Why a Booktrail?
1990s -Ottawa and the story of a Native American police officer makes this a mystery and crime novel with a difference. The snowy settings really chill the novel!
Cold Mourning
What you need to know before your trail
Native American Kala Stonechild moves to Ottawa for her job and for something else as well. She lands herself a job in a special unit of the Ottawa Police Department headed up by detective Jacques Rouleau.
Both Stonechild and Rouleau have a past and this is one of the novels strengths -we get to know them on a much deeper level and start to care for them early on in the story.
They have a case to investigate and so must work together – business man Tom Underwood has gone missing and Rouleau’s team is charged with finding what has happened.
When the case later turns to a murder investigation, family, friends, and business colleagues are all under suspicion.
Travel Guide
Ottawa is a fascinating city to visit at the best of times but the mix of police work and the story of a Native American police officer is an interesting mix.
Cold Mourning is multilayered novel with a unique premise made all the more chilling by the frosty cold environment of an Ottawa winter
“The snow there was soft and deep, but years in the bush made her sure-footed and quicker than most in the shadowy darkness”
Meanwhile, Kala has her own mystery to solve – she needs to find her cousin, with whom she once shared a horrific nightmare of brutality and murder. The fact that Kala is Native American makes for a unique insight into the way of life and cultureal beliefs of a nation of people few books seem to include Stonechild, from a First Nations reserve, is a lone wolf who is used to surviving on her wits and this strength and determination goes a long way in cold harsh Ottawa.
The contrast of the two settings works well with a character moving to the big city of Ottawa, wanting to be accepted and needing to be part of the team for her job.
Brenda’s booktrail of Stonechild and Rouleau’s Ottawa “would take you on an insider’s tour of the city: the mansions of Rockcliffe and the colourful Byward Market. We’d follow Elgin Street to the Canal through the Glebe into Chinatown, Little Italy, Hintonburg, and my own neighbourhood, Westboro. We could take a trip across the Ottawa River into Quebec for a drive to the Gatineau Hills—spectacular in autumn when the leaves turn colour.”
Streetview Maps
2) Ottawa - Police station
Is this where the investigation takes place?
Is this where the investigation takes place?
4) Ottawa -Macdonald Cartier Bridge
The police drive over here many times
The police drive over here many times
Booktrailer Review
Susan @thebooktrailer
First of all, I loved the premise of this book – a Native American police woman moving to Ottawa, fitting in, remaining true to her cultural heritage whilst also doing her best in her new job. A unique and exciting way to start out which made me eager to read more.
Kala Stonechild moves to Ottawa for her job and for something else as well. She lands herself a job in a special unit of the Ottawa Police Department headed up by detective Jacques Rouleau.
Both Stonechild and Rouleau have a past and this is one of the novels strengths -we get to know them on a much deeper level and start to care for them early on in the story.
When the case later turns to a murder investigation, family, friends, and business colleagues are all under suspicion. Everyone could have had a motive and the twists and turns through out the book made it hard to guess which makes the end a nice treat. There might be so many motives but no real evidence. Each character is flawed, and the subplots and background set up a perfect backdrop to this first in a series of novels.
Where Next?
