Author: Mike Martin

Published: September 2020 by Ottawa Press and Publishing

Category: Cozy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Book Review

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Sgt. Windflower is back, untangling another swirling mystery, this one bringing the meth crisis and biker gangs to the quiet Newfoundland town of Grand Bank, feeling the sting of their deadly tentacles reaching all the way from the United States. He’s working with his familiar crew of RCMP characters — but wait, are some of the faces changing? There are new challenges for Jones, an unknown side of Smithson reveals itself, and what ever happened to Tizzard? In the midst of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Windflower and his beloved Sheila also find themselves navigating sorrows and surprises on the family front.

Changes are afoot in the quiet town of Grand Bank on the Newfoundland coast. Eddie Tizzard has left the RCMP and is in Las Vegas training to be a private detective. That was the idea anyway, until he found himself on the wrong side of the law, held as a suspect in a holding cell. After returning to his hotel he had found a large amount of money spread around the room and bloodstains on the bed, not to mention a body in the bathroom. Unfortunately for Eddie, it seemed the dead man had a connection to Grand Bank and the FBI were involved.

Meanwhile Eddie’s ex boss, Sergeant Winston Windflower is also contemplating a change, along with his wife, Sheila. Perhaps it was time to move on, try something new. Back in the now however, Windflower was having problems of his own while investigating reports of a fire and kids playing around an abandoned mine. Lacking a phone signal to call in his location, Windflower decided to take a quick look anyway. He soon regretted his decision when the floor gave way and he found himself injured and unable to climb out of the mine shaft he’d fallen into.

Windflower was starting to wonder if he’d be spending the night in the mine shaft. He certainly hoped not. The critters down here could see much better than he could in the dark, and they could move faster, too. Then he heard a rumble above him. Could that be a car? Then he heard a woman’s voice yelling. It took him a few seconds to recognize that she was calling his name.

He tried to yell but only managed to croak a little. He tried shining his light up through the shaft. That seemed to work better since the person above shone a light back at him.

The Windflower series of books are easy to read, cosy mysteries set in well described and picturesque location. Each story deals with relevant issues. In A Perfect Storm the manufacture and distribution of drugs seems set to infiltrate the small, peaceful community of Grand Bank, bringing with it biker gangs and the spectre of white supremacy as the story alternates between the US and Canada.

Winston Windflower continues to be an engaging character. A full blooded Cree who is true to his native customs and culture, he is a happily married family man and a well respected and liked member of the community. It was interesting to delve more into the native spirituality aspect, and particularly the significance of dreams, the guidance they provide and how they related to Windflower’s life. 

Although A Perfect Storm can be read as a stand alone with regards to plot, the characters’ story arcs continue to develop throughout the series and their relationships and lives have moved on realistically. An enjoyable, character driven read with a satisfying resolution. I’m intrigued to know what happens to Windflower and his family and what decisions they make.

I chose to read and review A Perfect Storm based on a copy of the book kindly supplied by the author/publisher.

Book links ~ Amazon UK | Amazon US  

About the Author

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

Author links ~ Website | Twitter | Facebook