion, the centre of the town's social life. I got a real feel for the community and the way people look out for each other and are involved with their community. 

The romances between Kitty and her suitors, and between Jules and Reeve were well written and I could feel the attractions. Jules' and Zoe's friendship is also drawn well, and Zoe is a real character. A book that I found hard to put down. 

6:40 to Montreal

Finished November 9

6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk

This locked room mystery is quite the page-turner. The narrator is Agatha, a woman who wrote a mystery book featuring a yoga instructor that became a best seller. Now, she's trying to work on a second book, but is coming up short on ideas. She's also been undergoing cancer treatment and as a result has been stuck in a depression. Her husband Teddy has given her a gift of a business-class, round-trip ticket from Toronto to Montreal by train, thinking that she can use the uninterrupted, mostly internet-free journey there and back to write. She's a little disappointed in the gift, which doesn't even include a night in Montreal before returning, and she has planned something on her own that he isn't aware of.

It a day of a winter storm, and by the time Agatha gets down to Union Station the snow is coming down quite intensely. The attendant, Dorcas, seems professional and friendly and then gets distracted by the task of teaching an intern the basics of the job. Agatha is one of the first people on the car, and notices a mother and young adult son, Vivien and Rupinder get on because they are seated in the emergency exit row, and Dorcas explains the emergency procedure to them. 

The car isn't full, yet an older man, Finch Weatherby, sits beside her and tries to get her to give up her seat to him. She takes an immediate dislike to him, and that only increases as he makes some loud phone calls that are abusive and demeaning to the person on the other end. A couple other people get on, but Agatha has been distracted by Finch and doesn't really notice them.

She still has trouble focusing on writing and finds her mind going in other directions. When the train suddenly stops and all but emergency power goes off, the passengers begin to ask questions and worry about how long they will be stopped. When they discover that one of the passengers is dead, they begin to suspect each other. As the passengers begin to get more anxious and the tension increases, they find even more to worry about and tensions continue to build. The doors on their car have been locked in the emergency and they can't move away from each other. 

Fast-moving and dark, this novel offers lots of twisty elements. 

Did one of them kill the passenger, and if so, why? 

Bury the Lead

Finished October 10

Bury the Lead by Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti

This is the first in a series of mysteries by two Canadian authors I love. I really like that they set the series in Canada, a fictional town called Port Ellis in Ontario. The main character, Cat Conway, grew up in Port Ellis, and left years ago. She had a solid career at a Toronto newspaper, and then left for a television job. After losing her temper while being harassed while trying to tape a story, she lost her job, and her marriage to a wealthy lawyer. She struggles with being there for her teenage son, and making a go of it at the local newspaper, the Quill & Packet. 

She has a good relationship with her editor and her fellow reporters, and she definitely has the skills. Renzetti's experiences definitely bring that authenticity to the character. She also has a great long-term friend for support.

As the book opens, Cat is interviewing actors working on the local theatre's season opener, Inherit the Wind. One of them is the legendary actor Eliot Fraser, whose ex-wife's family owns the theatre. Eliot is also notorious for his narcissism and the way he treats women. Another actor had his early career ruined by Eliot, although he has since made a name for himself and is well-regarded. 

Years before Eliot got his start in this same theatre, and there are many rumours about what happened that summer. When Eliot is found dead, and Cat is on the scene, there are plenty of potential suspects. With the case drawing international attention, Cat may have other career opportunities, but she also soon becomes a victim of someone who doesn't like the questions she is asking. 

I really enjoyed this series starter, and have already bought the next book in the series. Great writing, humour, real life feelings, and a plot that satisfies. 

Meet Me at the Lake

Finished June 26

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

This light-hearted romance novel mixes intense experiences with a real attention to setting. As it begins, Fern Brookbanks has graduated university in Toronto and plans to spend the next few days seeing some things in the city that she hasn't visited yet. She's just wrapped a visit from her best friend that didn't go as well as she hoped. The coffee shop she works at going through a refresh and her job for the day is to supervise the artist who is painting a mural on one of the walls. Will Baxter is the artist and he is leaving the following day to return to his home in Vancouver. When he finished his work, he proposes taking her to some of his favourite places in the city, and it turns into a nearly day-long adventure. There was a connection between them that they both recognized, but they both have a boyfriend or girlfriend waiting for them, and plans to leave the city soon. Fern has also shared some of her inner turmoils with Will, things that she hasn't shared with her friends or family. They agree to meet a year later at the dock at the resort that Fern's mom runs near Huntsville. 

Fern went on to do some things that she felt driven to do, and that Will had encouraged her to follow, but she makes sure she is at Brookbanks Resort a year later, but Will never showed up. 

Then the novel jumps ten years into the future, where Fern finds herself back at the resort, running it, with her old boyfriend working as manager and her best friend nearby expecting her first child. When Will appears, she is definitely surprised and confused, but after some thought agrees to take the assistance that he offers regarding the future direction of the resort and how to deal with the tough financial situation she has found it in. Will is very different that she has imagined him in some ways, and so familiar in others. 

This is a story that really evokes the places that the story takes place in, both Toronto, and the cottage country lakeside resort. It's also about the characters. Fern is struggling with grief, guilt, and love as she takes on a challenge she isn't sure she wants. Will is intense, but also thoughtful and talented. The supporting characters, from Fern's friends to resort regulars are warm and pleasant people who also have interesting quirks and backstories. I really enjoyed this book, and understand why it is such a popular summer read. 

How to Hide in Plain Sight

Finished May 12

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

This novel is outstanding. The main character, twenty-one-year old Eliot Beck hasn't seen in family in three years since she left for New York City. She is the youngest child in a large family, and loves her siblings and their partners. She fled because of a secret that she feels is devastating, and she uses routine and work to distract herself from her obsessive-compulsive thoughts. 

Eliot has agreed to attend her brother Taz's wedding celebration at the family island, Cradle Island,  located in Canada near Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Eliot grew up in Chicago, in her family's large home there, with summers on the family island. The island has numerous cabins located on a sheltered cove and connected by a boardwalk. It is a place close to the heart for the family, special to them all. 

The summer that Eliot was ten, her brother Henry, less than a year older than her, stayed behind in Illinois for summer school, but died in an accident. Eliot's obsessive-compulsive disorder began then, although she didn't have a term for it and thought of it as her worries. When she started school that fall, she became attached to a new boy in school. Manuel is from Colombia and his parents travel a lot for work, leaving him to be raised by his nanny. At first, Eliot natters to him endlessley, without a response. She picks up where she left off the last time she saw him. 

Eliot's oldest brothers, Caleb and Clarence, are from an earlier wife of her father's. Then came Karma, Taz, Henry, and Eliot. There was a fairly large gap between Taz and Henry, and Henry was the way that quieter Eliot connected to her older siblings. Since losing him, she's felt that she doesn't fit in, and struggles with what to say at family dinners. 

The book moves between the present, over a four-day wedding celebration that integrates family traditions and new connections, and Eliot and her family's past, beginning with the loss of Henry. We see her mother's withdrawal followed by a new purpose-filled existence, and her father's collapse and resolve. We see Karma's obsession with baking leading to a new career, and details of the social changes the family goes through. 

We also see clearly one example of obsessive compulsive disorder, an example of intrusive thoughts that drive Eliot to confide in Manuel, and then ask her parents to let her go to a therapist. Despite the professional help, the disorder affects Eliot in a large way, and she struggles to hold onto what she can of a normal life as she tries to hide the reality of her mental health. 

This book had me laughing and crying as I saw the reality of Eliot's struggles and her relationship with her friend and close-knit family. 

An amazing read that also opens a window into a complicated mental health condition. 

Lone Wolf

Finished September 25

Lone Wolf by Linwood Barclay

This is the third book in the series featuring Zack Walker, a Toronto journalist. This book was also published under the title Bad Luck. I like this series for the humour and the Canadian setting, as well as the well-written family dynamics. 

Here, he is out at lunch with a former neighbour when he receives a disturbing phone call from his wife. One of the contributing reporters in cottage country has let her know that a body has been found, apparently killed by a bear, near the camp run by Zack's father, and his father is nowhere to be found. 

Zack immediately heads north, and finds the local police chief Orville Thorne, the local coroner, the reporter who called it in, and the people who are renting his dad's cabins at the present time. Most of these are returning guests, who've been coming up for years. While it is quickly established that his father isn't the victim, the victim's identity takes a little while to uncover, and several other issues show themselves.

One is the renters of the farmhouse on his dad's property. They have all kinds of warning signs mounted around the place dissuading casual visitors, a pair of aggressive dogs, and a radical mindset.

Another is one of his father's guests, a wealthy entrepreneur who wants to create a large luxury resort on a neighbouring property which goes against the local culture and may endanger the lake's health. 

The reader also soon learns that the local fair, which begins with a parade and is coming up on the next weekend, has been issued a threat of violence if a local LGBTQ community is allowed to participate. There is a petition, driven by one small-minded local businessman, and some threatening phone calls to the mayor, which also seem to be directed at her being married to a man who isn't white. 

Both Zack and his father are a bit overwhelmed by what they are facing and he calls on an old friend Lawrence Jones for his assistance. This assistance helps with some of the issues, others are resolved in unexpected ways, but the largest issue of the renters only gets worse until the final climax. 

A total engaging read, with lots of edge of the seat scenes. 

Harmless

Finished May 14

Harmless by James Grainger

This novel was deeply unsettling. Set on a remote farm in Ontario, a group of old friends have gathered together with their families for a long weekend. The oldest children, Franny and Rebecca, are in their teens, good friends themselves, but in a state of rebellion with their parents. The hosts for the weekend are Jane and Alex, with their kids Rebecca and Liam. Joseph has travelled up by train from the city with his daughter Franny (he's divorced from her mother Martha), Liz and Mike live in the nearby town, but are staying overnight with their kids to avoid driving after drinking, and Julian, who they haven't seen for years is coming with his younger lover, Amber. 

As the adults let themselves sink into the long weekend, eating, drinking, and indulging in some weed, most of them wander, at sunset, out further into the property, exploring the field and the nearby forest. When they return to the house, they discover the two girls aren't there, and they don't know where they are. As the initial search of the house and area proves unsuccessful, they split up, each relegated to following up a different potential path for the girls. 

When Joseph offers to search the woods, Alex says they he will go with him, and grabs his rifle. The two used to be close, but haven't been since Joseph's divorce. As the two fathers go off into the forest, the story follows them, as they encounter wildlife, old signs of previous habitation, and disturbing signs of how the world seems to be moving forward. It is their actions here that are at the heart of the novel, taking the reader to places that seem both unimaginable and yet only too possible. The men's reactions to what they encounter as they act to protect their families is disturbing and sad. This is a book that will stay with me for a while. 

Every Summer After

Finished June 8

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Set mostly in Barry's Bay, Ontario, this novel is centered around Percy (Persephone) Fraser. After having some social issues at school, Percy's parents bought a cottage in Barry's Bay, thinking it would do her good to have her away from the city for the summer and many weekends. 

They spent six years going there, and from the start Percy was befriended by the two boys who lived next door, Sam and Charlie Florek. Sam is Percy's age, a quiet, smart, and observant boy. Charlie is a couple years older, always with a group of friends and also popular with the girls, much more social than his brother. They live with their mom, who runs a local popular restaurant. 

Something happened at the end of that six years to the growing relationship between Sam and Percy, and because it was also the year that Percy's parents sold the cottage, she has never been back, and the rift has never been resolved. 

The story begins ten years after that, when Charlie lets Percy know that their mother has died and invites her to the funeral service. Percy must take her guilt and her fear and face Sam again. But what will she say? And will words make a difference? 

While the story starts in the present, it quickly moves back to the beginning of Percy's time at Barry's Bay, and of the beginning of her relationship with the Florek brothers. We see them grow up, with all the teenage angst, the stilted communication when it comes to feelings, and the friendships that grew along with them. 

Fortune brings these characters to life, and you can sense their insecurities and their fears as they take on adulthood. The reunion years later has lots of loaded emotions and years that neither of them shares with each other that they must catch up on. A book full of feeling. 

Two White Queens and The One-Eyed Jack

Finished May 12 

Two White Queens and The One-Eyed Jack by Heidi Von Palleske

This book is a winner. It takes you into the world of four young people, following their lives from the age of six to their early twenties. Gareth and Johnny are best friends, up for any adventure. When Gareth climbs a tree successfully, Johnny is urged to tackle it after him, climbing higher and higher, but he falls, and is hurt. The fall results in the loss of one of Johnny's eyes. Gareth struggles with the guilt he feels of urging Johnny on. The boys remain friends, but for a long while, there is distance between them that wasn't there before. Interestingly, the incident results in another revelation, the fact that Gareth's older brother Tristan is blind in one eye. As Gareth's family deals with this, and numerous doctor visits are kept, Gareth has a random encounter with two young girls in a waiting room.

These two girls are twin sister, Blanca and Clara, albinos who live with their grandfather in a very dysfunctional family. Their mother, Faye, is living in a mental institution and they go to see her from time to time. The also spend time at the home of their uncle and his family. They are bullied at school, and subjected to strict rules at home, but they find refuge in the home of their downstairs neighbour, Esther Perlman, a refugee from World War II, who was the only one in her family to escape the Nazis. Esther teaches them art and manners, and they begin to plan a way out of their situation, by taking advantage of their uniqueness instead of feeling lesser because of it. These are strong-willed girls and their intense connection with each other is their strength.

Johnny's mother Hilda, is another European immigrant, in her case running from a life that she didn't want to face. But she remembers a figure from her childhood and thinks about how he may be able to help her son. As she reconnects with Siegfried, she also finds that her relationship with her husband, already unravelling, grows even more frayed. 

As Johnny grows up, he grows tired of being the "junior" of his father and reclaims his name as Jack, and finds himself using photography as a type of replacement for his partial loss of vision. It is not until they are teenagers that the young people encounter each other again. But this time, they spend more time with each other and are influenced by each other's experiences. 

This book takes us into the past, dealing with loss and shame and the impulse to forget. But it also looks into the future, with the hope these young people have of starting anew, reinventing themselves and finding new purpose. The book's final scene is a fabulous metaphor for new beginnings. 

The Blondes

Finished January 4

The Blondes by Emily Schultz

This book is part science fiction, part satire, and part social commentary. Hazel Hayes is a Ph.D. student studying the aesthetics of fashion and what our idea of beauty is. She applied for a grant to study in the U.S. and is in New York City. But, as the book opens, she verifies her suspicion that she is pregnant. The father is her Ph.D. supervisor back in Toronto, a married professor several years her senior. As Hazel decides to return to Canada, she witnesses an attack at a subway station that is deeply disturbing, and reinforces her decision to return home. But things aren't that easy.

As the world becomes away of these attacks, like the one Hazel saw, it becomes clear there is a new and unknown disease running rampant in the world, and it seems to be chiefly affecting blonde women. This includes not only natural blondes, but also dyed blondes, and there is a run on hair dye and head shaving becomes a thing. As we see Hazel struggle to get back to Canada, running into barriers related to the pandemic, we see the societal reaction as the attraction to blonde becomes a fear as well, both types of power. Hazel is a natural redhead, putting her in the uncertain category by the powers that be. As she encounters more outbreaks of the disease, personal losses, and limits to her freedom, I couldn't help but think of our current situation. 

I also found the gender aspect interesting. This pandemic does not seem to affect men, except as victims of the women's attacks, and there are many scenes of the male as enforcer, rulemaker, etc. that also reflect some of the societal realities that we see in our world.

Crossing the border and the outcome of that for her was tense, and I felt the disorganization that is now showing signs in some of the government actions around our pandemic. 

I really enjoyed this read, as it both brushed against our current situation, but was also vastly different. A good read for these times, and I think it would be a great book club choice. Lots to discuss.

Bad Ideas

Finished December 9
Bad Ideas by Missy Marston

This novel is in the 1970s in Preston Mills, a small factory town in eastern Ontario. Trudy is a young woman who grew up in the town she lives in. She works in the local factory and lives with her mother Claire and her four-year-old niece Mercy. Claire had fallen in love with Darren, a young man working on the St. Lawrence Seaway project nearby, and both Trudy and her sister Tammy were children of that relationship. But soon after Tammy was born, he was gone, back to his life and wife elsewhere. Claire never had another relationship, sure that someday Darren would return to her. Tammy, like her mother got pregnant as a teenager, and soon after Mercy was a toddler, she left for a different life somewhere else. So Claire and Trudy raised Mercy, and loved her. But it left Trudy with a certainty that men couldn't be trusted, one she held true to until one day a very different young man entered town.
Jules Tremblay, an aspiring daredevil, plans to build a ramp and fly over the Seaway in his car. We see his story as he looks for promotional sponsors, funding, and waits for the ramp to be built. Trudy finds herself fascinated by him, drawn to him despite her reservations.
Meanwhile Tammy is drawn back to the idea of life with her young child. In a new relationship, she finds herself thinking about returning to Mercy, and making a new beginning.
As we hear from the different characters: Trudy, Claire, Darren, Jules, Tammy, and Mercy, through the first half of the book, we see what drives them, what goes on inside their heads. In the second half of the book the organization is by theme and we again see from multiple points of view, but here more closely aligned with each other, sometimes of the same events. This section is split into So Long at the Fair, The Circus, and The Stunt.
I loved the characters here, from Trudy with her determination and hope for a better life, to Claire's unending belief in Darren, to Mercy's pragmatism, and Jules' dreams of fame.
The plot unfolded beautifully too, and seeing the story from different viewpoints really brought it together. A great read.

Roughneck

Finished April 8
Roughneck by Jeff Lemire

This graphic novel is set in a small town in northern Ontario. Derek Ouelette was a major league hockey player, of the type commonly described as a goon. He is back in his home town after causing an injury in a move driven by anger in a game. Derek drinks too much, and lives a bit rough, and doesn't have a lot of friends. He still tends to erupt in violence when he gets angry.
But when his younger sister Beth also returns to town, he must change to accommodate her needs. Beth has left an abusive boyfriend, one who is also in the drug trade.
As Beth struggles to get past her addiction and move on to a new life, Derek must also change. We learn about their parents, and the influence that those parents had on them, both good and bad. As they now realize that they don't know much about their mother's family, they are interested in discovering more about her native background, particularly Beth.
This is a story of finding the support and strength to start again, to learn from mistakes and become a better person.
Lemire's books are always drawn with skill, and this is no exception. I loved the illustrations and how they added to the characterization.

A Troublesome Boy

Finished March 28
A Troublesome Boy by Paul Vasey

This book follows the young Teddy Clemson as he is sent to a distant boarding school/reform school after a letter home about him being "troublesome." Teddy's parents have separated and his father isn't present in his life. Instead, his mother's new husband has been making the decisions about Teddy's future and, since he doesn't like Teddy, sending him away suits him well.
Teddy's new school is St. Ignatius Academy for Boys, knows as St. Iggy's. It is in northern Ontario, near the town of Belleview, and is run by Catholic priests and monks. When Teddy gets off the bus in Belleview, he is hungry and first heads to the diner he sees, where he is greeted in a friendly manner by Rita and Freddy. After his mean, he follows their directions to the school.
He is met by Father Stewart, the principal, who goes over a few things before having Brother Wilbur take him up to his dorm room. As the next few days pass, Teddy gets to know who the other teachers at the school are. They include Father Prince, a man who makes the boys nervous; Brother Joe, who sleeps outdoors most of the time and likes nature; and Father Sullivan, who seems to have quite a temper.
Teddy also gets to know the other boys, and becomes friends with another new boy, Tim Cooper, who has spent most of his life in foster care.
One gets the sense right away that this school isn't a happy place to be. When Teddy is shown a "time out room," a room with no lights or windows, a single straight chair and no handle on the inside of the door, he begins to understand the nature of the school. Even the boys who are not Catholic have to attend chapel in the mornings before breakfast, and their is a worse punishment room than the time out rooms, a place referred to as the dungeon.
The callous disrespect for basic human kindness, and the anger, violence, and abuse that many of the teachers perpetuate is one familiar to those of us who've read about residential schools.
The author, Vasey, survived a school similar to this one, and that experience served as an inspiration for this story.

Shallow End

Finished November 8
Shallow End by Brenda Chapman

This is a mystery novel, part of a series featuring Stonechild and Rouleau, but the first I've read. Taking place in Kingston, Ontario, the book starts as a woman is getting released from prison. She's spent four years in jail after being convicted as a child predator. Jane Thompson had been a teacher, and was accused by one of her students, one that she'd been spending extra time helping. Throughout the trial, she insisted on her innocence, but more recently she made an admittance of guilt. Her husband, Adam, divorced her while she was in jail, and has been keeping their children, Ben and Olivia, away from her, despite her being approved for visits with them. She's got a small apartment and a part-time job, but seems to be living in a kind of limbo. A month after she has got out, the student who accused her, Devon Eton, is found dead on a beach. He's been murdered, and Jane immediately becomes a suspect.
Jane's ex-husband has a new woman living with him, a student teacher that he'd been having an affair with before Jane went to jail. Naomi is young, jealous of Jane, and insecure enough to snoop on Adam when he isn't with her.
We also see into the lives of the police investigating the case. Rouleau is in charge of major crimes, and still mourning the death of his wife. He assigns Kala Stonechild, a female native officer with a history of drug abuse, and Paul Gundersund, who's been separated from his wife for a while and is now considering a divorce. Kala has made a new start, although her past has meant that the niece she was caring for was taken from her and placed in foster care, something she is fighting to change. Paul's wife Fiona, is a local coroner, and is fighting to keep her marriage from ending. Other police officers include Woodhouse, an older male officer who resents Kala and who is often abusive to those he works with. Bennett is a younger officer, recently recovered from a gunshot wound, and eager to get back to work. Another character with a meaningful role here is local reporter Marci Stokes, who tried to make it in a bigger city, but is now back and working to regain her reputation for good reporting. As she tries to approach various players in this story, she also finds herself trying to do the right thing, especially for those who are vulnerable.
A great read.

A Murder for Max

Finished March 30
A Murder for Max by John Lawrence Reynolds

This mystery is part of a series of books for ESL adult learners. Orca, among other publishers, realized that as many people learned English as adults, they didn't want to read children's books. The Rapid Reads series is appealing to adult readers, and yet uses vocabulary aimed at ESL learners. I love that this series and others are now available to the public, filling a gap that was ignored before.
Here the action takes place in the small town of Port Ainslie, Ontario. The police chief, Maxine Benson, used to work for the Toronto police, but the end of her marriage and a craving for a more relaxed lifestyle led her to this small community. She has one officer, and an imposing dispatcher working for her. When a murder occurs, and there is no shortage of suspects, everyone expects her to call in the provincial police, but she figures that she can solve the case herself, and prove herself to the locals that don't really think a female police chief is capable of serious casework.

Exit, Pursued By a Bear

Finished March 29
Exit, Pursued By a Bear by E.K. Johnston

This teen novel is set around a cheerleader, Hermione Winters. Hermione lives with her parents in the town of Palermo in southern Ontario. She is the co-leader of her school's cheerleading squad, along with her best friend Polly. Every year, at the end of summer, cheerleading teams from around the province converge at Camp Manitouwabing, near Parry Sound, for training. This year, Hermione and Polly are seniors, so this is their last year at camp, and they mean to make it special. Hermione has a relatively new boyfriend Leo, who is also a part of their cheerleading squad, and who seems to be expecting more from these two weeks than Hermione is willing to give. Her focus is on the training. She means to take full advantage of the time at camp.
Half of the female members of the squad are booked to share a cabin with girls from St. Ignatius, a Mississauga school, Hermione among them. Polly and the rest of the girls share a cabin with girls from another school. Hermione really respects their coach Caledon, a hard-working single mother who has brought her ten-year-old daughter Florry along. Hermione and the other girls find that the St. Ignatius girls, led by Amy, are friendly and respectful, and the two groups settle into a routine quickly. The camp experience goes well, and Hermione is feeling good about the future, but on their last night at camp, at the closing party, someone spikes her drink, and things change completely.
Hermione has a new label that she doesn't want: the raped girl. And she must work her way through the ramifications of what happened to her, with her friend Polly beside her, and the support of her parents. As she faces down those who would label her and moves forward with her life, her support system of friends, family, and professionals, help her face her attack, her gradually recovering memories of that night, and move forward with strength.
I've read a few books about teen rape situations, and this is definitely the most positive one of them. The support system here is what really makes a difference, helping Hermione through the difficult times and being there as she makes decisions about her future. I also learned a lot about the sport of cheerleading.

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.

Follow Me Down

Finished November 25
Follow Me Down by Marc Strange
This mystery is set in Ontario cottage country in the fictional small town of Dockerty. Orwell Brennan is the chief of police and there are threats to close down the local police force and use the OPP instead. When a man is found murdered just outside town near Brennan's home, he uses all the resources he can to stay in the loop on the case. The murder location falls in the OPP's jurisdiction, the victim proves to be from Halton Region and the Metro force steps in to manage things. Brennan wants to prove the worth of his force and also solve the case. When Metro, with Brennan's assistance identifies someone for the crime, Brennan isn't sure they have the right man and continues to gather information. The case has lots of twists and turns and more players than one first thinks. Brennan comes through in the end, proving the local knowledge of the community along with solid investigative skills always wins the day. A good mystery, and I always like the local stuff.

Canadian Audiobook

Finished September 28
A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart, read by Hillary Huber
This story has a tale in the present and a tale in the past that are related to each other.
In the present Sylvia Bradley married her father's medical partner, Malcolm, who thinks she has a "condition" and treats her carefully in response to this. Sylvia met another man, Andrew Woodman, a historical geographer. He connected with her in a way that changed her world. A year after Andrew's death, Sylvia works up the courage to leave her community for the city and meet with Jerome McNaughton, the young artists who discovered Andrew's body.
There, she tells Jerome Andrew's story and shares Andrew's notebooks with him. This experience opens a door for Jerome into his own past and reveals secrets he didn't know.
The past story is Andrew's story, the story of his family, mostly that of his grandfather Branwell who married against his father's wishes. Branwell married an orphan French Canadian girl, and became an innkeeper and muralist painter. The story of Branwell is linked back to the present and it is the imagery that makes this book come alive. There is a lot here about surfaces and different textures. It is hard to know how to describe the book, except to say that it evokes strong images throughout.

Canadian Mystery

Finished August 1
Death Spiral by James W. Nichol
I was just glued to this book, because it is so different from most mysteries.
Wilf McLauchlin returns to his small Ontario town from World War II an injured hero. He was a Spitfire pilot and his plane went down over Germany in the late days of the war. He lost the use of an arm, walks with a limp and a cane due to his hip injuries and temporarily lost his sight.
Now back home, he struggles with what to do. His father requests that he come into his law office until he goes back to law school in Toronto, and so Wilf does.
But strange dark events begin to happen in the town and Wilf finds himself drawn and involved in them. As they continue Wilf wonders about his relationship to these events and why they are happening now.
This story is dark and haunting and yet gripped me completely. The aftereffects of the war, the evil present in all of us and the urges that compel are all shown here.