Forty Words for Sorrow
4 journalers for this copy...
Giles Blunt crafts characters that are believable and the storyline forces you to look for the next book to find out what happens to the characters. Great series.
Selected for the Canada Bookbox hosted by AwesomeAud, mathgirl40, and sharpquilter.
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This book's journey continues by its finder's cooperation and creativity. By making a journal entry on this book, you can add to the book's story as it travels from reader to reader around the world. Read it, share it, and pass it on! Thanks!
Selected for the Canada Bookbox hosted by AwesomeAud, mathgirl40, and sharpquilter.
...
This book's journey continues by its finder's cooperation and creativity. By making a journal entry on this book, you can add to the book's story as it travels from reader to reader around the world. Read it, share it, and pass it on! Thanks!
Selected for the Canada Bookbox hosted by AwesomeAud, mathgirl40, and sharpquilter.
I took two books out of the book box and it appears both of them were added by rureading. I've heard great things about Giles Blunt's books so I'm looking forward to reading this. Thanks rureading for contributing it. The Winnipeg BookCrossers had a great time going through the box.
I heard Giles Blunt speak at Thin Air (the Manitoba Writers' Fesitval) a few years ago and meant to pick up some of his books. Thank goodness for BookCrossing which keeps me supplied with reading material.
This book is the first of a series that feature John Cardinal, a policeman with the Algonquin Bay police force. John had been working on a few missing children cases. John was convinced that the children had been murdered but no bodies had been discovered and his chief had taken him off the case because he was spending too much time and using too many resources. The book opens when a young girl's body is discovered in a mine shaft on Windigo Island. Turns out John was correct and this is the first discovery that shows a serial killer is at work. John has been teamed up with Lise Delorme who formerly worked Special Investigations but who has been wanting to move to Homicide. However, Lise has another assignment; she is investigating John for tipping off a criminal about raids.
A little way into the book we are introduced to the persons who are killing the children. Yes, indeed persons. In fact it is a man and a woman and I'm sure I'm not the only reader who was put in mind of the horrible crimes of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo. We can only watch and read while they entice another young person into their web, hoping that Cardinal and Delorme will be able to put enough clues together to save him.
I can say that I'm hooked on this series and I'll be looking for the remaining 5. One thing I did notice is that technology has come a long way since 2000 when this book was published. One of the key pieces of evidence in an audio cassette tape. I can't remember the last time I played a cassette and it is even longer since I recorded one. Even CDs are pretty passe now but I do still have a CD player; if someone gave me an audio cassette I would not have anything to play it on. This didn't detract from the book but it was an observation that I made.
I'm going to reserve this book for the 2013 Canada Days release challenge as the special theme will be mysteries and thrillers.
This book is the first of a series that feature John Cardinal, a policeman with the Algonquin Bay police force. John had been working on a few missing children cases. John was convinced that the children had been murdered but no bodies had been discovered and his chief had taken him off the case because he was spending too much time and using too many resources. The book opens when a young girl's body is discovered in a mine shaft on Windigo Island. Turns out John was correct and this is the first discovery that shows a serial killer is at work. John has been teamed up with Lise Delorme who formerly worked Special Investigations but who has been wanting to move to Homicide. However, Lise has another assignment; she is investigating John for tipping off a criminal about raids.
A little way into the book we are introduced to the persons who are killing the children. Yes, indeed persons. In fact it is a man and a woman and I'm sure I'm not the only reader who was put in mind of the horrible crimes of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo. We can only watch and read while they entice another young person into their web, hoping that Cardinal and Delorme will be able to put enough clues together to save him.
I can say that I'm hooked on this series and I'll be looking for the remaining 5. One thing I did notice is that technology has come a long way since 2000 when this book was published. One of the key pieces of evidence in an audio cassette tape. I can't remember the last time I played a cassette and it is even longer since I recorded one. Even CDs are pretty passe now but I do still have a CD player; if someone gave me an audio cassette I would not have anything to play it on. This didn't detract from the book but it was an observation that I made.
I'm going to reserve this book for the 2013 Canada Days release challenge as the special theme will be mysteries and thrillers.
Received from gypsysmom because I'm the lucky winner of the International Canadian Literature sweepstakes this year. She also included a note saying I'd really better read this. Now I see in her journal entries here, she says she's addicted to the series! Well great! That's all I need - another book addiction!
But, I'll give it my best shot to read it before the release challenge! Thanks gypsysmom! And thanks rureading too for starting this book on its journey.
But, I'll give it my best shot to read it before the release challenge! Thanks gypsysmom! And thanks rureading too for starting this book on its journey.
Okay, it didn't even take me two days to finish this book. And these were work days. I noted at page 23, I was already hooked.
I don't read a lot of mystery or crime novels - they've just never appealed to me. So, I don't know how this book scores in comparison to others. Also, to be honest, I don't know that I will start reading more crime novels, but I definitely will keep reading this series.
When I first started reading, I took notes, thinking that there would be clues as to who the bad guy was. So all along I was analyzing the characters for their flaws (and none of them seemed perfectly innocent). But, as gypsysmom points out, I didn't have to guess who perpetrated the horrendous crimes against the children. We learn soon enough. Shudder. The two killers are definitely intriguing, almost unbelievably evil people.
The other characters are quite believable. I most liked John Cardinal's female partner, who at the same time as they were investigating the children's murders, was investigating him for possible past misdeeds on another case.
The actual hunt for the killers is fast paced and stressful as you wonder if they will be in time to save another child from death.
And, there is much more at play in this book than one police investigation. The reader is exposed to attitudes between the police services, the OPP and RCMP, attitudes toward aboriginal people and toward women, corruption in the police force. John Cardinal's family is interesting too. His wife is ill and his daughter is away in school, so Cardinal is on his own, but very much a family man. So I am glad there are more books!
I was slightly aware of the technology changes since this book was published, but not nearly so much as gypsysmom. It just so happens I still use cassette tapes. That doesn't make me "old and dated" does it? :)
I had intended to release this book into the wild for the Canada Day release challenge later on this month, but I found out that my son-in-law intends to read this series. He has a couple of the books in the series but wants to start at book 1. So I'll be sending this book to him in Ontario so he can get started.
And now I gotta look for Book 2. :) Thanks a lot gypsysmom!
I don't read a lot of mystery or crime novels - they've just never appealed to me. So, I don't know how this book scores in comparison to others. Also, to be honest, I don't know that I will start reading more crime novels, but I definitely will keep reading this series.
When I first started reading, I took notes, thinking that there would be clues as to who the bad guy was. So all along I was analyzing the characters for their flaws (and none of them seemed perfectly innocent). But, as gypsysmom points out, I didn't have to guess who perpetrated the horrendous crimes against the children. We learn soon enough. Shudder. The two killers are definitely intriguing, almost unbelievably evil people.
The other characters are quite believable. I most liked John Cardinal's female partner, who at the same time as they were investigating the children's murders, was investigating him for possible past misdeeds on another case.
The actual hunt for the killers is fast paced and stressful as you wonder if they will be in time to save another child from death.
And, there is much more at play in this book than one police investigation. The reader is exposed to attitudes between the police services, the OPP and RCMP, attitudes toward aboriginal people and toward women, corruption in the police force. John Cardinal's family is interesting too. His wife is ill and his daughter is away in school, so Cardinal is on his own, but very much a family man. So I am glad there are more books!
I was slightly aware of the technology changes since this book was published, but not nearly so much as gypsysmom. It just so happens I still use cassette tapes. That doesn't make me "old and dated" does it? :)
I had intended to release this book into the wild for the Canada Day release challenge later on this month, but I found out that my son-in-law intends to read this series. He has a couple of the books in the series but wants to start at book 1. So I'll be sending this book to him in Ontario so he can get started.
And now I gotta look for Book 2. :) Thanks a lot gypsysmom!
Woot!! Friendly guy from Canada Post delivered a Christmas package from my mother-in-law, today. Christmas cookies AND Forty Words for Sorrow! Read Blackfly Season some time ago and decided I need to start at the beginning. Gonna get to this as soon as I'm done the current read (The Book Thief) THANKS!!!
