The Rain Barrel Baby

Norwood Flats Mystery #1

by Alison Preston

Summer is just arriving in Inspector Frank Foote's quiet Winnipeg neighbourhood when a dead baby is discovered in his neighbour's rain barrel. The tiny body has evidently been in the rain barrel for some time, and there are no obvious leads in the case. Frank is a cop, and he's seen a lot of crime scenes, but this one is a little too close to home. Meanwhile, Gus Olsen, who made the gruesome discovery, is a little worried about a mysterious woman who is cruising their quiet neighbourhood in her Lincoln Town Car. He's been meaning to talk to Frank about her, but somehow there never seems to be an opportune moment. Gus doesn't want to bother Frank, who already has his hands full trying to take care of his household and his three children while their mother dries out in an addiction treatment centre. Frank is a good father, he tries to be a good husband, and he hopes he is a good cop. But, like all of us, Frank has a few old secrets he is ashamed of. And when Ivy Grace suddenly resurfaces after a long absence, one thing is before this summer ends, Frank will have to confront his past.

Genres: Canada

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Alison Preston was born and raised in Winnipeg. After trying on a number of other Canadian cities, she returned to her home town, where she currently resides. All of her mysteries are set in the Norwood Flats area of Winnipeg, including The Rain Barrel Baby, The Geranium Girls, Cherry Bites, and Sunny Dreams.

A graduate of the University of Winnipeg and a letter carrier for 28 years, Alison has been twice nominated for the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer, following the publications of The Rain Barrel Baby (Signature Editions) and her first novel, A Blue and Golden Year (Turnstone Press). She was also shortlisted for the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award for Cherry Bites and the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher for Sunny Dreams.

Reviews

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love reading books that take place in Winnipeg. This is a decent thriller, with some great characters. I was interested enough that I would pick up the next book in the series.

[Deb Dinsmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars