Verdict in Blood

A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery #6

by Gail Bowen

Verdict in Blood is Gail Bowen’s sixth novel featuring Joanne Kilbourn, one of Canada’s most beloved sleuths. Teacher, friend, lover, single mother, and now grandmother, Joanne has a quick intelligence and a boundless compassion, which repeatedly get her into – and out of – trouble.

In Verdict in Blood , Joanne’s good friend Hilda McCourt is visiting her in Regina, Saskatchewan, when Judge Justine Blackwell’s corpse is found sprawled across one of the limestone slabs of the Boy Scout memorial in Wascana Park. Blackwell, known for the harsh sentences she’s handed down over the years, had lately been seeking out people she’d once incarcerated and trying to help them. Had she had a genuine change of heart, or had she been getting senile? Even the fearsome judge herself had wondered. Just the night before her death, she’d asked Hilda to make an assessment of her mental condition.

Now she’s dead, the matter is Which of her two wills should prevail – the one leaving everything to her daughters, including the famous sixties singer Lucy Blackwell, or the one leaving it all to Culhane House, a halfway house for ex-cons? Whoever stood to lose could be her murderer, and Hilda has to decide. Before too long, Joanne (who has problems enough of her own with her lover, Alex, and his troubled nephew, Eli) finds herself once again embroiled in intrigue.

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Fiction, Crime

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 1998

About the author

Gail Dianne Bowen (née Bartholomew) is a Canadian playwright and writer of mystery novels. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan. She subsequently taught English in Saskatchewan, and is currently a professor of English at First Nations University of Canada. Bowen's mystery novels feature Joanne Kilbourn, a widowed mother, political analyst and university professor who finds herself occasionally involved in criminal investigations in various parts of Saskatchewan. Many have been adapted as Canadian television movies by Shaftesbury Films.

Series:
* Joanne Kilbourn Mystery

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (1995): A Colder Kind of Death

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unhesitatingly call myself a Gail Bowen fan and am glad to know of her. Meeting Joanne Kilbourn after the death of her husband in the début novel, soothed me after the unexpected death of my son-like cat, from a heart defect. I am forever grateful. Intricate Saskatchewan-based mysteries had me loving several books. However these latest are not my favourites. I will explain my three stars this time and look forward to her others. A prolific authoress yields better and poorer instalments.

“Verdict In Blood” is the sixth mystery, hailing from 1988. I love the Canadian politics, education, families, lifestyles, and creative mysteries with the focus on Joanne’s home. For once, here are novels about modern city life in the prairies, rather than an ode to farming. Saskatoon and Regina are covered. Joanne is a university professor, who speaks on a political show. Gail broached Aboriginal racism by introducing police officer, Alex. Unfortunately, he is moody and not as likeable as the beau readers hoped Joanne would choose. In this novel, Alex is an immature jerk. He was necessary to a plotline affecting his nephew, Eli, whom he is raising. However, this mystery would have been better if it had stuck to the judge and her mysterious Daughters.

Joanne acts as if she were in her 80s. She is serious and not quirky. You admire her adoption of a murdered friend’s toddler, a prodigy who keeps the topic of art frequent. Ironically, the personage I revere is 83; psychiatrist friend, Hilda! She needs to evaluate the sanity of a murdered judge, with Daughters like a “Wyrd Sister” trio. One is a folksinger Joanne loves; a refreshing side to her. Joanne’s eldest Daughter, Mieka, welcomes her first child; thus the wonderment of this baby, art, and music are enhancing features.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt a little less wacky than some of the previous installments. However I feel like at some point the RCMP or Regina Police should be like wait a second how come every high profile murder in SK over the past seven years has been connected to Joanne Kilbourn? I guess that is just how mystery series go haha.

I can't really tell whether the interracial relationship storyline is sensitively written or well intentioned but tone deaf. It probably was better than most for 1998 but feels a little sanctimonious.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What's that thing about being busy Hilda always says?"
"It's a quotation form Catherine Parr Trail. In cases of emergency, it's folly to throw up your hands in the air and wail in terror - better to be up and doing."

'As I knifed through the quiet water, I tried to focus on my grandmother's axiom for troubled times: forget the experience, remember the lesson."

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne Kilbourn is someone to whom you really do not want to become close - all her friends and relations have terrible things happen to them. Her police inspector lover Alex Kequahtooway has been mentoring his nephew Eli, who has serious psychological problems, and that 16 year old has gone missing during a Rough Riders football game and does not appear till the next day. In the meantime Alex is set to investigate the bludgeoning death of a Supreme Court judge after a party she gave to celebrate her 25 years on the bench. The story is complex but absolutely gripping and poses some problems inherent in the dealing with teen age mental difficulties.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Browsing the mystery shelves at the library found me this one which is part of a series featuring Joanne Kilbourn, a female Canadian sleuth. Kilbourn is a political science professor and amateur detective. I enjoyed the setting and the plot and characterizations were good. I would get another by this author.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better books in Gail Bowen's series. The mystery is good and I didn't figure out who the murderer was so that is good. On the downside, I really don't like the heroine of these books. I find her cold and a bit out of touch with other people's feelings. Nice, quick and entertaining read though.

[David W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one the best
But they have become almost an obsession to read
But as I am reading them in order I have only one more book to read before I would have to read out of the sequence. Anyone have a copy of "The Glass Coffin" :)
I do have to slow down though. Took only a day and a half to read.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne and boyfriend Alex encounter difficulties as his nephew Eli goes through emotional and mental difficulties. A judge is murdered and Joanne's friend Hilda becomes drawn into family disputes and claims by the three daughters that their mother was suffering mental deterioration. A fast moving complex story, I couldn't put it down until it was finished.

[Sherry]

The 6th book in her series. Really enjoying it.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series. Another great read

[Natasha Bosell · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much better than the TV movie with Wendy Crewson. Reading this series has made me realize how one-dimensional the movies are. They cut out so many great characters! This whole story centered around Eli, Alex, and Hilda, neither of whom are in the movie at all. This was engaging, I was especially invested after what happened to Hilda. I was happy with the ending because I thought the story was headed in a different direction and was dreading that. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the series, Burying Ariel.

[Greta]

Canadian Gail Bowen writes a good mystery in Verdict In Blood with Joanne Kilbourn as lead investigator. While she teaches university classes, raises two kids, becomes a grandmother, hosts an elderly woman in her home, breaks up with her boyfriend, entertains an old boyfriend and catches a cold, she solves a murder mystery. Amazing but true!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne has her work cut out for her in this one: two people she cares about deeply need her help and someone she was once close to comes back into her life. I like this character so much that each book is like an outing with a dear friend.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review was eaten by Kobo. I have enjoyed all of the first six books in the Joanne Kilbourn series. I would rate this book at the top of that list.

[Jehnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely found her groove. There are a few unresolved moments but she has more books to get back to them.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Regina set mystery - pretty good characters and plot!

[Allison Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book. Still love Jo, my heart broke for her this round. Glad things ended on a better note. Still sad though.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omfg, mobile goodreads drives me up the bloody walll! It won't let stars nee chosen, can't tow pe half the time, it magically goes back pages without pa
ressying anything, doesn't work in portrait move and cant be read in landscape mode.
This was actually a decent book, but I can't post a decent review. As usual you can guess at the killer but probably won't get it right. And I found a couple of tipOs.

[Joanne]

Justine Blackwell is murdered
-3 daughters - Lucy a famous pop star
-Hilda is power of attorney & is attacked while going through Justine's papers -ICU
-Alex and Eli, who's being treated by Justine's psyciatrist daughter whose reputation is not good
-Taylor's paintings
-Mieke has a baby girl and names her Madeline

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

See other reviews of Bowen's work. Gail Bowen has carved out an interesting niche with mystery stories set in Saskatchewan and featuring University professor Joanna Kilbourn.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

An author from my hometown in Canada. Was OK---but I recognized a lot of the streets

[D1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the protagonist! Strong, educated, professional and independent: A woman I'd like to know/befriend. Plot line... Meh. Interesting to read about Canadian race relations in here, nice bonus.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read a few Joanne Kilborn books in the '90s. This one kept my interest. A quick read.