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A Willows and Parker Mystery #1
The Goldfish Bowl
Through the dark, rain-drenched streets of Vancouver, Canada, Detective Jack Willows and his new partner, Claire Parker, track a sniper but find themselves trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
37 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Gough
33 books8 followersLaurence Gough, who lives with his wife and two children in Vancouver, has written twelve Willows and Parker mysteries: The Goldfish Bowl, winner of an Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel from the Crime Writers of Canada; Death on a No. 8 Hook; Hot Shots, winner of an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year; Serious Crimes; Accidental Deaths; Fall Down Easy; Killers; Heartbreaker; Memory Lane; Karaoke Rap; Shutterbug; and Funny Money. His international thriller, Sandstorm, won the Author Award (fiction) from the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters in 1991.
Series:
* Willows & Parker
Series:
* Willows & Parker
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 26, 2016
This is the first in a long-running series featuring Homicide Detectives Jack Willows and Claire Parker. This story tells of their first introduction to each other.
There is a sniper loose in the city armed with a high-powered rifle. Alice is his first victim.. a woman who enjoyed partying on the weekends. Then there was a Greek widow on her way home after leaving work. Next was a gay taxi driver.
These were all seemingly random victims, but their murders were carefully planned. The only clues left behind are obscure. Even a witness can’t help .. he swears the killer was in a long blonde wig and wearing high heels. So are they looking for a man .. or a woman?
But it’s when one of their own who is killed that puts everyone on edge. Willows and Parker know the timeline is short and they must move quickly to capture the killer.
I’ve read several of this series, obviously not in order. Actually, although I highly recommend reading series in sequence, each of these stories do well as a stand-alone. There are little nuances you might not catch, but the author does good in keeping the reader current.
Willows is a married man with two children, whose wife has left him. He’s a little on the grumpy side, but excellent at what he does. He’s not at all happy when he’s told that he now has a new partner, as his old partner is in the hospital, dying. Claire is a pretty woman, who doesn’t take any guff off anyone for any reason. They make a dynamite working couple.
This is well – written, full of twists and surprises. The ending is a real killer!
Many thanks to the author / Endeavor Press / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
There is a sniper loose in the city armed with a high-powered rifle. Alice is his first victim.. a woman who enjoyed partying on the weekends. Then there was a Greek widow on her way home after leaving work. Next was a gay taxi driver.
These were all seemingly random victims, but their murders were carefully planned. The only clues left behind are obscure. Even a witness can’t help .. he swears the killer was in a long blonde wig and wearing high heels. So are they looking for a man .. or a woman?
But it’s when one of their own who is killed that puts everyone on edge. Willows and Parker know the timeline is short and they must move quickly to capture the killer.
I’ve read several of this series, obviously not in order. Actually, although I highly recommend reading series in sequence, each of these stories do well as a stand-alone. There are little nuances you might not catch, but the author does good in keeping the reader current.
Willows is a married man with two children, whose wife has left him. He’s a little on the grumpy side, but excellent at what he does. He’s not at all happy when he’s told that he now has a new partner, as his old partner is in the hospital, dying. Claire is a pretty woman, who doesn’t take any guff off anyone for any reason. They make a dynamite working couple.
This is well – written, full of twists and surprises. The ending is a real killer!
Many thanks to the author / Endeavor Press / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
July 22, 2016
It’s seldom that I find myself so ambivalent about a galley; I read this free thanks to Net Galley and Endeavor Press in exchange for an honest review. The writing skill is probably closer to a five; the respect level for women, people of color, and anyone that isn’t straight as a bullet’s path is closer to a one. So those that are constantly inveighing about how tired they are of trying to be PC, here. This is for you. For those of us that have moved along, I am not so sure. This book was released digitally in January, 2016 and is now for sale.
I spent a good portion of this book confused, because it is billed as a new release, yet it really reads like a novel from the 1980s might. A little digging revealed that it was initially published in 1988, and this explains a good deal. Mainstream attitudes have come a long way since then, and so some re-released novels stand the test of time, whereas others should perhaps be consigned, as Trotsky put it, to “the dustbin of history”.
The story is set in Vancouver, British Columbia, and this is part of what made me want to read this mystery. I don’t see a lot of fiction set there, and I know the area, so I thought this would be fun. And setting is done well.
Then we have our sniper:
“The sniper sat in the orange plastic chair, hunched over a Lyman ‘All American’ turret press. His hands were large and strong. The thick blunt fingers, nails carefully painted with a glossy red polish, moved with precision and grace as he assembled the shiny brass cartridges, primers, powder and fat 500-grain copper-jacketed slugs.”
Our sniper, who must surely be a baddy if twisted enough to put on women’s clothing and makeup, is referred to as clown-faced and is always designated as “he”. In the 1980s that boat would float with most of book-buying North America. Now, not so much.
There is one victim after another, and the beginning is paced at breakneck speed, relaxing readers only to suddenly shock us repeatedly, so there’s a sort of emotional whiplash. There are two detectives in charge of the sniper shootings, and one is a woman. That’s unusual in the department, where women are routinely referred to in demeaning ways and where hard core porn kept in a file cabinet is just a thing the boys in blue do. None of this appears to be there to make a point about what women put up with, however; it seems to be injected for realism and urban grit. And though none of the cops is particularly brilliant, Parker, the female cop, is particularly incompetent, emptying an entire gun at close range without hitting the target even once.
Okay.
Bright spots come with particular scenes. The climax is brilliant, and I love the detail of the guard horse in front of the evidence room. The author is clearly talented, but every time I found myself engaging with the text and not thinking about anything that had offended me, something else would come to the forefront, popping up like a turd in the punchbowl. Those that visit psychiatrists are all ‘fruitcakes’, and at one point, “a huge black” stands in the doorway. At this point my temper flared and I tapped into my tablet, “Huge Black WHAT, motherfuckers?”
Yes, I know. Amazon won’t print that quote. It’s worth editing to have it in my blog, because that’s exactly how I feel about it.
There are good moments with figurative language, but then once in awhile a glaring fact that nobody checked pops up. Do people in Vancouver genuinely believe that the West Coast goes from British Columbia, to Washington, to California? Didn’t think so. Someone needs to apologize to Oregon, which is larger than some European nations.
If you are already a tried and true fan of Laurence Gough—and he is an established writer with over a dozen published novels—then you will probably enjoy this one too.
As for me, I’ll pass.
I spent a good portion of this book confused, because it is billed as a new release, yet it really reads like a novel from the 1980s might. A little digging revealed that it was initially published in 1988, and this explains a good deal. Mainstream attitudes have come a long way since then, and so some re-released novels stand the test of time, whereas others should perhaps be consigned, as Trotsky put it, to “the dustbin of history”.
The story is set in Vancouver, British Columbia, and this is part of what made me want to read this mystery. I don’t see a lot of fiction set there, and I know the area, so I thought this would be fun. And setting is done well.
Then we have our sniper:
“The sniper sat in the orange plastic chair, hunched over a Lyman ‘All American’ turret press. His hands were large and strong. The thick blunt fingers, nails carefully painted with a glossy red polish, moved with precision and grace as he assembled the shiny brass cartridges, primers, powder and fat 500-grain copper-jacketed slugs.”
Our sniper, who must surely be a baddy if twisted enough to put on women’s clothing and makeup, is referred to as clown-faced and is always designated as “he”. In the 1980s that boat would float with most of book-buying North America. Now, not so much.
There is one victim after another, and the beginning is paced at breakneck speed, relaxing readers only to suddenly shock us repeatedly, so there’s a sort of emotional whiplash. There are two detectives in charge of the sniper shootings, and one is a woman. That’s unusual in the department, where women are routinely referred to in demeaning ways and where hard core porn kept in a file cabinet is just a thing the boys in blue do. None of this appears to be there to make a point about what women put up with, however; it seems to be injected for realism and urban grit. And though none of the cops is particularly brilliant, Parker, the female cop, is particularly incompetent, emptying an entire gun at close range without hitting the target even once.
Okay.
Bright spots come with particular scenes. The climax is brilliant, and I love the detail of the guard horse in front of the evidence room. The author is clearly talented, but every time I found myself engaging with the text and not thinking about anything that had offended me, something else would come to the forefront, popping up like a turd in the punchbowl. Those that visit psychiatrists are all ‘fruitcakes’, and at one point, “a huge black” stands in the doorway. At this point my temper flared and I tapped into my tablet, “Huge Black WHAT, motherfuckers?”
Yes, I know. Amazon won’t print that quote. It’s worth editing to have it in my blog, because that’s exactly how I feel about it.
There are good moments with figurative language, but then once in awhile a glaring fact that nobody checked pops up. Do people in Vancouver genuinely believe that the West Coast goes from British Columbia, to Washington, to California? Didn’t think so. Someone needs to apologize to Oregon, which is larger than some European nations.
If you are already a tried and true fan of Laurence Gough—and he is an established writer with over a dozen published novels—then you will probably enjoy this one too.
As for me, I’ll pass.
January 13, 2023
I picked this book up in a used-books bookstore in Saugerties, NY because I wanted a smaller paperback I could read while staying in a cabin this past weekend. I chose it because the cover looked interesting, and it luckily happened to be the first book in a series that followed the two detectives, Willows and Parker.
I absolutely loved this style of writing, being a short crime novel from the 80's, it was very straight to the point and descriptive without being too flowery or pretentious, which I can sometimes find modern novels to be. I loved how the plot moved along quickly and the story never seemed to drag, and the characters all felt very real without giving huge amounts of backstory. I was anticipating a big twist at the end and was not let down in that regard, not only finding out who the killer was, but realizing their motives were not what I expected at all. Overall it's a fun quick read if you are into crime and mystery, and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
I absolutely loved this style of writing, being a short crime novel from the 80's, it was very straight to the point and descriptive without being too flowery or pretentious, which I can sometimes find modern novels to be. I loved how the plot moved along quickly and the story never seemed to drag, and the characters all felt very real without giving huge amounts of backstory. I was anticipating a big twist at the end and was not let down in that regard, not only finding out who the killer was, but realizing their motives were not what I expected at all. Overall it's a fun quick read if you are into crime and mystery, and I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
January 22, 2022
It was ok. I read to the end, but I had lost interest by that time. I felt I had to just finish it since I only had 20-30 pages left. The whole book was rather disappointing, compared to the hype. I had an unreasonable expectation, obviously. The writing itself was fine, but the characters, or most of them, were empty and devoid of, well, anything.
September 5, 2025
THE PHYSICAL COPY
Part of my reviews from my read-every-book-we-own project includes thoughts about the actual physical copy that has been sitting on our shelves. This book was published in 1987. I assume this os one of the many books I bought during the late 80s and the 90s off chain book store clearance tables. This implies that I have had the book over 25 years, more than 1/2 my life. The book was in brand new condition despite having probably moved with me 4 times. I recall starting to read this once but not being into it for whatever reason. I guess I thought there was a likelihood that I would eventually read it and put it back on the shelf.
THE STORY
Set in Vancouver BC in then present day 1987. Vancouver had yet to become known as the San Francisco of Canada. This Vancouver is gritty and bit Pittsburgh-like. The book is a somewhat straight forward police procedural mystery. Vancouver circa 1987 is an interesting place to read about and an interesting step back into the somewhat recent past.
While clearly and logically written, the writing is rather heavy and dense and I found it very slow going. There is often way too much detail, especially on things that don't ultimately matter. While that does bog down the writing and the story, it does make the travel in time and space for the modern day reader more realistic.
The characters were a mixed bag and the ending was not really supported by the long lead-up.
The book is subtitled "A Willows and Parker Mystery" which must mean there are others in the series. After reading this book where Willows and Parker first meet, I am curious to find out how many more there are in the series. So that must mean that overall I liked it.
UPDATE from a few days later: So SPOILER ALERT maybe, a little googling reveals that Willows and Parker have 13 adventures that leads to them getting married and eventually having a baby.
That info has pretty much satisfied my curiosity without me having to read the other 12 books. If any of them pass through my possession, I'll read them, but I'm not going to search them out. The Goldfish Bowl while a decent enough read just wasn't fun enough to go back for more.
Part of my reviews from my read-every-book-we-own project includes thoughts about the actual physical copy that has been sitting on our shelves. This book was published in 1987. I assume this os one of the many books I bought during the late 80s and the 90s off chain book store clearance tables. This implies that I have had the book over 25 years, more than 1/2 my life. The book was in brand new condition despite having probably moved with me 4 times. I recall starting to read this once but not being into it for whatever reason. I guess I thought there was a likelihood that I would eventually read it and put it back on the shelf.
THE STORY
Set in Vancouver BC in then present day 1987. Vancouver had yet to become known as the San Francisco of Canada. This Vancouver is gritty and bit Pittsburgh-like. The book is a somewhat straight forward police procedural mystery. Vancouver circa 1987 is an interesting place to read about and an interesting step back into the somewhat recent past.
While clearly and logically written, the writing is rather heavy and dense and I found it very slow going. There is often way too much detail, especially on things that don't ultimately matter. While that does bog down the writing and the story, it does make the travel in time and space for the modern day reader more realistic.
The characters were a mixed bag and the ending was not really supported by the long lead-up.
The book is subtitled "A Willows and Parker Mystery" which must mean there are others in the series. After reading this book where Willows and Parker first meet, I am curious to find out how many more there are in the series. So that must mean that overall I liked it.
UPDATE from a few days later: So SPOILER ALERT maybe, a little googling reveals that Willows and Parker have 13 adventures that leads to them getting married and eventually having a baby.
That info has pretty much satisfied my curiosity without me having to read the other 12 books. If any of them pass through my possession, I'll read them, but I'm not going to search them out. The Goldfish Bowl while a decent enough read just wasn't fun enough to go back for more.
June 18, 2017
The first Willows and Parker Mystery.
I bought a second hand copy of this book to reread, because I read of number of books in the series years ago (preGoodreads) and I wanted to see if they were as good as remembered them being.
This was a solid story with a good twist, but neither Maggee nor I found ourselves getting deeply involved. In later books we have a deeper relationship with Willows and Parker; here we are just getting to know them, and Willows is not a particularly likeable guy. The bad guy in the story is a serial killer and we tend to avoid that sub-genre... I might check out the next book in the series but Gough probably won't end up being a top choice for our Read-aloud list.
This book was # 27 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
I bought a second hand copy of this book to reread, because I read of number of books in the series years ago (preGoodreads) and I wanted to see if they were as good as remembered them being.
This was a solid story with a good twist, but neither Maggee nor I found ourselves getting deeply involved. In later books we have a deeper relationship with Willows and Parker; here we are just getting to know them, and Willows is not a particularly likeable guy. The bad guy in the story is a serial killer and we tend to avoid that sub-genre... I might check out the next book in the series but Gough probably won't end up being a top choice for our Read-aloud list.
This book was # 27 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
December 21, 2021
In cold and rainy Vancouver, Canada, an odd assortment of people are being picked off by a sniper who carefully prepares for each kill by dressing his male self in gaudy drag. The Vancouver police are truly stumped. This is Gough's first book and introduces Vancouver homicide detectives Jack Willows and Clare Parker. He has an interesting way with characters and I'm anxious to read the next in the series to see what is 'first book' and what is regular Gough.
February 11, 2018
Lacking soul
This book was really disappointing. It lacked plausibility, characters you could care about and the plot was just silly. Even the location was depressing. It was as though the author wanted the reader to hate Vancouver as much as he did. I didn't care about any of the victims because the author didn't care either.
This book was really disappointing. It lacked plausibility, characters you could care about and the plot was just silly. Even the location was depressing. It was as though the author wanted the reader to hate Vancouver as much as he did. I didn't care about any of the victims because the author didn't care either.
April 29, 2020
Vancouver. It would seem that the city has a serial killer, a sniper. Jack Willows and his new partner Claire Parker, lead the investigation. But how does the sniper pick his victims, is their connection between them, and what are the motives for their deaths.
An enjoyable well-written crime story,a good start to the series
Originally written in 1987
An enjoyable well-written crime story,a good start to the series
Originally written in 1987
October 14, 2015
THE PHYSICAL COPY
Part of my reviews from my read-every-book-we-own project includes thoughts about the actual physical copy that has been sitting on our shelves. This book was published in 1987. I assume this os one of the many books I bought during the late 80s and the 90s off chain book store clearance tables. This implies that I have had the book over 25 years, more than 1/2 my life. The book was in brand new condition despite having probably moved with me 4 times. I recall starting to read this once but not being into it for whatever reason. I guess I thought there was a likelihood that I would eventually read it and put it back on the shelf.
THE STORY
Set in Vancouver BC in then present day 1987. Vancouver had yet to become known as the San Francisco of Canada. This Vancouver is gritty and bit Pittsburgh-like. The book is a somewhat straight forward police procedural mystery. Vancouver circa 1987 is an interesting place to read about and an interesting step back into the somewhat recent past.
While clearly and logically written, the writing is rather heavy and dense and I found it very slow going. There is often way too much detail, especially on things that don't ultimately matter. While that does bog down the writing and the story, it does make the travel in time and space for the modern day reader more realistic.
The characters were a mixed bag and the ending was not really supported by the long lead-up.
The book is subtitled "A Willows and Parker Mystery" which must mean there are others in the series. After reading this book where Willows and Parker first meet, I am curious to find out how many more there are in the series. So that must mean that overall I liked it.
UPDATE from a few days later: So SPOILER ALERT maybe, a little googling reveals that Willows and Parker have 13 adventures that leads to them getting married and eventually having a baby.
That info has pretty much satisfied my curiosity without me having to read the other 12 books. If any of them pass through my possession, I'll read them, but I'm not going to search them out. The Goldfish Bowl while a decent enough read just wasn't fun enough to go back for more.
Part of my reviews from my read-every-book-we-own project includes thoughts about the actual physical copy that has been sitting on our shelves. This book was published in 1987. I assume this os one of the many books I bought during the late 80s and the 90s off chain book store clearance tables. This implies that I have had the book over 25 years, more than 1/2 my life. The book was in brand new condition despite having probably moved with me 4 times. I recall starting to read this once but not being into it for whatever reason. I guess I thought there was a likelihood that I would eventually read it and put it back on the shelf.
THE STORY
Set in Vancouver BC in then present day 1987. Vancouver had yet to become known as the San Francisco of Canada. This Vancouver is gritty and bit Pittsburgh-like. The book is a somewhat straight forward police procedural mystery. Vancouver circa 1987 is an interesting place to read about and an interesting step back into the somewhat recent past.
While clearly and logically written, the writing is rather heavy and dense and I found it very slow going. There is often way too much detail, especially on things that don't ultimately matter. While that does bog down the writing and the story, it does make the travel in time and space for the modern day reader more realistic.
The characters were a mixed bag and the ending was not really supported by the long lead-up.
The book is subtitled "A Willows and Parker Mystery" which must mean there are others in the series. After reading this book where Willows and Parker first meet, I am curious to find out how many more there are in the series. So that must mean that overall I liked it.
UPDATE from a few days later: So SPOILER ALERT maybe, a little googling reveals that Willows and Parker have 13 adventures that leads to them getting married and eventually having a baby.
That info has pretty much satisfied my curiosity without me having to read the other 12 books. If any of them pass through my possession, I'll read them, but I'm not going to search them out. The Goldfish Bowl while a decent enough read just wasn't fun enough to go back for more.
June 27, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of The Goldfish Bowl, the first of Mr Gough's police procedural series to feature Detectives Willows and Parker, set in 1980s Vancouver.
The police are stumped when called to investigate the murder of Alice Palm who was shot by a sniper while sitting on a bus. A variety of clues lead them to believe that she was specifically targeted rather than being a random victim. Only Willows believes that Alice may be the first in a series and unfortunately he is proved right.
The novel is told from two points of view, the unnamed sniper and the police investigation, which I really liked. I love an ensemble police procedural where everyone has a part to play and in this it is reminiscent of Ed McBain's writing although not so pared down. I also liked the glimpses we get of the sniper, just enough to whet the appetite but not the over examination and sometimes empathy that is so prevalent in modern novels. I also like the atmosphere Mr Gough creates. It is dark and realistic, mostly due, I think, to the constant rain which pervades the novel and definitely subdues any potential exuberance.
I have read some of the subsequent novels in this series so it is interesting to go back to the beginning and see the rather rocky start to Willows' and Parker's partnership. Willows is unhappy that his old partner is being replaced while still alive (he's in hospital dying of cancer) and finds that Parker has a mind of her own and doesn't necessarily follow his instructions. Parker, on the other hand, doesn't give anything away about her feelings on being landed with the unwelcoming Willows, she proves her worth by getting on with the job in her own way.
The Goldfish Bowl is old fashioned in some of its attitudes to women and most noticeably to smoking but is very reflective of the time it was written. I thoroughly enjoyed the investigative aspects of the novel and have no hesitation in recommending it as an absorbing read.
The police are stumped when called to investigate the murder of Alice Palm who was shot by a sniper while sitting on a bus. A variety of clues lead them to believe that she was specifically targeted rather than being a random victim. Only Willows believes that Alice may be the first in a series and unfortunately he is proved right.
The novel is told from two points of view, the unnamed sniper and the police investigation, which I really liked. I love an ensemble police procedural where everyone has a part to play and in this it is reminiscent of Ed McBain's writing although not so pared down. I also liked the glimpses we get of the sniper, just enough to whet the appetite but not the over examination and sometimes empathy that is so prevalent in modern novels. I also like the atmosphere Mr Gough creates. It is dark and realistic, mostly due, I think, to the constant rain which pervades the novel and definitely subdues any potential exuberance.
I have read some of the subsequent novels in this series so it is interesting to go back to the beginning and see the rather rocky start to Willows' and Parker's partnership. Willows is unhappy that his old partner is being replaced while still alive (he's in hospital dying of cancer) and finds that Parker has a mind of her own and doesn't necessarily follow his instructions. Parker, on the other hand, doesn't give anything away about her feelings on being landed with the unwelcoming Willows, she proves her worth by getting on with the job in her own way.
The Goldfish Bowl is old fashioned in some of its attitudes to women and most noticeably to smoking but is very reflective of the time it was written. I thoroughly enjoyed the investigative aspects of the novel and have no hesitation in recommending it as an absorbing read.
April 17, 2016
This is a dark and gritty police procedural which is a little less formulaic compared to say the 87th Precinct series by Ed McBain. At first I found the unfolding story annoying as it jumps about but on balance it works well for the plot. Written in 1987, it has that Starsky & Hutch / Rockford Files feel and has an endearing quality.
Gough's writing is feel of mood; the weather, the empty streets and the cityscape. I liked the realism of the wider cop team. The lack of a brilliant officer is refreshing, leaving the police waiting on a break, just needing that bit of luck.
The suspense is maintained throughout. Shock overwhelms the team as they struggle to find any meaningful clues. They work long hours, drink hard and chain smoke. Meanwhile the death count increasing without finding a motive or any meaningful suspects.
Great climax to the book. The author has been faithful throughout to his readers yet I didn't see the plot twist. It unexpected and sets up this series well for future episodes.
Gough's writing is feel of mood; the weather, the empty streets and the cityscape. I liked the realism of the wider cop team. The lack of a brilliant officer is refreshing, leaving the police waiting on a break, just needing that bit of luck.
The suspense is maintained throughout. Shock overwhelms the team as they struggle to find any meaningful clues. They work long hours, drink hard and chain smoke. Meanwhile the death count increasing without finding a motive or any meaningful suspects.
Great climax to the book. The author has been faithful throughout to his readers yet I didn't see the plot twist. It unexpected and sets up this series well for future episodes.
May 18, 2016
I absolutely loved this book! It kept me guessing all the way to the end, what a twist ending. I like Willows and Parker together, ams especially like Claire Parker. I love strong female leads in books, especially police procedural/detective novels.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, of to download it!
I really recommend it. Is caught up in it right from the beginning. What a rollercoaster ride of a book!
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, of to download it!
I really recommend it. Is caught up in it right from the beginning. What a rollercoaster ride of a book!
February 28, 2016
I thought this was a really well written crime novel. It was a good page turner and there was plenty of tension. I felt that Willows wasn't developed as well as he could have been, but this is just the first in a long series so there is plenty of time. Perhaps the perpetrator was a little obvious, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
September 25, 2016
People are being killed. Random? Perhaps not. At every scene a woman with long blond hair is noticed. Finally, it appears that at each scene, a clue is left as to who the next victim is or where the killing will take place. The plot is full of surprises, if dragging at times. The conclusion is a twist that had me fooled. Read this on Kindle. Good choice.
February 13, 2016
Keeps You Guessing
An outstanding police procedural with a totally unexpected twist to the ending. Characters are well developed without being overdone, and the plot is totally believable. Well worth the time to read. I look forward to more about Willows and Parker.
An outstanding police procedural with a totally unexpected twist to the ending. Characters are well developed without being overdone, and the plot is totally believable. Well worth the time to read. I look forward to more about Willows and Parker.
June 4, 2010
RATING: 2.75
February 6, 2016
Enjoyed this book.
February 15, 2016
Good fast reading police based novel. There is a lot of tension to catch the Sniper after a police detective is killed butnthe clues are few. Big surprise in the end
April 9, 2017
"The Goldfish Bowl", winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel from the Crime Writers of Canada is the first of thirteen police procedural novels featuring Detectives Willows and Parker. It was originally published in 1987.
The blurb:
An elusive serial sniper is on the loose in the dark, rain-swept streets of Vancouver, Canada.
Maverick veteran detective Jack Willows and his new partner, the beautiful Claire Parker, are assigned to bring him--or her--in.
But the case takes an unexpected and dangerous turn when the detectives discover that the sniper's victims aren't as random as originally thought . . . and that the sniper seems to know their every move before they make it.
Seemingly random people are being shot by a sniper in downtown Vancouver. The police are baffled. Sketchy eyewitness testimony relates that the sniper is a blond female, wearing a shiny mauve raincoat and white high-heeled shoes.
Various short chapters are written from the point of view of the sniper. The sniper refers to himself as a 'he', so the reader is alerted to the fact that he dresses in drag. Unlike other serial killers I have read about, he does not seem to enjoy his kills. He refers to his situation as being 'out of control'.
He cries himself to sleep...
There are two police partnerships described.
Willows and Parker: A new partnership. Claire Parker is an attractive twenty-eight year old. She has been partnered with Willows after his previous partner was hospitalized for cancer. Jack Willows is a veteran cop, married, though not currently living with his wife.
Franklin and Atkinson: Partners for a little over two years. Franklin is a married man, large and somewhat slovenly. Atkinson is single, short, and a 'ladies man'. I found him an unsympathetic character while the long-suffering Franklin was more likable.
When 'the sniper' kills Dave Atkinson, one of their own, they become even more committed to apprehending the suspect and making the streets of Vancouver safer. Although they didn't always get along, Franklin takes the loss of his partner very hard. He loses weight and turns to alcohol.
One thing I liked about this novel is that the author introduces the reader to the victims, so that the reader has a more emotional response when reading of their demise.
The setting of contemporary Vancouver lends a gritty urban slant to this novel. I quite enjoyed the writing style and I learned just enough about these characters that I am interested in following them further in the series. The story seemed a little 'dated', but we must remember it was originally published in 1987. The ending had a twist that I really didn't see coming. To date there are thirteen Willows and Parker novels, many of which have won awards.
I received my digital copy of this novel from Endeavor Press via NetGalley.
The blurb:
An elusive serial sniper is on the loose in the dark, rain-swept streets of Vancouver, Canada.
Maverick veteran detective Jack Willows and his new partner, the beautiful Claire Parker, are assigned to bring him--or her--in.
But the case takes an unexpected and dangerous turn when the detectives discover that the sniper's victims aren't as random as originally thought . . . and that the sniper seems to know their every move before they make it.
Seemingly random people are being shot by a sniper in downtown Vancouver. The police are baffled. Sketchy eyewitness testimony relates that the sniper is a blond female, wearing a shiny mauve raincoat and white high-heeled shoes.
Various short chapters are written from the point of view of the sniper. The sniper refers to himself as a 'he', so the reader is alerted to the fact that he dresses in drag. Unlike other serial killers I have read about, he does not seem to enjoy his kills. He refers to his situation as being 'out of control'.
He cries himself to sleep...
There are two police partnerships described.
Willows and Parker: A new partnership. Claire Parker is an attractive twenty-eight year old. She has been partnered with Willows after his previous partner was hospitalized for cancer. Jack Willows is a veteran cop, married, though not currently living with his wife.
Franklin and Atkinson: Partners for a little over two years. Franklin is a married man, large and somewhat slovenly. Atkinson is single, short, and a 'ladies man'. I found him an unsympathetic character while the long-suffering Franklin was more likable.
When 'the sniper' kills Dave Atkinson, one of their own, they become even more committed to apprehending the suspect and making the streets of Vancouver safer. Although they didn't always get along, Franklin takes the loss of his partner very hard. He loses weight and turns to alcohol.
One thing I liked about this novel is that the author introduces the reader to the victims, so that the reader has a more emotional response when reading of their demise.
The setting of contemporary Vancouver lends a gritty urban slant to this novel. I quite enjoyed the writing style and I learned just enough about these characters that I am interested in following them further in the series. The story seemed a little 'dated', but we must remember it was originally published in 1987. The ending had a twist that I really didn't see coming. To date there are thirteen Willows and Parker novels, many of which have won awards.
I received my digital copy of this novel from Endeavor Press via NetGalley.
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