Blind River by @SigridWinter
Recommended and reviewed by M.Y.
Blind River the novel has a certain kind of stillness shared by the eponymous town. It is a stillness which hides an underlying menace.
Mark Roth is a retired musician and arts administrator who is finding retirement so boring that he prefers when he doesn't catch a fish because he can just enjoy the quiet out on the lake. But the quiet is disturbed by sirens, police and crowds when a dead body turns up close to shore, with everyone on the Riverview Diner patio looking on.
Everybody's got a theory, but it's Mark's cousin Jeremy Roth, the local OPP officer, who's actually getting his hands dirty. And Mark's daughter, a criminologist from Thunder Bay named Stephanie, looks like she'll be dragged into it, too. Was the environmental activist killed because of the controversies he brought to light? Or is it something to do with drugs? Lots of food for thought for Mark, Stephanie, and Jeremy, and lots of excitement for this small town.
Great descriptions of life in the far north, well-wrought dialogue and a compelling mystery mean this will be one to watch. The author is posting the chapters as she writes them, so add this one to your library or reading list and watch for updates!