Grounded in the Wind: A quick-read police procedural set in picturesque Canada (Parks Pat Mysteries

by P.D. Workman

A stone’s throw from Calgary’s bustling airport lies Prairie Winds Park—a mecca for family fun and the center of a deadly conspiracy.

Perilous Heights, Hidden Depths

When an illegal drone launch causes chaos in Calgary's airspace, Detective Margie "Parks Pat" Patenaude discovers more than aviation threats. Following the drone's trail leads her to a chilling discovery—a corpse awaits her in the park's tranquil scenery.

Digging deeper into this perplexing case, Margie encounters a tangled web of criminal intrigue that challenges her skills and endangers the city she has grown to love.

With tension and suspicion growing within the homicide team, Margie races to unravel the truth before the cartel can launch a devastating attack that could cripple Calgary's infrastructure.

Praise for the

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The writing is excellent, the plot is nice and twisty and the the characters and situations are believable. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to seeing where she takes these new characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is another well-written, briskly-paced mystery featuring great characters, lots of interesting glimpses into Canada’s Indigenous culture, and a satisfying resolution all wrapped up in delightful quick-read police procedural by an author who could make a description of drying paint sound fascinating.

Looking for a police procedural set in picturesque Canada? Let Award-winning and Bestselling Author P.D. Workman take you to her favourite Calgary parks, as Métis detective Margie Patenaude investigates a murder in this fast-paced new series.

These short mysteries are just right for those days when you could use a break from your busy life.

Take a walk in a Calgary park with Parks Pat.

Soar into this gripping new installment today and join Detective Pat on a heart-pounding investigation.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2025

About the author

Award-winning Canadian author P.D. Workman has written over a hundred addictive page-turners featuring diverse and divergent sleuths, high-stakes investigations, and stories that linger long after the last page. Her books dive deep into characters’ minds while exploring timely social issues through fast-paced, emotionally charged plots. Readers praise her work for its powerful emotional truth combined with unputdownable suspense.

Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.

Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.

Reviews

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grounded in the Wind: A quick-read police procedural set in picturesque Canada (Parks Pat Mysteries (Police Procedural) Book 13), my fortieth read from author P.D. Workman. Extremely well written, the characters well-developed. More police procedural than anything I've read of her other works. Maybe why that's why I like it so much since I love a good mystery. “I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it.Nexo on my TBR list from workman is Reservoir of Secrets: A quick-read police procedural set in picturesque Canada (Parks Pat Mysteries (Police Procedural). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grounded In The Wind - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

'Parks Pat's 13th P.D Workman case is Grounded In The Wind, in reference to a deadly drone brought down by the CSIS and her own team's investigation into a related murder.
Is she now a target and will daughter Christina be in danger too?

Read this all-action, follow-the-money tale of code-breaking, terrorism and blackmail, whistleblowing and a final realisation that the seemingly innocent may not be so. 

Grab a copy of Grounded In The Wind today and reveal the truth about the misuse of technology in today's criminal misdeeds and more - it's fascinating!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parks Pat takes on murder, cyberterrorism, and loose lips…

Calgary’s only Métis detective, Margie Patenaude (aka Parks Pat), is sent to Prairie Winds Park along with the rest of her team to look for the pilot of a drone that was launched from the park and subsequently headed into the restricted air space of the nearby airport. As Margie’s luck would have it, she finds a dead body on a park bench and her discovery ushers in one of her most unusual cases to date that leads her on a twisted path from murder to cyberterrorism and right back into her own precinct where there appears to be a leak of sensitive information about their investigation. I couldn’t help but be snagged into the story right from the start as award-winning and bestselling author P.D. Workman weaves yet another inspired briskly paced police procedural blending a solid murder mystery with timely issues and interesting relatable characters all set against the idyllic backdrop of one of Canada’s lovely scenic parks that just begs the reader to plan their next vacation in the Great White North. I love this series and highly recommend it to all who enjoy well-crafted, quick-read detective fiction as their preferred escapist reading indulgence.
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I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.

[Kandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to this series. Pat and her team have their work cut out for them as they try to determine whodunit. I love these characters and reading how they figure things out.

[Jeanineitsme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Margie "Parks Pat" Patenaude, got her nickname from having a name that’s too hard for most to pronounce, and the fact that she has a knack for finding bodies in the parks and being able to solve the murders each time. Being a First Nations member, she is also the first Metis member to be a part of the Calgary Police Force. She works hard to keep the Metis connection at the forefront for herself and her daughter, Christina.

In this book, Margie is sent to Prairie Winds Park to investigate the sighting of a drone above the park. The airport is close by, so having a drone in this close in vicinity to the airport is cause for alarm. But what she finds when she goes to the park to investigate is much more sinister than a drone.

I won’t give out any more information about the book’s plot, but I do enjoy these books in the Parks Pat Mysteries set. They’re all standalone books, meaning you can read and enjoy any of the books on their own, but the series is successful in showing a lot about the Calgary area, the parks, and the First Nations people.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read police procedural.

I really enjoy the Parks Pat series, and this is no exception. Here, Parks is lead to a murder scene by a drone. Mystery, intrigue, and thril will lead you through this quick story. Will Parks be able to solve the murder before another one happens?

I received a copy of this book, and these are my own opinions.

I absolutely adore PD Workman--love her writing style, plot, and character development. Highly recommend this one!

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Pat doesn’t have a boring job! Each case is different and interesting. I loved the technology aspect here. Drones are interesting and made for a thrilling mystery! I loved reading this book!

[T Olsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Ukrainians are suffering horrible attacks from Russia, and in this book "Ukrainian terrorists" are attacking Canada? Is this Russian propaganda?
This author has now lost all my respect.