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Hazel Micallef #4
The Night Bell
Michael Redhill's new Hazel Micallef mystery, written under the pen name of Inger Ash Wolfe, is his strongest yet. For readers of crime fiction who enjoy such writers as Giles Blunt, Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Louise Penny, Peter Robinson.
The fourth novel in this acclaimed series is brilliantly paced, addictively suspenseful--the author's best yet. Hazel Micallef (played by Suzanne Sarandon in the recent film of the series' debut, The Calling ) has become one of crime writing's most memorable detectives. Port Dundas, Ontario, is portrayed vividly in the series as the quintessential Canadian town. The Night Bell moves between the past and the present, as two mysteries converge. A discovery of the bones of murdered children is made on land that was once a county foster home. Now it's being developed as a brand new subdivision whose first residents are already railing against broken promises and corruption. But when three of their number are murdered after the find, their frustration turns to terror. While trying to stem the panic and solve two crimes at once, Hazel finds her memory stirred back to the fall of 1959, when the disappearance of a girl from town was blamed on her adopted brother. Although he is long dead, she begins to see the present case as a chance to clear her brother's name, something that drives Hazel beyond her own considerable limits and right into the sights of an angry killer.
The fourth novel in this acclaimed series is brilliantly paced, addictively suspenseful--the author's best yet. Hazel Micallef (played by Suzanne Sarandon in the recent film of the series' debut, The Calling ) has become one of crime writing's most memorable detectives. Port Dundas, Ontario, is portrayed vividly in the series as the quintessential Canadian town. The Night Bell moves between the past and the present, as two mysteries converge. A discovery of the bones of murdered children is made on land that was once a county foster home. Now it's being developed as a brand new subdivision whose first residents are already railing against broken promises and corruption. But when three of their number are murdered after the find, their frustration turns to terror. While trying to stem the panic and solve two crimes at once, Hazel finds her memory stirred back to the fall of 1959, when the disappearance of a girl from town was blamed on her adopted brother. Although he is long dead, she begins to see the present case as a chance to clear her brother's name, something that drives Hazel beyond her own considerable limits and right into the sights of an angry killer.
400 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
29 people are currently reading
1028 people want to read
About the author
Inger Ash Wolfe
11 books180 followersInger Ash Wolfe is the pseudonym of the Canadian fiction writer Michael Redhill.
Michael Redhill is a poet, playwright and novelist whom has written two novels, a collection of short fiction, three plays, and five collections of poetry. His play, Building Jerusalem (2001) garnered him the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and a nomination for the Governor General’s award. His first novel, Martin Sloane (2001), won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, and was also nominated for the Giller Prize, the City of Toronto Book Award, and the Trillium Book Award. His most recent novel, Consolation (2006), won the City of Toronto Book Award and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has acted as an editorial board member for Coach House Press, and is one of the editors, and former publisher, of Brick Magazine.
Michael Redhill is a poet, playwright and novelist whom has written two novels, a collection of short fiction, three plays, and five collections of poetry. His play, Building Jerusalem (2001) garnered him the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and a nomination for the Governor General’s award. His first novel, Martin Sloane (2001), won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, and was also nominated for the Giller Prize, the City of Toronto Book Award, and the Trillium Book Award. His most recent novel, Consolation (2006), won the City of Toronto Book Award and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has acted as an editorial board member for Coach House Press, and is one of the editors, and former publisher, of Brick Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
July 20, 2016
This is the first in the Canadian Inspector Hazel Micallef series that I have read. Hazel is in her sixties, divorced, a cop and lives with her ex-mayor mother who is suffering from dementia. The location is the fictitious town of Port Dundas, Ontario and it runs with a present day investigation, along with one from the past.
In the present day, bones of murdered children are found in what used to be Dublin House, a county foster home. It is currently a housing redevelopment site where the first residents are up in arms, protesting about lies and corruption from the developers. After the discovery of bones, 3 residents are murdered and a cop goes missing. The sets Hazel off remembering how in the 1950s, a friend of hers, Carol Lim, went missing and how her adopted brother, Alan, was blamed for her disappearance. Alan is long dead, but Hazel sees an opportunity to clear his name as she investigates. Hazel is told to step away from the case and let the RCMP take over. Hazel is not having that, and with a little help from the still recovering Sargeant James Wingate, continues her investigations.
This is a bloody and twisted trail as Hazel tries to get at the truth. The two investigations come together at the end. This is a well constructed story with complex plotting. The narrative is both compelling and gripping. An enjoyable and absorbing read which I highly recommend. I gather the first in the series, The Calling, has been turned into a film with Susan Sarandon as Hazel. Thanks to Pegasus Books for an ARC.
In the present day, bones of murdered children are found in what used to be Dublin House, a county foster home. It is currently a housing redevelopment site where the first residents are up in arms, protesting about lies and corruption from the developers. After the discovery of bones, 3 residents are murdered and a cop goes missing. The sets Hazel off remembering how in the 1950s, a friend of hers, Carol Lim, went missing and how her adopted brother, Alan, was blamed for her disappearance. Alan is long dead, but Hazel sees an opportunity to clear his name as she investigates. Hazel is told to step away from the case and let the RCMP take over. Hazel is not having that, and with a little help from the still recovering Sargeant James Wingate, continues her investigations.
This is a bloody and twisted trail as Hazel tries to get at the truth. The two investigations come together at the end. This is a well constructed story with complex plotting. The narrative is both compelling and gripping. An enjoyable and absorbing read which I highly recommend. I gather the first in the series, The Calling, has been turned into a film with Susan Sarandon as Hazel. Thanks to Pegasus Books for an ARC.
August 11, 2016
3.5 Fourth in this series, set in Port Dundas, Ontario, finds Hazel, a policewoman confronted with two different cases and another unsolved missing person that harkens back to her childhood. Hazel has a remarkable doggedness, loyalty to her family and her coworkers. Even when told to stop working the case, she finds a way around the order. A boys orphanage from the pastwith many boys unaccounted for, bones in a field of new developments, a murdered rather well to do couple, and a missing policeman. How these threads connect is the story.
This is one series that it definitely helps to have read the previous installments, not much time is spent going over back stories. Fairly fast paced, Hazel's mother, a ex judge who is sadly losing her marbles at times provides a great deal of humor. Also loved seeing Hazel as a young girl, tenacious even then. Although I had guessed some of the answers by books end, there were still some surprises, one big one in particular.
ARC from publisher.
This is one series that it definitely helps to have read the previous installments, not much time is spent going over back stories. Fairly fast paced, Hazel's mother, a ex judge who is sadly losing her marbles at times provides a great deal of humor. Also loved seeing Hazel as a young girl, tenacious even then. Although I had guessed some of the answers by books end, there were still some surprises, one big one in particular.
ARC from publisher.
January 1, 2024
“When human bones turn up in a local field … ”
… the preparatory work for the construction of a golf course attached to a local seniors-focused subdivision, of necessity, grinds to a halt. Forensic anthropology and solid police work link the bones to residents of a now defunct orphanage, the Dublin Home for Boys. As Canadian news headlines currently scream about the remains of no less than 215 indigenous children in an unmarked mass grave associated with Kamloops Residential School in BC, it’s tough to imagine a police procedural/suspense thriller with a more timely topic. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), a police officer has been assaulted and kidnapped AND a murderer seems to have it in for informants and witnesses with the temerity to talk to the police.
DI Hazel Micaleff, formerly the acting commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served. Somewhat relieved and definitely de-stressed for having backed away from the administration of the detachment, she is still very much her own person and is driven to skirt the spirit of the orders she’s been given even if duty binds her to obeying the letter of the same. Results are what will determine whether she gets away with it as these two cases weave around one another.
THE NIGHT BELL is 80% informative, interesting and compelling police procedural that moves for its climax into a higher gear and finishes as 20% fully gripping, page-turner, suspense thriller. The ending is convincing and the identified culprits will put a satisfied smile on the face of any reader. I particularly enjoyed the resolution of the jurisdictional conflict between the RCMP and the OPP.
Definitely recommended. Canadian authors are doing it up big and ought to be proud of themselves.
Paul Weiss
… the preparatory work for the construction of a golf course attached to a local seniors-focused subdivision, of necessity, grinds to a halt. Forensic anthropology and solid police work link the bones to residents of a now defunct orphanage, the Dublin Home for Boys. As Canadian news headlines currently scream about the remains of no less than 215 indigenous children in an unmarked mass grave associated with Kamloops Residential School in BC, it’s tough to imagine a police procedural/suspense thriller with a more timely topic. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), a police officer has been assaulted and kidnapped AND a murderer seems to have it in for informants and witnesses with the temerity to talk to the police.
DI Hazel Micaleff, formerly the acting commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served. Somewhat relieved and definitely de-stressed for having backed away from the administration of the detachment, she is still very much her own person and is driven to skirt the spirit of the orders she’s been given even if duty binds her to obeying the letter of the same. Results are what will determine whether she gets away with it as these two cases weave around one another.
THE NIGHT BELL is 80% informative, interesting and compelling police procedural that moves for its climax into a higher gear and finishes as 20% fully gripping, page-turner, suspense thriller. The ending is convincing and the identified culprits will put a satisfied smile on the face of any reader. I particularly enjoyed the resolution of the jurisdictional conflict between the RCMP and the OPP.
Definitely recommended. Canadian authors are doing it up big and ought to be proud of themselves.
Paul Weiss
November 30, 2016
THE NIGHT BELL is book four in the Hazel Micallef Mystery series, but I didn't have any problems reading the book, despite not having read the previous three books. However, since I have seen the movie do I have some previous knowledge of the characters in the book. But, I don't think you have to read the previous books to enjoy this one.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION
October 28, 2016
The Night Bell by Inger Ash Wolfe.
This was my first Detective Hazel Micallef mystery but it won't be the last.
The prologue is an interview of Hibiki Yoshida by Detective Sergeant James Wingate in regards to the Dublin Home which he lived in as a youngster. There have been children unaccounted for for over 50 years. During the interview Yoshida reports of a bell ringing on certain nights just before a child would go missing. An unknown person referred to as Old Father Crumb would enter their dormitory at night and carry a child away with him.
Detective Hazel Micallef life has covered more than those 50 years since those boys had gone missing. She remembers very well her childhood friends and acquaintances. Hazel recalls when she was only 14 1/2 years old and Carol Lim went missing. Was Carol a runaway or did someone actually kidnap her?
The story develops into a cold case mystery that was never explored. Children missing or kidnapped. Were they still alive somewhere?
At the same time Hazel is dealing with her elderly mother living at home with her.
Detective Hazel Micallef is no push over. She is bound and determined to get to the bottom of both these cases even if she has to do it herself. She's just the type of detective I want to read more about.
I really enjoyed this story and have already checked out the first in this series, "The Calling".
This was my first Detective Hazel Micallef mystery but it won't be the last.
The prologue is an interview of Hibiki Yoshida by Detective Sergeant James Wingate in regards to the Dublin Home which he lived in as a youngster. There have been children unaccounted for for over 50 years. During the interview Yoshida reports of a bell ringing on certain nights just before a child would go missing. An unknown person referred to as Old Father Crumb would enter their dormitory at night and carry a child away with him.
Detective Hazel Micallef life has covered more than those 50 years since those boys had gone missing. She remembers very well her childhood friends and acquaintances. Hazel recalls when she was only 14 1/2 years old and Carol Lim went missing. Was Carol a runaway or did someone actually kidnap her?
The story develops into a cold case mystery that was never explored. Children missing or kidnapped. Were they still alive somewhere?
At the same time Hazel is dealing with her elderly mother living at home with her.
Detective Hazel Micallef is no push over. She is bound and determined to get to the bottom of both these cases even if she has to do it herself. She's just the type of detective I want to read more about.
I really enjoyed this story and have already checked out the first in this series, "The Calling".
September 19, 2016
Book #4 in the Hazel Micallef series. I love this series because Hazel is a woman in her late fifties, early sixties who is dealing with multiple issues in her life - the changing of her Port Dundas police department to upgrade the department, her mother beginning to have dementia problems, Hazel trying to eat healthy and not drink so much which neither is going well - all the things I find relate-able.
This installment begins with an interview of a man who stayed at Dublin Home, a home for abandoned children. He still remembers the sound of the night bell, a bell at the back door of the home that would signal someone coming in. The children were told the tale of Old Father Crumb who would come at night and steal the boys away. Indeed, the next day, someone would be gone but the staff would insist the children were adopted or their parents returned to claim them.
A good addition to the series. Crimes from the past and present collide as Hazel and her squad are also faced with new issues in their department of Port Dundas police. The first half of the book was a bit confusing and could have benefited from some editing but the last half made up for what was lacking.
Recommend if you follow this series. Highly recommend the series.
This installment begins with an interview of a man who stayed at Dublin Home, a home for abandoned children. He still remembers the sound of the night bell, a bell at the back door of the home that would signal someone coming in. The children were told the tale of Old Father Crumb who would come at night and steal the boys away. Indeed, the next day, someone would be gone but the staff would insist the children were adopted or their parents returned to claim them.
A good addition to the series. Crimes from the past and present collide as Hazel and her squad are also faced with new issues in their department of Port Dundas police. The first half of the book was a bit confusing and could have benefited from some editing but the last half made up for what was lacking.
Recommend if you follow this series. Highly recommend the series.
March 8, 2017
The first book in the series I was sort of disappointed in...
Sixty-four year old Hazel Micallef, detective in a small town in Port Dundas, Ontario, is on a new case after the discovery of human bones outside what used to be a home for boys. (Yep, it's a trope, but a good one; this stuff is still turning up in the news today.) But at the same time she's thinking back to 1957, when she was 14, when a girl she knew disappeared suddenly.
The two mysteries entwine as Hazel labors under a lot of restrictions - her mother's dementia; problems with her superior (trope-trope); the fact the RCMP intervene in what Hazel believes should be HER investigation - in order to solve the mystery of whose bones these are and how'd they get there. There's a lot of researching, done by an investigator who's having problems thinking/expressing himself due to an earlier injury. (Happened in Book #3 of this series.) But wait, there's more, including a murder and a possible kidnapping...
Look, there's a lot to take in here...
My issues, and why the three stars - there's a huge problem of believability here. Yes, many mysteries and 'detective fiction' ask the reader to suspend disbelief, but the central premise - and I won't give it away here - seems just so ludicrous I kept thinking there's MORE here, got to be MORE because the way to solve the 'villain's' problem is so obvious! (I mean, should be to the villain.) I won't go full-spoiler-on, because I just don't feel like it.
The beginning of the book was choppy, too, and if I were a new reader coming into this series I'd be thinking - Who is that? What? He did what when? What? Even having read Books 1 - 3, which I liked, I was confused by what was going on among the 'regulars.' There's a lot of give and take and banter among them, all of which seemed artificial and forced. (Like a bad movie or TV series where the majors just trade jokes and think they're very witty, wink-wink.)
Nah, I wasn't in on any of their chummy jokes; thought too much was introduced too fast; and the case that Hazel was investigating, even though told by her superior not to, was simply baffling to me. Bones, murders, a missing girl, a bunch of missing boys, corruption involving a new housing/shopping complex, and even a kidnapping? It was a mess, not to be easily sorted out in the next 250 pages.
So a miss for me. I gave it three stars instead of two only because I do love Hazel, her mother and Mr. James Wingate, one of the 'regulars.' Otherwise, I sit here sadly disappointed.
Sixty-four year old Hazel Micallef, detective in a small town in Port Dundas, Ontario, is on a new case after the discovery of human bones outside what used to be a home for boys. (Yep, it's a trope, but a good one; this stuff is still turning up in the news today.) But at the same time she's thinking back to 1957, when she was 14, when a girl she knew disappeared suddenly.
The two mysteries entwine as Hazel labors under a lot of restrictions - her mother's dementia; problems with her superior (trope-trope); the fact the RCMP intervene in what Hazel believes should be HER investigation - in order to solve the mystery of whose bones these are and how'd they get there. There's a lot of researching, done by an investigator who's having problems thinking/expressing himself due to an earlier injury. (Happened in Book #3 of this series.) But wait, there's more, including a murder and a possible kidnapping...
Look, there's a lot to take in here...
My issues, and why the three stars - there's a huge problem of believability here. Yes, many mysteries and 'detective fiction' ask the reader to suspend disbelief, but the central premise - and I won't give it away here - seems just so ludicrous I kept thinking there's MORE here, got to be MORE because the way to solve the 'villain's' problem is so obvious! (I mean, should be to the villain.) I won't go full-spoiler-on, because I just don't feel like it.
The beginning of the book was choppy, too, and if I were a new reader coming into this series I'd be thinking - Who is that? What? He did what when? What? Even having read Books 1 - 3, which I liked, I was confused by what was going on among the 'regulars.' There's a lot of give and take and banter among them, all of which seemed artificial and forced. (Like a bad movie or TV series where the majors just trade jokes and think they're very witty, wink-wink.)
Nah, I wasn't in on any of their chummy jokes; thought too much was introduced too fast; and the case that Hazel was investigating, even though told by her superior not to, was simply baffling to me. Bones, murders, a missing girl, a bunch of missing boys, corruption involving a new housing/shopping complex, and even a kidnapping? It was a mess, not to be easily sorted out in the next 250 pages.
So a miss for me. I gave it three stars instead of two only because I do love Hazel, her mother and Mr. James Wingate, one of the 'regulars.' Otherwise, I sit here sadly disappointed.
February 4, 2016
I have been eagerly awaiting the fourth book in Inger Ash Wolfe's fantastic Hazel Micallef series - The Night Bell. I got my hands on a copy - and devoured it in two days. I will now be eagerly awaiting the fifth book!
The Night Bell takes us back to Port Dundas, Ontario and Inspector Micallef of the Ontario Police Service.
Wolfe employs one of my favourite narrative techniques in The Night Bell - past and present - with the resolution coming as the storylines finally fit together in the end.
We meet young Hazel in 1957 and get a glimpse into an unsolved crime from those days - the disappearance of a young Port Dundas girl. We also meet Hazel's adopted brother and get to see Hazel's mother Emily in her prime. (I really enjoy Emily's wicked sense of humour and caustic one-off's.) The present is 2007. Bones are found on a housing development site - are they human? Two residents of that housing enclave are found brutally butchered and a cop goes missing - or was he taken? And Hazel is told to back off, as the RCMP come in and take over the case.
Well, that's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Hazel's temperament and drive simply won't let her accept that order. She's obstinate, intelligent, tenacious and not the easiest person to get along with. Hazel finds some wiggle room in the order and begins investigating the bones case on her own - with help from still recovering Sergeant James Wingate. Where that investigation takes them is a page ripped from today's newspaper headlines. As are the political machinations amongst the varying police forces.
New faces and old populate the pages of The Night Bell. The mysteries in Wolfe's books are always well-plotted, engaging and intriguing. But, it is the characters that have captured me. Wolfe pulls no punches in their personal lives - I'm both hopeful and worried about what the next book will bring. Hazel is nearing retirement age - but I really don't want to see the end of this series. I also enjoy the 'local' settings of Ontario, Toronto and the mythical but very vivid in my mind, Port Dundas.
This is such a fantastic series! Although you could read The Night Bell as a stand-alone, do yourself a favour and start from the beginning with The Calling.
The Night Bell takes us back to Port Dundas, Ontario and Inspector Micallef of the Ontario Police Service.
Wolfe employs one of my favourite narrative techniques in The Night Bell - past and present - with the resolution coming as the storylines finally fit together in the end.
We meet young Hazel in 1957 and get a glimpse into an unsolved crime from those days - the disappearance of a young Port Dundas girl. We also meet Hazel's adopted brother and get to see Hazel's mother Emily in her prime. (I really enjoy Emily's wicked sense of humour and caustic one-off's.) The present is 2007. Bones are found on a housing development site - are they human? Two residents of that housing enclave are found brutally butchered and a cop goes missing - or was he taken? And Hazel is told to back off, as the RCMP come in and take over the case.
Well, that's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Hazel's temperament and drive simply won't let her accept that order. She's obstinate, intelligent, tenacious and not the easiest person to get along with. Hazel finds some wiggle room in the order and begins investigating the bones case on her own - with help from still recovering Sergeant James Wingate. Where that investigation takes them is a page ripped from today's newspaper headlines. As are the political machinations amongst the varying police forces.
New faces and old populate the pages of The Night Bell. The mysteries in Wolfe's books are always well-plotted, engaging and intriguing. But, it is the characters that have captured me. Wolfe pulls no punches in their personal lives - I'm both hopeful and worried about what the next book will bring. Hazel is nearing retirement age - but I really don't want to see the end of this series. I also enjoy the 'local' settings of Ontario, Toronto and the mythical but very vivid in my mind, Port Dundas.
This is such a fantastic series! Although you could read The Night Bell as a stand-alone, do yourself a favour and start from the beginning with The Calling.
July 21, 2016
First: This book is fourth in a series, but I'll be reviewing it as a standalone novel. As a standalone, the first couple of chapters are rough because the characters come at you fast and furious, as if you're already familiar with them. That made things confusing.
But stick with it, because this book is totally worth it.
There are three main story threads in this novel, which follows the work of a local Canadian police woman. The author loosely weaves them together in a way that's not forced, but delicately handled. It adds intricate layers to the novel which shows how skilled this author is.
Here they are:
1) In 1957, young local girl disappears and our heroine, Hazel, and her friend Gloria are among the last to see her alive. There were suspicions that Gloria's younger brother was involved. Was he? (Dun dun dun!)
2) In 2007 Hazel is put on a case, where human bones are found in a new housing development. The land they are found on used to be a home for orphaned boys, which seems to inspire only awful memories in those that lived there.
3) As Hazel and her colleagues work that case, homeowners in the new development - which is floundering - are brutally murdered.
Whew!
The story is deep and rich and kept me guessing until the very end. It's like a puzzle where you're trying to see how all the pieces come together to form the full picture. And you don't get to see that picture until the very last pages.
This author is obviously very talented at crafting a beautifully atmospheric story and creating characters that are compelling and intriguing. Couldn't put this book down once I got about halfway through.
I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series to read more about them.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in a great mystery.
But stick with it, because this book is totally worth it.
There are three main story threads in this novel, which follows the work of a local Canadian police woman. The author loosely weaves them together in a way that's not forced, but delicately handled. It adds intricate layers to the novel which shows how skilled this author is.
Here they are:
1) In 1957, young local girl disappears and our heroine, Hazel, and her friend Gloria are among the last to see her alive. There were suspicions that Gloria's younger brother was involved. Was he? (Dun dun dun!)
2) In 2007 Hazel is put on a case, where human bones are found in a new housing development. The land they are found on used to be a home for orphaned boys, which seems to inspire only awful memories in those that lived there.
3) As Hazel and her colleagues work that case, homeowners in the new development - which is floundering - are brutally murdered.
Whew!
The story is deep and rich and kept me guessing until the very end. It's like a puzzle where you're trying to see how all the pieces come together to form the full picture. And you don't get to see that picture until the very last pages.
This author is obviously very talented at crafting a beautifully atmospheric story and creating characters that are compelling and intriguing. Couldn't put this book down once I got about halfway through.
I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the series to read more about them.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in a great mystery.
August 31, 2016
Disappointing entry in the series, definitely my least favorite in an otherwise terrific series. Disjointed and inconsistent in both plot development and characterization. There is a good story here that just never fully develops. Plus, the book is poorly edited for which there is no excuse. 2.5 stars bumped to 3 only because it's better than most books I give 2 stars.
January 1, 2016
Hazel is back and this case bring back an incident from her childhood. I love that this one kept me guessing till the end :)
February 27, 2016
Hazel is terrific as always.
August 5, 2018
I did like Micallef character and the story line. The author does create some witty banter that is entertaining. However, I had a hard time getting through it, eventually skimming through to the end.
It seemed a little disjointed, not necessarily by moving through timelines, but there would be dialogue then something would happen. Done. Dialogue, event, done.
It seemed a little disjointed, not necessarily by moving through timelines, but there would be dialogue then something would happen. Done. Dialogue, event, done.
June 3, 2016
It seems that lately I have been giving books in a series a try. I used to only read books in a series if they were the first book in the series or if I had read the previous books. Well, The Night Bell doesn’t fall in either one of my categories as it is book number four of the Hazel Micallef series, but I still gave it a try. This novel employs the narrative technique of past and present times. The book starts in 1957 when Hazel was a young girl and introduces the story of the unsolved crime of child, which Hazel’s brother may or not have been a part of. Wolfe does a good job at telling these two parts of the story, the past 50 years ago, and the present times in 2007 and skillfully merges these two parts of the story for the great finale. Overall, this is a great mystery book with wonderful twists and an intricate plot. Does it do a good job as a stand alone novel? I didn’t think so. By book 4 of a series, there were a lot of characters that jumped in the story and that I had no clue who they were. It would’ve worked better if the author had re-introduced some of the characters for the people (like me) unfamiliar with the previous books. My bet is if you read the other books in the series you are going to love this new installment.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 4, 2016
Hazel Micallef has just become one of my favorite detectives. This was my first taste of this acclaimed series and it certainly won't be my last. I tore through the The Night Bell, loving every bit of it. The novel moves between the past and the present, which I enjoyed and everything comes together at the end in a very satisfying way.
On the verge of the opening of a new new subdivision, fragments of children's bones are found on the site of an old children's home. At the same time, 3 of the new residents are murdered. Hazel, trying to solve both cases, reminisces about life as a 14-year old, when her adopted brother was suspected of being involved in the mysterious disappearance of a young girl.
What a terrific mystery! A Canadian series is something I can't resist, so now I'm off to order the first 3 books...
Thank you, Netgalley, Pegasus books and Inger Ash Wolfe for introducing me to this series in return for an honest review
On the verge of the opening of a new new subdivision, fragments of children's bones are found on the site of an old children's home. At the same time, 3 of the new residents are murdered. Hazel, trying to solve both cases, reminisces about life as a 14-year old, when her adopted brother was suspected of being involved in the mysterious disappearance of a young girl.
What a terrific mystery! A Canadian series is something I can't resist, so now I'm off to order the first 3 books...
Thank you, Netgalley, Pegasus books and Inger Ash Wolfe for introducing me to this series in return for an honest review
February 14, 2016
From the very first book by Inger Ash Wolfe - The Calling - I've been hooked on this series. They're all good, but this is the tightest from a plot line standpoint, and the narrative. I cannot wait for the next.
August 17, 2019
This is the fourth in a crime fiction series about Hazel Micallef, a police detective in her sixties in a fictional southern Ontario town, Port Dundas. I haven’t read others in the series, so found the wide cast of co-workers and some references confusing. A high point for me was the setting, which I enjoyed a lot. The story is very involved, featuring bones that turn up in a new housing development, linked to an institutional children’s home from decades ago. Also a gaggle of subplots, and shifting timelines back to when Hazel was a teen in the town in the 50s (that was a bit Nancy Drew, I liked that). It was too much, and a lot of the policing steps, pacing, and reactions/responses to events felt ‘off’ and unrealistic. I might read another in the series but I wouldn’t seek it out.
June 8, 2019
It felt like Wolfe's attention was elsewhere. The resolutions of the various investigations and mysteries happen in a rush at almost the very end, as if it had slipped his mind. And while I have found Wolfe to be somewhat hit and miss when it comes to consistency in his plotting, the gaps in this book are particularly glaring. For one,
Then there's
I was also disappointed that Wolfe ignored the prime opportunity to delve deeper into Wingate's life. James's brother Michael (his twin, no less) had been staying with James for the year following his near death experience and recuperation from serious injury. Wolfe has done such a great job of delving into the personal life of Hazel (not to mention developing Hazel's relationship with Wingate) that it seemed natural at this point in the series to start a similar deeper dive into James's life. But Michael gets next to no screen time in the book at all. I think there's a grand total of one scene with Michael and James together in his house, and it comes near the end. It just baffled me, to be honest, especially that we already know the brothers seem to have a bit of a prickly relationship. Add to that the serious physical and emotional trauma endured by James and it seems a no brainer for Wolfe to dive into it. But just absolutely nada.
Wolfe juggles a number of plot threads, all revolving around missing/murdered boys housed at a local orphanage in the 1950s, but I can't say he does a good job in tying them together. In particular, the reveal of well, that was all just a Bit Too Much.
Probably my main issue here was that
The other frustrating part of this particular reveal goes back to my initial comment, that everything wraps up in a rush at the end. Here, the author seems to propel Hazel in leaps and bounds to get from point A to
Then there's
I was also disappointed that Wolfe ignored the prime opportunity to delve deeper into Wingate's life. James's brother Michael (his twin, no less) had been staying with James for the year following his near death experience and recuperation from serious injury. Wolfe has done such a great job of delving into the personal life of Hazel (not to mention developing Hazel's relationship with Wingate) that it seemed natural at this point in the series to start a similar deeper dive into James's life. But Michael gets next to no screen time in the book at all. I think there's a grand total of one scene with Michael and James together in his house, and it comes near the end. It just baffled me, to be honest, especially that we already know the brothers seem to have a bit of a prickly relationship. Add to that the serious physical and emotional trauma endured by James and it seems a no brainer for Wolfe to dive into it. But just absolutely nada.
Wolfe juggles a number of plot threads, all revolving around missing/murdered boys housed at a local orphanage in the 1950s, but I can't say he does a good job in tying them together. In particular, the reveal of well, that was all just a Bit Too Much.
Probably my main issue here was that
The other frustrating part of this particular reveal goes back to my initial comment, that everything wraps up in a rush at the end. Here, the author seems to propel Hazel in leaps and bounds to get from point A to
November 13, 2017
I got this book from my oldest brothers wife. It was a good book to read. It is my first book by this author. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. I hope to read more books by this author.
May 30, 2024
This series was very good. I enjoyed the characters and family relationships tying themselves up with Hazel's professional life. It felt very true to life and the complexities of adulthood.
March 16, 2016
When the night bell tinkled over the back door at the Dublin Home the sleeping boys hid under their blankets and tried not too breath too deeply for fear of attracting the attention of Old Father Crumb. He came often, always announced by the gentle ringing of the bell hanging over the back door, to collect one or another of the boys living in the orphanage. Those taken were never seen again.
Could the boogeyman these young lads imagined be real? There had definitely been something going on at Dublin Home in the 1950’s that no one wanted to talk about and when bone fragments started turning up in the freshly turned soil of a new subdivision it became a puzzle for the 2015 police to solve. Hazel Micallef didn’t believe in the boogeyman, but her 40 years with the Port Dundas OPS had confirmed that there were certainly evil men – even in her little corner of Northern Ontario. After the discovery things take a turn for the worse when residents of the new subdivision are getting murdered. Hazel suspects the two incidents are related.
Hazel doesn’t take kindly to the fact that the RCMP are taking over “her” case so when she is ordered to stand down on the murder investigation she and Detective James Wingate (on limited duty since he is still recuperating from the incidents in the last book, “A Door in the River”) decide to investigate a little bit more about the bones. Little did Hazel know that the case would take her down memory lane to when she was 15 years old and her friend mysteriously disappeared.
This is the fourth installment in the Hazel Micallef series and I have enjoyed every one of them. The danger that comes with being invested in a book series is that the stories start to become a little “cookie cutter”. Not so in this case. I think “The Night Bell” is the best to date. Wolfe weaves a page turning mystery intricately with enough character growth to keep the books fresh. Even in a book in which the main plot idea has been done many times before, he finds twists and turns to make one want to continue reading (voraciously) until the very last page.
In the mystery/thriller world of books where ex-army, special ops and damaged cops rule the pages Hazel is a welcome, refreshing and very entertaining change. In her early 60’s Hazel is a small town career cop, divorced and living with her ex-mayor mother who is suffering from the early signs of dementia. She sounds like the hobbyist sleuth in a “cozy mystery” but these books are far from that … plenty of blood, guts and nail-biting suspense to hold the attention of any fan of the genre.
“The Night Bell” could be read as a stand-alone novel despite some mentions of things that have transpired in previous books, but since it’s only the fourth in the series I would suggest starting with the first book, “The Calling” to get Hazel’s whole story.
Could the boogeyman these young lads imagined be real? There had definitely been something going on at Dublin Home in the 1950’s that no one wanted to talk about and when bone fragments started turning up in the freshly turned soil of a new subdivision it became a puzzle for the 2015 police to solve. Hazel Micallef didn’t believe in the boogeyman, but her 40 years with the Port Dundas OPS had confirmed that there were certainly evil men – even in her little corner of Northern Ontario. After the discovery things take a turn for the worse when residents of the new subdivision are getting murdered. Hazel suspects the two incidents are related.
Hazel doesn’t take kindly to the fact that the RCMP are taking over “her” case so when she is ordered to stand down on the murder investigation she and Detective James Wingate (on limited duty since he is still recuperating from the incidents in the last book, “A Door in the River”) decide to investigate a little bit more about the bones. Little did Hazel know that the case would take her down memory lane to when she was 15 years old and her friend mysteriously disappeared.
This is the fourth installment in the Hazel Micallef series and I have enjoyed every one of them. The danger that comes with being invested in a book series is that the stories start to become a little “cookie cutter”. Not so in this case. I think “The Night Bell” is the best to date. Wolfe weaves a page turning mystery intricately with enough character growth to keep the books fresh. Even in a book in which the main plot idea has been done many times before, he finds twists and turns to make one want to continue reading (voraciously) until the very last page.
In the mystery/thriller world of books where ex-army, special ops and damaged cops rule the pages Hazel is a welcome, refreshing and very entertaining change. In her early 60’s Hazel is a small town career cop, divorced and living with her ex-mayor mother who is suffering from the early signs of dementia. She sounds like the hobbyist sleuth in a “cozy mystery” but these books are far from that … plenty of blood, guts and nail-biting suspense to hold the attention of any fan of the genre.
“The Night Bell” could be read as a stand-alone novel despite some mentions of things that have transpired in previous books, but since it’s only the fourth in the series I would suggest starting with the first book, “The Calling” to get Hazel’s whole story.
February 17, 2017
Port Dundas, Ontario, is portrayed vividly in the series as the quintessential Canadian town. The Night Bell moves between the past and the present, as two mysteries converge. A discovery of the bones of murdered children is made on land that was once a county foster home. Now it's being developed as a brand new subdivision whose first residents are already railing against broken promises and corruption. But when three of their number are murdered after the find, their frustration turns to terror. While trying to stem the panic and solve two crimes at once, Hazel finds her memory stirred back to the fall of 1959, when the disappearance of a girl from town was blamed on her adopted brother. Although he is long dead, she begins to see the present case as a chance to clear her brother's name, something that drives Hazel beyond her own considerable limits and right into the sights of an angry killer.
August 10, 2016
It has been so long (4 years) since the last book in this series came out that I had forgotten the detective and past events. Once started, though,I remembered how much I loved the previous three as this was an awesome book. Page-turning read that took me two evenings to read. Fantastic characters and the events of the past books are spoken of slowly throughout the book, so everything came back in place for me. A couple, perhaps three, cases going on here which are not really related but in a way they are. I hope that sounds cryptic. When Hazel was a young teenager a girl she barely knew, a few years older, disappeared. A new gated community is being built now complete with wave pool and two golf courses but it is stuck in production and a few murders occur and finally what brings coherence to the whole plot the fact that bones (burnt and hacked) of young boys have been found in the field where the second golf course is supposed to go, which is directly behind the now abandoned Dublin home for boys, an orphanage. Not a gruesome story but a creepy one that keeps you glued to the pages. I just hope the next book doesn't take 4 more years to publish!
October 8, 2017
Hazel Micallef is an unusual protagonist in the police procedural genre. She's 64 years old with no signs of slowing down. Genetics may play a role as her mother, the former mayor, has been a feisty player in previous books in the series. Time is catching up with the 90 year old though as her once sharp mind is no longer reliable.
In this outing, human bones are found around the area of a new real estate development. Hazel's investigation into this brings back memories of a missing girl from her youth. Modern day and historical murders are solved by the end. Love the character, love the writing, but with several plot lines running through the story the narrative became somewhat disjointed. 3.5 bumped to a 4.
In this outing, human bones are found around the area of a new real estate development. Hazel's investigation into this brings back memories of a missing girl from her youth. Modern day and historical murders are solved by the end. Love the character, love the writing, but with several plot lines running through the story the narrative became somewhat disjointed. 3.5 bumped to a 4.
October 20, 2016
Enjoyed meeting Hazel Micallef, the main character & a Detective in the Port Dundas, Ontario police force. She is very likable, a smart cop & a devoted daughter. While preparing land, that once surrounded a county foster home, for more homes in a new subdivision, numerous bones were uncovered. After DNA shows these bones to belong to quite a number of young boys, further inspection shows that the bodies were cut up, a murder investigation begins.... I did find it confusing that the author sometimes refers to characters by their first names & sometimes by their last names. I want to Thank Pegasus Books for giving me the opportunity to read & review this Review Book.
February 8, 2016
This is the fourth novel that showcases Hazel Micallef, a 64 year old Ontario cop who is, as always, rough and ready for whatever comes her way. The main plot focuses on the discovery of human bones outside of a long closed down boys' home and how the town is pulled backwards into a past time when belief systems differed from what they are today. People, however, have long memories, it is discovered. A secondary story has to do with a Chinese girl who, in the 1950's, goes missing. The book keeps you on your toes.
September 19, 2016
During the ground breaking for a new venture a skeleton is uncovered and Hazel and her team get the job of finding out who it is and who put the body there long ago. It gets personal for Hazel when she discovers that the remains are those of a long lost friend of hers.
Another big plot line is bones being discovered scattered around a new housing development that is being built near where a boys home used to stand. Lots of repercussions from this.
I have really liked all the books in this excellent series but I think this is my favorite so far.
Another big plot line is bones being discovered scattered around a new housing development that is being built near where a boys home used to stand. Lots of repercussions from this.
I have really liked all the books in this excellent series but I think this is my favorite so far.
April 25, 2021
The indomitable Hazel Micallef is called to the scene where bones from long ago have been found. It is a new housing development on land that was once owned by an orphanage for boys. The bones are those of boys and Helen soon learns that there had to be foul play involved.
It turns out to be a fair amount of work to determine what boys were living there in the 1950s, when the bodies were buried, and which of those went missing. For this task Helen calls upon her subordinate, James Wingate. Wingate was seriously injured in a previous case and is still recovering. He can't always find the right words and he tires easily. Yet he is determined and committed and pushes against the forces who want him to stay home and in bed.
More's the pity, Helen is warned off the case until the RCMP have finished with their work. The mounties had arrived and have cordoned off the area, but won't reveal exactly what they are working on. Of course Hazel still finds ways to work the case quietly. Which, in the end, is a very good thing.
The case blows open some underhanded dealings among persons who should not be connected with the housing development, shaking up the little town. More important to Hazel, it reveals the role her long-dead brother had in a disappearance long ago.
I'll be staying tuned to Hazel's moves as long as Wolfe (Redhill) continues to write them.
It turns out to be a fair amount of work to determine what boys were living there in the 1950s, when the bodies were buried, and which of those went missing. For this task Helen calls upon her subordinate, James Wingate. Wingate was seriously injured in a previous case and is still recovering. He can't always find the right words and he tires easily. Yet he is determined and committed and pushes against the forces who want him to stay home and in bed.
More's the pity, Helen is warned off the case until the RCMP have finished with their work. The mounties had arrived and have cordoned off the area, but won't reveal exactly what they are working on. Of course Hazel still finds ways to work the case quietly. Which, in the end, is a very good thing.
The case blows open some underhanded dealings among persons who should not be connected with the housing development, shaking up the little town. More important to Hazel, it reveals the role her long-dead brother had in a disappearance long ago.
I'll be staying tuned to Hazel's moves as long as Wolfe (Redhill) continues to write them.
October 6, 2019
This is better than 4, and I will be seeking out more of Hazel. I downloaded this as an audiobook from my library. The mark of a good audiobook is whether I leave it in the car until I finish it, or if I feel compelled to bring it into the house......I knew I was close to the end, and really wanted to finish this one inside the house! I wish I had read previous stories, as this is #4. I feel like I am missing some information even though the novel can stand alone. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was Canadian, and I recognized several locations and even the Hamilton Spectator was mentioned. The narrator was spot on...not annoying at all and with good voices. The story itself was compelling, though it did not grab me right away and I changed books after one chapter for one my sister recommended (and I ended up hating!). This was the last of my audiobooks on my player, and I was forced to listen as I had a long drive ahead and hadn't downloaded any new content.....and I am glad now that I have finished it. I had a feeling Gloria was not all she purported to be, and the mystery of the boys was sinister, but less so than I was imagining. I liked the 2 mysteries, and how they wove between the present and the past. A good story, one well worth the read!
May 13, 2022
In the last decade, we have heard of more and more instances coming to light of children dying—possible suicides, perhaps murdered, perhaps victims of neglect—and being buried in graves at the boarding school to which they were sent. Children of unwed mothers sent to orphanages in Ireland; Indigenous children in Canada and the U.S. packed off to “Indian schools”; problem progeny sent to boys’ schools to be made over into proper young men. In this narrative, the latter is the focus, and the situation is personalized in one particular case. But that situation from long ago is complicated when the site of the former boarding school with its graves is taken over for a housing redevelopment site and corners are cut, resulting in shoddy construction. Residents protest and the developers are in the hot seat. But after bones are discovered, 3 residents are murdered, and a cop goes missing, the story from the past becomes entwined with several stories from the present. The plot is well laid; the narrative is compelling; the characterization for the protags is convincing; and the pace is good.
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