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Inspector Green Mystery #3
Mist Walker
Innocent scapegoat or monster manipulator? Matthew Fraser was an idealistic young teacher accused of molesting a young schoolgirl and acquitted in a sensational case that left the truth hidden and the young teacher’s life in tatters. Ten years later, his distraught confidante walks into Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green’s office insisting that Fraser has vanished. Green’s curiosity is piqued when he discovers that Fraser left behind his beloved dog, a half-eaten dinner and an apartment crammed with research related to his case. Has Fraser fled to escape the wrath of victims, new or old? Or was he innocent all along and spent the last ten years trying to clear his name? And who is Fraser’s mysterious email correspondent with the user name Mistwalker?
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
6 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Fradkin
29 books163 followersBarbara Fradkin (nee Currie), an award-winning Canadian mystery writer and retired psychologist whose work with children and families provides ample inspiration for murder. She is fascinated by the dark side and by the desperate choices people make.
Her novels are gritty, realistic, and psychological, with a blend of mystery and suspense. She is the author of three series, including ten novels featuring the exasperating, quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green, and three short novels about country handyman Cedric O'Toole which provide an entertaining but quick and easy read. FIRE IN THE STARS is the first book in her new mystery thriller series which stars passionate, adventurous, but traumatized aid worker Amanda Doucette.
Fradkin's work has been nominated for numerous awards, and two of the Inspector Green books have won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel from Crime Writers of Canada. Fradkin was born in Montreal but lives in Ottawa.
Series:
* Inspector Green Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2005): Fifth Son
◊ Best Novel (2007): Honour Among Men
Her novels are gritty, realistic, and psychological, with a blend of mystery and suspense. She is the author of three series, including ten novels featuring the exasperating, quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green, and three short novels about country handyman Cedric O'Toole which provide an entertaining but quick and easy read. FIRE IN THE STARS is the first book in her new mystery thriller series which stars passionate, adventurous, but traumatized aid worker Amanda Doucette.
Fradkin's work has been nominated for numerous awards, and two of the Inspector Green books have won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel from Crime Writers of Canada. Fradkin was born in Montreal but lives in Ottawa.
Series:
* Inspector Green Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2005): Fifth Son
◊ Best Novel (2007): Honour Among Men
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2024
In this third installment of the Inspector Green series, Frankin deals with the complex and emotionally charged issue of sexual abuse, but does so in a thoughtful and sensitive way.
Mathew Fraser was a shy, quiet teacher who enjoyed working with children. Over a decade ago, one of his students, six-year-old Rebecca Whelan, accused him of sexually molesting her. In the sensational trail that followed, Mathew was found not guilty, but what followed the trial and that judgement ruined his life. He lost his job, his friends deserted him and he became a reclusive, anxiety driven, paranoid young man. He sought help from professionals, took his prescribed medications and attended weekly group therapy sessions. It was at those sessions, he met Janice Turner, a young woman who also suffered with mental health issues. They began a friendship, meeting weekly for a walk and spending time in casual conversation. When Mathew did not turn up for either their regularly scheduled group therapy session or their walk, Janice became worried. She phoned his apartment, but couldn’t get through. After six days and growing increasingly worried, she headed to his apartment, surprised to find the door unlocked. When she entered, she was assaulted by the overwhelming smell of half-eaten rotting food in the kitchen. She could hardly make sense of what she saw lining the walls and filling every space on the tables, chairs and the floor. There were piles of old documents everywhere and the shelves were full of more articles and books on law and psychology. But what stops Janice in her tracks is that wherever Matt has gone, he has left his beloved dog Modo behind, closed off in the bedroom without food and water. She knows something is very wrong. It looks like Matt left abruptly and has now been gone for several days. Thinking back to their last group meeting, Janice remembers finding Matt skittish and he seemed to think someone was out to get him.
Worried for Matt’s safety she reports him missing at the police station, but feels no one is taking her seriously. When she spots Inspector Green, she grabs him, glad to finally talk to someone in authority. She shares the evidence she has that worries her and Green, his curiosity piqued, agrees to check it out, hoping to calm her. When he checks Mathew’s apartment, he understands Janice Tanner’s concerns.
Green’s research into Mathew Fraser’s police file reveals the allegations of sexual abuse made by Rebecca Whelan over a decade ago and wonders if the piles of documents in Mathew’s apartment are related to that case. If so, why was he researching it now, decades after it happened and after he was declared not guilty? Did he find information he was desperate to keep hidden from someone who was threatening him? Or is someone, who believes Matt was guilty, about to exact revenge. Something very urgent and compelling had taken Matt away. Had he gone on his own, or did someone force him to leave? Green seizes Mathew’s computer hoping to find more clues, but much of it has been wiped clean. There is one file titled “Mistwalker” which he finds curious, but like the others, is empty.
This is the plodding detective work Green enjoys and the only police work he has ever wanted to do. It is not the work expected in his job as Inspector, one when he is expected to attend meetings, liaise with other agencies, review statistics and reports and lead others working cases in the field. That is the type of middle management work he takes every opportunity to avoid in favor of an opportunity to grab an interesting case. He likes to partner with his longtime friend and colleague Detective Brian Sullivan and they make an excellent team, despite their differences in temperament and rank. Green is impulsive and uses his unrestrained imagination to make wild intuitive leaps, while Sullivan is practical and has his feet firmly on the ground. At this time, Brian is investigating a rooming house death in Vanier and as the case proceeds a point comes when Green begins to wonder if there is a remote chance the two cases are connected.
Fradkin explores the frustration and difficulty the authorities experience investigating sex crimes involving children. They must uncover the facts while at the same time, balance the privacy of the victims with the rights of the accused. The public judge sex crimes as heinous, considers sex offenders as evil doers and pedophiles as the lowest of the low. In cases that go to trial, many will not remember an acquittal, only the terrible allegations of what allegedly happened, always mindful an acquittal does not mean the accused was innocent, only that the prosecution was not able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These cases invoke passion and moral outrage, targeted at the accused and the lawyers that defend them, the authorities investigating the case and the community organizations created to defend and support vulnerable victims. Even those who must defend those charged with an offence, experience difficulty when they do not believe their client is innocent, but are bound to provide them with the best defense they can muster. Families are torn apart by these events, professionals are stressed trying to protect patient client confidentiality, by their carefully consideration about what they can and cannot say, while also feeling duty bound to protect the public. Those who are wrongly accused may try to start a new life, but often fail, as news of the alleged crimes always seems to spread. The victims are often taunted by schoolmates, neighbors keep their distance, talk in whispers and hushed tones and families often relocate move to avoid the uncomfortable fallout.
What I enjoy about this series is the strict focus on the crime and the path Green takes to solve it. Most readers of crime fiction try to solve the mystery before the detective does, often finding they do not have access to all the information and when the crime is solved, feel put out or disappointed. Not so in this series. Fradkin keeps her readers in Green’s head, as he chases down clues, follows every lead, and creates every possible theory of how the crime occurred. Once Green is on a case, he becomes obsessed, gets little sleep, forgets to eat or accept that a day only has twenty-four hours, and pays little attention to his wife Sharon and their young son Tony.
During this investigation someone from his past will suddenly appear, creating more chaos in his life as he tries to solve the crime, keep his marriage together, learn how to father his young son and close the case.
This book is the best in the series so far and readers will appreciate it even more if they read the books in order.
Mathew Fraser was a shy, quiet teacher who enjoyed working with children. Over a decade ago, one of his students, six-year-old Rebecca Whelan, accused him of sexually molesting her. In the sensational trail that followed, Mathew was found not guilty, but what followed the trial and that judgement ruined his life. He lost his job, his friends deserted him and he became a reclusive, anxiety driven, paranoid young man. He sought help from professionals, took his prescribed medications and attended weekly group therapy sessions. It was at those sessions, he met Janice Turner, a young woman who also suffered with mental health issues. They began a friendship, meeting weekly for a walk and spending time in casual conversation. When Mathew did not turn up for either their regularly scheduled group therapy session or their walk, Janice became worried. She phoned his apartment, but couldn’t get through. After six days and growing increasingly worried, she headed to his apartment, surprised to find the door unlocked. When she entered, she was assaulted by the overwhelming smell of half-eaten rotting food in the kitchen. She could hardly make sense of what she saw lining the walls and filling every space on the tables, chairs and the floor. There were piles of old documents everywhere and the shelves were full of more articles and books on law and psychology. But what stops Janice in her tracks is that wherever Matt has gone, he has left his beloved dog Modo behind, closed off in the bedroom without food and water. She knows something is very wrong. It looks like Matt left abruptly and has now been gone for several days. Thinking back to their last group meeting, Janice remembers finding Matt skittish and he seemed to think someone was out to get him.
Worried for Matt’s safety she reports him missing at the police station, but feels no one is taking her seriously. When she spots Inspector Green, she grabs him, glad to finally talk to someone in authority. She shares the evidence she has that worries her and Green, his curiosity piqued, agrees to check it out, hoping to calm her. When he checks Mathew’s apartment, he understands Janice Tanner’s concerns.
Green’s research into Mathew Fraser’s police file reveals the allegations of sexual abuse made by Rebecca Whelan over a decade ago and wonders if the piles of documents in Mathew’s apartment are related to that case. If so, why was he researching it now, decades after it happened and after he was declared not guilty? Did he find information he was desperate to keep hidden from someone who was threatening him? Or is someone, who believes Matt was guilty, about to exact revenge. Something very urgent and compelling had taken Matt away. Had he gone on his own, or did someone force him to leave? Green seizes Mathew’s computer hoping to find more clues, but much of it has been wiped clean. There is one file titled “Mistwalker” which he finds curious, but like the others, is empty.
This is the plodding detective work Green enjoys and the only police work he has ever wanted to do. It is not the work expected in his job as Inspector, one when he is expected to attend meetings, liaise with other agencies, review statistics and reports and lead others working cases in the field. That is the type of middle management work he takes every opportunity to avoid in favor of an opportunity to grab an interesting case. He likes to partner with his longtime friend and colleague Detective Brian Sullivan and they make an excellent team, despite their differences in temperament and rank. Green is impulsive and uses his unrestrained imagination to make wild intuitive leaps, while Sullivan is practical and has his feet firmly on the ground. At this time, Brian is investigating a rooming house death in Vanier and as the case proceeds a point comes when Green begins to wonder if there is a remote chance the two cases are connected.
Fradkin explores the frustration and difficulty the authorities experience investigating sex crimes involving children. They must uncover the facts while at the same time, balance the privacy of the victims with the rights of the accused. The public judge sex crimes as heinous, considers sex offenders as evil doers and pedophiles as the lowest of the low. In cases that go to trial, many will not remember an acquittal, only the terrible allegations of what allegedly happened, always mindful an acquittal does not mean the accused was innocent, only that the prosecution was not able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These cases invoke passion and moral outrage, targeted at the accused and the lawyers that defend them, the authorities investigating the case and the community organizations created to defend and support vulnerable victims. Even those who must defend those charged with an offence, experience difficulty when they do not believe their client is innocent, but are bound to provide them with the best defense they can muster. Families are torn apart by these events, professionals are stressed trying to protect patient client confidentiality, by their carefully consideration about what they can and cannot say, while also feeling duty bound to protect the public. Those who are wrongly accused may try to start a new life, but often fail, as news of the alleged crimes always seems to spread. The victims are often taunted by schoolmates, neighbors keep their distance, talk in whispers and hushed tones and families often relocate move to avoid the uncomfortable fallout.
What I enjoy about this series is the strict focus on the crime and the path Green takes to solve it. Most readers of crime fiction try to solve the mystery before the detective does, often finding they do not have access to all the information and when the crime is solved, feel put out or disappointed. Not so in this series. Fradkin keeps her readers in Green’s head, as he chases down clues, follows every lead, and creates every possible theory of how the crime occurred. Once Green is on a case, he becomes obsessed, gets little sleep, forgets to eat or accept that a day only has twenty-four hours, and pays little attention to his wife Sharon and their young son Tony.
During this investigation someone from his past will suddenly appear, creating more chaos in his life as he tries to solve the crime, keep his marriage together, learn how to father his young son and close the case.
This book is the best in the series so far and readers will appreciate it even more if they read the books in order.
May 28, 2024
Inspector Mike Green works for the Ottawa police. He is divorced, remarried, and has a little boy with his wife Sharon who is a psychiatric nurse. He also has a 16-year-old daughter from his first marriage who he has not seen since she was a baby.
This means his life is complicated and gets more complicated because he is the kind of police person who gets so involved in solving the crime that he forgets he has other responsibilities.
In this case he does not even have a body or one that is the missing person he is looking for or that a crime has been committed. Inspector Green knows from his personal experience that something is not right, and he will do what it takes to solve the case.
I like the way Barbara Fradkin writes. She is forward moving in her story telling, she is a strong writer and very descriptive. The downside is that she really does not give much of a description of Ottawa. it does have a little more to offer than how she describes it. I guess the story is not about the city but about Inspector Green and his manner of solving crimes.
This is a story about child abuse that happened over 10 years ago and how bringing up the past can really have a negative impact on the present.
I like Inspector Green; he is not really a team player yet he is a senior investigator and does have a team working with him. He really prefers being out on the streets but does try to do his admin work as required. He is a bit flawed but what great detective is not. It almost seems that any detective must have a flaw.
I will continue to read this series and see what else Inspector Green gets up to.
This means his life is complicated and gets more complicated because he is the kind of police person who gets so involved in solving the crime that he forgets he has other responsibilities.
In this case he does not even have a body or one that is the missing person he is looking for or that a crime has been committed. Inspector Green knows from his personal experience that something is not right, and he will do what it takes to solve the case.
I like the way Barbara Fradkin writes. She is forward moving in her story telling, she is a strong writer and very descriptive. The downside is that she really does not give much of a description of Ottawa. it does have a little more to offer than how she describes it. I guess the story is not about the city but about Inspector Green and his manner of solving crimes.
This is a story about child abuse that happened over 10 years ago and how bringing up the past can really have a negative impact on the present.
I like Inspector Green; he is not really a team player yet he is a senior investigator and does have a team working with him. He really prefers being out on the streets but does try to do his admin work as required. He is a bit flawed but what great detective is not. It almost seems that any detective must have a flaw.
I will continue to read this series and see what else Inspector Green gets up to.
September 4, 2020
There is something dark and sinister lurking in Barbara Fradkin's psyche, otherwise I have no idea how she can come to write about the disturbing world of pedophilia, murder, drugs and obsession like she does. This is the third Inspector Green mystery (the second book was unavailable so I have no idea how he has mellowed from the first as much as he has), and Mike Green is not the jerk he was in the first book. Although his focus is still on his work, he no longer treats his wife like an afterthought and actually tries to be a husband and father. He still runs roughshod over his team and often has no reason for his conclusions except gut instinct.
I found this to be a better book than the first, but the subject matter gave me the creeps. Multiple victims, not just from murder but from sexual trauma, showcase shattered lives and dysfunctional families. Read if you dare - it will hold your interest.
I found this to be a better book than the first, but the subject matter gave me the creeps. Multiple victims, not just from murder but from sexual trauma, showcase shattered lives and dysfunctional families. Read if you dare - it will hold your interest.
August 27, 2025
Fradkin once again kept me guessing to the end. She develops her characters so you feel you actually know them. I have yet to read the first of the Green series and that is on my to read list. The books can stand alone but knowing how the character started would bring further insight. I look forward to the author’s future offerings as she continues to develop the Green mysteries.
December 8, 2023
This novel begins with a missing person and then develops into a complex story of sexual abuse, intrigue and injustice. Well written and realistic, the plot is interesting and the characters well developed. Barbara Fradkin writes books that never fail to entertain and enlighten.
May 14, 2020
Enjoyable read! I think this book is the best in the series so far.
August 19, 2022
What a great book! If you live in Ottawa you will know where everything is. Loved it!
April 16, 2024
Nicely done. A re-issue of an early Inspector Green novel.
March 18, 2015
The past comes back to haunt the present in Mist Walker, the third novel in Barbara Fradkin's Inspector Green series set in Ottawa. A young school teacher is wrongly accused of sexual misconduct with a 6-year-old female student; years later, his life is in ruins, he has changed from being shy to being outright paranoid, phobic and reclusive. But he has managed to make at least one friend, and when that friend contacts the Ottawa Police Department to declare him missing, Inspector Green is intrigued by apparent anomalies in the disappearance - why had the man left so abruptly that his meal was still on the table, and would this man known to adore his large ungainly dog leave her behind a closed door to starve to death? But Green's investigation is seemingly stymied at every turn, and worse, he is distracted by the fact that his long-estranged, now-teenaged daughter is roaming about somewhere in Ottawa, where she has never been and doesn't know a soul.... I have been enjoying this series by former clinical psychologist Fradkin, at least in part because I'm a little bit familiar with Ottawa, but mostly because she uses her psychological training and insights to create rich, complex characters. This story was quite dark and disturbing, but always believable, and in fact, I was so caught up in it that as soon as I finished the book, I had to pick up the next one in the series in order to find out how the recurring characters fared next! Reading the previous books is not absolutely necessary, but I'd recommend doing so. Recommended.
August 24, 2007
MIST WALKER (Police Procedural-Ottawa, Canada-Cont) – G
Fradkin, Barbara – 3rd in series
Rendevous Press, 2003 – Trade paperback
Inspector Michael Green is about to leave for home when a woman asks his help finding a missing man. Matthew Fraser was a teacher when accused of molesting a young girl. He served his time but is now trying to prove his innocence. When a burnt body is found, it appears Matt was murdered, and it raises questions about the original crime.
*** I really like the character of Green; he is solid, realistic and has a normal married life. I enjoy the setting of Ottawa and the twists to the story. I did get frustrated that Green was so willing to accept each new revelation as fact, and that there were a number of lose threads left unresolved. But the book was good enough that I'll read her more recent work and hope the shortcomings have been resolved.
Fradkin, Barbara – 3rd in series
Rendevous Press, 2003 – Trade paperback
Inspector Michael Green is about to leave for home when a woman asks his help finding a missing man. Matthew Fraser was a teacher when accused of molesting a young girl. He served his time but is now trying to prove his innocence. When a burnt body is found, it appears Matt was murdered, and it raises questions about the original crime.
*** I really like the character of Green; he is solid, realistic and has a normal married life. I enjoy the setting of Ottawa and the twists to the story. I did get frustrated that Green was so willing to accept each new revelation as fact, and that there were a number of lose threads left unresolved. But the book was good enough that I'll read her more recent work and hope the shortcomings have been resolved.
February 18, 2015
i like sharon! i like sullivan! i like green! curiousity always gets him! this was an easy read though again the story was kinda slow but am still a fradkin fan specially it is set in the beautiful city of ottawa
May 9, 2013
Very enjoyable book, I like the fact it's in my backyard!
June 20, 2013
Good read as always.
February 4, 2015
Very good book
Well written and hard to put down. Loved the difficulty of working out who the murderer was. Lots of changes seem about to occur in the Green family.
Well written and hard to put down. Loved the difficulty of working out who the murderer was. Lots of changes seem about to occur in the Green family.
July 18, 2015
Another excellent tense mystery with the detective Green set in Canada. I have read these novels in the wrong order and now need to read the first one.
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August 5, 2016loved it! can't wait to read the next in the series....
September 16, 2016
Another good read.
December 5, 2016
I love the way all of our Barbara Fradkin's books centre around current social issues.
April 11, 2013
Very good as usual!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews