The girl no longer knew who to trust. He said his name was
Henry but that is not what his ID said. She felt no
compulsion about leaving him and she had other things to do
before she knew she would be caught.
As Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef read the promptly
delivered police report submitted by the Five Nations
police reporting officer, Lydia Bellecourt, about the
untimely death of Henry Weist, a well-known and well-liked
local business man, from an anaphylactic shock, something
just didn't sit right with her. Small unanswered question
niggle at the back of Hazel's mind: What on earth would
Henry be doing parked in the back lot behind the Eagle
Smoke and Souvenir store on the Five Nations Reserve when
he doesn't even smoke? Don't wasps stay in a nest at night?
Now in her early 60s, divorced, and Interim Police Chief
for the small and pretty Ontario town of Port Dundas,
Hazel was well known, but not always well liked, for her
force of will and for her unique way of building evidence.
Yet, while her team might be a little baffled and
bewildered by her requests, they had learned to trust her
instincts and moved quickly to get what she needed.
Despite their quick efforts, more violence occurs and the
body counts rises. What is going on? Who and why is this
young woman involved? Who can be trusted? As hazel
struggles to get answers, her 88 year old mother, Emily
Micallef, the former Mayor of Port Dundas, seems
dispirited. What can she do for her when she is in the
middle of a major police investigation?
Under the pseudonym of Inger Ash Wolfe, American born
Canadian author and poet Michael Redhill, has written this
highly captivating book, the third in his very popular
Hazel Micallef mystery series. While still very
compelling
as a stand-alone read, mystery and police procedural fans
may want to check out The Calling and The Taken first.
Wolfe is particularly talented in changing perspectives as
the plot develops and letting readers see more deeply
into the characters and their motivations. I particularly
enjoyed Hazel and her ways of interacting with others, her
deep instincts to track things down and do the right thing
as well as her penchant for a nip of whisky when needed.
Larysa (Kitty) is also a very intriguing character - a
different sort of killer with her mind set on her own sense
of restorative justice.
As the tension builds and complexity beneath the surface
are revealed (including a most unusual crime scene as the
title accurately reflects), readers be warned! It will be
very difficult to put this book down as you will just want
to keep turning the pages to find out the fates of Wingate
and Larysa! This is an action packed mystery not to be
missed! I sure hope there will be more in this powerful
series, as Hazel may have to deal with Ray Greene in a
whole new way. Enjoy!
Stinging deaths aren't uncommon in the summertime, but when Henry Wiest turns up stung to death at an Indian Reserve, Detective Hazel Micallef senses not all is as it seems. And when it turns out the "bee" was a diabolical teenaged girl on a murder spree with a strange weapon, a dark and twisted crime begins to slowly emerge. The questions, contradictions, and bodies begin to mount, as two separate police forces struggle to work together to save the soul of Westmuir County.