Undertow
This engaging, complex mystery takes place in Newfoundland in 1947, before it joined Canada as a province. The book’s prologue is a newspaper report from 1943 about the murder of an American serviceman, a case still unsolved in 1947. Inspector Stride, who is assigned to both cases, is not your typical police detective, or at least does not have a typical policeman’s background (read the book to find out more!), but he is a thoughtful and likable character. In investigating the murder of a woman in her bath, he ends up confronting the woman he used to love. The case is complicated when he finds himself attracted to her once again, despite being involved with another, more suitable woman. There are layers upon layers in this book, each with its own characters, who slowly start to merge into one story. The author gives a vivid feel for the capital city of St. John’s and the surrounding area. I hope there will soon be a second Inspector Stride mystery.
