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The Storm Murders Trilogy #1
The Storm Murders
City of Ice, John Farrow's first book in his acclaimed Emile Cinq-Mars series, which has been hailed by Booklist as "one of the best series in crime fiction," has been published in over 17 countries. Now with The Storm Murders, the series continues.
On the day after a massive blizzard, two policemen are called to an isolated farm house sitting all by itself in the middle of a pristine snow-blanketed field. Inside the lonely abode are two dead people. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to the house or away. What happened here? Is this a murder/suicide case? Or will it turn into something much more sinister?
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. This is the first of a trilogy he is writing for us called The Storm Murders trilogy. Each book features Emile Cinq-Mars, the Hercule Poirot of Canada, and extreme weather conditions.
On the day after a massive blizzard, two policemen are called to an isolated farm house sitting all by itself in the middle of a pristine snow-blanketed field. Inside the lonely abode are two dead people. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to the house or away. What happened here? Is this a murder/suicide case? Or will it turn into something much more sinister?
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. This is the first of a trilogy he is writing for us called The Storm Murders trilogy. Each book features Emile Cinq-Mars, the Hercule Poirot of Canada, and extreme weather conditions.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2015
76 people are currently reading
781 people want to read
About the author
John Farrow
35 books73 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has written seventeen novels and four plays and has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. Under the name John Farrow, he has written ten crime novels featuring Émile Cinq-Mars which have been highly acclaimed and popular around the world. He was raised in Montreal and lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has written seventeen novels and four plays and has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. Under the name John Farrow, he has written ten crime novels featuring Émile Cinq-Mars which have been highly acclaimed and popular around the world. He was raised in Montreal and lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
January 9, 2020
4.5 Stars. I found a new favourite detective at the beginning of 2020. He is Emile Cinq-Mars, retired from the Montreal City Police Department. He is a deep thinker with a philosophical mind regarding the meaning of life. His deductive reasoning is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. He could stand proudly alongside Inspector Gamache of the Three Pines series by Louise Penny. I first read the second book in The Storm Murders Trilogy entitled Seven Days Dead. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately downloaded this first book in the series and also the third.
The plots are well thought out and seem original to me. The characters are well developed, and some which Emile encounters are delightful. Their dialogue is compelling. The crimes and investigations are complex, but not too difficult to follow. The surprising solutions make logical sense. John Farrow is a pseudonym for an esteemed Canadian literary writer, and this skill shows up in his mystery series.
The story begins in the winter on a farm in the Quebec countryside. The farmhouse had been the home of a mysterious couple who didn’t work the farm. Both the man and wife had been brutally murdered. Almost nothing could be learned of their background or why they were living there. Two SQ officers from the Quebec Provincial Police Department investigate and both are shot dead. Emile is called out of retirement to act as a consultant and finds himself working on the case along with a member of the Montreal City Police, and also the Quebec Provincial Police. What is difficult for Emile to understand is the involvement of an FBI officer. Why is he in Quebec, and what is his interest in the case? None of the various law enforcement agencies fully trust the others and are less than willing to share information.
It seems that the crime is connected with similar murders of married couples in the USA and that these couples had untraceable backgrounds. One such double murder occurred in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Another happened in Alabama. Emile and his wife travel to New Orleans to gather information. Emile and his wife are in danger and seem to be under surveillance from the time they arrive at the New Orleans Hilton. He establishes an uneasy friendship with a New Orleans City Policeman and also an alliance with a security guard at the hotel. A woman from the FBI goes to Alabama, promising to share any information she discovers about the identical killing of a couple there. One notable link between the murders in the States and in Quebec is the removal ring fingers of the men and women who were killed.
After a frightening incident causing much stress for Emile and his wife, they must return to Quebec with few answers to the killings, or how they are connected to the killing of the couple and the two police officers in rural Quebec. It becomes abundantly clear that the crimes are orchestrated by a deranged mastermind and that danger has followed them home. There is a thrilling and suspenseful conclusion which I found terrorizing. I recommend books 1 and 2 in the series for people who enjoy an intelligent and thoughtful detective working on some very complicated criminal cases. I am looking forward to reading more books featuring Emile Cinq-Mars.
The plots are well thought out and seem original to me. The characters are well developed, and some which Emile encounters are delightful. Their dialogue is compelling. The crimes and investigations are complex, but not too difficult to follow. The surprising solutions make logical sense. John Farrow is a pseudonym for an esteemed Canadian literary writer, and this skill shows up in his mystery series.
The story begins in the winter on a farm in the Quebec countryside. The farmhouse had been the home of a mysterious couple who didn’t work the farm. Both the man and wife had been brutally murdered. Almost nothing could be learned of their background or why they were living there. Two SQ officers from the Quebec Provincial Police Department investigate and both are shot dead. Emile is called out of retirement to act as a consultant and finds himself working on the case along with a member of the Montreal City Police, and also the Quebec Provincial Police. What is difficult for Emile to understand is the involvement of an FBI officer. Why is he in Quebec, and what is his interest in the case? None of the various law enforcement agencies fully trust the others and are less than willing to share information.
It seems that the crime is connected with similar murders of married couples in the USA and that these couples had untraceable backgrounds. One such double murder occurred in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Another happened in Alabama. Emile and his wife travel to New Orleans to gather information. Emile and his wife are in danger and seem to be under surveillance from the time they arrive at the New Orleans Hilton. He establishes an uneasy friendship with a New Orleans City Policeman and also an alliance with a security guard at the hotel. A woman from the FBI goes to Alabama, promising to share any information she discovers about the identical killing of a couple there. One notable link between the murders in the States and in Quebec is the removal ring fingers of the men and women who were killed.
After a frightening incident causing much stress for Emile and his wife, they must return to Quebec with few answers to the killings, or how they are connected to the killing of the couple and the two police officers in rural Quebec. It becomes abundantly clear that the crimes are orchestrated by a deranged mastermind and that danger has followed them home. There is a thrilling and suspenseful conclusion which I found terrorizing. I recommend books 1 and 2 in the series for people who enjoy an intelligent and thoughtful detective working on some very complicated criminal cases. I am looking forward to reading more books featuring Emile Cinq-Mars.
August 6, 2015
The book that started out to be a page turner turned into the book that would never end.
April 5, 2020
A taut, compelling thriller, a police procedural of sorts. Recently retired Detective Sargeant Emile Cinq-Mars, living with his wife in a rural area near Montreal, Canada, finds himself working on a murder investigation, albeit unofficially, for FBI Special Agent Rand Dreher.
Cinq-Mars wife, Sandra, agrees to her husband's involvement in the investigation with the caveat that Emile shares everything about the investigation with her along the way, rather than leaving her out as he had had to do when working on official police business. Cinq-Mars agrees to his wife's stipulation and the two quickly become embroiled in dangerous circumstances neither saw coming.
This is my introduction to John Farrow's writing. I was impressed with his complex plotting, realistic and interesting characters and his ability to build suspense into the story almost from the first pages. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
Cinq-Mars wife, Sandra, agrees to her husband's involvement in the investigation with the caveat that Emile shares everything about the investigation with her along the way, rather than leaving her out as he had had to do when working on official police business. Cinq-Mars agrees to his wife's stipulation and the two quickly become embroiled in dangerous circumstances neither saw coming.
This is my introduction to John Farrow's writing. I was impressed with his complex plotting, realistic and interesting characters and his ability to build suspense into the story almost from the first pages. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
May 26, 2015
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE STORM MURDERS by John Farrow is a suspenseful crime thriller mixed with tons of wit. Loving this so called “retired” Emile Cinq-Mars, Montreal police detective, who cannot seem to stay in the senior zone, or away from trouble, even in the US.
Emile is called out of retirement as the FBI wants someone on the ground in Canada after a murder of a married couple at an isolated Quebec farmhouse, during a severe storm.
When several murders began occurring around the US, in the aftermath of a natural disaster, the FBI wants to bump up the investigation especially after the last one when two cops on the scene were gunned down.
A hurricane—Katrina in New Orleans, a tornado in Alabama, a North Dakota flood, and California, a small earthquake with mild property damage. In the aftermath, a killer strikes. So is this individual traveling to disaster zones to perpetuate his crimes? So possibly the killer got impatient waiting for a disaster, and settled for a local storm, which could mean he was nearby—a Quebecois?
Cinq-Mars does not suffer from any lack of activity and contrary to his prior speculations he hardly missed his job. His wife did not want him to get killed on the job, so she was the guiding principal behind his retirement. The former Montreal city detective weighed more than his wife’s concerns about his imminent and violent death before choosing to retire.
Emile, a religious man and his younger wife, Sandra who has a horse business, decide to mix a little business with pleasure and take off to New Orleans, as a background investigation to see what all the cases may tell him or if they are connected in some way. After all it is just a consult, so how dangerous could it be? (this part was so much fun)
They rarely traveled, with the horses, unless it was a week in New Hampshire where her mother resided or horse fairs and competitions or an occasional trip to Florida and the islands. However, now New Orleans, where they hoped to find the city in revival mode after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but really did not know what to expect and hopefully would have some downtime to enjoy one another for some casual fun.
The murderers seem to be methodical and precise. Calculated, and more professional than normal. The victims seem to have died early and were spared any prolonged physical or psychological agony. Each victim loses his or her finger, and the rings on it, but in Alabama the medical examiner declared positively that the fingers were removed postmortem. So they did not suffer. From Louisiana, to Connecticut depended on the ME. How are these victims targeted? A serial killer? A copy cat? Does the killer hate cops as is he trying to outsmart them?
However, when the couple arrive in NOLA, they no more than check in to their hotel, The Hilton Garden Inn, when strange things begin happening, from robbery, a break-in, an abduction, and then demands. The abduction occurred when the local authorities took him out drinking and on the town--he knows all too well about investigations being corrupt. Where is his wife? With all this action, Emile is back in the game and is questioning the Big Easy’s finest, the FBI, and the hotel staff about his wife’s whereabouts. When Cinq-Mars hears the words, Danziger Bridge from the kidnappers, he is feeling anything but southern hospitality, and someone wants him out of this state.
With the shock of their misadventure lingering, they could not wait to return home, to some peace, even with more snow than when they left. He hopes he is off the case, and not interested in any more drama, as after all he is retired and does not need the garbage; until he decides he may want to after all. It may be too good to pass up, when the next of the storm murders occur in Alabama, and back to Quebec where the intensity and danger heats up, focused on Emile and Sandra.
This was my first book by Canadian writer, John Farrow (pen name of Trevor Ferguson), and really enjoyed his well-developed characters, especially Cinq-Mars, and Sandra (and her mouth); loved the author’s style with a perfect mix of wit, corruption, money laundering, mystery, crime, and suspense. Look forward to reading more of this series!
Note: A new trilogy of John Farrow crime novels, The Storm Murders, has been sold to Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press in New York and will appear under the Minotaur imprint. The first comes out in May, 2015, under the same name, "The Storm Murders." The second. "Seven Days Dead" follows in 2016, and the third, "The Talisman Quarry," will come out in the same year or in 2017. More crime novels are to follow the trilogy.
JDCMustREADBooks
THE STORM MURDERS by John Farrow is a suspenseful crime thriller mixed with tons of wit. Loving this so called “retired” Emile Cinq-Mars, Montreal police detective, who cannot seem to stay in the senior zone, or away from trouble, even in the US.
Emile is called out of retirement as the FBI wants someone on the ground in Canada after a murder of a married couple at an isolated Quebec farmhouse, during a severe storm.
When several murders began occurring around the US, in the aftermath of a natural disaster, the FBI wants to bump up the investigation especially after the last one when two cops on the scene were gunned down.
A hurricane—Katrina in New Orleans, a tornado in Alabama, a North Dakota flood, and California, a small earthquake with mild property damage. In the aftermath, a killer strikes. So is this individual traveling to disaster zones to perpetuate his crimes? So possibly the killer got impatient waiting for a disaster, and settled for a local storm, which could mean he was nearby—a Quebecois?
Cinq-Mars does not suffer from any lack of activity and contrary to his prior speculations he hardly missed his job. His wife did not want him to get killed on the job, so she was the guiding principal behind his retirement. The former Montreal city detective weighed more than his wife’s concerns about his imminent and violent death before choosing to retire.
Emile, a religious man and his younger wife, Sandra who has a horse business, decide to mix a little business with pleasure and take off to New Orleans, as a background investigation to see what all the cases may tell him or if they are connected in some way. After all it is just a consult, so how dangerous could it be? (this part was so much fun)
They rarely traveled, with the horses, unless it was a week in New Hampshire where her mother resided or horse fairs and competitions or an occasional trip to Florida and the islands. However, now New Orleans, where they hoped to find the city in revival mode after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but really did not know what to expect and hopefully would have some downtime to enjoy one another for some casual fun.
The murderers seem to be methodical and precise. Calculated, and more professional than normal. The victims seem to have died early and were spared any prolonged physical or psychological agony. Each victim loses his or her finger, and the rings on it, but in Alabama the medical examiner declared positively that the fingers were removed postmortem. So they did not suffer. From Louisiana, to Connecticut depended on the ME. How are these victims targeted? A serial killer? A copy cat? Does the killer hate cops as is he trying to outsmart them?
However, when the couple arrive in NOLA, they no more than check in to their hotel, The Hilton Garden Inn, when strange things begin happening, from robbery, a break-in, an abduction, and then demands. The abduction occurred when the local authorities took him out drinking and on the town--he knows all too well about investigations being corrupt. Where is his wife? With all this action, Emile is back in the game and is questioning the Big Easy’s finest, the FBI, and the hotel staff about his wife’s whereabouts. When Cinq-Mars hears the words, Danziger Bridge from the kidnappers, he is feeling anything but southern hospitality, and someone wants him out of this state.
With the shock of their misadventure lingering, they could not wait to return home, to some peace, even with more snow than when they left. He hopes he is off the case, and not interested in any more drama, as after all he is retired and does not need the garbage; until he decides he may want to after all. It may be too good to pass up, when the next of the storm murders occur in Alabama, and back to Quebec where the intensity and danger heats up, focused on Emile and Sandra.
This was my first book by Canadian writer, John Farrow (pen name of Trevor Ferguson), and really enjoyed his well-developed characters, especially Cinq-Mars, and Sandra (and her mouth); loved the author’s style with a perfect mix of wit, corruption, money laundering, mystery, crime, and suspense. Look forward to reading more of this series!
Note: A new trilogy of John Farrow crime novels, The Storm Murders, has been sold to Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press in New York and will appear under the Minotaur imprint. The first comes out in May, 2015, under the same name, "The Storm Murders." The second. "Seven Days Dead" follows in 2016, and the third, "The Talisman Quarry," will come out in the same year or in 2017. More crime novels are to follow the trilogy.
JDCMustREADBooks
April 14, 2018
this just wasn't my cup of tea - it's an ok mystery although there were a few very obvious clues right that were ignored (more about that later)..
I didn't really care for the main character - I really thought he was a pompous ass and I couldn't get my head around the New Orleans cop either. That guy felt like a caricature - all cliches and no substance. In fact - I found most of the main characters to be a bit cardboard - they came off stiff. The dialog between characters was also stiff and unrealistic. And talk about speechifying!!! My god all the main characters love the sound of their voice and opinions. And I include the author in this as well.
spoilers ahead
When a couple is murdered in a mysterious way- and the couple has no real past -or even much of a presence and the cops can't find out who they are....that screams witness protection to just about anyone who has ever read, watched, listened to a cop story so why the heck didn't it occur to our crack police officers? It was well into 200 pages before that even was mentioned. So if people in witness protection are murdered that means it's an inside job.. and only one character was from an agency who had the where-with-all to place people in "WitSec", to find people placed in "WitSec" , and investigate other agencies involved in "WitSec" The why of the mystery was interesting AND unbelievable but the "who-did-it" was there upfront right away.
For me - mysteries are usually character driven - especially in a series - I don't care if I can figure out the clues early if I enjoy spending time with the characters - in this case --not so much.
This is the first in a series - but the main character didn't appeal so I don't see myself reading another one.
I didn't really care for the main character - I really thought he was a pompous ass and I couldn't get my head around the New Orleans cop either. That guy felt like a caricature - all cliches and no substance. In fact - I found most of the main characters to be a bit cardboard - they came off stiff. The dialog between characters was also stiff and unrealistic. And talk about speechifying!!! My god all the main characters love the sound of their voice and opinions. And I include the author in this as well.
spoilers ahead
When a couple is murdered in a mysterious way- and the couple has no real past -or even much of a presence and the cops can't find out who they are....that screams witness protection to just about anyone who has ever read, watched, listened to a cop story so why the heck didn't it occur to our crack police officers? It was well into 200 pages before that even was mentioned. So if people in witness protection are murdered that means it's an inside job.. and only one character was from an agency who had the where-with-all to place people in "WitSec", to find people placed in "WitSec" , and investigate other agencies involved in "WitSec" The why of the mystery was interesting AND unbelievable but the "who-did-it" was there upfront right away.
For me - mysteries are usually character driven - especially in a series - I don't care if I can figure out the clues early if I enjoy spending time with the characters - in this case --not so much.
This is the first in a series - but the main character didn't appeal so I don't see myself reading another one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2018
Complicated mystery, very dragged out. I found the answer to the mystery disappointing. Characters were okay. Will not read the rest of series.
October 20, 2020
This is the first book of The Storm Murders trilogy.It features the marvelous character Emile Cinq-Mars. At the outset of the book, Cinq-Mars has recently retired from the Montreal Community Police Force and is ensconced in his horse farm with his wife Sandra,slowly adjusting to retired life.He misses the intellectual stimulation of criminal detection but is committed to leading a more leisurely life and strengthening the bonds of his marriage. Shortly after his retirement begins, a brutal murder occurs in a remote farmhouse.A husband and wife are murdered and their ring fingers are removed.Two officers from the Surete who have been called to investigate have also been slain and no clues are apparent.Subsequently, an FBI agent and Cinq-Mars’ former partner, Bill Mathers persuade Cinq-Mars to visit the crime scene unofficially to add his insights.
The consultation leads him to travel with his wife to New Orleans, where an older crime with similar characteristics had taken place. While in New Orleans he meets with a member of the New Orleans police department and then is exposed to a threat to his family that causes him to return to Canada. The links to the crimes and the roles of the competing jurisdictions are still unclear.Once home, it is apparent that danger still surrounds him as the puzzle unfolds and reaches its conclusion.
This narrative is intricately plotted yet is still accessible to the reader.The characterization of Cinq-Mars drives the story forward.He is a moral man who is both contemplative and intuitive but not adverse to action and off beat solutions.His interactions with both his colleagues and his suspects enhance the texture of the mystery. The prose and dialogue farther augment the novel.The author also provides historical and cultural insights. The result is a heady and enjoyable experience.
The consultation leads him to travel with his wife to New Orleans, where an older crime with similar characteristics had taken place. While in New Orleans he meets with a member of the New Orleans police department and then is exposed to a threat to his family that causes him to return to Canada. The links to the crimes and the roles of the competing jurisdictions are still unclear.Once home, it is apparent that danger still surrounds him as the puzzle unfolds and reaches its conclusion.
This narrative is intricately plotted yet is still accessible to the reader.The characterization of Cinq-Mars drives the story forward.He is a moral man who is both contemplative and intuitive but not adverse to action and off beat solutions.His interactions with both his colleagues and his suspects enhance the texture of the mystery. The prose and dialogue farther augment the novel.The author also provides historical and cultural insights. The result is a heady and enjoyable experience.
July 14, 2015
Farrow is the pen name that acclaimed Canadian writer Trevor Ferguson selected when he decided to try his hand at writing genre fiction, and, if I have this right, this is his fourth book featuring detective Émile Cinq-Mars and the first of a planned “storm murders” trilogy.
In this mystery/thriller, prickly retired Montreal Sergeant-Detective Cinq-Mars finds himself flattered and cajoled and inevitably drawn into helping in the investigation of a rural Quebec double-murder that culminated in the additional slaying of two young Sûreté du Québec police officers lured to the remote farmhouse by a phone call.
Perhaps Cinq-Mars decides to aid this investigation because he is intrigued by the crime itself, the lack of apparent motive, and the absence of the killer’s footprints in the newly fallen snow around the house. Perhaps it is the puzzling entreaties of a senior FBI agent, looking for answers in a case that’s way out of his jurisdiction. Perhaps it is the bleak persistence of a Canadian winter making the days weigh heavy on Cinq-Mars’s insufficiently occupied brain. Or perhaps it is his wife Sandra’s startling intimation that she might leave him, making the investigation a welcome preoccupation that might enable him to in some way resurrect the man she’d fallen in love with.
The FBI agent, frustratingly close-mouthed, at least reveals that the deaths of the Quebec couple share certain grisly similarities with a series of murders in the United States. All have involved a married couple, always they’ve occurred after a major calamity. As none of the neighbors know much about the couple, relatively new arrivals to the area, and in the hope of finding out more details that would suggest a connection among these deaths, Cinq-Mars travels to New Orleans. The first pair of murders occurred there, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Sandra accompanies him, because the trip promises to be a semi-vacation. Both she and Cinq-Mars hope a change of marital venue will help them reconnect.
Booklist has called the Cinq-Mars books “the best series in crime fiction today,” and this is the first of them I’ve read. Farrow’s writing style, honed by writing literary fiction, is confident and sophisticated, and the book starts strong. In general, the characters and setting are interesting and well-developed, especially good-humored multi-racial NOPD detective Pascal Dupree and ambitious hotel security chief Everardo Flores, who enliven every scene they’re in. Unfortunately, the plot was not as robust as these other elements. I guessed early on (and I’m not a particularly insightful guesser) why the FBI was interested in this series of murders. Farrow receives praise from some reviewers for writing character-driven mysteries, but for my taste, Cinq-Mars’s examinations of his feelings about religion, his wife, and retirement are rather too long. The denouement also was drawn out past the point of believability, including both conversation and events that seemed unlikely.
While this book has much to recommend it, especially for admirers of the series, in the end it requires some suspension of disbelief.
In this mystery/thriller, prickly retired Montreal Sergeant-Detective Cinq-Mars finds himself flattered and cajoled and inevitably drawn into helping in the investigation of a rural Quebec double-murder that culminated in the additional slaying of two young Sûreté du Québec police officers lured to the remote farmhouse by a phone call.
Perhaps Cinq-Mars decides to aid this investigation because he is intrigued by the crime itself, the lack of apparent motive, and the absence of the killer’s footprints in the newly fallen snow around the house. Perhaps it is the puzzling entreaties of a senior FBI agent, looking for answers in a case that’s way out of his jurisdiction. Perhaps it is the bleak persistence of a Canadian winter making the days weigh heavy on Cinq-Mars’s insufficiently occupied brain. Or perhaps it is his wife Sandra’s startling intimation that she might leave him, making the investigation a welcome preoccupation that might enable him to in some way resurrect the man she’d fallen in love with.
The FBI agent, frustratingly close-mouthed, at least reveals that the deaths of the Quebec couple share certain grisly similarities with a series of murders in the United States. All have involved a married couple, always they’ve occurred after a major calamity. As none of the neighbors know much about the couple, relatively new arrivals to the area, and in the hope of finding out more details that would suggest a connection among these deaths, Cinq-Mars travels to New Orleans. The first pair of murders occurred there, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Sandra accompanies him, because the trip promises to be a semi-vacation. Both she and Cinq-Mars hope a change of marital venue will help them reconnect.
Booklist has called the Cinq-Mars books “the best series in crime fiction today,” and this is the first of them I’ve read. Farrow’s writing style, honed by writing literary fiction, is confident and sophisticated, and the book starts strong. In general, the characters and setting are interesting and well-developed, especially good-humored multi-racial NOPD detective Pascal Dupree and ambitious hotel security chief Everardo Flores, who enliven every scene they’re in. Unfortunately, the plot was not as robust as these other elements. I guessed early on (and I’m not a particularly insightful guesser) why the FBI was interested in this series of murders. Farrow receives praise from some reviewers for writing character-driven mysteries, but for my taste, Cinq-Mars’s examinations of his feelings about religion, his wife, and retirement are rather too long. The denouement also was drawn out past the point of believability, including both conversation and events that seemed unlikely.
While this book has much to recommend it, especially for admirers of the series, in the end it requires some suspension of disbelief.
July 19, 2015
I don't know where I read a review of this book, but thank goodness I did. What a find !! The author John Farrow ( actually Trevor Ferguson) is well known in Canada. He writes (apparently very well) in both english and french. This interview in January Magazine is a good introduction to him http://www.januarymagazine.com/profil...
Anyway, now I have to find a copy of City of Ice and Ice Lake and the other Cinq-Mars books and look forward to the coming second and third novels of the trilogy that begins with The Storm Murders.
Cinq-Mars is a newly retired detective of the Montreal police. His retirement is not going so well. He is recovering from a trifecta of bad luck (illness/injuries) and is dancing around his younger American wife's adjustment issues. He is a very thoughtful person, someone that weighs his words and, possibly more important, weighs the words of others. But life on their horse farm doesn't give him much scope for his great intellect.
And then murder and the FBI ( what?? in Canada you ask ??) comes knocking on his door. A particularly perplexing and horrific murder has occurred in his neck of the woods and he gets drawn into the job of consultant.
The twists and turns are many. The characters are interesting and fully realized. New Orleans is featured and he takes the time to capture the flavor of the town and its singular character. The pace is just right. I didn't want to go to bed the day I started reading it. But consoled myself with the knowledge that it would be waiting for me at breakfast. Run go find a copy and enjoy it for yourself
Anyway, now I have to find a copy of City of Ice and Ice Lake and the other Cinq-Mars books and look forward to the coming second and third novels of the trilogy that begins with The Storm Murders.
Cinq-Mars is a newly retired detective of the Montreal police. His retirement is not going so well. He is recovering from a trifecta of bad luck (illness/injuries) and is dancing around his younger American wife's adjustment issues. He is a very thoughtful person, someone that weighs his words and, possibly more important, weighs the words of others. But life on their horse farm doesn't give him much scope for his great intellect.
And then murder and the FBI ( what?? in Canada you ask ??) comes knocking on his door. A particularly perplexing and horrific murder has occurred in his neck of the woods and he gets drawn into the job of consultant.
The twists and turns are many. The characters are interesting and fully realized. New Orleans is featured and he takes the time to capture the flavor of the town and its singular character. The pace is just right. I didn't want to go to bed the day I started reading it. But consoled myself with the knowledge that it would be waiting for me at breakfast. Run go find a copy and enjoy it for yourself
November 30, 2015
I eagerly anticipate the publication of every John Farrow (aka Trever Ferguson) Emile Cing-Mars mystery. This one is no exception. It is a well crafted and well written book. It is a noir style mystery and is, like its predecessors, set Montreal and region, although this one takes a side trip to New Orleans. In a world of John Grisham and Dan Brown, it is a lot of fun to read a novel like this set in Canada. I don't know Montreal very well, but I know it enough to grasp the landscape of the novel. I also, through years of studying Canadian history and reading the news, appreciate the political and social background of the novels. This book is considerably shorter than the previous Cinq-Mars mysteries, but there are indications of many more to come. Anyone who loves a good, intelligent mystery with a hard-nosed detective should read this book.
July 3, 2018
I didn't realize this was the first book in a trilogy. It reads as a standalone, which is great, because ending on a cliffhanger is the worst. It's a bit wordy, but I thought it was a solid mystery and I also really liked how information wasn't really held back from the reader-we knew what the main character did and he could figure things out that I couldn't-but when he explained things (as you go along) you think-aha!
July 19, 2015
Gripped me right out of the gate and then it dropped off for me. There were entire sections that I skimmed because it didn't hold my attention fully. I enjoyed the story overall but I think there were parts of the book that didn't need to be there.
August 2, 2015
I was really hooked after the first chapter and was really looking forward to reading the rest. But it got so boring that I finally gave it up. As much as I wanted to find out what had happened, I could not bring myself to take the time to finish the book.
January 12, 2016
A suspenseful page-turner of a story. Good enough for me to include other books by John Farrow on my reading list.
July 12, 2023
Emile Cinq-Mars (ECM), star of John Farrow's great series, is, in John Farrow's latest "The Storm Murders", retired and not exactly lovin' it. He's an ex-Montreal detective, legendary on the force though hated by some for his somewhat sophisticated and learned ways, and struggling to come to grips with his new-found freedom. He's living on a horse farm in the countryside with his wife, Sandra, who's considering leaving him. Luckily, for him, crime comes a'callin' and he gets lured out of retirement. Seems a farmer and his wife were murdered in a ritualistic way with no clues left at the scene and, for some odd reason, a former buddy of his on the Montreal force and an (American, of course) FBI agent are leading the investigation and think he can help.
ECM, obviously, wants to know why the FBI is involved and he's given the explanation, eventually, that the killing fits the pattern of several others that have occurred in the States. One of the murders took place in New Orleans, so ECM takes his wife way down south to see what he can dig up on the old killing. The proverbial do-do hits the fan as none of the local police seem to want him there and several additional crimes take place while he's in the city, one of which involved his wife. He leaves town, returns to his farm, and tries to put his most recent 'assignment' out of his mind. Events intrude, though, and before you know it he's back in. Since the victims of what happened before his involvement and most recently seem to have nothing in common, the investigation meanders along for about 80% of the book until the shocking conclusion.
I really enjoy the ECM series. Typically, prior to ECM's retirement, the environs around Montreal was one of its 'stars'. This one has a sort of fish-out-of-water feel since much of the action takes place in New Orleans- sort of a welcome change of pace. The main characters, Emile and his wife Sandra, are very strong and Farrow's writing and dialogue are excellent. The Storm Murders did seem to drag a bit through its middle as the investigators couldn't put the puzzle pieces together and I thought the conclusion was a little overcooked, but otherwise this is a fine addition to a series I really enjoy.
ECM, obviously, wants to know why the FBI is involved and he's given the explanation, eventually, that the killing fits the pattern of several others that have occurred in the States. One of the murders took place in New Orleans, so ECM takes his wife way down south to see what he can dig up on the old killing. The proverbial do-do hits the fan as none of the local police seem to want him there and several additional crimes take place while he's in the city, one of which involved his wife. He leaves town, returns to his farm, and tries to put his most recent 'assignment' out of his mind. Events intrude, though, and before you know it he's back in. Since the victims of what happened before his involvement and most recently seem to have nothing in common, the investigation meanders along for about 80% of the book until the shocking conclusion.
I really enjoy the ECM series. Typically, prior to ECM's retirement, the environs around Montreal was one of its 'stars'. This one has a sort of fish-out-of-water feel since much of the action takes place in New Orleans- sort of a welcome change of pace. The main characters, Emile and his wife Sandra, are very strong and Farrow's writing and dialogue are excellent. The Storm Murders did seem to drag a bit through its middle as the investigators couldn't put the puzzle pieces together and I thought the conclusion was a little overcooked, but otherwise this is a fine addition to a series I really enjoy.
February 7, 2020
I felt like this was a pale version of Louise Penny's Armand Gamache. But of course, I'll read the 2nd and third book in the trilogy to see if they will change my mind.
"On the day after a massive blizzard, two policemen are called to an isolated farm house sitting all by itself in the middle of a pristine snow-blanketed field. Inside the lonely abode are two dead people. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to the house or away. What happened here? Is this a murder/suicide case? Or will it turn into something much more sinister?"
"On the day after a massive blizzard, two policemen are called to an isolated farm house sitting all by itself in the middle of a pristine snow-blanketed field. Inside the lonely abode are two dead people. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to the house or away. What happened here? Is this a murder/suicide case? Or will it turn into something much more sinister?"
February 4, 2020
If you are in a Louise Penny withdrawal, this has some similarities: complicated Quebecois detective, some passages of quite profound insight, hard to put down.
Read
May 16, 2016From the publisher: On the day after a massive blizzard, two policemen are called to an isolated farmhouse in the middle of a pristine, snow-blanketed field. Inside the lonely abode are two dead people. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to or away from the house. What happened here? Is this a murder-suicide case? Or will it turn into something much more sinister?
On the first page, the reader knows instantly that (s)he is in for some gorgeous writing: “Wild gusts sculpted fields of fresh powder into rhythmic waves overnight, but as the storm passed the wind ceased. No trace of movement disturbed the distant view to the horizon, a seamless ocean of white lying perfectly still as though arrested at the moment of a tidal shift. Plows made a pass, yet the road remained slick with a glimmer of snow. The two cops fumbled for their sunglasses, neither for effect nor from any sense of police propriety, but the reflection off snow on a clear day under a cold snap in February created a brilliance more luminous than any summer’s noon.” The idyllic scene soon morphs into something much more sinister, for the two cops checking out the farmhouse soon add to the body count. The eponymous crimes are a series of serial killings which take place during or immediately after natural disasters, in this case a blizzard at an isolated farmhouse in northern Canada. The other serial aspect of those murders is the dismemberment of the victims’ ring fingers.
It soon appears that similar murders have taken place in various cities in the U.S., which we discover when an FBI agent investigating those murders seeks assistance from Emile Cinq-Mars, the retired Montreal police detective whose reputation precedes him. Emile’s adored and much younger wife, Sandra, 46 years old, encourages him to take on the investigation, in which she asks to be kept informed and involved, and since she’d recently told him she was contemplating leaving him, he is quick to agree to do so. The case soon involves them traveling to New Orleans, where the ante is raised considerably soon after their arrival, in a very personal way. As is the suspense level.
There is much here about police in different jurisdictions stepping on each other’s toes, figuratively and otherwise. The cops are very well-drawn characters, not the least of whom is Cinq-Mars, but also his former longtime partner, Bill Mathers, now a Sergeant-Detective; FBI Agent Rand Dreher; his female colleague, Vira Sivak; hotel security cop Everardo Flores; and the fascinating mixed-race New Orleans cop, Dupree. The fact that cops have been killed in this most recent murder, of course, makes this a very special case for all of them.
The denouement is quite unexpected, and things are wrapped up in very satisfactory fashion. This is the fourth appearance by Emile Cinq-Mars, and the first in a promised trilogy. It was my first encounter with this author, but it will certainly not be my last! Happily, the 2nd entry in the trilogy, “Seven Days Dead,” is due out on May 24, 2016, and it is next up for this reader. Highly recommended.
On the first page, the reader knows instantly that (s)he is in for some gorgeous writing: “Wild gusts sculpted fields of fresh powder into rhythmic waves overnight, but as the storm passed the wind ceased. No trace of movement disturbed the distant view to the horizon, a seamless ocean of white lying perfectly still as though arrested at the moment of a tidal shift. Plows made a pass, yet the road remained slick with a glimmer of snow. The two cops fumbled for their sunglasses, neither for effect nor from any sense of police propriety, but the reflection off snow on a clear day under a cold snap in February created a brilliance more luminous than any summer’s noon.” The idyllic scene soon morphs into something much more sinister, for the two cops checking out the farmhouse soon add to the body count. The eponymous crimes are a series of serial killings which take place during or immediately after natural disasters, in this case a blizzard at an isolated farmhouse in northern Canada. The other serial aspect of those murders is the dismemberment of the victims’ ring fingers.
It soon appears that similar murders have taken place in various cities in the U.S., which we discover when an FBI agent investigating those murders seeks assistance from Emile Cinq-Mars, the retired Montreal police detective whose reputation precedes him. Emile’s adored and much younger wife, Sandra, 46 years old, encourages him to take on the investigation, in which she asks to be kept informed and involved, and since she’d recently told him she was contemplating leaving him, he is quick to agree to do so. The case soon involves them traveling to New Orleans, where the ante is raised considerably soon after their arrival, in a very personal way. As is the suspense level.
There is much here about police in different jurisdictions stepping on each other’s toes, figuratively and otherwise. The cops are very well-drawn characters, not the least of whom is Cinq-Mars, but also his former longtime partner, Bill Mathers, now a Sergeant-Detective; FBI Agent Rand Dreher; his female colleague, Vira Sivak; hotel security cop Everardo Flores; and the fascinating mixed-race New Orleans cop, Dupree. The fact that cops have been killed in this most recent murder, of course, makes this a very special case for all of them.
The denouement is quite unexpected, and things are wrapped up in very satisfactory fashion. This is the fourth appearance by Emile Cinq-Mars, and the first in a promised trilogy. It was my first encounter with this author, but it will certainly not be my last! Happily, the 2nd entry in the trilogy, “Seven Days Dead,” is due out on May 24, 2016, and it is next up for this reader. Highly recommended.
February 18, 2017
3-3/4 stars really. Good complex, character driven mystery. A bit wordy is spots, particularly the finale. Goodly amounts of wit.
Rather liked the second one better. Looking forward to #3!
Rather liked the second one better. Looking forward to #3!
April 6, 2017
When two rural police officers arrive in a snowstorm at an isolated house in the Quebec countryside to investigate a double murder, both quickly fall victim themselves. A retired Montreal City investigator, Sergeant-Detective Emile Cinq-Mars, receives a visit from his former partner and an unknown FBI agent who ask him to join them on the mysterious case.
Thus begins John Farrow’s novel, The Storm Murders, a complex and baffling tale that takes Cinq-Mars from Quebec to New Orleans and back again, involving him in a string of unexplainable homicides. What links the murders is that each has been committed immediately after a major disaster (Hurricane Katrina, a tornado, and, unaccountably, the simple snowstorm in Quebec). Along the way Cinq-Mars encounters a suspicious New Orleans police officer, a resourceful hotel detective, and a special (perhaps rogue) unit of the FBI — and his wife is kidnapped. The resolution of this unsettling case is long in coming. It’s suspenseful all the way.
A murder mystery with too many twists and turns
Though the story is intriguing and seems impossible to figure out before the explanation is finally revealed at the end, the resolution, though neat, takes many pages to explain and seems far beyond belief. Farrow gets high marks for inventiveness. For credibility? Not so much.
About the author
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, one of Canada’s leading writers. The Storm Murders is the first book in a trilogy of the same name. Beginning in 1977, he has written thirteen novels and four plays.
Thus begins John Farrow’s novel, The Storm Murders, a complex and baffling tale that takes Cinq-Mars from Quebec to New Orleans and back again, involving him in a string of unexplainable homicides. What links the murders is that each has been committed immediately after a major disaster (Hurricane Katrina, a tornado, and, unaccountably, the simple snowstorm in Quebec). Along the way Cinq-Mars encounters a suspicious New Orleans police officer, a resourceful hotel detective, and a special (perhaps rogue) unit of the FBI — and his wife is kidnapped. The resolution of this unsettling case is long in coming. It’s suspenseful all the way.
A murder mystery with too many twists and turns
Though the story is intriguing and seems impossible to figure out before the explanation is finally revealed at the end, the resolution, though neat, takes many pages to explain and seems far beyond belief. Farrow gets high marks for inventiveness. For credibility? Not so much.
About the author
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, one of Canada’s leading writers. The Storm Murders is the first book in a trilogy of the same name. Beginning in 1977, he has written thirteen novels and four plays.
October 8, 2015
Great book although the description of the device/experience to allow Emile Cinq-Mars series to continue was a bit cheesy and disappointing(and yes I stayed up to finish it as I got closer to the end). This was especially in comparison to the rest of the book, which was quite complex and chilling. The writing and character development are a pleasure to read in a detective/mystery book. Interesting plot, with details changing and being uncovered through the book, as Emile also wrestles with what retirement might mean after a career as a police detective in Montreal, with a reputation for solving crimes far beyond there. This story of strange murders of couples takes him into New Orleans several years post-Katrina, and involvement with the NOPD and the FBI. I'm not sure if I read earlier books in this series, do am going back to read them. I will look forward to the next one in this series!
December 5, 2016
As usual, John Farrow (aka Trevor Ferguson) writes a terrific mystery. The delightful thing about his books is that there is always that little nuance that is nagging at the back of the retired detective's mind. We have all known this -- there is just something missing but we can not quite get it. Our hero, Emile, is retired but is urged back into service by his colleague and someone from the US FBI. Emile is Canadian and gets drawn into this mystery of four people being dead in a farmhouse, fresh snow and no footprints going into or from the house.
This is a great intro to the Storm Murders Trilogy. If you like mysteries, try this one. We learn about Emile's wife and their difficulties with Emile's retirement. They get to go to New Orleans along the way in this exciting novel.
This is a great intro to the Storm Murders Trilogy. If you like mysteries, try this one. We learn about Emile's wife and their difficulties with Emile's retirement. They get to go to New Orleans along the way in this exciting novel.
July 22, 2015
John Farrow knows how to adroitly contrast scenarios and characters' perspectives to create a fine piece of fiction. Some intensely chilling chapters in this thriller are juxtaposed with more relaxed digressions in the retired Quebecois detective's health concerns and marital woes. Surprisingly, these do not impede the intriguing pacing of the narrative, but provide readers with a sense of reality for Emile Cinq-Mars's dilemmas.
Moreover, the addition of several unsavory and creepy characters with their own agendas sustain interest. The only criticism involves the ending when the insightful Cinq-Mars becomes a pedantic, overbearing bore during a final debriefing, but in light of the crimes' successful resolutions even this is forgivable.
Moreover, the addition of several unsavory and creepy characters with their own agendas sustain interest. The only criticism involves the ending when the insightful Cinq-Mars becomes a pedantic, overbearing bore during a final debriefing, but in light of the crimes' successful resolutions even this is forgivable.
December 2, 2015
Excellent writer. This book would likely appeal to Louise Penny fans given the setting (Quebec) and the French-speaking older detective. This is not a 'grab you by the collar and hurl you forward' kind of book. It takes a slower, more philosophical approach to story telling. Because the book is set very close to where I live I, personally, couldn't suspend disbelief, but for those less familiar with the area and culture, that won't be a problem. (PS This is a problem for all readers with too much detailed knowledge of any book or movie's subject matter. It interferes with the ability to imagine.)
November 28, 2015
The novel opens promisingly; after a snowy blizzard, two police are directed to an isolated farmhouse where they discover the bodies of a man and woman, yet there are no prints or tracks in the snow leading to or from the house. (And I'm not giving anything away when I tell you it's not a murder/suicide). Kathy Reichs is quoted on the cover: "Complex, intense and beautifully suspenseful - a tantalising thriller." The plot is complex, however I take issue with the proposition that it is beautifully suspenseful. Perhaps the last forty pages or so. If you appreciate a lot of background and a long lead up this may be the one for you. I found it wordy and slightly disappointing.
November 8, 2015
Retired Canadian detective Emile Cinq-Mars is contacted by the FBI after a local murder has similarities to a series of murders in the US where the killer has hidden in the attic while the police are at the scene.
I have mixed feelings about this book. At first the writing seemed a little too similar to Louise Penny. Then the main character seemed a little too much like retired detective Dave Gurney in John Verdon's books. It was a good plot that kept me interested but just not enough for more stars.
I have mixed feelings about this book. At first the writing seemed a little too similar to Louise Penny. Then the main character seemed a little too much like retired detective Dave Gurney in John Verdon's books. It was a good plot that kept me interested but just not enough for more stars.
December 18, 2016
Set in winter, Quebec, west of Montreal, cold, white, snowblown.... and it goes from there. I loved the scene setting, the dialogue, the psychological detailing of the characters. It was indeed a thriller from start to finish, that encompassed that strange Canadian-American relationship: the intermingling, inter-marriage, the back and forth, the cross border closeness and wariness that we have of each other by virtue of our shared three thousand mile border and common colonial history. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful....
June 4, 2016
I was somewhat disappointed with this book. I've read one other by this author and rather liked it, but I felt the author spent way too much time "inside" the main character's head, with his thoughts and feelings that went on and on and on at times. I also thought the ending was just a tad on the "over the top" side and even after the big ending, it still went on a bit to the point I really got bored with it.
September 20, 2022
Unbelievably frustrating as the main characters are great, the writing flows, and I was expecting good things. But the plot is beyond ridiculous, motive paper thin, murderer obvious from way off, and the whole thing is just very annoying. Docked an extra star because it really should have been better and will attempt to find some earlier stuff (kindle availability from the UK piss poor, thanks evilamazon).
May 14, 2019
I bought the first three novels in this series, loved the idea that they were about a Montreal based detective. I have now read 2 and will read the third because I won them, but they are not great. This first novel starts off really well, and then it just gets boring, way too "talky" and predictable. the dialogue felt stilted and false - like a bad translation.
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