Persistent Guilt: A March and Walker Crime Novel

by Michael J. McCann

On a cold morning in late April, a man and his dog discover the nude body of a young woman in the ditch alongside the picturesque Thousand Islands Parkway in Leeds County. The woman was stabbed multiple times before being dumped.

Detective Constable Kevin Walker of the Ontario Provincial Police discovers that the victim worked for an old high school acquaintance of his. Kyle Baldwin now runs a charity that raises funds for mobile medical clinics in Kenya, but he had a brief affair with the victim several years ago that ended badly. Why did she continue to work for Baldwin? Did she see someone else after breaking up with him?

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Ellie March is investigating the mayor of the nearby city of Brockville for alleged criminal wrongdoing. Now with two major cases to manage, she and Kevin Walker must determine if the mayor is somehow connected to a wider circle of crime or if Kevin’s friend, Kyle Baldwin, murdered his ex-lover in a fit of jealous rage.

Genres: Fiction

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2018

About the author

Michael J. McCann is the author of SORROW LAKE, a March and Walker Crime Novel set in Canada. This novel was a finalist for the 2015 international Hammett Prize for best literary work in a crime novel by a Canadian or US author. He has subsequently published four more books in this series: BURN COUNTRY, PERSISTENT GUILT, NO SADNESS OF FAREWELL, and A DEATH IN WINTER (October 2020).

THE LONG ROAD INTO DARKNESS is the first book in a new series by Michael J. McCann also set in Canada and featuring retired police detective Tom Faust.

He has also written four novels in the Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series set in the U.S., including BLOOD PASSAGE, MARCIE'S MURDER, THE FREGOLI DELUSION, and THE RAINY DAY KILLER.

In addition, he has published a supernatural thriller entitled THE GHOST MAN.

He has also published a subsequent supernatural thriller, TWILIGHT ROAD: A MADDIE HUBBARD NOVEL OF SUPERNATURAL SUSPENSE, and a science fiction thriller, PROJECT CHANGELING: A SERENA KEILOR NOVEL.

His books are available in e-book and paperback format at https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Michael+J+M....

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight-forward police procedural, with very little character interaction and drama. Much like the original Law & Order tv show, or the BBC shows "Prime Suspect" with Helen Mirren. Just investigating facts and interviewing suspects. At first I thought it was kind of boring, like reading a case study. But as I got into it, it became quite interesting. This is the 3rd book in a series, so character development might have been more in depth in the earlier stories. A good read for those who like police procedurals.

[Tawney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good procedural. If you want something character driven or a thriller this isn't it. There is a murder and law enforcement sets out to find who did it. Some might find this dull and uninteresting, I enjoy it. The characters are refreshingly real, not cute or quirky. There is some office politics, which is natural and not overplayed. There are a few coincidences in the plot that are a little forced, but no worse than most books of this type. I would definitely read other books by McCann.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Goodreads, Kindle, The Plaid Raccoon Press and Mr. McCann for a really Goodread. This was a relatively short but a novel packed with with a lot of twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a great little story for a rainy/snowy afternoon. Thakns!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Working my way through the series. Also reading a P.I. series at the same time, so occasionally getting the crimes they are investigating mixed up! I should never read similar genres at the same time.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my attention throughout

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

First book I have read in the series. Took a bit to learn all the characters...Will read the others in the series. This was a Goodreads g giveaway win.

[Michaela Freeman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really could not get on with this book. I found it tedious and it just didn't grip me.

[Linda Chance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the March and Walker series

[Kenneth Nordqvist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the whole book series once more. Its sad that there is no more books with those marvolus caracters .You dont find these everwere.
Thanks again for nice time reading them

[Hildegart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and it kept my attention when I was finally able to sit down and get it read. It is a good procedural, the characters are real in that they have their good and bad. The one downside I experienced was that there seemed to be a lot of characters to keep track of (I have not read the previous books in the series).

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Chance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy to receive a review copy of Persistent Guilt (Thank You!) since I’ve read the first two books in the series.
As others have reported, this series is a little heavy on police procedure which is not the type of mystery I usually enjoy. However, there are regular characters that you get to know and follow through their life changes. The plot is engaging and contains enough twists to keep you guessing, plus there’s the bonus of learning about life in small-town Canada.