This is a novel that had a lot of potential. One I really wanted to love. There were great moments, compelling characters and a complex adventure that got me reading faster. The downfall was the seeming blatant effort at keyword stuffing the story. Between the Russian hitmen, COVID pandemic, Pitbull banning, Freedom Convoy, political scandal, homeless, and ghosts, it was a lot to keep track of.
Set in Ottawa, the political aspect was to be expected and initially caught my attention.
There were great moments of intrigue, I especially liked the spunk and bravado of Detective Jamie
Wallace and her history. Overall, she was portrayed realistically and someone to look up to – a boxer with a temper, gut feelings that proved worthwhile and a demeanour that made me side with her immediately. And Charlie Pike was a strong character, too, who unfortunately wasn’t in the story long enough to really connect with him.
Set in Ottawa, the political aspect was to be expected and initially caught my attention with this fast-
paced mystery with redundant unnecessary details. There was so much potential with the story, it
simply seemed too scattered and stuffed with the author’s viewpoints on recent headlines to hold my
attention.
With a lot of characters and convoluted situations, as soon as I got invested the situation switched. I wish Blair expanded on two or three of the main points of this novel and left the rest for another one. There were too many main characters with complicated histories and different objectives for me to dive in fully. It felt like I was kept at arm’s length the whole time while being offered glimmers of intensity. This is my first read of Blair’s and may be my last, though I could be convinced if another novel promised more focus and isolated some of the main characters.
Peggy J. Blair is a Canadian lawyer and author. Blair has been a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1990 and is a past member of the Law Society of Alberta. Blair is considered an expert in Indigenous legal issues. After leaving active law practice, Blair has become a mystery writer
Publisher: Rebound Press (September 1, 2023)
Paperback 9″ x 6″ | 338 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9919236-1-8
I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.
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