擺渡人

Ellis Portal Mystery #3

by Rosemary Aubert, 蘿絲瑪莉·歐貝, 宋子玉 (Translator)

多倫多秋季影展發生槍擊命案，在眾目睽睽之下，國際知名導演遭人以小口徑武器近距離射擊頭部，一槍斃命！導演之女凱莉，於命案發生後，也旋即失蹤，下落不明……

「法官」艾利斯·波多爾受警探麥特·韋西之托，開始調查這起少女失蹤案件，卻發現看似令人眩目的電影產業背後，實際上是毒品交易、色情仲介等不法情事的罪惡淵藪。隨著涉入案情越深，艾利斯也亦發不可自拔……

叛逆的少女房東圖緹，在房屋被政府徵收後不告而別，只留下一條神秘難解的十字縮寫訊息：「擺渡人必伸援手。」藏身幕後的「擺渡人」究竟是何方神聖？他和少女幫派「蜘蛛」有何關聯？失蹤的凱莉與圖緹，是否雙雙落入「擺渡人」之手？

身陷暗潮洶湧的黑色急流，艾利斯能否全身而退？「遊民法官」再度面臨生死關頭，看他如何一步步解開死亡陷阱，挑戰腦力極限！

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Book Club, Fiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Rosemary Aubert, B.A., M.A., C.Cri is the internationally-acclaimed author of the Ellis Portal mystery series. She is the author of five romance novels published around the world and of poems, interviews, articles and reviews over several decades of writing. She has taught workshops from coast to coast in Canada and the United States and is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges, universities, writers' groups and conferences. Rosemary believes that anyone can be a writer if he or she is willing make full use of his or her talent, imagination and ability to work hard.

Series:
* Ellis Portal Mystery

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2000): The Feast of Stephen

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's been a few months since I read the preceding book in the series, so some of the details had faded from my memory.

I loved the characters, I loved the writing, the story was ok and the Toronto locales were introduced in a pleasant and familiar way, not in an annoying way, such as I've written 100 words, so now let's add a name for local interest. I hope this series reached a larger audience than just a Canadian/Toronto market. I put this up with Louise Penny's stories...maybe better?

I'll look for the next book in the series and hope Rosemary Aubert is still out there writing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story of the redemption of a man with many faults as he tries to defeat pure evil on his little patch of earth.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always have a weakness for books:
set in areas that I've lived in/near
that are well written
that read "real"
that provoke thought & reflection
& this book was no exception.

Thoroughly enjoyable, with an underlying sense of hope. Brilliant.

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriging sleuth - a fallen judge who's recovering from being homeless. But that's the only intriguing thing about the book. Don't bother.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ex-judge Ellis Portal, now homeless and destitute in Toronto, is asked by police during investigation of a murder to assist in the search for the missing daughter of the victim, who has disappeared, because of his connections with the homeless community in the city. He asks his friends and fellow homeless for information and goes into the Toronto underground, abandoned buildings, and caves in the cliffside and anywhere he suspects the girl is hiding. Most of the storyline is about his interactions with the homeless, their hopelessness, and the gritty underbelly of the city. He finally finds the girl in the last 16 pages and uncovers the details of the murder, but it turns out sad and unsatisfying.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a word....boring! This book is quite short, at 250 pages. I simply could not enjoy the characters, the story slogged along, but I did feel the pull that it would get better, so I finished it. What can you say about a book where, 9 pages away from the end of the book, and a gun is being pointed at our hero, when you can put the book down and walk away and do something else! Oh dear. Well I finished it, and it wasn't awful... so 2 stars.

[Edith Rennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

My interest in this book really varied...sometimes I found it quite interesting and at other times it was kind of boring.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the different lead character. Continuing the series for sure.

[Kathleensakal]

Did not like this author

[Cindy Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former judge and street person, Ellis Portal is asked to assist the police to find Carrie, the missing fifteen year old daughter of a film director, who was murdered in public during the Toronto Film Festival. Carrie, who had a history of running away from home since she was nine years old, is believed to have returned to the streets after witnessing her father's murder.
Rosemary Aubert's use of words when describing areas of Toronto, is similar to Margaret Atwood, as readers who have walked past the venues described will mentally visualize the scene. The book was pleasant to read, but not a page-turner, as the sense of mystery and suspense seemed to be lacking.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadian author - story takes place in Toronto

[Mj Amirault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good wins over evil, excellent read

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aubert, Rosemary-THE FERRYMAN WILL BE THERE-G
Ellis Porter, character more interesting than plot