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Inspector Green Mystery #6
Dream Chasers
A seventeen-year-old sets out to meet her secret lover by an Ottawa waterfall. Three days later, her body washes up in the shallows. The public fears a sexual predator is on the loose, but Inspector Green suspects a more personal connection. His search for answers draws him into the world of elite young athletes, drugs and teenage sexuality. Then a social worker who knows too much disappears, and blood is found in the house of a star with NHL prospects. Unless Green can unravel the truth, how many others will pay the ultimate price for a young mans dreams?
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
10 people are currently reading
102 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 2, 2021
I absolutely enjoyed this story.
I liked this book because it kept me reading and held my attention the whole time. Inspector Green works for the Ottawa police. He is more a desk jockey than an in the field kind of detective. In this story he does spend a lot of time in the field. He uses a magnifying glass and mocks Sherlock Holmes as he does so. Mike Green is the father of a very independent teenage girl that he has only just met. She was raised in Vancouver, and he has had nothing to do with her life to this point. He is married to a woman, Sharon, that we did not really get to know in this story and has an infant son. They played a small part in the whole story. It seems that Mike Green is really a work acholic and works when he is supposed to be on vacation. He is not a cottage type of guy.
The story took place in Ottawa, who knew Ottawa could be an interesting place for a detective mystery. The story had sex, drugs, hockey, hockey draft, questionable hockey agents and questionable hockey parents, do good social workers and murder. It even had a high-speed chase between a candy apple red mustang and a black as death Lincoln Navigator.
I liked the way the characters talked. These were down to earth straight forward people. They also eat like real people. Do we as Canadians really spend a lot of time at Tim Horton’s?
Inspector Green is Jewish, which has little to do with the story but helps to round out his character. Some of the other police and hockey players are Irish ancestry which does play a bit into the story.
I related to the story and felt I knew the people and liked them. I was concerned for every single person except for one jerk and almost shed a tear when someone got hurt that I did not want to see get hurt.
July 18, 2023
Dundurn is re-packaging book six in the Inspector Green mysteries, so I had to catch up on my series reading! I love how the home life of Inspector Green gets woven into the case he's working, adding that sense of urgency and danger to the storyline. Thrilling read!
September 13, 2022
Could not put this book down. The Inspector Mike Green series take place in Ottawa and if you know the city you’ll know everywhere they are going. It talks hockey. To my surprise one of the boys played for the Jr. Nepean Raiders and two of my nephews did as well. Really good read!
March 7, 2025
This installment in the series finds Inspector Green on vacation at a summer cottage with his wife Sharon and son Tony. They have left seventeen-year-old Hannah at home to go to school and look after the house although Green is not very comfortable with the arrangement. His daughter is not always predictable or dependable, but Sharon insists they must learn to trust her, so she in turn can trust them. Green is restless when he is out of the city, away from the busy streets and all that goes on at the Elgin Street police station where he heads Major Crimes. He misses the excitement and the adrenaline rush of a case and wants to get back.
When he learns the Ottawa police are searching for Lea Kovacev, a missing seventeen-year-old teenager, he begins to worry. The fact this is already on the public radar means this is not a simple runaway and these cases never turn out well. Lea had told her mother she was out with schoolmates rehearsing a play, but never returned home. Lea was close to her mother and not one to give her any worry, but when information surfaces that Lea may have been out to meet a secret boyfriend, Green becomes increasingly concerned.
Hannah, Green’s teenage daughter from his first marriage, is about the same age as Lea and has been living with his family for about a year. A free spirit, she has settled a little recently but there are still difficult moments over her unconventional lifestyle, unusual fashion choices and her rebellious behavior. Green, beginning to fear there may be a sexual predator loose in the city, tries to locate her, but she does not answer her phone and is not at the house. Her friends at the alternative school she attends, refuse to give him any information, so he is left to worry, his anxiety mounting with every hour that passes.
As the search for Lea continues, a social worker assigned to the school and Lea’s mother involve themselves in the investigation, interviewing students and trying to learn the identity of Lea’s so called secret boyfriend. Green hates their meddling, but has no luck keeping them away.
When information surfaces that the school's star athlete Riley O’Shaughnessy, may be the secret boyfriend, more complexity is added to the case. Riley is a great hockey player, certain to be picked in the first round of the National Hockey League draft at the end of the month. No one wants to consider he may be involved in Lea’s disappearance, as even a hint in the media could ruin his career. There are many who have tied their fortunes to his success, including his agent and coach Vic McIntyre, his father Ted, his Uncle Darren and his cousin Ben.
When Lea’s body is finally discovered, the case moves from missing persons to a homicide investigation and Green begins to focus on the talented superstar and the people that surround him. He quickly learns how much pressure this young man is under with so many banking on his success. Also in the mix is Lea's girlfriend Crystal Adams, who may know the identity of Lea’s secret boyfriend but refuses to identify him. As Green chases down the leads, he learns drugs may have played a role in Lea’s death and in the process uncovers troubling information about the rebellious lifestyle of teenagers in which parties, power and sex play a part. Eventually two questions are raised that are difficult to answer: What was the exact cause of Lea’s death and did she die from an accident or a criminal act?
Then suddenly there is another dead woman and Deputy Police Chief Barbara Devine is on the warpath, determined that nothing interfere with her garb at the next rung on her career ladder, the job as Chief of Police. She ignores the fact Green is on vacation and insists he stay on the job, until these crimes are solved.
Fradkin’s former career as a psychologist serves her well in this installment as she describes a mother’s dread when her daughter is reported missing, expresses the fears of a teenager about keeping a powerful secret, shows Green’s increasing panic when he cannot reach his daughter and his increasing discomfort as he learns more about the sex, power and drugs that are so much a part of the world of teenage girls. When Green and Hannah have major confrontations, Fradkin’s writing portrays those conversations in realistic terms, delivering parts of the novel that will make many parents shudder.
Fradkin explains the world of hockey and enough about the path to the National Hockey League that readers appreciate what is at stake for Riley, his coach, his family and the community. She explains the draft picks, what they mean and the vulnerability of young teenage hockey players thrown into a world of lucrative endorsements, sponsorships and contracts. It is a world filled with people ready to manipulate and take advantage of them, one the young players only partially understand, forced to depend on others to navigate this complex environment when all they really want to do is play hockey.
Fradkin continues to keep her series in the Canadian landscape with frequent references to events, landmarks and food Canadian readers will recognize. She mentions Tim’s double doubles, the Stanley Cup and the Ottawa Senators, as well as Ottawa specific details such as Nate’s Deli, the Confederation Bridge and the Bywater Market.
This is another solid police procedural which reflects this writer's careful plotting and pacing, delivering an important message about a young man’s dreams for his future. It sounds a warning not only to potential superstars, but to all the others hoping to ride on their coattails of their success.
When he learns the Ottawa police are searching for Lea Kovacev, a missing seventeen-year-old teenager, he begins to worry. The fact this is already on the public radar means this is not a simple runaway and these cases never turn out well. Lea had told her mother she was out with schoolmates rehearsing a play, but never returned home. Lea was close to her mother and not one to give her any worry, but when information surfaces that Lea may have been out to meet a secret boyfriend, Green becomes increasingly concerned.
Hannah, Green’s teenage daughter from his first marriage, is about the same age as Lea and has been living with his family for about a year. A free spirit, she has settled a little recently but there are still difficult moments over her unconventional lifestyle, unusual fashion choices and her rebellious behavior. Green, beginning to fear there may be a sexual predator loose in the city, tries to locate her, but she does not answer her phone and is not at the house. Her friends at the alternative school she attends, refuse to give him any information, so he is left to worry, his anxiety mounting with every hour that passes.
As the search for Lea continues, a social worker assigned to the school and Lea’s mother involve themselves in the investigation, interviewing students and trying to learn the identity of Lea’s so called secret boyfriend. Green hates their meddling, but has no luck keeping them away.
When information surfaces that the school's star athlete Riley O’Shaughnessy, may be the secret boyfriend, more complexity is added to the case. Riley is a great hockey player, certain to be picked in the first round of the National Hockey League draft at the end of the month. No one wants to consider he may be involved in Lea’s disappearance, as even a hint in the media could ruin his career. There are many who have tied their fortunes to his success, including his agent and coach Vic McIntyre, his father Ted, his Uncle Darren and his cousin Ben.
When Lea’s body is finally discovered, the case moves from missing persons to a homicide investigation and Green begins to focus on the talented superstar and the people that surround him. He quickly learns how much pressure this young man is under with so many banking on his success. Also in the mix is Lea's girlfriend Crystal Adams, who may know the identity of Lea’s secret boyfriend but refuses to identify him. As Green chases down the leads, he learns drugs may have played a role in Lea’s death and in the process uncovers troubling information about the rebellious lifestyle of teenagers in which parties, power and sex play a part. Eventually two questions are raised that are difficult to answer: What was the exact cause of Lea’s death and did she die from an accident or a criminal act?
Then suddenly there is another dead woman and Deputy Police Chief Barbara Devine is on the warpath, determined that nothing interfere with her garb at the next rung on her career ladder, the job as Chief of Police. She ignores the fact Green is on vacation and insists he stay on the job, until these crimes are solved.
Fradkin’s former career as a psychologist serves her well in this installment as she describes a mother’s dread when her daughter is reported missing, expresses the fears of a teenager about keeping a powerful secret, shows Green’s increasing panic when he cannot reach his daughter and his increasing discomfort as he learns more about the sex, power and drugs that are so much a part of the world of teenage girls. When Green and Hannah have major confrontations, Fradkin’s writing portrays those conversations in realistic terms, delivering parts of the novel that will make many parents shudder.
Fradkin explains the world of hockey and enough about the path to the National Hockey League that readers appreciate what is at stake for Riley, his coach, his family and the community. She explains the draft picks, what they mean and the vulnerability of young teenage hockey players thrown into a world of lucrative endorsements, sponsorships and contracts. It is a world filled with people ready to manipulate and take advantage of them, one the young players only partially understand, forced to depend on others to navigate this complex environment when all they really want to do is play hockey.
Fradkin continues to keep her series in the Canadian landscape with frequent references to events, landmarks and food Canadian readers will recognize. She mentions Tim’s double doubles, the Stanley Cup and the Ottawa Senators, as well as Ottawa specific details such as Nate’s Deli, the Confederation Bridge and the Bywater Market.
This is another solid police procedural which reflects this writer's careful plotting and pacing, delivering an important message about a young man’s dreams for his future. It sounds a warning not only to potential superstars, but to all the others hoping to ride on their coattails of their success.
February 19, 2021
An exciting, well written mystery book that twists and turns through the underground of the Canadian youth hockey culture. I'm sure that there are some that will be angered by the author daring to expose some of the less than savory aspects of youth hockey, but the author has credentials as a youth psychiatrist and no doubt, has run into issues with her clients. This book has the ability to keep you up at night saying just one more chapter - which for me ran into just four or five more chapters.
Although this is about the sixth in the Inspector Green series, and of course you always get the most of the inside jokes and scenarios if you have read the background, you can get along well in this book as a standalone, since the author has given enough background to easily understand the relationships that are presented in the book.
Although this is about the sixth in the Inspector Green series, and of course you always get the most of the inside jokes and scenarios if you have read the background, you can get along well in this book as a standalone, since the author has given enough background to easily understand the relationships that are presented in the book.
December 31, 2023
I am enjoying the Inspector Green mysteries - which can each be read as a standalone. In each book, we get t know more about his personal struggles as well as the inspector's experience at work. This one has an unexpected solution which I appreciated. Definitely a good read if you enjoy police procedurals.
February 18, 2019
This was the best of the series so far. As usual I enjoyed the location references and the regular characters, but this one also talked about hockey, especially in Canada and the pressure to make it and the dubious characters who feed off the game.
May 21, 2017
Good easy read
I enjoy a good light Reading afternoon ,especially when it rains. I like the Inspector Green character. plot is well written.
I enjoy a good light Reading afternoon ,especially when it rains. I like the Inspector Green character. plot is well written.
August 1, 2017
This is the first Inspector Green Mystery I have read. It is a complex, interesting story. I would definitely read more books by this author.
January 8, 2025
A library find. January 2025.
Not my cup of tea.
Not my cup of tea.
January 24, 2022
2.5 rounded up.
This one was harder to get through than the previous books in the series.
The story was interesting enough but not particularly well executed. There were too many characters with unclear and insufficient motives, too many characters just plopped into the story as props but serving no real purpose. Jenna's hatred of men was just over the top and unnecessary to the story. Now if there had been some twist about one of the O'Shaughnessy men being part of that reason and some fear of being exposed... But it was gratuitous voyeurism and she was entirely unnecessary to the story.
I also had a hard time figuring out how Crystal fit in with Hannah and what her actual role even was. It was like after so much action, Green just doesn't care to find out.
Just too many weird plot holes and assumptions for me this time.
This one was harder to get through than the previous books in the series.
The story was interesting enough but not particularly well executed. There were too many characters with unclear and insufficient motives, too many characters just plopped into the story as props but serving no real purpose. Jenna's hatred of men was just over the top and unnecessary to the story. Now if there had been some twist about one of the O'Shaughnessy men being part of that reason and some fear of being exposed... But it was gratuitous voyeurism and she was entirely unnecessary to the story.
I also had a hard time figuring out how Crystal fit in with Hannah and what her actual role even was. It was like after so much action, Green just doesn't care to find out.
Just too many weird plot holes and assumptions for me this time.
March 18, 2015
Dream Chasers is the sixth novel in the Inspector Green series by Barbara Fradkin. Lea is a bright young woman, daughter of a refugee from Bosnia who is now making a life in Ottawa; she has a crush on Riley, a star hockey player and likely first-round pick for the National Hockey League. But Lea isn't the only one with an interest in Riley: there's a number of other girls who would like to take him away from her; there's the coach/agent who's hoping to ride Riley's coattails into the big leagues; there's Riley's father, uncle and cousin, all wanting a piece of him. When Lea goes missing, evidence points toward Riley, but not everything is as it seems, as Inspector Michael Green soon discovers.... We learn a lot about the social structure of hockey in this story, something that never much interested me, but the real story is about how teenagers live their lives and view their futures, from several points of view. Green's home life is given short shrift in this volume - indeed his wife and younger child are pretty much out of the picture throughout, but his relationship with his own teenage daughter, Hannah, becomes more nuanced and complex, which is a good thing. I enjoyed this novel, but probably wouldn't have picked it up if I hadn't already been reading the series, simply because hockey just doesn't interest me and there's an awful lot of talk about that sport throughout this volume. So a mild recommendation: if you're reading the series, it's worth picking this one up, but don't try it just as a one-off unless you're a big hockey fan!
June 7, 2009
First mystery I've read in a while; loved the Ottawa setting and the straight-forward nature of the writing...perfect for a weary traveller stuck on plane after plane! My favourite still remains Once Upon a Time, but that may be from the personal insight gained from having Ms. Fradkin speak to our book club.
June 22, 2014
Enjoyed the Canadian premise of the book. The characters were real and you felt Green's challenges both at home and on the job. Nice to be introduced to a new (to me) Canadian author.
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May 22, 2011
This is the first book i picked up of Barbara's and i couldn't put it down. I was hooked and loved it.
June 20, 2013
Loved this book.
October 19, 2016
I love reading books set in familiar settings. This one took place in Ottawa. A good mystery that deals with up to date social problems.
April 10, 2014
More Inspector Green, please!
August 30, 2015
Another good story in the series i can't get too much of them.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews