We fans of detective fiction tune in for the mystery, the battle of wits between the protagonists and the nefarious figure lurking in the shadows. Primal needs, to root out the threat to our status quo, for good to triumph over evil, keep us reading until the last page, when all is revealed, and the ne’er-do-well gets their comeuppance. It is rare, then, that a mystery novel lures the reader in with something other than the mystery. Such is the case with Who By Water, the second installment in Greg Rhyno’s Dame Polara series.
The book takes place three years after Who By Fire, and we see Dame adjusting to motherhood, balancing it with her work and with tending to her father, Dodge, the famous athlete and detective now coping with aphasia. Although Rhyno honours the unwritten rule of detective fiction, providing us with a corpse within the first fifty pages, he hooks us with so much more. Although thoroughly intrigued by the setup of the novel, it was the characterization that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. That the mystery itself, the disappearance and subsequent death of Dame’s ex-husband, is wrapped up in who she is, only makes us care more about where our protagonist is in her life.
Although thoroughly intrigued by the setup of the novel, it was the characterization that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.
The side of Dame Polara that is her father’s protégé is almost a secret identity. It would be, if Dame had her way, and if the media hadn’t covered the events of the first novel. Were it up to Dame, she’d be an employee of the City of Toronto, helping to protect heritage buildings from greedy developers, the mother of toddler Rosie and dutiful daughter of Dodge. But fate has other plans.
The second book in a detective series, especially when the detective is not a professional, can be tricky. Often the reader tries to avoid the question “what are the odds this same, random person will just stumble onto another murder?” Rhyno avoids that completely, rooting the crime firmly within Dame’s well-established backstory. As with the more recent Mission Impossible movies, Who By Water, though self-contained and satisfying, feels like a continuation of the first story, therefore avoiding the series sophomore slump. I was so engaged, so intrigued with Dame’s life, following the course set in the first book, that the mystery sprung up around me like a net trap.
What really sets this book apart, is how the investigation of the mystery really turns into a litigation of who Dame is as a person. Who she was as a wife, and who she is as a mother, come under scrutiny. She is forced to reckon with her past and wrestle with her self-doubt in a way that not only makes the reader consider gender roles in the genre, but take the story deeper. Rhyno excels in writing a simultaneously fast-paced story, while diving deep into the main character’s psyche.
Rhyno’s love of music, both mainstream and indie, which was a prominent feature of both Who By Fire and his first novel, To Me You Seem Giant, is woven through this book. There’s also a sense of humour that balances the tension, and a real affection for these characters and between them. The “Polara-verse” is built upon relationships, her friends and family, and that is the source of both the protagonist’s strength and the series’ strength. Although the spotlight has shifted a few degrees from the first book, highlighting peripheral characters and giving less attention to those featured the first time out, I’ve no doubt that the supporting cast of Dame Polara’s life will be back in a big way for her next outing.
Who By Water, as the second book in the series, sets the bar high. Book three has big shoes to fill. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Greg Rhyno, and Dame Polara herself. The pulse-pounding ending of Who By Water will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.
Greg Rhyno’s debut novel, To Me You Seem Giant, was nominated for a ReLit Award and an Alberta Book Publishing Award. His writing has appeared in a number of journals including Hobart, Riddle Fence, and Prism International. He completed an MFA at the University of Guelph and lives with his family in Guelph, Ontario.
Publisher: Cormorant Books (April 19, 2025)
Paperback 8″ x 6″ | 288 pages
ISBN: 9781770867871
Jeff Dupuis is a writer and editor living in Toronto. He is the author of The Creature X Mystery novels and numerous short stories, which have been published in The Ex-Puritan and The Temz Review among others. Jeff is the editor, alongside A.G. Pasquella, of the anthology Devouring Tomorrow: Fiction from the Future of Food, which will be published in 2025 by Dundurn Press.
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
- Jeff Dupuishttps://miramichireader.ca/author/jeff-dupuis/
