A Cold White Sun
by Vicki Delany – Trafalgar, British Columbia schoolteacher, Cathy Lindsay, is
out for an early morning walk with the family dog, Spot, on the first day of
the spring school vacation. As she briskly strides down the path on the edge of
the mountain near her home she is struck down by a single shot fired from a
shotgun behind her. Constable Molly (Moonlight) Smith answers the call and
finds Lindsay dead in the snow.
There is no obvious suspect. Lindsay does not have any
apparent enemies. Life at home with husband, Gord, was tolerable. Colleagues
generally like and respect her. She is neither a community activist nor
politically active nor involved in any protest movements. There is no activity
in which she is engaged that created animosity.
For Smith, Sergeant John Winters and the other members of
the police department it means a long hard investigation looking into the
details of Lindsay’s life. They will have to search for a piece of evidence to
lead them to the killer.
In her personal life Smith has been reflecting on her
relationship with boyfriend, Constable Adam Tocek of the local RCMP (Royal
Canadian Mounted Police) detachment. They have been living comfortably together.
Has the time come to make it permanent or is it time to move on?
Smith is adjusting to the new relationship of her mother,
Lucky Smith, with the town’s Chief Constable, Paul Keller. Smith’s father has
died a few years ago and she realizes her gregarious mother is bound to
establish a new relationship but she finds herself not ready for her mother to
have a sexual relationship.
Trafalgar is a small community. As the police probe
information comes from personal connections as much as from formal interviews.
The police learn that Lindsay was very interested in math
teacher, Mark Hamilton. Publicly he has shown no interest her. Of interest to
the police is his military background. Before becoming a teacher he had been a
soldier in the Canadian army and served in Afghanistan. Could there have been a
personal as well as a professional relationship?
The police examination of Lindsay’s family is painful. Gord
is confused and disorientated by the death of his wife. Daughter, Jocelyn, normally
a bubbly 10 year old is devastated by the death of her Mom. Son, Bradley, a
sullen teenager cannot figure out what to feel about his Mom being gone. On an
ordinary late winter morning their lives have changed completely and they
cannot understand why.
Frustration grows as the police struggle to find leads.
Lindsay has had an average life.
Delany skillfully portrays the family lives of the police
and other characters. It is not a mystery in which the characters lead solitary
lives. Her characters deal with the daily challenge of family relationships.
Delany does equally well in evoking the central B.C. setting
of the book. The weather and geography are essential parts of the book.
In the combination of family and mystery I was reminded of the
Joanne Kilbourn series of Gail Bowen. I am drawn to reading mysteries in which
the characters have real families in clearly defined settings.
The end is startling. I did not see it coming.
The sixth Smith and Winters mystery is the first I
have read. I will be reading more of the series. (Nov. 23/13)
Sounds excellent. A comparison with Gail Bowen would always attract my attention, and I love a startling end that we don't see coming! You've sold it to me...
ReplyDeleteBill - Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. I think it's a terrific series, and Delany does an excellent job throughout the series of developing the different characters. I really recommend the novels and I'm glad that you've found this one to your liking. Going back to the beginning is I think very helpful in understanding several of the characters.
ReplyDeleteI have the first book in this series and plan to read it in 2014. I am glad you liked this book.
ReplyDeleteMoira: Thanks for the comment. I look forward to your thoughts especially on the heavy winter wear needed in a Canadian winter.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for your comment. I remember reading your Spotlight on In the Shadow of the Glacier. I am looking to go back to the first in the series.
ReplyDeleteTracyK: You have good reading ahead next year when you start the series.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good one. I like this series, read the first two.
ReplyDeleteOnly problem is the TBR pile in my house, or should I say stacks. And my TBR humongous list.
KathyD.: Thanks for the comment. My TBR piles have gotten higher than lower since I have been blogging.
ReplyDeleteSeems like an interesting book, but I will have to reduce the piles currently waiting for some attention. One to consider for the future then.
ReplyDeletecol: Thanks for the comment. I have not found a way to diminish my piles.
ReplyDelete