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Paradise Café #1
Heat Wave
July 1936. Toronto is in the grip of a deadly heat wave. Horses are dropping in the street. Charlotte Frayne is the junior associate in a two-person private-investigation firm owned by T. Gilmore.
Anti-Semitism and murder in "Toronto the Good” in the depths of the Great Depression provide the historical background for this satisfying mystery. The fabric of the City of Toronto is as fully realized in Heat Wave as it is in all the Detective Murdoch books.
A hate-letter is delivered to Charlotte’s boss, who leaves the matter in Charlotte’s hands to investigate. On the same day, Hilliard Taylor, a First World War veteran who, together with three other former prisoners-of-war, operates the Paradise Café, seeks the firm’s assistance in uncovering what he believes is the systematic embezzlement of the Café. These two events, seemingly unrelated, come together and bring to life characters as real to the reader as those of the Detective Murdoch series.
Anti-Semitism and murder in "Toronto the Good” in the depths of the Great Depression provide the historical background for this satisfying mystery. The fabric of the City of Toronto is as fully realized in Heat Wave as it is in all the Detective Murdoch books.
A hate-letter is delivered to Charlotte’s boss, who leaves the matter in Charlotte’s hands to investigate. On the same day, Hilliard Taylor, a First World War veteran who, together with three other former prisoners-of-war, operates the Paradise Café, seeks the firm’s assistance in uncovering what he believes is the systematic embezzlement of the Café. These two events, seemingly unrelated, come together and bring to life characters as real to the reader as those of the Detective Murdoch series.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2019
15 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Jennings
55 books384 followersMaureen Jennings, now a Canadian Citizen, was born on Eastfield Road in Birmingham, England and spent her formative years there until she emigrated to Canada at the age of seventeen with her mother.
This has meant that she still feels a deep connection with her homeland. It has also no doubt been a strong influence in her love for, and her writing about, the Victorian period. She attended the University of Windsor where she attained a BA in philosophy and psychology.
A couple of years trying to decide what she really wanted to do with her life resulted in her returning to university, the University of Toronto, this time where she earned an MA in English literature.For the next eight years, she taught English at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute at a time when the English department seemed to be chock full of writers. Eric Wright, went on to write the highly successful Charlie Salter mystery series, Graeme Gibson, Peter Such, and others were writing both novels and poetry. An exciting time in so many ways but after eight years, another change of direction and in 1972, Maureen left Ryerson to become a psychotherapist, which was a long time interest. She has continued in private practice since then, although nowadays she mostly conducts creative expression groups and writes. Always passionate about dogs, she is happy to own a border collie named Jeremy-Brett and a mixed breed named Varley.
Series:
* Detective Murdoch
* Christine Morris
* Detective Inspector Tom Tyler
This has meant that she still feels a deep connection with her homeland. It has also no doubt been a strong influence in her love for, and her writing about, the Victorian period. She attended the University of Windsor where she attained a BA in philosophy and psychology.
A couple of years trying to decide what she really wanted to do with her life resulted in her returning to university, the University of Toronto, this time where she earned an MA in English literature.For the next eight years, she taught English at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute at a time when the English department seemed to be chock full of writers. Eric Wright, went on to write the highly successful Charlie Salter mystery series, Graeme Gibson, Peter Such, and others were writing both novels and poetry. An exciting time in so many ways but after eight years, another change of direction and in 1972, Maureen left Ryerson to become a psychotherapist, which was a long time interest. She has continued in private practice since then, although nowadays she mostly conducts creative expression groups and writes. Always passionate about dogs, she is happy to own a border collie named Jeremy-Brett and a mixed breed named Varley.
Series:
* Detective Murdoch
* Christine Morris
* Detective Inspector Tom Tyler
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 4, 2019
Fast, easy, enjoyable read. I've not read her Murdoch series (but I love the show, he is quite handsome 😉) so I had no expectations for this book or the writting. The plot wasn't entirely shocking or unpredictable but I still enjoyed the characters and how it played out.
June 27, 2019
A page turner. I devoured this in two sittings. The first staying up much latter than I should. I lost track of how many times I thought to my self 'just one more chapter'and then I will go to bed. Full review below.
...
My first thought even before beginning the novel, was not there are 4 series by Maureen Jennings I need to read and follow. The second what that there was going to be something different about this series, the other three series are all named after the main character, Detective Murdoch Series, Detective Inspector Tom Tyler Series, Christine Morris Series. And yet this series is named after a location, the paradise café. And boy was I right! It was a highly addictive read, like most of Jennings other works! I devoured the book in two sittings on consecutive days. But on the first I must admit I stayed up much latter than I should have considering I get up at 5am for work. I lost track of how many times I thought ‘just one more chapter’. I just had to keep reading.
The story is told in the first person from the perspective of Charlotte Frayne, she is a junior associate at a private investigation firm. The firm is owned by one Thaddeus Gilmore. But very early on her boos believes he will be charged with his wife’s attack and murder if she does not recover. And she has a new client one of four men who own the Paradise Café. And the two cases seem to be over lapping. Charlotte must balance two investigations, her aging grandfather, undercover work at the café, all during a terrible heat eave that is engulfing Toronto. An interesting cross over is that one of the police detectives working the case is Jack Murdoch, whom we met after he returned from the Great War in the novel Let Darkness Bury the Dead. And this novel is set in 1936 just two years before a second world war, but there are hits of it’s approach in the novel.
The story moves along at a quick pace. The characters are wonderful. Especially the brilliant and passionate Charlotte Frayne, and intriguing Detective Jack Murdoch, Hilliard Taylor, and to be honest the who crew at the Paradise café. The historical fiction elements including the anti-semitism, nazi, communist, and blue shirts is an interesting mix. A side element that really captured my attention was the paining, and the story behind it being reworked again and again.
I have now read six books by Jennings in as many weeks. Fortunately, there are many more to go. This is a wonderful mystery novel and I hope it is a series with many books yet to come. I look forward to what the group of friends both old and new at the Paradise Café will get into and hopefully out of next. An excellent read! Here is to another in the series soon!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Maureen Jennings.
...
My first thought even before beginning the novel, was not there are 4 series by Maureen Jennings I need to read and follow. The second what that there was going to be something different about this series, the other three series are all named after the main character, Detective Murdoch Series, Detective Inspector Tom Tyler Series, Christine Morris Series. And yet this series is named after a location, the paradise café. And boy was I right! It was a highly addictive read, like most of Jennings other works! I devoured the book in two sittings on consecutive days. But on the first I must admit I stayed up much latter than I should have considering I get up at 5am for work. I lost track of how many times I thought ‘just one more chapter’. I just had to keep reading.
The story is told in the first person from the perspective of Charlotte Frayne, she is a junior associate at a private investigation firm. The firm is owned by one Thaddeus Gilmore. But very early on her boos believes he will be charged with his wife’s attack and murder if she does not recover. And she has a new client one of four men who own the Paradise Café. And the two cases seem to be over lapping. Charlotte must balance two investigations, her aging grandfather, undercover work at the café, all during a terrible heat eave that is engulfing Toronto. An interesting cross over is that one of the police detectives working the case is Jack Murdoch, whom we met after he returned from the Great War in the novel Let Darkness Bury the Dead. And this novel is set in 1936 just two years before a second world war, but there are hits of it’s approach in the novel.
The story moves along at a quick pace. The characters are wonderful. Especially the brilliant and passionate Charlotte Frayne, and intriguing Detective Jack Murdoch, Hilliard Taylor, and to be honest the who crew at the Paradise café. The historical fiction elements including the anti-semitism, nazi, communist, and blue shirts is an interesting mix. A side element that really captured my attention was the paining, and the story behind it being reworked again and again.
I have now read six books by Jennings in as many weeks. Fortunately, there are many more to go. This is a wonderful mystery novel and I hope it is a series with many books yet to come. I look forward to what the group of friends both old and new at the Paradise Café will get into and hopefully out of next. An excellent read! Here is to another in the series soon!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Maureen Jennings.
May 30, 2020
RATING: 4.5 STARS
I will warn you that this seems to be a spin-off of Jenning's Murdoch series. While the main character in this novel is Charlotte "Lottie" Frayne, a private investigator, Murdoch is the homicide detective. As this novel take place in 1936, there might be some spoilers for the Murdoch series.
The novel takes place in 1936, Toronto during a heat wave. Charlotte's employer's wife has been attacked and he, Gilmore, is now the main suspect. While Gilmore is at his wife's side at the hospital, Charlotte takes on a new case. One of Paradise Cafe's owner, hires her to find the person who has been stealing from their payroll. The owner has 3 partners, who were once all POWs together in WWI, who besides their waitress are the only ones who have access. Charlotte goes undercover as the new waitress to get up close. When Gilmore is arrested, Charlotte now has two cases she has to solve, plus her grandfather seems to be infatuated with a younger woman will ulterior motive. If the heat doesn't kill her, one of her cases might.
I loved the characters, especially Charlotte. She is very relatable and likeable, and you feel invested to see what happens next for her. I am hoping that this is series and there are more mysteries to come. If you like a cozier, but still serious mystery, I would highly recommend this one!
I will warn you that this seems to be a spin-off of Jenning's Murdoch series. While the main character in this novel is Charlotte "Lottie" Frayne, a private investigator, Murdoch is the homicide detective. As this novel take place in 1936, there might be some spoilers for the Murdoch series.
The novel takes place in 1936, Toronto during a heat wave. Charlotte's employer's wife has been attacked and he, Gilmore, is now the main suspect. While Gilmore is at his wife's side at the hospital, Charlotte takes on a new case. One of Paradise Cafe's owner, hires her to find the person who has been stealing from their payroll. The owner has 3 partners, who were once all POWs together in WWI, who besides their waitress are the only ones who have access. Charlotte goes undercover as the new waitress to get up close. When Gilmore is arrested, Charlotte now has two cases she has to solve, plus her grandfather seems to be infatuated with a younger woman will ulterior motive. If the heat doesn't kill her, one of her cases might.
I loved the characters, especially Charlotte. She is very relatable and likeable, and you feel invested to see what happens next for her. I am hoping that this is series and there are more mysteries to come. If you like a cozier, but still serious mystery, I would highly recommend this one!
April 13, 2022
A fun, easy read. Charlotte Frayne is a private investigator in Toronto in the thirties. A very enjoyable book.
March 15, 2019
The prolific Maureen Jennings begins a new series with Heat Wave, set in 1936 Toronto, which is experiencing a particularly brutal heat wave. The main character is young Charlotte Frayne, a fledgling private eye who works for the usually unflappable Thaddeus Gilmore. When she arrives at work the day the book opens, though, Mr. Gilmore has received a particularly nasty piece of hate mail, and he hurries off.
When he’s away, several things happen. One of them is that owner of the nearby Paradise Café comes by and askes Gilmore and associates to look into some theft going on at his restaurant. The other is a call from Mr. Gilmore, informing Charlotte that his wife has been taken to the hospital, the victim of some type of attack.
Disturbed, Charlotte never the less agrees to turn up at the Paradise Café to train for a waitressing shift as she feels going undercover may help her to find the culprit. Jennings has long been an expert at setting a stage, baiting her hook, and creating memorable characters who come to life on the page, and this new series proves to be no different in that regard from her other novels.
And early on, an old friend shows up – Inspector Murdoch, though it’s 1936, and it’s Jack Murdoch, son of the beloved Thomas. It seems appropriate though, as Jennings pulls the reader into a new era in Toronto, that she bring some of the past along as well. I was glad to see him.
The threads of the novel are complex, but Jennings has a sure hand, and they are never confusing. Mr. Gilmore is arrested for the attack on his wife, and so along with sorting out matters at the Paradise Café, Charlotte is also trying to exonerate her boss. She’s also worrying about a new lady friend of her grandfather’s, a humorous and gently sidebar.
For me, the heart of the book was the Paradise, run by four WWI vets who bonded when they were all kept in the same prison camp. The war has left different marks on all four, but they support each other and with the Paradise, they are trying to make sure no one in their little slice of Toronto goes hungry – that no one starves, as they were kept starving in their prison camp. The first meal Charlotte helps to serve is called “Camp Day” complete with “war” bread.
Several years ago we were lucky enough to host Ms. Jennings at our book store and she had the concept for this novel in mind. One of the central themes is how the Paradise got its name, which is from the food that takes you back to Paradise. The meal that when you think of it, brings back so many happy, safe memories, you are in effect back home. When Maureen described this to the audience at the store I think all of us were thinking of a favorite meal prepared by our mothers or grandmothers, and when one of the characters talks about why he loves cream, that’s the heart of the novel.
Jennings is unusual among historical novelists in that she doesn’t write about the titled or privileged, she instead writes about the everyday people that surely we would have been were we to live in whatever time period she is describing. Along with telling a great story, she also manages to almost re-create a place. I felt I had been to 1936 Toronto after I finished this wonderful book. A wonderful story, well told – highly recommended.
When he’s away, several things happen. One of them is that owner of the nearby Paradise Café comes by and askes Gilmore and associates to look into some theft going on at his restaurant. The other is a call from Mr. Gilmore, informing Charlotte that his wife has been taken to the hospital, the victim of some type of attack.
Disturbed, Charlotte never the less agrees to turn up at the Paradise Café to train for a waitressing shift as she feels going undercover may help her to find the culprit. Jennings has long been an expert at setting a stage, baiting her hook, and creating memorable characters who come to life on the page, and this new series proves to be no different in that regard from her other novels.
And early on, an old friend shows up – Inspector Murdoch, though it’s 1936, and it’s Jack Murdoch, son of the beloved Thomas. It seems appropriate though, as Jennings pulls the reader into a new era in Toronto, that she bring some of the past along as well. I was glad to see him.
The threads of the novel are complex, but Jennings has a sure hand, and they are never confusing. Mr. Gilmore is arrested for the attack on his wife, and so along with sorting out matters at the Paradise Café, Charlotte is also trying to exonerate her boss. She’s also worrying about a new lady friend of her grandfather’s, a humorous and gently sidebar.
For me, the heart of the book was the Paradise, run by four WWI vets who bonded when they were all kept in the same prison camp. The war has left different marks on all four, but they support each other and with the Paradise, they are trying to make sure no one in their little slice of Toronto goes hungry – that no one starves, as they were kept starving in their prison camp. The first meal Charlotte helps to serve is called “Camp Day” complete with “war” bread.
Several years ago we were lucky enough to host Ms. Jennings at our book store and she had the concept for this novel in mind. One of the central themes is how the Paradise got its name, which is from the food that takes you back to Paradise. The meal that when you think of it, brings back so many happy, safe memories, you are in effect back home. When Maureen described this to the audience at the store I think all of us were thinking of a favorite meal prepared by our mothers or grandmothers, and when one of the characters talks about why he loves cream, that’s the heart of the novel.
Jennings is unusual among historical novelists in that she doesn’t write about the titled or privileged, she instead writes about the everyday people that surely we would have been were we to live in whatever time period she is describing. Along with telling a great story, she also manages to almost re-create a place. I felt I had been to 1936 Toronto after I finished this wonderful book. A wonderful story, well told – highly recommended.
April 6, 2019
This was really great! I read this one in just a few short days - a new mystery series starring a fantastic female character, Charlotte Frayne and featuring Detective Murdoch too. Looking forward to more Charlotte Frayne and her sleuthing powers!
September 13, 2019
I only read one of Jennings’ Murdoch mysteries, and remember it as being less cozy than this (I’ve watched a few episodes of the TV show, and this book seems more in that vein). Murdoch’s son Jack is a character in this book, set in 1936 Toronto, marked by the Depression, memories of the Great War (in which several of the characters, including Murdoch Jr, served), and political currents leading up to WWII.
The main character is Charlotte Frayne, an assistant PI who is involved in two cases: her boss is accused of attacking his wife, but she suspects the attach might be related to the anti-Semitic notes they’ve been getting; a man who owns a cafe with his 3 former POW friends wants her to help him find out who is skimming money from the till. Then there’s also the widow romancing Charlotte’s grandfather . . . Is she all she seems? These plots could be engaging (the 4 friends are quite sympathetic, haunted by their war experiences and offering a cheap meals to the down-and-out because they know what starving is like). But I found the plot slow-moving and I didn’t really care about the characters despite their on-paper appeal. I think that’s because Charlotte, the narrator, is a nonentity without much character development. I’m not tempted to read more (and perhaps this is why I only ever read one Murdoch mystery).
If you like historical mysteries, this might be worth a try, because I did enjoy the setting—we don’t see historical Canada much in the genre.
The main character is Charlotte Frayne, an assistant PI who is involved in two cases: her boss is accused of attacking his wife, but she suspects the attach might be related to the anti-Semitic notes they’ve been getting; a man who owns a cafe with his 3 former POW friends wants her to help him find out who is skimming money from the till. Then there’s also the widow romancing Charlotte’s grandfather . . . Is she all she seems? These plots could be engaging (the 4 friends are quite sympathetic, haunted by their war experiences and offering a cheap meals to the down-and-out because they know what starving is like). But I found the plot slow-moving and I didn’t really care about the characters despite their on-paper appeal. I think that’s because Charlotte, the narrator, is a nonentity without much character development. I’m not tempted to read more (and perhaps this is why I only ever read one Murdoch mystery).
If you like historical mysteries, this might be worth a try, because I did enjoy the setting—we don’t see historical Canada much in the genre.
November 6, 2019
Another good series by Jennings. I look forward to coming sequels.
April 23, 2019
Great characters,good story and we have a detective Murdoch (his son) in the book. Easy enough read just a took a few days. Looking forward to the next book.
September 9, 2024
Paradise Café is where history meets mystery. In this first book of the series we are introduced to Charlotte Frayne, a junior associate for a private investigator in Toronto. She is a likeable, skilled and intrepid main character who holds her own in a city, society and profession where women have little agency over their own lives.
Set during a record breaking heat wave in 1930's Toronto, residents are hot and on edge and Charlotte finds herself digging into the brutal attack of her boss' wife while he sits at her bedside hoping his wife will recover. Charlotte also takes on a small case for the owner of the Paradise Café, a restaurant known for good, affordable food and staffed by veterans of WWI, and it seems like the two cases may overlap.
I enjoyed how Jennings incorporates historical details and the mindset of the time while still maintaining tension in the mystery. She reveals Toronto's building anti-Semitic sentiment, misogyny, the traumatic impact of WWI on Canadian veterans and the growing unease that the world may experience another world war.
With a well-paced storyline to keep readers riveted and well-drawn characters, including Jack Murdoch (from her Murdoch Mysteries book and TV series - which features swoony Canadian actor Yannick Bisson), this is an engaging mystery and a strong start to a new-to-me series that will appeal to many readers who want a whodunnit in a vibrantly described historical setting.
Note: Look for my review of the upcoming 4th book in the series, March Roars later this week.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Cormorant Books for the complimentary gift of this book which was given in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2019
Maureen Jennings' new series starts off with a bang! Charlotte Frayne is a private investigator: the "and Associates" of T. Gillmore and Associates. It's Toronto in the 1930s, and the city is enduring a horrible heatwave that has many tempers frayed.
When her boss's wife is brutally assaulted, he's the primary suspect. While Thaddeus Gillmore is dealing with that, a case comes to the company via the handsome co-owner of the Paradise Cafe -- owned and operated by veterans of WWI. The till seems to be running low, and Hilliard wants to get to the bottom of it.
During all of this, the agency is receiving anti-Semitic hate mail. We, as readers of historical fiction, know that WWII is coming down the pike ... but the characters don't.
Into both of the crime cases, for reasons that are initially a puzzle, comes Inspector Murdoch -- Jack Murdoch, son of William (the latter is now retired to Nova Scotia) -- to figure out whodunnit ... and his sleuthing brings him to the door of the Paradise Cafe.
The book is peopled with fascinating, well-rounded characters and complex situations. Much of what was happening in the 1930s in this tale seems to be happening again, which makes it infinitely relatable. Highly recommended.
When her boss's wife is brutally assaulted, he's the primary suspect. While Thaddeus Gillmore is dealing with that, a case comes to the company via the handsome co-owner of the Paradise Cafe -- owned and operated by veterans of WWI. The till seems to be running low, and Hilliard wants to get to the bottom of it.
During all of this, the agency is receiving anti-Semitic hate mail. We, as readers of historical fiction, know that WWII is coming down the pike ... but the characters don't.
Into both of the crime cases, for reasons that are initially a puzzle, comes Inspector Murdoch -- Jack Murdoch, son of William (the latter is now retired to Nova Scotia) -- to figure out whodunnit ... and his sleuthing brings him to the door of the Paradise Cafe.
The book is peopled with fascinating, well-rounded characters and complex situations. Much of what was happening in the 1930s in this tale seems to be happening again, which makes it infinitely relatable. Highly recommended.
February 12, 2022
3.5 stars - i had so much fun reading this !!! as a dedicated murdoch mysteries fan it was very fun for me to see the inspiration for cbc’s detective william murdoch. also charlotte frayne is a girlboss.
July 28, 2025
Slow burn murder mystery. Murdoch makes a cameo :)
January 25, 2021
I really liked this story.
July 8, 2021
Canadians and Murdoch fans will enjoy this!
July 14, 2021
I really liked the time period, location and characters for this story, it was interesting and engaging. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
October 12, 2019
"The customers, men and women, were quiet, as if lining up in an orderly fashion were part of their hearts and souls. What did you do today? I stood in line."
"He had a boyish face dusted with freckles. He'd been afraid of Kaufmann, but he hadn't backed down. I felt like giving him a hug and telling him he had a good career ahead of him. Probably I was the one who needed a hug."
"He had a boyish face dusted with freckles. He'd been afraid of Kaufmann, but he hadn't backed down. I felt like giving him a hug and telling him he had a good career ahead of him. Probably I was the one who needed a hug."
September 29, 2023
The novel is set in 1936 in Toronto during a heat wave. The first of the Paradise Mystery series, it introduces Charlotte Frayne, a junior private investigator working for Thaddeus Gilmore.
The book opens with Mr. Gilmore receiving a letter calling him a “filthy Commie Jew” and an implicit death threat. Shortly afterwards his wife Ida is attacked in their home and Mr. Gilmore becomes the main suspect. Charlotte sets out to prove his innocence. At the same time, she is hired by Hilliard Taylor, one of the owners of the Paradise Café, to investigate why money is going missing. She goes undercover as a waitress to determine who is responsible for the thefts.
Charlotte is the narrator. She is very much a modern woman placed in a historical setting. She is loyal, independent, determined, compassionate, and eager to prove herself in a man’s world. Sometimes she comes across as too-good-to-be-true, a heroine coming to everyone’s rescue, even an overheated horse. The café owners are so impressed by her ability to solve their case when, in fact, a direct conversation amongst the owners would have solved the mystery.
I found the plotting so obvious, with several problematic elements. To find her boss’s home address, Charlotte opens the safe, instead of going directly to the city directory? This is just a clumsy device for her to find an important document. For someone who is a private investigator and so should know better, Mr. Gilmore behaves in ways that do not help his situation. Why would the woman who discovers Ida not use the Gilmore’s telephone and instead go to a neighbour? Chapters 4 – 6 have Charlotte talking to all the neighbours of the Gilmores; it seems a tactic to confuse the reader when in fact the guilty party is immediately obvious when first introduced. The entire Paradise Café case is a flimsy device to involve Charlotte; it could have been solved after one conversation amongst the four owners of the café. Why would a safe combination be kept where anyone could see it? Surely most people can memorize a simple combination! Again, this is just a device to unnecessarily complicate the case. Detective Jack Murdoch seems so willing to enlist the help of a civilian? It the sight of a uniform bothers a witness, why not send a policewoman in plain clothes to question that person instead of a civilian? How does the attacker know Mr. Gilmore’s secret?
The plot is slow with little intrigue or suspense. Instead, unnecessary elements seem to be added to distract the reader. For instance, the relationship between Charlotte’s grandfather and his femme fatale neighbour seems totally unnecessary. And it is resolved so quickly and easily. The suggestion of a romance for Charlotte is just annoying – again unnecessary. Why does there always have to be an ineffectual policeman with a stupid theory?
I did appreciate the historical aspects. The book touches on anti-Semitism and the fear of Communism, as well as the difficulties experienced by people because of the Depression. Certainly, the author has researched Toronto and has used that research well to detail locations within the city.
This book will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the Murdoch Mysteries whether in book form or on television. I find them much too obvious, preferring mysteries that are more subtle and challenging. I’d recommend the book for someone looking for a light, easy read in the vein of the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).
The book opens with Mr. Gilmore receiving a letter calling him a “filthy Commie Jew” and an implicit death threat. Shortly afterwards his wife Ida is attacked in their home and Mr. Gilmore becomes the main suspect. Charlotte sets out to prove his innocence. At the same time, she is hired by Hilliard Taylor, one of the owners of the Paradise Café, to investigate why money is going missing. She goes undercover as a waitress to determine who is responsible for the thefts.
Charlotte is the narrator. She is very much a modern woman placed in a historical setting. She is loyal, independent, determined, compassionate, and eager to prove herself in a man’s world. Sometimes she comes across as too-good-to-be-true, a heroine coming to everyone’s rescue, even an overheated horse. The café owners are so impressed by her ability to solve their case when, in fact, a direct conversation amongst the owners would have solved the mystery.
I found the plotting so obvious, with several problematic elements. To find her boss’s home address, Charlotte opens the safe, instead of going directly to the city directory? This is just a clumsy device for her to find an important document. For someone who is a private investigator and so should know better, Mr. Gilmore behaves in ways that do not help his situation. Why would the woman who discovers Ida not use the Gilmore’s telephone and instead go to a neighbour? Chapters 4 – 6 have Charlotte talking to all the neighbours of the Gilmores; it seems a tactic to confuse the reader when in fact the guilty party is immediately obvious when first introduced. The entire Paradise Café case is a flimsy device to involve Charlotte; it could have been solved after one conversation amongst the four owners of the café. Why would a safe combination be kept where anyone could see it? Surely most people can memorize a simple combination! Again, this is just a device to unnecessarily complicate the case. Detective Jack Murdoch seems so willing to enlist the help of a civilian? It the sight of a uniform bothers a witness, why not send a policewoman in plain clothes to question that person instead of a civilian? How does the attacker know Mr. Gilmore’s secret?
The plot is slow with little intrigue or suspense. Instead, unnecessary elements seem to be added to distract the reader. For instance, the relationship between Charlotte’s grandfather and his femme fatale neighbour seems totally unnecessary. And it is resolved so quickly and easily. The suggestion of a romance for Charlotte is just annoying – again unnecessary. Why does there always have to be an ineffectual policeman with a stupid theory?
I did appreciate the historical aspects. The book touches on anti-Semitism and the fear of Communism, as well as the difficulties experienced by people because of the Depression. Certainly, the author has researched Toronto and has used that research well to detail locations within the city.
This book will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the Murdoch Mysteries whether in book form or on television. I find them much too obvious, preferring mysteries that are more subtle and challenging. I’d recommend the book for someone looking for a light, easy read in the vein of the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).
December 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this story! I am always looking to read Canadian authors, but don't often find books by Canadian writers that I like. Maureen Jennings is a wonderful, talented writer with a real flair for bringing an engaging plot and well-written likable characters together for a great read!
Since I am a Torontonian, the fact that this book is set in early Toronto is a very cool aspect. It is so fun to read about people, places and things in Toronto, many of which are still around today, but during an earlier era.
The book is set in the after-math of WWI and there are some difficult aspects and moments, as many of the characters are men who served during the war, some who were POWs, so some tough moments are to be expected, since, as we all know "War is hell". But the skill with which Jennings tells the former soldiers' stories is worked in and around the plot of the rest of the story so smoothly it is not overwhelming.
I absolutely LOVED the character of Charlotte, and very much hope that this is the start of a continuing series from Jennings, because I would love to read more stories starring Charlotte. She is intelligent, spunky, determined and completely uninterested in following stupid demands that the society of the time had for women, and that is my favourite kind of female character. Charlotte is delightful and I loved getting to know her in this book!
The story itself is well constructed, with plenty of hints for those who like to figure things out before the big reveal of who committed the crime - in this case an assault of a husband and wife - on their own. I will say that I figured it out before the reveal, and I am not good at doing that, so it isn't hugely difficult to do that, but the story was so entertaining and well done that I don't think anything was lost by the mystery not being that challenging to figure out. The real draw of this book, for me at least was the writing and the characters, both of which are top notch!
The other thing I really enjoyed about this was the very subtle way Jennings slides humour in with the story. Many times as we were going along with the plot and the investigations - there are two concurrent investigations Charlotte looks into during the book - were proceeding, someone would say or do something that unexpectedly made me smile or laugh and I thought that was extremely cleverly done. Humour done well in mystery books is harder than one might think, so doing that well goes a long way with me and Maureen Jennings does this very effectively.
If you enjoy early Toronto history, really engaging likable characters, and a good mystery to solve, I recommend this highly!
Since I am a Torontonian, the fact that this book is set in early Toronto is a very cool aspect. It is so fun to read about people, places and things in Toronto, many of which are still around today, but during an earlier era.
The book is set in the after-math of WWI and there are some difficult aspects and moments, as many of the characters are men who served during the war, some who were POWs, so some tough moments are to be expected, since, as we all know "War is hell". But the skill with which Jennings tells the former soldiers' stories is worked in and around the plot of the rest of the story so smoothly it is not overwhelming.
I absolutely LOVED the character of Charlotte, and very much hope that this is the start of a continuing series from Jennings, because I would love to read more stories starring Charlotte. She is intelligent, spunky, determined and completely uninterested in following stupid demands that the society of the time had for women, and that is my favourite kind of female character. Charlotte is delightful and I loved getting to know her in this book!
The story itself is well constructed, with plenty of hints for those who like to figure things out before the big reveal of who committed the crime - in this case an assault of a husband and wife - on their own. I will say that I figured it out before the reveal, and I am not good at doing that, so it isn't hugely difficult to do that, but the story was so entertaining and well done that I don't think anything was lost by the mystery not being that challenging to figure out. The real draw of this book, for me at least was the writing and the characters, both of which are top notch!
The other thing I really enjoyed about this was the very subtle way Jennings slides humour in with the story. Many times as we were going along with the plot and the investigations - there are two concurrent investigations Charlotte looks into during the book - were proceeding, someone would say or do something that unexpectedly made me smile or laugh and I thought that was extremely cleverly done. Humour done well in mystery books is harder than one might think, so doing that well goes a long way with me and Maureen Jennings does this very effectively.
If you enjoy early Toronto history, really engaging likable characters, and a good mystery to solve, I recommend this highly!
December 15, 2023
*** four and a half shiny stars
An engaging, interesting and strangely comforting read, - the first in a series that is historical, absorbing and not quite a cosy, but peopled with characters and a setting the reader can immediately relate to and feel comfortable with, and a plot that beckons one sink right into it, resulting in an introduction to a series that leaves one wanting to read more.
It’s July 1936, the throes of the Great Depression, and Toronto is in the midst of a terrible heatwave. As the temperature rises, trouble is afoot. Luckily for the reader, our first person POV heroine is Miss Charlotte Frayne, licensed PI and as spunky a female lead you will meet between the pages, particularly in an era not particularly kind to women.
Charlotte, an attractive thirtyish and unmarried investigator (all of which add up to more significance back in the day), is kind, sensible, and not afraid to stick her nose in where it may not be welcome. Unusual for the time period, Charlotte is an associate in the Gilmore and Associates agency - in fact, we learn, she is the sole associate to her boss, Thaddeus Gilmore. In this, the first of the series featuring Charlotte and her companions, when Mr Gilmore is suspected of a vicious attack on his wife, Charlotte scrambles to prove his innocence and find the culprit.
Amidst the historically evocative backdrop of crippling poverty and widespread unemployment, Charlotte uncovers secrets and connections, revealed through a cast of characters (including the dishy Detective Murdoch, known to Canadians through his own book series by this author, and the related ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ TV show). For this reader, the pages flew by as wounded, vulnerable people, wartime losses, devastating traumas, and dastardly deeds, some involving personal danger to our heroine, spiraled to a final conclusion.
Without revealing too much, (no spoilers here), both plot and characterization does not disappoint, with an ending as emotionally satisfying as it is tidy.
I’m happy to have made an introduction to this wonderful author, and am looking forward to the rest of this series.
A great big thank you to the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts provided are my own.
An engaging, interesting and strangely comforting read, - the first in a series that is historical, absorbing and not quite a cosy, but peopled with characters and a setting the reader can immediately relate to and feel comfortable with, and a plot that beckons one sink right into it, resulting in an introduction to a series that leaves one wanting to read more.
It’s July 1936, the throes of the Great Depression, and Toronto is in the midst of a terrible heatwave. As the temperature rises, trouble is afoot. Luckily for the reader, our first person POV heroine is Miss Charlotte Frayne, licensed PI and as spunky a female lead you will meet between the pages, particularly in an era not particularly kind to women.
Charlotte, an attractive thirtyish and unmarried investigator (all of which add up to more significance back in the day), is kind, sensible, and not afraid to stick her nose in where it may not be welcome. Unusual for the time period, Charlotte is an associate in the Gilmore and Associates agency - in fact, we learn, she is the sole associate to her boss, Thaddeus Gilmore. In this, the first of the series featuring Charlotte and her companions, when Mr Gilmore is suspected of a vicious attack on his wife, Charlotte scrambles to prove his innocence and find the culprit.
Amidst the historically evocative backdrop of crippling poverty and widespread unemployment, Charlotte uncovers secrets and connections, revealed through a cast of characters (including the dishy Detective Murdoch, known to Canadians through his own book series by this author, and the related ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ TV show). For this reader, the pages flew by as wounded, vulnerable people, wartime losses, devastating traumas, and dastardly deeds, some involving personal danger to our heroine, spiraled to a final conclusion.
Without revealing too much, (no spoilers here), both plot and characterization does not disappoint, with an ending as emotionally satisfying as it is tidy.
I’m happy to have made an introduction to this wonderful author, and am looking forward to the rest of this series.
A great big thank you to the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts provided are my own.
July 10, 2019
Heat Wave is set in Toronto in July 1936 and is the first in the “Paradise Café Mystery” series. Charlotte Frayne is a young associate in a private investigation agency. The city is in the grip of a heat wave, when Charlotte arrives at work to find that her boss has received an anti-Semitic hate letter. Mr. Gilmore rushes off to check if the postman has left another note at his home. While he’s out of the office, she receives a visit from the owner of the nearby Paradise Café, who hires her to investigate a theft. Shortly thereafter, Mr Gilmore calls Charlotte to inform her that his wife has been attacked and he’s the prime suspect. Charlotte goes undercover as a waitress at the café, while simultaneously trying to prove Mr. Gilmore’s innocence.
The highlight for me was Charlotte’s first-person narration. A spunky protagonist with strong opinions and principals, she’s not afraid to step in when someone needs help.
Thomas Murdoch’s son, Detective Jack Murdoch is also on the case. Although you don’t need to have read the “Detective Murdoch Mysteries” to enjoy this novel, fans of the series will be delighted to encounter the family again.
The Paradise Café is a wonderful concept and an intriguing setting. The owners of the café are all veterans of World War I and met as prisoners of war. They know what it’s like to starve – to dream of food they couldn’t have - so they decided to open a café that would cater to people who are struggling to make ends meet. I’m curious to see how the series develops.
I must admit that the solution to the attack on Mrs. Gilmore had me flipping back in the book, to see if I’d missed a clue along the way. Maybe I wasn’t observant enough as I was reading, but I felt like there was one part left unexplained at the end. Nevertheless, this was a great summer page-turner, filled with interesting and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to reading the next “Paradise Café Mystery”!
The highlight for me was Charlotte’s first-person narration. A spunky protagonist with strong opinions and principals, she’s not afraid to step in when someone needs help.
Thomas Murdoch’s son, Detective Jack Murdoch is also on the case. Although you don’t need to have read the “Detective Murdoch Mysteries” to enjoy this novel, fans of the series will be delighted to encounter the family again.
The Paradise Café is a wonderful concept and an intriguing setting. The owners of the café are all veterans of World War I and met as prisoners of war. They know what it’s like to starve – to dream of food they couldn’t have - so they decided to open a café that would cater to people who are struggling to make ends meet. I’m curious to see how the series develops.
I must admit that the solution to the attack on Mrs. Gilmore had me flipping back in the book, to see if I’d missed a clue along the way. Maybe I wasn’t observant enough as I was reading, but I felt like there was one part left unexplained at the end. Nevertheless, this was a great summer page-turner, filled with interesting and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to reading the next “Paradise Café Mystery”!
December 26, 2020
This is an enjoyable, but pedestrian work from the author of The Complete Murdoch Mysteries Collection: Except the Dying / Under the Dragon's Tail / Poor Tom Is Cold / Let Loose the Dogs / Night's Child / Vices of My Blood / Journeyman to Grief. Set in the Depression in Toronto, it's different to the Murdoch mysteris because it concentrates less on the squalor and disease that is featured in those books, and more about the poverty around in the 1930's, with the rise of Nazi sympathy, the plight of World War I veterans and what itwas like to be Canadians with heat in the 90's and no air-conditioning.
There are several mystery threads going at once (one of which is dismissed very quickly wit the aid of a long-distnace phone call) and they are so logically put together that it's possible with a bit of attention to solve the mystery long before the protagonist does.
However, the protagonist is what I might call a 'soft-boiled' private eye, with Maureen Jennings concentrating on the nice qualities she has. Politeness, intelligence, and a strong work ethic predominate, and because she is in her 30's we're spared the spectacle of an intrepid young adult heroine getting over adversity with feminism and feistiness. Plus, there's a scene where she runs downstairs in bare feet and no stockings which for some reason I found quite enjoyable for some reason.
Now to move on to the next one.
There are several mystery threads going at once (one of which is dismissed very quickly wit the aid of a long-distnace phone call) and they are so logically put together that it's possible with a bit of attention to solve the mystery long before the protagonist does.
However, the protagonist is what I might call a 'soft-boiled' private eye, with Maureen Jennings concentrating on the nice qualities she has. Politeness, intelligence, and a strong work ethic predominate, and because she is in her 30's we're spared the spectacle of an intrepid young adult heroine getting over adversity with feminism and feistiness. Plus, there's a scene where she runs downstairs in bare feet and no stockings which for some reason I found quite enjoyable for some reason.
Now to move on to the next one.
February 25, 2020
It's a hot steamy summer in 1936 Toronto. Tempers flare on a downtown residential street; a woman is attacked and Charlotte Frayne, a 30ish woman working in a PI's office, is tasked with finding out what happened that morning, who came and went, what did the neighbours see or hear. Her boss, Mr. Gilmore, is being pegged for the crime, the woman being his wife. Makes no sense Charlotte thinks. Then hate letters arrive accusing him of being a Jew and her being associated with him. Tensions are high not just because of the heat but because of the pending war in Europe, elements of racism run below the surface. Added to this, the owner of the Paradise Cafe seeks Gilmore's help in finding out who is stealing from his safe; it couldn't possibly be his 3 partners, they all served together in WWI.
Charlotte has her own situation to deal with: her 74 year old grandfather is being courted by the femme fatale next door. A fine subplot that ramps up the heat.
Jennings' pacing, characters, plot/s, setting and Murdoch connection make this debut novel in A Paradise Cafe Mystery most enjoyable. Fans of the Murdoch books and series will have no trouble embracing it. Plucky young women, topical issues, historical buildings and era all thrill the mystery fiction lover. Fans of the series Frankie Drake (CBC) will see similarities in Charlotte but Frankie is, by far, the more daring. Given time, Charlotte can be a perfect match.
Satisfying read. I'm looking forward to more in this new series.
Charlotte has her own situation to deal with: her 74 year old grandfather is being courted by the femme fatale next door. A fine subplot that ramps up the heat.
Jennings' pacing, characters, plot/s, setting and Murdoch connection make this debut novel in A Paradise Cafe Mystery most enjoyable. Fans of the Murdoch books and series will have no trouble embracing it. Plucky young women, topical issues, historical buildings and era all thrill the mystery fiction lover. Fans of the series Frankie Drake (CBC) will see similarities in Charlotte but Frankie is, by far, the more daring. Given time, Charlotte can be a perfect match.
Satisfying read. I'm looking forward to more in this new series.
February 6, 2020
This is a new series from the author of the very popular Murdoch Mysteries and I enjoyed reading it. The story is light but not insubstantial and is set in Toronto toward the end of the Great Depression. Many people are poor and hungry in this story and talk of a coming war abounds, along with anti-semitism and.some poor treatment of those who served in the last war. The heroine is Charlotte Frayne, who works at a private investigative service and who is called into action during a terrible heat wave when her boss's wife is atracked at their home. Along the way Charlotte connects with Jack Murdoch, a compassionate and fair policeman and presumably the son of THE Inspector Murdoch of the original mystery series, along with a group of veterans who run The Paradise Cafe, a restaurant which serves up good plain cooking and a few mysteries of its own. Charlotte is a likeable heroine and it looks as though there may be some romantic entanglements for her in future stories. A frothy rather fun book but not a silly one, this will most likely prove to be yet another success for Jennings. I have to admit the darker WWII Tom Tyler books were my favourites though.
June 18, 2023
2.5 stats
A short little murder mystery set in Toronto. Honestly, the writing was kind of basic, and the plot and characters are fairly rudimentary, but I'll give it props for the Canadian-ness of it all and that they actually included a Detective Murdoch. The 1930s setting and realistic backdrop of the time's racial and political tensions were definitely interesting as well.
But because I'm nothing if not a complainer, a couple of other things that I didn't love are:
• the added drama between Charlotte and her grandfather. Take the whole plot point out, and nothing changes with the book. The resolution was weak and uninteresting and could've done without it entirely if it wasn't going to impact anything in the story.
• the lack of a final, wrap-up conversation between Charlotte and Hilliard. I realize there's more books in this series, but that was still a disappointment given the high hints of their romance. (Even if I don't really buy into said "romance.")
• the story didn't end with the lifting of the heatwave - a poignant tie in that, while absolutely cliché, could've added a lot thematically. High tensions, high heat, and then being washed away with rain, etc.
A short little murder mystery set in Toronto. Honestly, the writing was kind of basic, and the plot and characters are fairly rudimentary, but I'll give it props for the Canadian-ness of it all and that they actually included a Detective Murdoch. The 1930s setting and realistic backdrop of the time's racial and political tensions were definitely interesting as well.
But because I'm nothing if not a complainer, a couple of other things that I didn't love are:
• the added drama between Charlotte and her grandfather. Take the whole plot point out, and nothing changes with the book. The resolution was weak and uninteresting and could've done without it entirely if it wasn't going to impact anything in the story.
• the lack of a final, wrap-up conversation between Charlotte and Hilliard. I realize there's more books in this series, but that was still a disappointment given the high hints of their romance. (Even if I don't really buy into said "romance.")
• the story didn't end with the lifting of the heatwave - a poignant tie in that, while absolutely cliché, could've added a lot thematically. High tensions, high heat, and then being washed away with rain, etc.
August 27, 2021
Miss Charlotte Frayne, an energetic single woman in 1930s Toronto is the narrator and protagonist in this novel by the author of the William Murdoch mysteries (also set in Toronto but several decades before). The author gives the readers a sly wink by making the principal policeman of the story Jack Murdoch, and although this novel does not establish the connection for us, a quick survey of Maureen Jennings' webpage shows that Jack is indeed the elder Murdoch's son, and there is a transitional novel, set in 1917, featuring both William and Jack (estranged and war-damaged), which has just gone on my reading list.
Anyway Miss Frayne works, nominally as secretary but actually as junior PI, for an investigator named Gilmore, who has a proto-feminist wife and is the object of poison-pen communications accusing him of being a Communist and a Jew. Jennings is mining the very real prejudices of the '30s here. In Gilmore's absence she takes on what seems to be a fairly minor case of theft at a place called the Paradise Café - the series title gives away that this institution is going to be a regular feature of this series. Everything gets much more serious when Gilmore's wife is bludgeoned, and he becomes the primary suspect.
At the cafe, Jennings establishes four well-contrasted and quite memorable characters, bonded together as WWI prisoners of war and now - it is not long a secret - providing HQ central for the communist movement in Toronto. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop in subsequent series entries. (There is one more title, I believe - but I'm sorry to point out the author is now in her 80s).
As suggested by the title, all of the action takes place in an uncomfortably hot summer, amongst people whose various passions drive them to overheated acts. I won't do spoilers, except to mention that the women's issues don't take a back seat to the more public issues of anti-Communism and anti-Semitism.
This was promising enough. I'm a little wary of what I think of as the "modern woman detective in historical setting" genre - there are far too many similar things on television, of various degrees of sophistication - but I didn't find it too horribly jarring.
The timeline of Jennings' Murdoch family is, I believe, fairly far divorced from that of the long-running TV series (she wrote only 7 William Murdoch books, and the TV writers have long ago taken their own path). And this novel is well-removed chronologically from anything William Murdoch. Nonetheless, I would recommend it to Murdoch lovers merely on the basis of its decent writing and evocation of Toronto of the past. The book was pretty well edited, too - I spotted only one lapse ("hoard" where "horde" was meant).
Yes, recommended.
Anyway Miss Frayne works, nominally as secretary but actually as junior PI, for an investigator named Gilmore, who has a proto-feminist wife and is the object of poison-pen communications accusing him of being a Communist and a Jew. Jennings is mining the very real prejudices of the '30s here. In Gilmore's absence she takes on what seems to be a fairly minor case of theft at a place called the Paradise Café - the series title gives away that this institution is going to be a regular feature of this series. Everything gets much more serious when Gilmore's wife is bludgeoned, and he becomes the primary suspect.
At the cafe, Jennings establishes four well-contrasted and quite memorable characters, bonded together as WWI prisoners of war and now - it is not long a secret - providing HQ central for the communist movement in Toronto. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop in subsequent series entries. (There is one more title, I believe - but I'm sorry to point out the author is now in her 80s).
As suggested by the title, all of the action takes place in an uncomfortably hot summer, amongst people whose various passions drive them to overheated acts. I won't do spoilers, except to mention that the women's issues don't take a back seat to the more public issues of anti-Communism and anti-Semitism.
This was promising enough. I'm a little wary of what I think of as the "modern woman detective in historical setting" genre - there are far too many similar things on television, of various degrees of sophistication - but I didn't find it too horribly jarring.
The timeline of Jennings' Murdoch family is, I believe, fairly far divorced from that of the long-running TV series (she wrote only 7 William Murdoch books, and the TV writers have long ago taken their own path). And this novel is well-removed chronologically from anything William Murdoch. Nonetheless, I would recommend it to Murdoch lovers merely on the basis of its decent writing and evocation of Toronto of the past. The book was pretty well edited, too - I spotted only one lapse ("hoard" where "horde" was meant).
Yes, recommended.
November 11, 2021
Kind of a Canadian Maisie Dobbs, but I only say that because it’s an easy way of categorizing the main character, not because it is in any way derivative.
I really loved this book, except I think the police detective Jack Murdoch should have had a different name. It may be that he’s a relative of the original Murdoch, but that wasn’t made clear. I was struggling to come up with details from the series that Maureen Jennings wrote that became the television show, Murdoch Mysteries, and whether there was any reference to Jack as a youth in those books, but I can’t remember.
Anyway, that aside, I enjoyed reading this story set in Toronto in the 1930s. We meet veterans of the Great War trying to get on with their lives, and learn some ugly truths about anti-Semitism in the city. The Paradise Cafe is a haven of kindness in a harsh world, and I’m glad it features in the series going forward. On to the next!
I really loved this book, except I think the police detective Jack Murdoch should have had a different name. It may be that he’s a relative of the original Murdoch, but that wasn’t made clear. I was struggling to come up with details from the series that Maureen Jennings wrote that became the television show, Murdoch Mysteries, and whether there was any reference to Jack as a youth in those books, but I can’t remember.
Anyway, that aside, I enjoyed reading this story set in Toronto in the 1930s. We meet veterans of the Great War trying to get on with their lives, and learn some ugly truths about anti-Semitism in the city. The Paradise Cafe is a haven of kindness in a harsh world, and I’m glad it features in the series going forward. On to the next!
August 1, 2019
Enjoyed this book for the sense of what it was like 'back in the day', the ridiculous coincidence of me reading a book set in the monster 1936 heat wave while we're experiencing another heat wave albeit this time with some degree of a/c most places, and the fact that a friend of mine now owns and operates The Paradise Cafe.
I do enjoy books set in Toronto or even in York as it was years previous, since I lived there for a goodly portion of my life and can picture things and how they have changed.
Haven't read any of the Murdoch books yet, but did enjoy the TV series - though I hear that the written character is not like the guy from the book - may try them anyway.
Will look forward to the next in this series.
I do enjoy books set in Toronto or even in York as it was years previous, since I lived there for a goodly portion of my life and can picture things and how they have changed.
Haven't read any of the Murdoch books yet, but did enjoy the TV series - though I hear that the written character is not like the guy from the book - may try them anyway.
Will look forward to the next in this series.
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