The Devil to Pay: An Inspector Green Mystery by Barbara Fradkin

Fradkin is well known for her compelling mysteries. Fast-paced, lots of action and scenes which keep you guessing. The Devil to Pay is another novel in the Inspector Green series set in Ottawa, Canada. But Inspector Michael Green is not the main character. His daughter Hannah steals the show.

Hannah is a rookie cop, learning the ropes from a fellow police officer named Rick, who she has been assigned to. The story opens with them responding to the dispatcher’s request for a unit to check on a 10-55, code for “domestic disturbance.” Directed to listen and take notes, Hannah can’t help but wonder if there is more than meets the eye. After the interview with the husband and wife, Hannah’s partner doesn’t believe there are grounds for further investigation but Hannah reminds him:

“There’s the dog.”
Rick snorted. “What about the dog?”
“I have a dog. I mean there’s a dog at my parents’. She was a rescue who’d been traumatized. Dogs don’t hide their feelings. The dog wasn’t friendly, especially to the husband. It was tense and fearful. It was quiet in the wife’s arms but when the husband went to pet it, it snarled.”

Like her famous father, who is a legend in investigation, now delegated to paperwork, she has a keen impulse to dig deeper. Told to let it go, she ventures off on her own time to uncover what nags at her about the situation. A death in the family gets the authorities involved and Hannah is warned off again. This is when she starts to get in trouble.

Fradkin does a splendid job of creating suspense. She weaves characters in and out, including the small dog, and the story moves along at a good pace. Surprises along the way keep you involved. It’s tough to put down. There are teasers in the story that hint at Inspector Green’s past as a lead investigator and Hannah’s rough childhood. Fradkin sets it up so you will want to know more.
I like Canadian mysteries and Fradkin is at the top of her craft. I enjoyed the novel and if you enjoy mysteries, I recommend it.

Barbara Fradkin is a retired psychologist who is fascinated with why people turn bad. She is the author of the Amanda Doucette series and the critically acclaimed Inspector Green novels. She lives in Ottawa.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dundurn Press (Oct. 19 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1459743849
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1459743847

Allan Hudson

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Growing up in South Branch, Allan Hudson was encouraged to read from an early age by his mother who was a schoolteacher. He lives in Dieppe, NB, with his wife Gloria. He has enjoyed a lifetime of adventure, and travel and uses the many experiences as ideas for his writing. He is an author of action/adventure novels, historical fiction and a short story collection. His short stories – The Ship Breakers & In the Abyss – received Honourable Mention in the New Brunswick Writer’s Federation competition. He has stories published oncommuterlit.com, The Golden Ratio and his blog - South Branch Scribbler.