Before Sunrise

by Rick Mofina

In Before Sunrise, a short, dark novel, we meet Will Fortin of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, on patrol in southern Alberta. It’s a lonely region where the sky meets the land on even terms, where the landscape exaggerates or diminishes your place in the world. If you’re lucky, trouble would never find you there. If you weren’t, this was your battleground.

It is here where Fortin experiences the worst any cop can face, the taking of innocent lives when he accidentally shoots two children while responding to a call at a farm involving a gun. His life destroyed his guilt unbearable, Fortin, a good man, struggles as a haunted soul, aching to redeem himself.

Years after the shooting, Fortin is assigned to escort a murderer to trial in Seattle, Washington. When their plane crashes in the unforgiving Rocky Mountains, Fortin is presented with his last chance at redemption.

Coming in at about the same length as The Old Man and the Sea, Before Sunrise, is a powerful, heart-wrenching story of love, heartbreak, courage and enduring human spirit.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Amazon, Mystery, Canada, Suspense, Alcohol

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row in Montana and Texas, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He's also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait's border with Iraq. His true-crime freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Telegraph (London, U.K.), Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Marie Claire and The South China Morning Post, (Hong Kong). He has written more than 20 crime fiction thrillers that have been published in nearly 30 countries.

His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Lisa Unger, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.

The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”

Series:
* Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski
* Jason Wade
* Jack Gannon

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2003): Blood of Others

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up until this year, I hadn’t read anything by Rick Mofina. I didn’t know what I was missing. So far, I’ve read two pieces and have wound up choked by emotion both times. The man can truly write pathos, or maybe it’s just the two books that I’ve read, although I tend to believe that it’s in his voice. Writer’s write what they know, and I would speculate that Mofina knows pain. This novel -- although quick-paced – takes some time to communicate the story of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Will Fortin. The narrative is one where Will Fortin performs the actions of a police officer with alacrity and aplomb, and still manages to create unintentional consequences that will haunt him, because sometimes even when we do the right thing, things still go wrong. Haunting, gripping, and a good read that kept me up thinking how he could have done better. The ending is telegraphed and is a little too cut and dried, everything tied in a bow for me, especially when the entire story is about how life can just BE messy. I would have been OK with resolution if there would still be a mess. Strong story, with a high-recommend stamp of approval on it. 4 and a half Grey Geeks.

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author, a great read, and this will not be my last, a lot of story fitted into the 167 page book, love, romance, tragedy, emotions, anguish, suspense, tension and sadness and a good story.

To me a book of three parts,Will Fortin and his very tough life, Lee and his story, and the final action and gripping ending. This author gives details on all the main characters, all strong, you felt you knew them all.

In Before Sunrise, Will Fortin of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is on patrol in southern Alberta. It’s a lonely region where the sky meets the land on even terms, where the landscape exaggerates or diminishes your place in the world. If you’re lucky, trouble would never find you there. If you weren’t, this was your battleground.

This is where Fortin experiences the worst any cop can face, the taking of innocent lives while under fire in responding to a violent call at a farm involving a gun. His life destroyed his guilt unbearable, Fortin, a good man, struggles as a haunted soul, aching to redeem himself.

Years after the shooting, Fortin is assigned to escort a murderer from a Canadian prison to trial in Seattle, Washington. When their plane crashes in the unforgiving Rocky Mountains, Fortin is presented with his last chance at redemption.

Before Sunrise is a powerful, heart-wrenching story of love, heartbreak, courage and enduring human spirit.

A well written book , a clear four stars.

[Ceecee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well at least this was free! The most impressive thing about this short book was the Canadian setting which was just fabulous and it was very obvious that the author loved the areas he was writing about as it shone through loud and clear. The first part was about RCMP Fortin Main who shot a man who was well known to the police for domestic violence. Lyle Dolan has killed his wife then threatened Fortin who had no choice but to shoot, he killed Lyle but also to his horror, two of Lyle’s children. He struggled with the guilt of accidentally killing the children and he searched for the meaning of life from then on. The second storyline concerns the Carter family who had suffered a series of shattering events. I wasn’t sure how the two stories would coincide but eventually they did.

My biggest problem with the book was the way it was written. There were a lot of single sentence ‘paragraphs’ or statements which were irritating. A sentence clearly does not constitute a paragraph and I felt there was some laziness here. I’m sorry if that seems harsh but that was the impression it gave me. The pace was so slow I lost interest. Some of the dialogue was very forced and unrealistic. Towards the end of the book the reader should have felt a sense of danger and of time running out. I did not get that emotion at all. I don’t like giving low ratings but in all honesty it didn’t merit an extra star. I’ve never read this author before and it has put me off doing so again.

[Coco.V]

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Blurb:
In Before Sunrise, a short, dark novel, we meet Will Fortin of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, on patrol in southern Alberta. It’s a lonely region where the sky meets the land on even terms, where the landscape exaggerates or diminishes your place in the world. If you’re lucky, trouble would never find you there. If you weren’t, this was your battleground.

It is here where Fortin experiences the worst any cop can face, the taking of innocent lives when he accidentally shoots two children while responding to a call at a farm involving a gun. His life destroyed his guilt unbearable, Fortin, a good man, struggles as a haunted soul, aching to redeem himself.

Years after the shooting, Fortin is assigned to escort a murderer to trial in Seattle, Washington. When their plane crashes in the unforgiving Rocky Mountains, Fortin is presented with his last chance at redemption.

Coming in at about the same length as The Old Man and the Sea, Before Sunrise, is a powerful, heart-wrenching story of love, heartbreak, courage and enduring human spirit.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mofina has had a renowned career as a journalist before switching to fiction and for me that never went away. Which is to say he writes his thrillers like he’s reporting them. It’s purely declarative with slim to none internalization. In this novella extended from a short story (it would have been a short novel even, but about a fifth is taken up by a preview, so) he reports a story of a member of the RCMP, a Mountie to the uninitiated, whose life is irrevocably scarred by a fatal mistake. Years later he gets a chance to redeem himself. Very basic straight forward story simply told, a drama with thriller elements if one had to categorize it. The book read easily and entertained some if you know what to expect, but despite the wide (frankly inexplicable) acclaim it isn’t the sort of thing to recommend or go looking for, unless, like this one, it just appears one day on a Kindle freebie list. If you’re in the mood for something more stylistically and psychologically sophisticated, there are plenty of options out there. If not…well, there you go. For a freebie, though, it was decent and quick.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Mr. Mofina. I can pretty much guarantee that I will finish a book from him in a matter of hours, a day, or a couple of days at the most. This book was no exception. While, I may not have "loved" this book as much as I have some of the prior novels, I still enjoyed it. The main issue I had with this book is the character connection.

This story really needs the strong character connection. Which, as I stated previously, it suffered some when it came to this factor with me. However, there still was a good enough connection with the characters that I felt for them. The main character, Will really had me. The circumstances that he encountered were unfortunate but in the end, he found his peace.

[Frosty61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one, but found it sad. It moves along at a good pace, has a very likeable main character, but it has an underlying feeling of despair.

[Shannon Callahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short and sweet

This book isn’t for me that’s all. It is good book that go on by short and sweet style. This could be something for short trip.

[Dee Cash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a Normal Rick Mofina

I’m always thrilled when I see a Rick Mofina novel because I know it will be a real mystery that I won’t be able to put down until I finish it. Before Sunrise not so much. It was just a very sad book from beginning to finish.

[Ned Frederick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a tidy meditation on the futility of self-loathing. But author Mofina seems unaware of the core irony in his own narrative. Except for a nod to the infuriating banality of ritual condolences, this little book seems remarkably unselfconscious and devoid of any depth of reflection beyond the platitude level. Still I found myself entertained and committed in a network-TV-drama kind of way. Shot on location. Sort of interesting. Not likely to tax too many neurons so maybe I'll stick around and see what happens.

[Christine Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Mofina's better books that I have read... it has a cop and a beautiful story wrapped around it with much grace and dignity. It is not his typical journalist or police procedural but a beautifully crafted story that kept me engaged to the graceful, beautiful, tender yet sad ending... It is not one's typical thriller which i find very good, because I for one-- am getting kind of tired of the same old bad guy, serial killer, police procedural mysteries, I am more looking for novels with depth and this novel proved worthy of that in every way...

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master story teller Rick Mofina once again has created a thriller that without question keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. "Before Sunrise", features protagonist RCMP Constable Will Fortin who is assigned to the Lone Tree Detachment. Son of a detective in the "Surete du Quebec", Will is married to Cathy (Pearson) a schoolteacher. In addition to looking forward to starting a family, Will is studying to take the Corporal's exam. One fateful day Will is called to the Dolan home for a domestic disturbance. Trudy is in fear of her and her children's lives with the always drunk and mean tempered Lyle Dolan. Calls to the Dolan home occur somewhat often especially when husband Lyle decides to be a mean drunk. Will arrives at the Dolan home knowing he needs backup. Backup is several minutes away and it's probable that Trudy may not have that long with Lyle waving a gun at her. Before Will can get his bearings Lyle is outside on the porch with children in hand, and firing a gun at Will. Quickly dodging bullets Will takes cover and fires back. When Will comes up for air he finds Lyle and both kids dead on the front porch. An ugly downward spiral encompasses Will that takes the life out of his marriage and career. Meanwhile out in, Ice Lake, Washington Ren Carter and her dog Tipper have carved a stable life some ten years after husband Chet was killed in a roadside truck accident. Ren's son Lee a former Marine, now lives in Seattle with his family. But lee is battling end stage kidney disease. Having dialysis three times weekly has almost stopped working. Lee needs a new kidney to live. The hospital has called Ren to come to Seattle because Lee hasn't much longer. Will on the other hand has taken years to turn himself and career around. Divorced and lonely Will gets a position with the prisoner transportation team at Saskatchewan's maximum security penitentiary. Will is all business and very good at this new assignment. He's tasked with taking the very dangerous R.L. Yacine to Seattle for trial in the United States. Yacine already serving a ten year bid in Canada for a brutal armed robbery, the Americans want him for an even brutal caper. As fate would have it Mother Nature and bad weather force Will's plane into a mountain side causing death and havoc. In a spellbinding plot that moves at break neck speed this yarn tugs at the heartstrings from beginning to end. At just 120 some odd pages I read this in just over one sitting (Had to stop for dinner break). I had a tear in my eye as Lee, Ren and Will meet up at the conclusion. Once again author Rick Mofina weaves a riveting tale with some amazing characters. This one is an absolutely do not miss five stars out of a possible five star read. If you're not reading Rick Mofina and his amazing series characters you're missing some outstanding thrillers. Do yourself a great favor and check out author Rick Mofina's compelling thrillers.

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a plane crash survival tale, but my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. For a novella, there seemed to be a lot of filler. A lot of things happened, but it was written with all the emotion of a Wikipedia entry. The plane crash didn't even happen until I was 70% through, and there was very little survival stuff in the aftermath. Add to that the incredibly cheesy ending that I could see coming a mile away, and I'm left thinking this was a waste of an hour and a half.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense listening 🔰😀

Another will written romantic thriller adventure mystery novel by Rick Mofina about two young men's lives and the paths each takes before coming together. I had a hard time with this novel and almost did not finish. It is very emotional as these two young men go through trying times. Give it a try. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or 🎶 listening to books 📚 2022

[Judith Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now, another book from a long time favourite author, Rick Mofina.

Here we are introduced to Will Fortin of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police based in the Lone Tree Detachment in the corner of southern Alberta. A wild, barely civilised part of Canada.

One night Will is called to a domestic which ends with the husband and two children dead, caught in the crossfire between the husband’s shooting at Will and his return fire.

So begins a downward spiral in Will’s life that encompasses and kills his marriage and takes the life out of his career.

Meanwhile, out in Ice Lake, Washington, Ren Carter and her dog have established a stable life some ten years after her husband Chet was killed in a roadside truck accident. Ren’s only son Lee, a former Marine, now lives in Seattle with his family. But Lee is battling kidney disease and dialysis three times weekly has almost stopped working. Lee needs a new kidney to live.

In the years since that fateful night and his marriage breakup, Will has turned himself and his career around. He Now has a position with the prisoner transportation team at Saskatchewan’s maximum security penitentiary and is very good at this new job. He’s tasked, along with three other officers, with taking the very dangerous R.L. Yacine to Seattle for trial in the United States. Yacine already serving a ten-year sentence in Canada for a brutal armed robbery, but the Americans want him for an even more brutal robbery-homicide. They have a witness to the robbery but time is running out as the witness is in danger of dying from a terminal kidney disease.

While in the US area bad weather forces the plane into a mountainside causing the death of the pilots and three of the four escorts. Only Will and Yaccine survive and we follow Will and his now free captive over the rugged territory. From there the story moves at breakneck speed.

One could say the ending was predictable but for me, it was perfect. Will is at peace as are the other characters in the story.

I should add that this book is like no other of Rick Mofina’s that I have read. There is no mystery, just a well-told tale of emotions, heartache and trials. A short book of some 120 pages but one well worth reading.

Note – I was given a copy of this book by the author and choose to write this review.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed reading this short story . Basically it is the life story of Will Fortin RCMP and how a tragic event in his career changes his path in life . He can't forgive himself for causing the accidental deaths of two children . He later blames himself for his wife's miscarriage of twins believing death is always around him . He forces his wife to divorce him and slips into depression . He slowly starts fighting his way back to improve himself at work earning a promotion . While escorting a prisoner by plane to a correctional facility the plane crashes and the prisoner gets away . At the same time Fortin captures the prisoner he is struck by a car and mortally wounded . His death causes two things to happen . His kidney is donated to the man who will identify the prisoner as the murderer in a bank robbery and will get a life sentence . Will Fortin is buried at RAMP academy with honors .

[Jo-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before Sunrise is a very emotional story about an RCMP officer who accidentally killed 2 children in the line of duty. While he was cleared of any wrong-doing, he couldn't forgive himself. This guilt led him to a lifetime of anguish. He kept doing his job in a small town in Alberta but was much tenser than before. Believing his wife deserved better, he told her to leave. Meanwhile, Ren Carter is living a quiet life in Ice Lake, Washington. I wondered why she kept popping up in this story and found out toward the end.

The wrap-up to this book was not what I expected, at all. So I was disappointed. But since other reviewers loved the ending, I seem to be on my own on this.

This was a very depressing book. Even so, I was compelled to read it to the end so I could find out what happened to the man.

[Bettyboop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story by Rick Mofina is not what I expected, but it was a goodread for me. I’ve read all the Tom Reed and Jason Wade Series and Tom Reed will always have my heart in favorite fiction characters. ‘Before Sunrise’ does not have the exciting thriller storyline, it’s more like a story of grief, anguish and unforgiving guilt character Will Fortin experiences. I was into Will’s life from the beginning, so I felt his pain and kept reading wanting him to find a way to realize he didn’t deserve all the blame and guilt. He had taken the lives of two children and when his wife miscarried their boy and girl twins, he felt it was his fault. He could not forgive himself and needed redemption.
That finally came in a very surprising ending. This was a goodread for me, but I’d like more of Reed and Wade.

[Michelle M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Fortin a Royal Canadian Mountain Patrol man is faced with the biggest traumatic event of his life. Will responds to a domestic situation in which several lives are lost including 2 children. He now has to try and over come the emotional distress the event has caused in his life. It is a constant daily struggle for Will. He soon has new duties and is involved in transporting prisoners. One particular transport goes very wrong. The plane he, fellow officers, and the prisoner is on crashes in the Rocky Mountains. Only 2 survive, Will and the prisoner. Will now has to catch the prisoner who is trying to escape. Will is given another chance at redemption and is able to give the ultimate sacrifice.
I really enjoyed this story and could not put it down. I did not see the ending coming; this ending is not how these stories usually end. Very touching and might require a Kleenex.

[Holly Kailani · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I’ve ever read with both happy and sad endings

It was interesting from the start. I have no experience with law enforcement but could really feel Will’s pain and guilt over the shooting incident. I was pulling for him while his life spiraled out of control. The secondary story of Ren and her family was confusing for quite some time, yet there was a strong sense that her story and Will’s would intersect at some point. When Will was transporting a prisoner who Ren’s son could identify as the bank robber who killed several people during the robbery, it seemed we had the answer. The ending was shocking and unexpected. Can’t say more without it being a spoiler. Overall, I found the book intense, interesting, and intriguing. Minus one star for a few jarring typos and the length of time it took to make the connection.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story about a man who always wanted to be Canadian Mounty. He is excellent at his job until one day he is called to a home about a domestic dispute. What happens that day sends his whole life into a tailspin. He starts drinking and withdrawing from everyone, especially his wife. He tells her to leave him, and finally she does. She eventually moves on and it takes him years after to start healing, but he can never seem to get past that day.

Years before a fortune teller told him he would do something horrific and eventually would do something wonderful before his life ended. He lives to do that something wonderful. I won't say what it is, but it is wonderful and he does realize it, even though I don't think he really was at fault for the horrible thing that happened. Good story.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I've read many of Rick's books and have always learned something new from each one. This time the story it home for me. I lost my husband and a son to drowning. When they told me my son would need a set of lungs to survive but only had 12 hours to live. I had to make a choice that to this day haunts me I sat there holding his hand while they turned the machine off. I signed the papers donating his organs and drove to the hospital to do the same for my husband. Looking back I know I made the right choice because between them both the helped over 200 people. I'm glad this story had the ending it did because it gave me some insight as to one of the families they helped.
Well written giving you actual feelings of the characters. You could actually feel their torment going through their lives.
I'd recommend this book and all of Rick's books.

[Ameena K.G · Rating 4 out of 5]

at the beginning of this book, I was inclined to give it a 3 star rating. It felt like one of those books which are "just good", not spectacular, not great simply just good, but I was wrong.

A short story is hard to write because there are so many informations needed to be put especially when it comes to crime genre but with a short story, there are only so many pages available. Rick Mofina did a great job with going into details of the scenery, Description of rescue missions and even more than a few back stories with the limited pages available.

was this a spectacular book? not exactly. but it sure made for a wonderful read. I'ld definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a light read to pass time.
a four star rating from me.

[Bonni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunningly heartbreaking yet beautiful book. We're introduced to two families who've faced loss after loss, and it gets to the point where at each page turn, you're slamming your fist on the couch, wondering if life will ever cut them a break. You know that eventually their stories will have to intersect, somehow, but when? Where? How? Added to the tension is a vague ... prophecy? (Or is it something else?) The author skillfully draws out our empathy and compassion to such a thin edge, and so when the piece finally clink-clink-clink into place like the pins on a bank vault door, your breath will catch and a lump will appear from nowhere in your throat. The hero is revealed as more personal than you would have ever imagined, and it is SUCH a satisfying conclusion.

[Terric853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Fortin is a mountie with the RCMP. One night, he arrives at a "domestic" situation and confronts the perp, who refuses to surrender his weapon. Will shoots and, too late, discovers that two of the prep's three children were standing behind hin and have died due to Will's bullets. Will's life deteriorates; he drinks to excess and eventually is divorced.

Ren Carter is a widow whose son was a Marine who survived Afghanistan. He's shot in a bank hold-up and the suspect is the criminal under Will's protection. He needs a kidney to keep living, but there are no prospects in sight.

I liked Will's story, but was confused by Part II that introduced Ren. Their stories eventually came together in a touching and redemptive way.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing Book

At times, it was a psychological study. At other times, it was a sort of mystery. Then it moved to detail a couple of other stories that would tie together at the end. It’s not that it was confusing to follow; it’s that the author couldn’t decide if he was telling a story or describing a series of events, or detailing the way the RCMP worked. It just didn’t have an authentic voice. There were several grammatical errors, which, though minor, distracted me. There were even odd letters and numbers like [P1], as if the author forgot to remove placeholders or something. This could have been a gripping story. It just fell flat in the telling.

[DWH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read a good book about people rather than having to wade through untold pages of weaponology, with parenthetical explanation every sentence or so explaining what the author meant by dropping in half of the alphabet after every other word. It also goes to prove that one doesn't have to have a dirty-word dictionary at hand to write an interesting story, and I do feel sorry for those authors who aren't good enough at their chosen trade yet, and have to rely on bad language to get their reader's attention. This is the 1st book I have read by this author, and I will make a point of reading others. I hope they live up to the standards of this one.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written Thrilling Tragedy

Will Fortin's life was great in the beginning years until one fatal mistake took him on a journey of alcohol addiction, counseling, group therapy and finally sober and on a desired career path. Little did he know that a palm reading by a girl in his teens would be his destiny. Will's final deed on earth would be to recapture a criminal and save the life of the son of the woman who accidentally hit him with her vehicle. This book touched me so personally as my nephew was an organ donor when he had a seizure one day before his thirty-seventh birthday. As tragic as death is, sometimes there is a renewal of life for others.

[Nick Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first novel by Rick Mofina. The tagline sums it up nicely, it's a short read and dark. I enjoyed it overall, despite some sadness. The story actually takes place over decades (estimate) in a relatively short number of pages. You could skip over years in a few short lines. It was interesting seeing the numerous stories weave together. They did seem random at first but found each other in the end (albeit a little predictable). I expected a little more at the end but was satisfied with how it finished. I've read this book is different than other Mofina novels, but I'll still check out more of his work.

[Dallas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a 4.6 if that were allowed.

The first chapter of this book is really great! The rest of the book does a nice job of jumping off from that chapter.

I would call this a gentleman’s book. The author does a great job of description and connections throughout, but does so in such a gentlemanly manner that though you know certain characters are rough and that swearing and other uncooth things happen, the author leaves much of the rougher things to your imagination, thus allowing the book to move smoothly for those that find those sordid details to interfere with the story.

Ultimately this book is a story of redemption.