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Inspector Green Mystery #4
Fifth Son
Accident or suicide? That’s the simple question put to Inspector Michael Green when a derelict stranger falls to his death from an abandoned church tower in a quiet river village at the edge of his jurisdiction. But when the victim turns out be a long lost son of a local farm family cursed in recent years by tragedy, madness and death, Green begins to suspect something far more sinister is at work. Probing the family’s past, he uncovers a toxic mix of rigid fundamentalism, teenage rebellion and a family secret so horrific that twenty years later, someone is still desperate to prevent the truth from coming to light.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
7 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 11, 2019
Good book, bad language
November 18, 2024
In this fourth installment, Detective Brian Sullivan of the Ottawa Police has been called to Ashland Landing, a small rural community on the Rideau River where a man has fallen from the tower of one of three churches in the town square. He fell from the old boarded up one, with the huge lock on the door and a for sale sign posted outside. There are some questions about the scene that immediately come to mind: Why did the man mount the tower of the church that was the ugliest and shortest of the three? If he was looking for a view, the other buildings are taller. If it was architectural features that interested him, the red brick church across the square had a strong gothic spire that might have been of interest. And finally, with all the windows boarded up and the door of the old building padlocked, how did the man every get in?
When the coroner arrives, he notes the man’s skull is half crushed and there has been a lot of bleeding. He theorizes the man jumped in a deliberate attempt to end his life, which may be the case, but a better question would be whether the fall was accidental or if the man was pushed?
Identifying the victim proves to be a problem since his face has been half smashed in by the fall. No one recognizes him, he is smelly, dirty, has greasy hair and is dressed in clothes that are too big for him, his pants held up by a rope. Reverend Taylor, the former head of the old church, suggests the victim may be one of the Pettigrew brothers who helped build the church. The family farm has been empty for years but was recently sold to a young couple who are now renovating it.
Although this is Sullivan’s case, Inspector Green is intrigued by the circumstances of the case and joins Sullivan as part of the team. This is his usual way of working, ready to abandon his administrative responsibilities for work in the field, grabbing every opportunity he can to do the work he loves. They learn that the family patriarch Norman Pettigrew, is now in hospital after a severe stroke that left him in a wheelchair and unable to speak. Norman was a religious fanatic and strict with his sons, delivering brutal punishments when they misbehaved. There were five boys, now either dead, missing or scattered across the country. All except for Robbie, the youngest and now in his twenties. He had not had an easy life, with two divorces and a young child behind him, now living in a small apartment and working in a grocery store. Robbie does not have any happy memories of growing up in the Pettigrew household and has no idea where his brothers are now. After his father’s stroke, Robbie sold the family farm which had been left in poor repair and still had some of the Pettigrew family junk in the basement. Isabelle and Jacques Boisvert bought it with dreams of dreams of living in the country. They are now renovating and repairing the old building but are beginning to believe they have taken on more than they can handle.
The team’s preliminary task is to identify the victim and determine why he either jumped, fell or was pushed. Although most of the team believe the victim deliberately jumped to his death, Green is not so convinced. The position of the body after it landed does not fit with that theory, neither does the torn section of the man’s jacket. Those details niggle at Green, but that is often the way. Green sees the possibility of murder when others do not.
While Isabelle Boisvert works on her newly acquired property, she sees a man digging in the brush searching for something and scares him off. Later she watches as a stranger enters her home, unannounced and begins searching for something. She is both frightened and angry, wondering what is going on. Meanwhile given the lead about the Pettigrew brothers, Green and Sullivan try to track each of them, taking a trail down the dark hole of the brothers’ various far-flung experiences, including everything from attending University at Berkley in California, an unexplained car crash on a rural road, the down and out life of an alcoholic on the Toronto streets and the sad institutional life of a schizophrenic.
Although Fradkin purposely keeps the personal lives of her characters in the background, choosing to focus her narrative on the investigation of the crime, readers learn more about the present state of the Green household. For the past few months it has included Green’s estranged sixteen year old daughter Hannah and the huge lumbering dog Modo, who sticks loyally to Sharon who rescued him after last case. The couple have moved to the old, dignified brick house they wanted closer to the city, the one in the lovely neighborhood that also requires a pile of work. They are in the middle of massive renovations, all of it creating a chaotic household and taking every penny Green earns. Hannah sports blue hair, metal from every orifice and plays loud music but appears to be settling in. She is attending an alternate school and participating in a co-op program working with a student with special needs. Readers learn little about Tony, Green and Sharon's young toddler who seems to be constantly shifted to babysitters while his parents work.
Anxiety is presently running high at the police station, the time of year when promotions and transfers are announced. The upper brass move people around to create opportunities for some to experience new jobs but also to shake things up and bring in fresh blood and new perspectives. Although it provides opportunities for some, it is also a time for disappointment when those expecting to move up stay where they are, when working partnerships may be broken up and the most dreaded, when new bosses may appear.
Fradkin has carefully measured the pace of this mystery. It starts with the interrogative phase, builds the tension slowly as new clues are discovered, key findings are sorted out and then skillfully holds it, eventually hurtling to a rollicking ride before bringing everything to a close. It was masterfully done.
This is a case that combines religious fanaticism, abuse and the effect isolation in a rural community provides those who want their lives kept from prying eyes. It shows how children’s lives are affected by how they grow up, often never to escape what they have experienced. It is another excellent addition to the Inspector Rankin series; one I am thoroughly enjoying.
When the coroner arrives, he notes the man’s skull is half crushed and there has been a lot of bleeding. He theorizes the man jumped in a deliberate attempt to end his life, which may be the case, but a better question would be whether the fall was accidental or if the man was pushed?
Identifying the victim proves to be a problem since his face has been half smashed in by the fall. No one recognizes him, he is smelly, dirty, has greasy hair and is dressed in clothes that are too big for him, his pants held up by a rope. Reverend Taylor, the former head of the old church, suggests the victim may be one of the Pettigrew brothers who helped build the church. The family farm has been empty for years but was recently sold to a young couple who are now renovating it.
Although this is Sullivan’s case, Inspector Green is intrigued by the circumstances of the case and joins Sullivan as part of the team. This is his usual way of working, ready to abandon his administrative responsibilities for work in the field, grabbing every opportunity he can to do the work he loves. They learn that the family patriarch Norman Pettigrew, is now in hospital after a severe stroke that left him in a wheelchair and unable to speak. Norman was a religious fanatic and strict with his sons, delivering brutal punishments when they misbehaved. There were five boys, now either dead, missing or scattered across the country. All except for Robbie, the youngest and now in his twenties. He had not had an easy life, with two divorces and a young child behind him, now living in a small apartment and working in a grocery store. Robbie does not have any happy memories of growing up in the Pettigrew household and has no idea where his brothers are now. After his father’s stroke, Robbie sold the family farm which had been left in poor repair and still had some of the Pettigrew family junk in the basement. Isabelle and Jacques Boisvert bought it with dreams of dreams of living in the country. They are now renovating and repairing the old building but are beginning to believe they have taken on more than they can handle.
The team’s preliminary task is to identify the victim and determine why he either jumped, fell or was pushed. Although most of the team believe the victim deliberately jumped to his death, Green is not so convinced. The position of the body after it landed does not fit with that theory, neither does the torn section of the man’s jacket. Those details niggle at Green, but that is often the way. Green sees the possibility of murder when others do not.
While Isabelle Boisvert works on her newly acquired property, she sees a man digging in the brush searching for something and scares him off. Later she watches as a stranger enters her home, unannounced and begins searching for something. She is both frightened and angry, wondering what is going on. Meanwhile given the lead about the Pettigrew brothers, Green and Sullivan try to track each of them, taking a trail down the dark hole of the brothers’ various far-flung experiences, including everything from attending University at Berkley in California, an unexplained car crash on a rural road, the down and out life of an alcoholic on the Toronto streets and the sad institutional life of a schizophrenic.
Although Fradkin purposely keeps the personal lives of her characters in the background, choosing to focus her narrative on the investigation of the crime, readers learn more about the present state of the Green household. For the past few months it has included Green’s estranged sixteen year old daughter Hannah and the huge lumbering dog Modo, who sticks loyally to Sharon who rescued him after last case. The couple have moved to the old, dignified brick house they wanted closer to the city, the one in the lovely neighborhood that also requires a pile of work. They are in the middle of massive renovations, all of it creating a chaotic household and taking every penny Green earns. Hannah sports blue hair, metal from every orifice and plays loud music but appears to be settling in. She is attending an alternate school and participating in a co-op program working with a student with special needs. Readers learn little about Tony, Green and Sharon's young toddler who seems to be constantly shifted to babysitters while his parents work.
Anxiety is presently running high at the police station, the time of year when promotions and transfers are announced. The upper brass move people around to create opportunities for some to experience new jobs but also to shake things up and bring in fresh blood and new perspectives. Although it provides opportunities for some, it is also a time for disappointment when those expecting to move up stay where they are, when working partnerships may be broken up and the most dreaded, when new bosses may appear.
Fradkin has carefully measured the pace of this mystery. It starts with the interrogative phase, builds the tension slowly as new clues are discovered, key findings are sorted out and then skillfully holds it, eventually hurtling to a rollicking ride before bringing everything to a close. It was masterfully done.
This is a case that combines religious fanaticism, abuse and the effect isolation in a rural community provides those who want their lives kept from prying eyes. It shows how children’s lives are affected by how they grow up, often never to escape what they have experienced. It is another excellent addition to the Inspector Rankin series; one I am thoroughly enjoying.
May 14, 2014
I admit freely that I got this book on ITunes because it was $3.95 or something. Worth the money for a few entertaining commutes, but nothing special.
This is the first book I've read (listened to) by this author. Other reviews have noted that as this volume doesn't delve into the growth of the protagonists, one would need to come in to this book with prior knowledge of Sullivan and Green (and others besides) to really "get" it. Fradkin lays everything out well enough to where you CAN read this one by itself, though. However, the characters seemed very caricature-ish to me, probably because I haven't read the other books.
The plot was a little convoluted, and I don't like characters who annoy everyone around them. Green seemed to be carving a swathe of pissed-off people through the whole town. Several of the plot elements were explained with coincidents, which seems a little lazy. Many of the main decisions that affected the book didn't make any damn sense, like Meh, whatever.
The worst part by far of this book was the narrator. I'm not holding that against the author or my rating of the book, but woof.
This is the first book I've read (listened to) by this author. Other reviews have noted that as this volume doesn't delve into the growth of the protagonists, one would need to come in to this book with prior knowledge of Sullivan and Green (and others besides) to really "get" it. Fradkin lays everything out well enough to where you CAN read this one by itself, though. However, the characters seemed very caricature-ish to me, probably because I haven't read the other books.
The plot was a little convoluted, and I don't like characters who annoy everyone around them. Green seemed to be carving a swathe of pissed-off people through the whole town. Several of the plot elements were explained with coincidents, which seems a little lazy. Many of the main decisions that affected the book didn't make any damn sense, like Meh, whatever.
The worst part by far of this book was the narrator. I'm not holding that against the author or my rating of the book, but woof.
May 28, 2024
Another interesting story. We learn a bit more about Mike Greens’ personal life and his relationship with his police friends and how he manages his team.
Once again Mike Green is investigating what he believes is a murder, but most people would consider the case a suicide. But Inspector Mike Green is not most people, and he sees things that most people might miss or rather he questions things more than other people. Like why this apparent suicide was facing the tower he just jumped from. If he threw himself off the tower, would he not face the other way. To Mike Green there must be an answer and he seems to love puzzles.
His questioning leads him to a crime that happened 20 years earlier and even Mike is surprised by who the guilty person is.
I like this story because of the twists that kept popping up. I also liked that the twists also made sense.
We learn more about Inspector Green’s homelife and his relationship with his wife and his 16-year-old daughter. The part I think that does not get addressed is his relationship with his now 2-year-old son Tony who I think got left at the babysitters at one point and was never heard from again. I think if the author is going to have all these characters, she needs to make sure they are where they are supposed to be and not leave us wondering what happened to them. This would be my one criticism of the story telling.
I did enjoy the story despite the missing character.
Once again Mike Green is investigating what he believes is a murder, but most people would consider the case a suicide. But Inspector Mike Green is not most people, and he sees things that most people might miss or rather he questions things more than other people. Like why this apparent suicide was facing the tower he just jumped from. If he threw himself off the tower, would he not face the other way. To Mike Green there must be an answer and he seems to love puzzles.
His questioning leads him to a crime that happened 20 years earlier and even Mike is surprised by who the guilty person is.
I like this story because of the twists that kept popping up. I also liked that the twists also made sense.
We learn more about Inspector Green’s homelife and his relationship with his wife and his 16-year-old daughter. The part I think that does not get addressed is his relationship with his now 2-year-old son Tony who I think got left at the babysitters at one point and was never heard from again. I think if the author is going to have all these characters, she needs to make sure they are where they are supposed to be and not leave us wondering what happened to them. This would be my one criticism of the story telling.
I did enjoy the story despite the missing character.
January 9, 2022
Another good Michael Green mystery.
The story presents lots of twists and all sorts of connections, but not so many that you can't keep track. The strength of the book is that new information is being discovered all the time, making the investigators constantly question their theories, but it doesn't feel repetitive or circular.
I also loved that there were elements of foreshadowing in the clues, and it was possible to make educated guesses at the identity of the suspects on my own - though never enough to be certain until the end.
While the mystery itself stands alone, I recommend reading the series in order, because the main characters develop over multiple books. Storylines like Green's relationship with his family are peripheral to the action, but important to understand some of the key interactions, most notably in this book with the involvement of Hannah.
The story presents lots of twists and all sorts of connections, but not so many that you can't keep track. The strength of the book is that new information is being discovered all the time, making the investigators constantly question their theories, but it doesn't feel repetitive or circular.
I also loved that there were elements of foreshadowing in the clues, and it was possible to make educated guesses at the identity of the suspects on my own - though never enough to be certain until the end.
While the mystery itself stands alone, I recommend reading the series in order, because the main characters develop over multiple books. Storylines like Green's relationship with his family are peripheral to the action, but important to understand some of the key interactions, most notably in this book with the involvement of Hannah.
September 12, 2020
Well-written, suspenseful mystery that adds character and likability to Michael Green. The series evolves to show Detective Green's humanity and the fact that he can be wrong and also admit to it. The book revolves around the mysterious death of a "John Doe" in a small town in Canada which everyone assumes is a suicide, except for Mike Green. The tale unfolds showing two of the most dysfunctional families ever committed to the written page. There are a lot of characters in the book to track, which will also lead the reader to make wrong guesses as to the perpetrator.
This is the best of the Inspector Green series so far. Thoroughly enjoyable.
This is the best of the Inspector Green series so far. Thoroughly enjoyable.
July 18, 2023
This was the best Inspector Green I've read, although maybe Book 2 (Once Upon A Time is a close second. The mystery takes place in a close-knit community in the rural area outside Ottawa, and the events of twenty years ago come back to the forefront when a man is found dead falling off a church spire. A tragedy stuck a farming family and it's hard to determine which of the five sons is the victim. I just loved this story and thought the plotting was so fantastic. Highly recommend!
June 19, 2018
A man jumped (or was he pushed?) out of the church tower. This sets off a signature Inspector Green investigation. He comes up with several different theories, all of which turn out to be wrong or incomplete. Following his progress to the end was very interesting. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how he deals with his new boss.
January 7, 2019
I really like the Inspector Green. Set in Ashley Landing (believe Metcalfe) and area. A good mystery - starts with a body found outside of a closed Church. This results in the research into the Pettigrew family. A lot of twists and turns and you think it could be X or Y who murder. Only at the very end. Liked it also as it was local.
January 13, 2018
Pretty good, but initially a bit confusing with all the brothers. Not who you expected at the end.
March 27, 2020
Mystery about a bizarre country family. Ottawa local writer. Well done!
May 14, 2020
Fourth book in the series. Another enjoyable read.
June 23, 2021
October 2017
July 9, 2023
6 Nothing wrong with the writing style, characters or dialogue but the plot is not for me. Endangered children warning
April 20, 2020
My sister introduced me to this. If you love detective stories and you're Canadian you are going to love this series.
abandoned
August 18, 2023Abandoned: too sweary for me.
20/07/2023
20/07/2023
March 18, 2015
Fifth Son, by Barbara Fradkin, opens with the discovery of the body of a man, by his clothing and physical state a homeless person, at the foot of a crumbled disused church in a small farming village in Ontario, not far from Ottawa. As part of an expansion of the duties of the Ottawa Police, Inspector Michael Green is called out to the scene, and right away he finds anomalies that are difficult to reconcile with the prevailing theory of suicide; for example, the man's body is facing the wrong way. As he investigates, he starts to uncover the past of a tragic family in the area, and crimes long thought past and buried. But can he determine the culprit before said person strikes again?.... This is the fourth in Barbara Fradkin's Inspector Green series, and unusually takes place mostly outside of the city of Ottawa. There is an emphasis on the mindsets of rural people as contrasted with that of the extremely urban Green, and we also learn a bit more about Green's relationships, particularly with his wife and with his former partner, Sergeant Sullivan, who has yet again been passed over for promotion. I very much enjoy this series, not least because the author, a trained psychologist, takes the time to delve into the mental states of her characters; this story is almost as much a psychological novel as it is crime fiction. I also find that it's not absolutely necessary to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy any given novel in it, although as always once one starts to read and enjoy the series, the pleasure of reading is enhanced by having the complete picture. Recommended.
August 14, 2007
FIFTH SON (Police Procedural-Ottawa, Canada-Cont) – Okay
Fradkin, Barbara – 4th in series
Rendezvous Press, 2004- Trade Paperback
Inspector Michael Green decides to go for a ride along with Sergeant Brian Sullivan to Ashford Landing where a man has been found dead at the bottom of a church tower. The death is a suspected suicide, but Green isn’t so certain. The body is, at first, unidentified but later believed to be one of the Pettigrew boys, a strange, dysfunctional family who used to live on a farm in the town. Figuring out which Pettigrew he is and why he dies proves harder than anyone imagined.
*** This is not my favorite of Fradkin’s books. There were a lot of characters and very little character development. I felt you’d have had to read previous books even to understand the protagonists. The plot was convoluted, overly complicated and relied heavily on a couple of coincidences. The dialogue was fine but very little sense of place was conveyed. It wasn’t a terrible read. I did get through it in a day, but that is the sense of it I had--simply getting through it.
Fradkin, Barbara – 4th in series
Rendezvous Press, 2004- Trade Paperback
Inspector Michael Green decides to go for a ride along with Sergeant Brian Sullivan to Ashford Landing where a man has been found dead at the bottom of a church tower. The death is a suspected suicide, but Green isn’t so certain. The body is, at first, unidentified but later believed to be one of the Pettigrew boys, a strange, dysfunctional family who used to live on a farm in the town. Figuring out which Pettigrew he is and why he dies proves harder than anyone imagined.
*** This is not my favorite of Fradkin’s books. There were a lot of characters and very little character development. I felt you’d have had to read previous books even to understand the protagonists. The plot was convoluted, overly complicated and relied heavily on a couple of coincidences. The dialogue was fine but very little sense of place was conveyed. It wasn’t a terrible read. I did get through it in a day, but that is the sense of it I had--simply getting through it.
April 30, 2012
An engrossing mystery, fourth in the Inspector Green series, again a case where events in the past affect the present. Main elements are a seemingly cursed rural Ottawa family and a developmentally delayed boy who may have witnessed a man's fall from a church tower. But was it an accident, suicide or murder?
July 5, 2011
Canadien mystery -set in Ottowa. Good writing
June 20, 2013
Inspector Green goes to the country accompanied by Sullivan. Great read.
February 12, 2015
Excellent
Gripping tale of tragedy, misunderstandings and lives ruined. Inspector Green and Sullivan make a great team. Looking forward to the next book.
Gripping tale of tragedy, misunderstandings and lives ruined. Inspector Green and Sullivan make a great team. Looking forward to the next book.
July 27, 2015
Another good read by this author but perhaps not quite as convincing as the previous books, it became too involved at the end.
Want to read
December 24, 2018Synopsis: accident or suicide? That’s the question put to Inspector Green when a derelict falls to his death from a church tower.
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