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Lane Winslow #13
A False and Fatal Claim
Lane Winslow struggles to tell friend from foe in a captivating new mystery from the series Publishers Weekly calls “highly entertaining.”
Lane Winslow is known in her idyllic British Columbia laketown of King's Cove for a bad habit of finding dead bodies. This time, all she’s found is a suspiciously well-made hat abandoned in the brush, but she’s certain there’s a mystery afoot.
While Lane is overtaken by the urge to snoop around for clues, her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team at the Nelson Police Station find their straightforward case of a stolen boat suddenly complicated when a fourteen-year-old boy is reported missing from the local school. When the search for the boy, the hat’s mysterious owner, and the boat lead them to the sudden disappearances of the local café cook, a visiting wealthy investor, and seventy thousand dollars in cash, the case quickly turns into a snarled tangle of missing people and scant, circumstantial evidence.
Desperate to keep a vulnerable and possibly violent young boy safe, Lane recruits the neighbours as Darling, Ames, Terrell, and April scour the local towns and wildernesses for answers—all while Ames struggles to focus through wedding jitters, and April and Terrell chafe under the questionable advice of meddlesome old “friends.” At first, the daily dramas of King’s Cove unfold uninterrupted around the simmering questions at the heart of this far-reaching mystery, but as the case reveals its roots in both the glitzy high society and criminal underground of 1920s Toronto, it soon becomes clear all hands will be needed on deck to get everyone to the coming wedding alive in one piece.
Lane Winslow is known in her idyllic British Columbia laketown of King's Cove for a bad habit of finding dead bodies. This time, all she’s found is a suspiciously well-made hat abandoned in the brush, but she’s certain there’s a mystery afoot.
While Lane is overtaken by the urge to snoop around for clues, her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team at the Nelson Police Station find their straightforward case of a stolen boat suddenly complicated when a fourteen-year-old boy is reported missing from the local school. When the search for the boy, the hat’s mysterious owner, and the boat lead them to the sudden disappearances of the local café cook, a visiting wealthy investor, and seventy thousand dollars in cash, the case quickly turns into a snarled tangle of missing people and scant, circumstantial evidence.
Desperate to keep a vulnerable and possibly violent young boy safe, Lane recruits the neighbours as Darling, Ames, Terrell, and April scour the local towns and wildernesses for answers—all while Ames struggles to focus through wedding jitters, and April and Terrell chafe under the questionable advice of meddlesome old “friends.” At first, the daily dramas of King’s Cove unfold uninterrupted around the simmering questions at the heart of this far-reaching mystery, but as the case reveals its roots in both the glitzy high society and criminal underground of 1920s Toronto, it soon becomes clear all hands will be needed on deck to get everyone to the coming wedding alive in one piece.
480 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2026
98 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Iona Whishaw
15 books456 followersIona Whishaw has been a youth worker, social worker, teacher and an award winning High School Principal, who continued with her writing throughout her working life. Receiving her Masters in Creative writing from UBC, Iona has published short fiction, poetry, poetry translation and one children's book, Henry and the Cow Problem. The Lane Winslow mystery series is her first foray into adult fiction.
Iona was born in Kimberley BC, but grew up in a number of different places, including a small community on Kootenay Lake, as well as Mexico and Central America, and the US because of her father's geological work. She took a degree in history and education from Antioch College, and subsequent degrees in Writing at UBC and pedagogy at Simon Fraser University. Her own writing output took a brief back seat during her teaching career, but she shared her passion for writing by nurturing a love of writing in the students in English, Creative Writing, and Spanish classes. During the course of her career as a Principal in Vancouver she was awarded the Woman of Distinction in Education by the YWCA in 2010 and a Canada's Outstanding Principals award in 2012.
Her hobbies have included dance, painting, reading, and gardening. She currently is a vocalist for a small Balkan dance band in Vancouver, and is patiently waiting for her next opportunity to engage in her current pash, long distance, cross country rambling in England.
She is married, has one son and two grandsons, and lives in Vancouver with her artist husband, Terry Miller.
Iona was born in Kimberley BC, but grew up in a number of different places, including a small community on Kootenay Lake, as well as Mexico and Central America, and the US because of her father's geological work. She took a degree in history and education from Antioch College, and subsequent degrees in Writing at UBC and pedagogy at Simon Fraser University. Her own writing output took a brief back seat during her teaching career, but she shared her passion for writing by nurturing a love of writing in the students in English, Creative Writing, and Spanish classes. During the course of her career as a Principal in Vancouver she was awarded the Woman of Distinction in Education by the YWCA in 2010 and a Canada's Outstanding Principals award in 2012.
Her hobbies have included dance, painting, reading, and gardening. She currently is a vocalist for a small Balkan dance band in Vancouver, and is patiently waiting for her next opportunity to engage in her current pash, long distance, cross country rambling in England.
She is married, has one son and two grandsons, and lives in Vancouver with her artist husband, Terry Miller.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 6, 2026
A solid good read with a happy ending ☺️
May 5, 2026
It is a joy to read each book in this entire series. I wish I could live in the world the author has created. The narration is superb. I am always looking forward to the next installment.
May 10, 2026
I love this series I tried to pace myself but just gobbled it up!
April 29, 2026
This series keeps getting better and better, this book set mostly in 1948 Nelson, British Columbia at one point has 4 missing people and when Lane finds a dead body in the lake, she knows she must participate in the investigation.
With the main characters being a police inspector, his team and his wife, not to mention a community of willing assistants we get a peek into life in a small community with the effects of WWI and WWII still lingering. This book also explores the role of women in the workplace with the challenges and prejudices they faced. There is lots happening in this book to keep the reader engaged and for me seeing the world at this time and place is refreshing and at times I found myself laughing or smiling at an interaction between the characters.
If you are looking for a book or series set in small community this is one I highly recommend.
With the main characters being a police inspector, his team and his wife, not to mention a community of willing assistants we get a peek into life in a small community with the effects of WWI and WWII still lingering. This book also explores the role of women in the workplace with the challenges and prejudices they faced. There is lots happening in this book to keep the reader engaged and for me seeing the world at this time and place is refreshing and at times I found myself laughing or smiling at an interaction between the characters.
If you are looking for a book or series set in small community this is one I highly recommend.
May 7, 2026
Another winner in the Lane Winslow saga, culminating in (at last) a wedding. Fans of the series (like me) are not disappointed in this latest instance of mystery and developments in time Kings Cove.
The story here is a bit convoluted, with gangsters from the East making deadly mischief in the Nelson area, right around the time of the long-awaited wedding for Sergeant Ames and Ms Van Eyck. A very strange murder (that, of course, Lane discovers) is blended in with a plot about a runaway boy, mining ventures in the area, and romances amongst the characters. There is also social commentary about the times, including racial tensions and the emancipation of women. While these could have been heavy-handed, Whishaw does her usually good job of integrating the issues into the story and characters, showing the progress and challenges of a changing society without editorializing.
The murder itself is quite complicated, only being resolved at the very end and still somewhat strange. I hope the other stories, including the runaway and his mother, and the budding romances, are continued in the next installment.
Again surprising to me is how little time has passed over these 13 novels. Book 1 was the summer of 1946 and here we are in the summer and fall of 1948. So much has happened, and so many murders – Kings Cove is quite the exciting place to live.
As always, I’m left with a sense of anticipation for the next adventure and advance for all the various couples and characters.
One quibble with this book is the number of typos and errors in the text. Examples: page 97 includes an extra quotation mark in some dialogue; another one on page 319; page 406, it says, “It was still dark outside.” But it wasn’t dark yet. There were at least 3 other errors like this earlier in the book. Perhaps the pace of editing should slow down so all the errors are corrected…
The story here is a bit convoluted, with gangsters from the East making deadly mischief in the Nelson area, right around the time of the long-awaited wedding for Sergeant Ames and Ms Van Eyck. A very strange murder (that, of course, Lane discovers) is blended in with a plot about a runaway boy, mining ventures in the area, and romances amongst the characters. There is also social commentary about the times, including racial tensions and the emancipation of women. While these could have been heavy-handed, Whishaw does her usually good job of integrating the issues into the story and characters, showing the progress and challenges of a changing society without editorializing.
The murder itself is quite complicated, only being resolved at the very end and still somewhat strange. I hope the other stories, including the runaway and his mother, and the budding romances, are continued in the next installment.
Again surprising to me is how little time has passed over these 13 novels. Book 1 was the summer of 1946 and here we are in the summer and fall of 1948. So much has happened, and so many murders – Kings Cove is quite the exciting place to live.
As always, I’m left with a sense of anticipation for the next adventure and advance for all the various couples and characters.
One quibble with this book is the number of typos and errors in the text. Examples: page 97 includes an extra quotation mark in some dialogue; another one on page 319; page 406, it says, “It was still dark outside.” But it wasn’t dark yet. There were at least 3 other errors like this earlier in the book. Perhaps the pace of editing should slow down so all the errors are corrected…
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
3 stars for a difficult book to read. I rate the plot, characters and pace of the book 3.5 stars.
The ability to read this book is 2.5 stars due to formatting/proofreading issues.
Some quotes:
First, a from conversation between Glenn Ponting and Lane Winslow: "I didn't think much of it at rst, because people park there when they want to sh o, the point, but I was surprised by the look of this guy. He didn't look like a sherman." The letters fi are missing from first and fisherman. I don't know about sh o.
Next, observation by April: "Twisting her mouth in puzzlement, April watched the inspector walk past the o7ce" Missing letters ff.
Quote from April: "One of the guys he calls up for res used to do something underwater for the army .6.6. salvaging submarines or something." .6.6. baffles me.
My wife read this book before me and .6.6. also mystified her.
The book has several elements that do come together with a satisfactory conclusion.
Among them:
a stolen boat
a missing fourteen year old boy
an expensive hat found on a beach
a local cook who quits his job for a lucrative offer to serve as a chauffeur
This was an uncorrected proof eBook, and some typos are expected. However, the level of mistakes made it difficult for me to completely understand the book, and therefore unable to review it properly.
I do thank Touchwood Editions for sending me this eARC through Edelweiss+
This is book 13 in the series, and I have read all previous 12 books in the series. This is the first time that the publisher has sent me such a difficult book to read. If they send me an updated eBook with errors fixed, I will happily upgrade my review.
The ability to read this book is 2.5 stars due to formatting/proofreading issues.
Some quotes:
First, a from conversation between Glenn Ponting and Lane Winslow: "I didn't think much of it at rst, because people park there when they want to sh o, the point, but I was surprised by the look of this guy. He didn't look like a sherman." The letters fi are missing from first and fisherman. I don't know about sh o.
Next, observation by April: "Twisting her mouth in puzzlement, April watched the inspector walk past the o7ce" Missing letters ff.
Quote from April: "One of the guys he calls up for res used to do something underwater for the army .6.6. salvaging submarines or something." .6.6. baffles me.
My wife read this book before me and .6.6. also mystified her.
The book has several elements that do come together with a satisfactory conclusion.
Among them:
a stolen boat
a missing fourteen year old boy
an expensive hat found on a beach
a local cook who quits his job for a lucrative offer to serve as a chauffeur
This was an uncorrected proof eBook, and some typos are expected. However, the level of mistakes made it difficult for me to completely understand the book, and therefore unable to review it properly.
I do thank Touchwood Editions for sending me this eARC through Edelweiss+
This is book 13 in the series, and I have read all previous 12 books in the series. This is the first time that the publisher has sent me such a difficult book to read. If they send me an updated eBook with errors fixed, I will happily upgrade my review.
Review of advance copy
Lane Winslow can't help it, trouble keeps finding her!
It began with a fine hat found by Lane on the shore. Her husband, Inspector Darling, receives a phone call for a troubled missing teen...and then a missing fishing boat. Lane's neighbours in King's Cove keep seeing a black town car cruising around at night. As much as Inspector Darling would like to keep his wife out of his investigation, they quickly realize the clues are all connected to some shady operatives out of Ontario...and of course, a corpse shows up. Officer Ames is gearing up for his wedding - if he can get there in one piece. Officer Terrell and Rookie April McAvity are tested in their relationship with the reality of interracial love in 1940s British Columbia. The team races to keep the teenager safe and find answers before more are hurt.
Another cozy quest! I always enjoy entering into the world of Lane Winslow and am seriously contemplating a trip to the Kootenays because of it.
I liked how Terrell and April are having honest conversations about their future, and April standing up for what she wants!
As always, an easy and refreshing read.
It began with a fine hat found by Lane on the shore. Her husband, Inspector Darling, receives a phone call for a troubled missing teen...and then a missing fishing boat. Lane's neighbours in King's Cove keep seeing a black town car cruising around at night. As much as Inspector Darling would like to keep his wife out of his investigation, they quickly realize the clues are all connected to some shady operatives out of Ontario...and of course, a corpse shows up. Officer Ames is gearing up for his wedding - if he can get there in one piece. Officer Terrell and Rookie April McAvity are tested in their relationship with the reality of interracial love in 1940s British Columbia. The team races to keep the teenager safe and find answers before more are hurt.
Another cozy quest! I always enjoy entering into the world of Lane Winslow and am seriously contemplating a trip to the Kootenays because of it.
I liked how Terrell and April are having honest conversations about their future, and April standing up for what she wants!
As always, an easy and refreshing read.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
In the thirteenth installment of the series, our heroine Lane Winslow finds herself yet again in the middle of a mystery when she discovers and expensive hat on the banks of the lake in King’s Cove. Soon the pieces of the mystery include a wealthy outsider, seventy thousand dollars, a missing diner cook, and a runaway boy who knows more than he’s willing to tell. Soon our dependable Nelson police, Inspector Darling, Sargeant Ames, and Constable Terrill are on the tail of a killer.
Whishaw continues to deliver on this series which has a fantastic sense of place and cast of characters. A strong, unique mystery at the center and steady building of character arcs make this a highly enjoyable series for anyone who loves historical mysteries.
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear will find much to love here and I encourage new readers to start at the beginning of the series and enjoy!
Whishaw continues to deliver on this series which has a fantastic sense of place and cast of characters. A strong, unique mystery at the center and steady building of character arcs make this a highly enjoyable series for anyone who loves historical mysteries.
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear will find much to love here and I encourage new readers to start at the beginning of the series and enjoy!
April 30, 2026
4.5/5 rounded up
This was a fun and nicely convoluted mystery. I've very much been enjoying this series and am a bit sad to have caught up to the latest release so quickly. The writing is lovely with some interesting word choices (I've actually had to look a couple up!) and while the main characters are more progressive and modern overall, there's good representation of more typical ways of thinking from that period including racial slurs. These have been present throughout the series but handled in a way that is neither gratuitous nor minimizing. Issues of domestic violence, racism, sexism / misogyny while period appropriate are presented in a more thought-provoking manner.
Overall, I've very much been enjoying this series and am looking forward to seeing how things continue in the future.
This was a fun and nicely convoluted mystery. I've very much been enjoying this series and am a bit sad to have caught up to the latest release so quickly. The writing is lovely with some interesting word choices (I've actually had to look a couple up!) and while the main characters are more progressive and modern overall, there's good representation of more typical ways of thinking from that period including racial slurs. These have been present throughout the series but handled in a way that is neither gratuitous nor minimizing. Issues of domestic violence, racism, sexism / misogyny while period appropriate are presented in a more thought-provoking manner.
Overall, I've very much been enjoying this series and am looking forward to seeing how things continue in the future.
May 1, 2026
I absolutely love this series! Lane is such a complex heroine with an interesting back story. She's full of courage and compassion as well as a penchant for tripping over dead bodies much to her police inspector husband's chagrin and the delight of his team. The characters are the best part of this series and the way we get to see their progress both professionally and personally whether they are MCs or secondary characters. I'm always thrilled to travel back to King's Cove and catch up with everyone.
I love the way Whishaw develops her mysteries. Insights from the past pique my interest and seamlessly merge with the current case...eventually...and that makes for great reading, or in my case, listening. I have the whole series on audible and have listened to all the books twice now and will definitely revisit them again in the future. One of my favourite series!
I love the way Whishaw develops her mysteries. Insights from the past pique my interest and seamlessly merge with the current case...eventually...and that makes for great reading, or in my case, listening. I have the whole series on audible and have listened to all the books twice now and will definitely revisit them again in the future. One of my favourite series!
May 3, 2026
I really enjoy this series and look forward to each book. However, I was a little disappointed in this book due to the poor copyediting and proofreading. Hope this improves as it is a bit distracting when reading.
April 19, 2026
Another excellent addition to the Lane Winslow historical mystery series. I’m fully invested in these characters, and the mystery in this one was interesting and unexpected. Looking forward to #14!
Review of advance copy
A good read
May 2, 2026
Lane finds an abandoned hat which leads to an injured boy and a mix-up of who’s who. Meanwhile Ames plans his wedding and April and Terrell ponder their future.
May 7, 2026
4.5 listened A bit difficult to keep track of characters.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews