A Sorrowful Sanctuary

Lane Winslow #5

by Iona Whishaw

In the fifth book of the series that the Globe and Mail calls “terrific,” Lane Winslow investigates the murder of an unidentified man she found adrift in a boat near King’s Cove.

Lane Winslow is enjoying a perfect, sunny day at the lake when she spots a gravely injured young man drifting in a sinking rowboat. Hypothermic, bleeding, and soaked in icy, bloody water, he is unable to speak, leaving Lane at a loss. What series of events brought him to this grisly fate?

Darling and Ames are quick to pick up the case, but leads are few until Angela’s young son finds an unsettling clue on the beach—a bright red swastika lapel pin—that points to the National Unity Party of Canada. When the anonymous man succumbs to his injuries, Darling and Lane are thrown headlong into a murder investigation with ties to the old country.

Fans of Maisie Dobbs, Bess Crawford, and the ever-popular Kopp Sisters will be enchanted by Lane Winslow, a clever, no-nonsense sleuth based on the author’s own mother, who was a wartime spy.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Canada, Historical Mystery, Historical

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

Iona Whishaw has been a youth worker, social worker, teacher and an award winning High School Principal, who continued with her writing throughout her working life. Receiving her Masters in Creative writing from UBC, Iona has published short fiction, poetry, poetry translation and one children's book, Henry and the Cow Problem. The Lane Winslow mystery series is her first foray into adult fiction.

Iona was born in Kimberley BC, but grew up in a number of different places, including a small community on Kootenay Lake, as well as Mexico and Central America, and the US because of her father's geological work. She took a degree in history and education from Antioch College, and subsequent degrees in Writing at UBC and pedagogy at Simon Fraser University. Her own writing output took a brief back seat during her teaching career, but she shared her passion for writing by nurturing a love of writing in the students in English, Creative Writing, and Spanish classes. During the course of her career as a Principal in Vancouver she was awarded the Woman of Distinction in Education by the YWCA in 2010 and a Canada's Outstanding Principals award in 2012.

Her hobbies have included dance, painting, reading, and gardening. She currently is a vocalist for a small Balkan dance band in Vancouver, and is patiently waiting for her next opportunity to engage in her current pash, long distance, cross country rambling in England.

She is married, has one son and two grandsons, and lives in Vancouver with her artist husband, Terry Miller.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series and recommend it to Louise Penny fans. This is book 5 in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone. This book has Lane Winslow discovering a badly wounded man in a rowboat at the shore of the lake where she is sunbathing with friends. He is taken to the hospital and the police are notified. I have previously read books 1-4, so I aware of the budding romance between Winslow and Police Inspector Darling, which moves along a little more in this book(think Hallmark movie, with ups and downs).
Lane gets involved in the investigation and does help solve the murder, since the man dies. These books take place in a small town in post WWII British Columbia, Canada. There is a side plot, with Constable Ames having some ups and downs of his own in a relationship.
I recommend this series to cozy mystery fans--no graphic violence or profanity.
I rate this library book a solid 4 stars.

[Anna Lee Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing and deftly plotted, the latest Lane Winslow Mystery is sure to enthrall readers. Filled with rich history, clever intrigue, and subtle romance, this series is perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Elia MacNeal.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 star read. But more towards a 3-star or 4-star. I mean, I continue to love Lane, Darling and Ames and their banter and conversation. It's natural, it's comfortable and I always feel like I'm sitting nearby, but the mystery here was a bit wishy-washy, or it kind of fizzled out by the time it ended. I also felt it ran a little too long, dragged on for a bit longer than necessary.

I have #6 sitting here waiting for me and I look forward to returning to King's Cove with Lane Winslow. I think I'll read a book or two in between though. :-)

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cozy mysteries - it is by far my favourite genre, first sparked by reading Agatha Christie. So I was thrilled when I stumbled upon Iona Whishaw’s books. A Canadian, post-WW2, feminist, cozy mystery series? Yes, please!

When the opportunity came to read an ARC of the next book A Sorrowful Sanctuary, I was beyond thrilled. Thank you Touchwood Editions!

A Sorrowful Sanctuary is the fifth book in the series. Lane, a fiercely independent, former British spy has settled into her new life in rural King’s Cove, British Columbia. She has a beautiful cottage, lovely neighbours and a killer view. Honestly - just reading about it makes me incredibly jealous. I would love to live in a place like that. Minus the murders, of course. Lane has a tendency to stumble upon dead bodies, which inevitably brings her into contact with Inspector Darling. Cue the sparks!

Whishaw’s writing is excellent. The plots are complex and the characters show great emotional depth. The stories also prove to be great history lessons too - I definitely don’t know enough about the late ’40’s in Canada. It’s fascinating stuff.

Like most readers, I try to predict who the killer is in any mystery I read. I’ll admit, I suck at it most of the time. In this case, I was partly right - but there was a twist I totally didn’t see coming. I love when that happens. And then (AND THEN!) the ending had me practically cheering! You’ll have to read it to see what I mean. ;)

I sincerely hope there is a sixth book in the series - I just can’t get enough.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in what is becoming one of my favorite series. The author slowly unwraps the mystery behind a victim found floating in a rowboat, showing the reasons behind much of the actions taken. The author also delves a bit into how our past, particularly our parents' actions, affect our present, with some light social commentary as Ms. Whishaw portrays how society adapts to a post World War situation, some of what is still happening today.

"Why isn't life more like an Agatha Christie novel, where only the repellent meet untimely ends?"
Darling leaned forward, looking into his glass. "Because, I suppose, life is more complicated. You take an action because of something in yourself, and you don't know how the other fellow is going to react."

Fascinating on all fronts, and thought provoking too.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big improvement on It Begins In Betrayal, the fourth in the series, this is a welcome return. Probably would have only been a three star rating, except for shining in comparison to the previous Lane Winslow book! All in all, I continue to enjoy this series, and am looking forward to reading A Deceptive Devotion, the sixth (and currently last) book in the series.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lane Winslow has a knack for finding bodies. She’s spending a delightful summer afternoon fishing with her neighbors and their children. They did nothing so cliche as snag a body and reel it in, but they did see a boat drifting, pull it to shore, and discover a young man laying a bloody water, hypothermic, gutshot, but still hanging on. His identity is a mystery that compounds a few other mysteries bedeviling Lane’s beloved Inspector Darling and his assistant Ames.

First, a very worried mother reports her son is missing, though giving her acerbic personality, Darling and Ames consider it possible he has simply escaped. There’s also a string of break-ins carried out by an unusually discerning burglar who only takes the antiques and collectibles. Darling wishes there were some way they could all be connected just to make his life easier.

Lane and Darling are in love, but it’s not smooth sailing. Let’s say they have “issues.” Ames has his own romantic entanglement, too, with a young woman who he’s been dating for a year and is not thinking may be incompatible. The combination of mystery and romance in post-World War 2 Canada is delightful even though the story deals with white nationalists and refugees from Nazism.


A Sorrowful Sanctuary is the fifth book in a series. It’s the first I have read and I am pleased that it is effectively self-contained. Certainly, events from the first four book are referenced off and on but they are not required to enjoy or follow the story. I like the people, the mystery is fully-fledged and makes sense. It would be a stronger mystery, though, if the solution were not so obvious. We don’t have time to try to figure out what’s going on because it’s obvious. Still, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more in the series.

I received a copy of A Sorrowful Sanctuary from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.

A Sorrowful Sanctuary at Touchwood Editions
Iona Whishaw author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1947, and Lane Winslow is enjoying her summer in the small town of Nelson in British Columbia. She spends her days visiting neighbors and joining them at the beach. The relaxed atmosphere changes when a young man is found severely injured in a rowboat at the shore. No one knows who he is or where he came from and when he later dies, Lane and her friend Inspector Darling still have no clue about his murder. When another young man, Carl, who lives just outside the town is reported missing by his mother both Lane and the police wonder if there is a connection between the two men. As if this weren't enough to unsettle a small town, several robberies have been reported in the area, and residents are starting to feel a little unnerved.

Instead of relaxing at the beach, Lane decides to spend her time trying to help Inspector Darling and his team to find out who the mystery man is and why he was murdered. Hopefully, they will be able to find the other missing man before it's too late. Whishaw has provided readers with another satisfying mystery with A Sorrowful Sanctuary her fifth in the Lane Winslow series. I became a fan after reading the fourth book It Begins with Betrayal. I enjoy the fact that Lane is a character who knows her mind and likes to take action when she can. Although occasionally and especially in this latest story she and Inspector Darling seem to be at a turning point in their relationship which has her a little out of her comfort zone. I can't wait to read another installment.

Thanks to Touchstone Editions for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so fun to read these all in a row and see how the author over time masters her craft. This installment has tight plotting, satisfying character development, and an overarching historical political story about neo fascism and charismatic leaders that resonates with current events.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

It surprised me that Lane and Darling are having intimate phone conversations on a party line!

[Janet Rosfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing Lane Winslow mystery. Lane, Kenny, Angela and her sons are enjoying fishing at the lake, when they find a gravely injured young man drifting in a sinking rowboat. He is unconscious and cannot explain what happened to him. Inspector Darling and Constable Ames try to find out his identity and what happened to him. There is also a series of puzzling burglaries of antiques from homes in the cove and the problem of a missing young man and the growing threat of a neo Nazi organization rearing it's ugly head in 1947 Canada. The romance between Darling and Lane is simmering along until it isn't. This book brings in themes of racism, nationalism and anger at immigration that makes it feel topical.
The characters are all growing and changing, showing their humanity and depth. The villagers are every bit as entertaining as Louise Penny's "Three Pines denizens. I'm learning a lot of post war Canadian history from these deftly plotted excellent mysteries!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wishaw weaves an interesting and unfortunate event in Canadian history with the otherwise peaceful life for those living in and around King’s Cove just after WWII. Czech refugees who fled from Hitler were brought to British Columbia, supposedly a safe haven for them, but they were immediately taken advantage of, especially at the hands of unscrupulous men eager to take the money allocated to the refugees and leave them to a life of loss and hardship. One of these men is a smarmy local politician who is involved with the “National Unity Party,” an offshoot of the Nazi party in BC. Of course there is a murder, and of course Lane helps Darling and Ames solve it and almost manages to sabotage her relationship with Darling for good. But true love isn’t easy to suppress for long...

[Jeanette C. Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 in the Lane Winslow series. Lane's quiet morning of fishing is interrupted by the discovery of a badly injured man adrift in a rowboat. The injured man is taken to hospital and Inspector Darling is sure he knows who the man is. Earlier that morning a woman reported her son missing. However when she is taken to the hospital to identify him, it's not her son. When Angela's son finds a National Unity Party (formerly the Canadian Nazi Party) pin on the beach the case becomes even more complicated. I'd prefer to follow Inspector Darling's investigation to solve the murder so I found the sections showing what happened in the past disconcerting (the reason for 4 stars). However the story is intriguing with historically accurate info on a time of Canadian history I previously knew little about. A good read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Delight from Iona Whishaw

A Sorrowful Sanctuary by Iona Show has is the 5th book in the Lane Winslow series. In this mystery, Lane is back in Kings Cove after returning from England and Scotland. A day of fishing ends with Lane and her friends trying to rescue a man who appears to have been shot. Inspector Darling and Constable Ames are called in to investigate, but they are already in the case of a missing person and antique thefts. Lane gets completely entangled in all the cases and sees connections between them.

In this complex mystery Lane and Darling begin to struggle in their personal relationship. Ames is also reassessing his possible future with Violet.

I am so pleased that this series just keeps getting better.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lane Winslow finds a dying man in a rowboat and, much against the wishes of Inspector Darling, finds herself trying to find his identity and the reason for his death. Darling is also preoccupied with the case of a young man whose mother reported him missing. There's not much surprise about the murderer, but the reader can enjoy the will-he, won't-she relationship between Winslow and Darling proceed, as well as the background in some forgotten corners of Canadian history.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I can't wait to the read the next one in the series!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how all the different pieces came together in this one!

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth book in the series and like the first four, it delivers an intriguing case for the police who are aided by Lane Winslow. At the same time, the reader gets to know more about the residents of King’s Cove, Canadian history, and the relationship between the Inspector and Lane. Each book gets better.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great mystery and I enjoyed this part of the series. I feel like it moved the story along and vied further into the characters which I enjoyed. It was a sad story but I liked it.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book I’ve read in the series, and have enjoyed each, as the characters reoccur and the romance develops. As in the Louise Penny series, it is hard to imagine so many murders in such a serene setting, but it is such a lovely read, that you must disregard the unlikeliness of this.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lane Winslow is the amateur detective in the cozy mystery series set in British Columbia, Canada. The setting is lovely with a sleepy small town. Dare I say quaint? Yes, quaint, right down to the diner where all the critical characters go to lunch. Sometimes together, sometimes to see who else is there.

The era is post World War II. Lane retired to Canada after serving as an intelligence agent in the war. Bodies seem to find her though, and Lane cannot stop being intelligent. She is also strong, opinionated, clever and quite likeable. She also admits that she should stay out of it because she is not a police officer. Should.

In order to provide important information, there were flashbacks which I found a bit awkward, but persistence paid off and I was able to pick up all the essential facts.

Some of these flashbacks involve a German refugee who came to Canada to get away from the Nazis prior to the beginning of WWII. These will eventually tie into the present. In the meantime, they provide insight into Germans and German history.

There are three mysteries. A missing man, stolen antiques and a murder. All appear to be unrelated. But they all happened at the same time in a small town. What are the odds that they are totally unconnected?

One of the bad guys is not that hard to figure out. Mainly because the heroine and hero don’t like him. And he is of a certain profession, which I won’t say because I don’t want to spoil it too bad. Another villain is a poor undercover man and easy for the reader to pick out even if Lane did not immediately have her suspicions. Regardless of how much I anticipated the unveiling of the bad guys, the process to get there was just as riveting as if I knew nothing.

There is a romantic relationship between Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling. Inspector Darling is the police officer that is supposed to be doing the investigating. The relationship has been going on for a while. They do not appear to be in sync about where the relationship is heading. This puts a bit of kink in their unofficial crime solving partnership, but the truth must prevail.

A Sorrowful Sanctuary is the first book by this author that I have read. It will not be the last. I already have a review copy of A Deceptive Devotion, the next book in the series, which releases in April. I can’t wait to dig into that mystery!

Thanks to the publisher who sent a copy of this book in hopes that I would give my honest review before the release date. Well, I am a bit slow, and hopefully, I will do better on the next one!

[Larraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a certain satisfaction in having read every book in a series. With this book - actually the next to the most recent in the series - I've accomplished that goal. The book takes place in the July of 1947 and opens with a man being shot. However, the book moves quickly to Lane enjoying some time on the lake with her friend Angela and Angel's two boys. When one of the boys sees a boat floating on the lake on it's own, they all investigate. Lane and Angela are horrified to find a man who is barely alive and is lying in a pool of his own blood mixed with water that the boat has been taking on. The wound he suffers is very bad and in a few days he dies from sepsis. There is very little to go on until one of Angela's sons finds a Nazi lapel pin on the beach. Lane and Angela are shocked to find something like that so soon after the war, but it turns out that there was a small Nazi party in Canada. The members were jailed during the war but have been released. They regret the outcome and prey on dissatisfaction with the changing face of the Canada to which service members returned. The book echoes today's complaints about the changing face of the United States as well as other countries as non whites come here and to other formerly white countries as refugees from war and oppression as well as seeking economic opportunity. The author's language is certainly not coincidental. There is also some feminist language in the book as Lane struggles with her love for Frederick Darling aka the Inspector and her own need for independence. Interestingly enough, Ames, Darling's sidekick, has the same struggles. He admires Lane Winslow's independence and wants a woman like her.

I'm told by the publisher, thanks to a Facebook message, that Ms. Winslow's next book in the series is coming out April 2020. This is one of a bunch of my favorite authors who have new books coming out next year. In the meantime, I have plenty of books to keep me occupied!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, this book didn’t live up to my expectations, especially since I enjoyed the previous one so much. The mystery was mediocre at best and the characters’ idiosyncrasies became annoying.

[Chyina Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect outing turned deadly...yet again.

Lane and her friend Angela are out fishing one day when Angela's children see something strange. It was a little rowboat, a boat with only one oar and with a man lying inside although the boat itself had taken on a lot of water. After pulling the boat ashore, they find the man has a pretty nasty wound in his stomach and is as cold as ice.

A young German-speaking refugee, seeking justice for the other displaced families forced to work on farms in terrible conditions, a slick politician who makes Lane's skin crawl, family antiques missing without a trace, Ames' love life, Lane's love life. Whishaw has done it again! "A Sorrowful Sanctuary" is almost a cautionary tale about what happens when you let anger get the best of you. A young man goes missing, a man who hadn't been quite himself lately and then an unnamed person is found barely alive in a rowboat near King's Cove.

Whisaw manages to combine a lot of discordant elements into one amazing story! As I read this, I truly felt for the characters, yelling just like Angela and Eleanor about how Lane, although full of good sense, could be so stupid. I am truly and wholly invested in this story now and cannot wait for book six! (Which comes out in April 2019!)

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SORROWFUL SANCTUARY by Iona Whishaw
This is my first Lane Winslow mystery. Lane is a plucky former English spy (WWII) now living in Canada. She has a tendency to find dead bodies. In this outing, the young man is not quite dead when she finds him gravely injured, lying in a foundering row boat. Lane is a fascinating heroine with enough backbone to be a feminist and enough quirks to be interesting.
Her love interest, somewhat confusing named Inspector Darling, is the local police inspector. Lane constantly refers to him as Darling (capitol D) when being official and darling (lower case d) when referring to him personally. The inspector would like Lane to stay out of police business, but she has good ideas and a propensity for finding herself intimately involved in the mysteries.
The time and place are nicely rendered. The characters are clearly and fully drawn. The mystery is intriguing. There are occasional Canadian phrasings that call your attention to the grammar rather than the story, but that is minor. There are four preceding books in the series. The first is A KILLER IN KING’S COVE.
5 of 5 stars

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second reading two years after the first time and it's still just as thrilling!

----

I am so thrilled with this series! Lane is such an interesting heroine -- multi-layered and with an interesting back story. Because of that, it's definitely a series you'd want to read in order as there are so many revelations along the way. Plus there's a lovely romance that slowly develops -- not overdone in any way, for those who don't like romance in their mysteries, but just enough to keep me twitterpated hopeful. :-)

A great mystery -- and I love the way this author pulls it all together. And the way Lane uncovers clues with her guileless charm and keen intellect -- so much fun, especially since it exasperates Inspector Darling. So many interesting secondary characters with seemingly unconnected stories and we get brief dips into the past so the reader has a bit of an edge in the sleuthing department.

I thoroughly enjoyed Marilla Wex's narration. She brings all these characters to life and seems to relish the story as much as I do which makes listening that much more fun.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I missed this series? Lane is a retired British intelligence operative who has moved to the small town of Nelson, British Columbia. Love the town! She's got a nice relationship with Inspector Darling, except that he'd like her to stop finding dead bodies and investigating crimes. Well, I think he'd also like less crime in the area too. This is a historical cozy and the murder involves a young man who might have been involved with the National Unity Party of Canada. I am not familiar with post-WWII Canadian issues so this was enlightening as well as entertaining. Lane's a terrific protagonist- she's strong and she speaks her mind. Darling is not a bumbler but he really does need her help. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ArC. This was great as a standalone and I'm going to look for more from Whishaw.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fifth mystery novel in the Lane Winslow series is just as thought-provoking, just as full of apprehension and angst, and just as much fun as the previous four. Lane Winslow and Inspector Darling [who certainly is a darling] are hot on the trail of the murderer of a German man who sought refuge in Canada during WWII.

Many red herrings will keep you guessing until the most-unexpected ending.

If you have not yet been introduced to Lane and her world, here's your chance.

I read this EARC courtesy of Shelf Awareness and TouchWood Publications. pub date 09/25/18 #5 Lane Winslow mystery

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I found this series by accident. Another author I enjoy had read an advance copy of this book and posted about it on her Facebook page. I ordered a used copy of the first book since it isn't available on Kindle but quickly read the other four that were available. The characters are interesting and evolve throughout the books. Historical mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I love the way this author incorporates history with the fictional storyline. I look forward to the next entry in the series!