Traps: A Robin MacFarland Mystery

by Sky Curtis

Fiction. Women's Studies. After dealing with the grizzly murder of a sexual assault victim near her cottage in Huntsville, Ontario, Robin MacFarland, the feisty Home and Garden reporter for a major Toronto paper, feels she must go elsewhere for a peaceful family holiday. She, her cop boyfriend Ralph, and her adult kids travel to the beautiful, long, sandy beaches on the South Shore of Nova Scotia for a few weeks in August. She continues to tussle hilariously with her weight, drinking, feelings towards her boyfriend, and spirituality while coping with a dry well in the cottage she's rented, systemic racism issues in the local population, and escalating anger towards the fish farms dotted along the shore which are destroying the lobster industry. A sensational murder of a local politician, coupled with the "accidental" death of the owner of the fish farms, captures her interest. When she mentions the situation to her editor at the Toronto Express , her best friend Cindy, a crime reporter at the paper, is dispatched to cover the story. Again, Robin finds herself in the position of convincing everyone that the accidental death was no accident, that the two deaths are intertwined, and that the murder weapon is extremely ironic.

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 20, 2019

About the author

Sky Curtis was born in Toronto, Canada and has lived in England as well as the Canadian maritimes, travelling to both places frequently. Under her birth name of Kathryn MacKay, Sky has worked as an editor, author, software designer, magazine writer, scriptwriter, poet, teacher, and children’s writer. She has published over a dozen books. Passionate about literacy and involved with youth, her entertaining syndicated children’s column appeared in weeklies across the country for almost ten years. Her poetry has appeared in several literary journals, including The Antigonish Review, Canadian Forum, and This Magazine. Currently living in mostly in Toronto with her family and pets, Sky writes adult fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Carole Giangrande · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightful. It's the first Robin Macfarland mystery that I've read, and I recommend it both as an escape from all the bad news and an immersion into other kinds of...bad news. No, it's not heavy in any way, and in fact, it's quite funny and often heartwarming. Robin is as human as detectives get -- in fact, a journalist who gets her nose into things because she cares enough to dig in her heels over issues like racism and the negative effects of fish farming in Nova Scotia where she and her family are taking summer holidays. And did I mention murder? That, too. I'm usually leery of stories that seem to have social justice issues "tacked on," but that's not the case here. Robin's character is so well-drawn that her outrage over racism flows naturally from the kind of person she is - a humane individual who loves her family and who knows and accepts her own limitations. Overweight joking aside (and it's really funny), she lets us see her worth and integrity, even when she seems unsure of them herself. And her boyfriend Ralph - a cop - is a prize. So's the book. Enjoy.

[Kate Kennedy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book, but it was very readable. It fell into the trap of telling, rather than showing, the reader about issues of racism. I was also expecting a more satisfying resolution to the mystery.

[Heather Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read that is as educational as it is entertaining. Robin Macfarland, Curtis' extremely likable and funny heroine, is great company.