About Me

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Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada
I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Silence Invites the Dead by Scott Gregory Miller

Kerrie Smith at her blog, Mysteries in Paradise, is hosting a meme, the Alphabet in Crime Fiction. This week mysteries involving the letter "M" are being posted. I have chosen a Saskatchewan mystery. Set in the late winter of Sakatchewan it seemed particularly appropriate when spring is coming slow to Saskatchewan in 2011. There is still half a meter of snow in my backyard. The book provides excellent descriptions of rural Saskatchewan.

****

35. - 445.) Silence Invites the Dead by Scott Gregory Miller – What an opening! A veteran journalist, Myles Sterling, and two Canadian soldiers, Colonel John McTaggart (think of Romeo D’Allaire) and Captain Ed Braun, struggle to hold their sanity in the carnage of Rwanda. All 3 return to Saskatchewan and 7 years later are in Candle Lake when the body of the Colonel is found in the lake near his ice fishing hut. Despite an official finding of accidental death Sterling is convinced it was murder. As he searches for the truth he becomes involved with the beautiful Bonnie Matheson and her artistic brother, Brendan. The investigation is hampered by the miseries of the late Saskatchewan winter. The overall plot is excellent. I found the ending alittle contrived. The characters do not always seem like they are from Saskatchewan. The physical descriptions of the province are completely convincing. It was a good book. I expect the next will be better. In the pantheon of Saskatchewan fictional investigators Sterling is a considerable distance behind Joanna Kilbourn and Russell Quant. (Aug. 24/08)
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 4, 2011 at 6:24 AM

    Bill - Thanks for this excellent review. I always like it when people who live in an area give their views on how authentic the characters and locale are. This does sound like an interesting read, even if the ending was a little contrived for your taste. I appreciate the recommendation.

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  2. Bill SelnesApril 4, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    Margot: Thanks for the comment and kind words. I appreciate an author who works to get right the particulars of the setting of the mystery.

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  3. KerrieApril 8, 2011 at 5:37 PM

    Thanks for this review Bill. Sounds a very good debut novel. Thanks for contributing to this week's CFA

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  4. Bill SelnesApril 8, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Kerrie: Thanks for your comment. I always appreciate hearing from you.

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