57. Winter of Secrets - third in the Constable Molly Smith series
by Vicki Delany
mystery, 2009
Kindle book - 4
finished, 9/12/10
In our third visit with Constable Molly (christened Moonlight by her 'hippie' parents) Smith we meet a thoroughly disagreeable bunch of mean-spirited, self-absorbed twenty-somethings on a ski vacation in the Kootenay Mountains during the Christmas season. The book begins with a car accident on a very snowy evening. Two of the vacationers are found dead after their car goes into the river. It is discovered that one of the young men did not die in the crash, but had been dead for a while. Why was the driver transporting a dead man in the passenger seat? The two young fellows had been inseparable from childhood. The driver's sister is among those on holiday in Trafalgar, British Columbia.
The mystery is involved, and has roots in the past which must be untangled. In a moment of insight, Constable Molly Smith echoed Miss Jane Marple when she drew on an incident from her own younger days and connected it to what may have occurred in this case.
I loved being in Molly's company again, and meeting some of the familiar faces from the first two books, but honestly the Christmastime visitors were so very unappealing that I didn't have much interest in what happened to them or who did it. Molly has moved into her own place, and though she is still grieving about the death of her love, she begins to be interested in a new man. A villain from earlier books reappears bringing possible danger to Molly and her friend. If you are a skier or snowboarder you will relish the passages about Molly skiing. The descriptions of the mountains and the snow are beautifully done.
This is a fine mystery, well-written and plotted, and I look forward to the fourth in the great series by Vicki Delany.
Nan, I'm so ready for the next book in this series. I read WINTER OF SECRETS in January and very much enjoyed my visit to Trafalgar. I agree with your assessment of the vacationers represented here - quite tiresome and annoying - very ugly people. However, I love the recurring characters so much that I will be a big fan of this series as long as Vicki Delany wants to share episodes with us. :-)
ReplyDeleteKay, did I read somewhere there would be only four, one for each season?
ReplyDeleteThank you for a new author to be added to my TBR (when we get home, I will have to hole up for weeks just to catch up on stuff I really want to read.) As we travel, it's been a catch as catch can thing -- although I have found a couple of gems.
ReplyDeleteNow this looks like a nice series for me, as I used to live in beautiful British Columbia. I'll see if my library has them. If it doesn't, I might be one tiny step closer to getting one of those reader things you like so much! I sure was taken by the idea that they mean you could read in the middle of the night without turning on a light. I also liked the idea of being able to pack lighter for trips--no piles of books to take.
ReplyDeleteSallie, I'll be interested to hear if you begin this series.
ReplyDeleteClair, you DO need a light! But it is very light - in weight! Makes it very easy to hold. If your library doesn't have a book, does it offer the inter library loan program? I get lots of books that way.
I thought that reading gadget was backlit, Nan. And yes, we have Interlibrary Loans (always with capitals for me, as I once worked in an ILL department). I got spoiled by our last library, though--every time I asked for a book on ILL they just bought it for me. Small town, small library budget, but a big estate was left to them for book purchases.
ReplyDeleteClair, I say ILL too, and use it as a verb, but I never know if people know what it means so I write out the words. :<) The iPad is backlit; not sure about the Nook. But you know, I like my Kindle being 'real' light - it seems less electronic, if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteMolly sounds like someone I would really like in real life...now I have another series to add to my list!!
ReplyDeleteStaci, Molly is a really nice character, as are her parents, and the other 'regulars' in the series. And the locale can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteHi, All. Vicki here. I wanted to remind you that Negative Image will be out on November 1st, and it is available in e-formats. In answer to Nan asking if there would be only four books - No, Among the Departed will be out next May. I love writing Molly, and being in "Trafalgar". There are some pics of "Trafalgar" on my web page if anyone wants a peek. www.vickidelany.com Thx again.
ReplyDeleteVicki, thanks for stopping by! And I'm thrilled there will be more and more in the series!
ReplyDelete