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A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery #9
The Last Good Day
The ninth novel of Gail Bowen’s popular series finds Canada’s favourite amateur sleuth, Joanne Kilbourn, on holiday at a cottage borrowed from a lawyer friend, one of a cluster of summer homes owned by lawyers from the same prestigious firm. When one of them kills himself the night after a long talk with Joanne, she is pushed into investigating just what her neighbours are involved with, an investigation that has startling – and fatal – consequences.
Bowen’s depiction of this community of lawyers, each in his or her way now divorced from the ideals of justice and mercy that once motivated them all, is both compassionate and hard-nosed. There is Zack, the charming but controlling paraplegic; Blake and Lily, whose daughter, Gracie, struggles to keep her dignity as her parents’ marriage falls apart; Noah, who would rather practise carpentry than the law, and his wife, Delia, who is consumed by worry about the firm. The mounting stress among these lawyers is palpable as Joanne delves into their lives. And Joanne faces her own personal anxieties too when she discovers that her former lover, Inspector Alex Kequahtooway, is mixed up in what seems to be some very sordid legal business.
From the Hardcover edition.
Bowen’s depiction of this community of lawyers, each in his or her way now divorced from the ideals of justice and mercy that once motivated them all, is both compassionate and hard-nosed. There is Zack, the charming but controlling paraplegic; Blake and Lily, whose daughter, Gracie, struggles to keep her dignity as her parents’ marriage falls apart; Noah, who would rather practise carpentry than the law, and his wife, Delia, who is consumed by worry about the firm. The mounting stress among these lawyers is palpable as Joanne delves into their lives. And Joanne faces her own personal anxieties too when she discovers that her former lover, Inspector Alex Kequahtooway, is mixed up in what seems to be some very sordid legal business.
From the Hardcover edition.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 14, 2004
15 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Gail Bowen
58 books178 followersGail Dianne Bowen (née Bartholomew) is a Canadian playwright and writer of mystery novels. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan. She subsequently taught English in Saskatchewan, and is currently a professor of English at First Nations University of Canada. Bowen's mystery novels feature Joanne Kilbourn, a widowed mother, political analyst and university professor who finds herself occasionally involved in criminal investigations in various parts of Saskatchewan. Many have been adapted as Canadian television movies by Shaftesbury Films.
Series:
* Joanne Kilbourn Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (1995): A Colder Kind of Death
Series:
* Joanne Kilbourn Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (1995): A Colder Kind of Death
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 26, 2022
And so we get some sort of closure to the Alex Keequatooway storyline. It felt like this one focused too much on side stories and less on what actually happened and the killer's motivations so it felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
And the bodies keep piling up around Joanne Kilbourn! No one who associates with her is safe it seems...
And the bodies keep piling up around Joanne Kilbourn! No one who associates with her is safe it seems...
March 5, 2018
Joanne's family marches on, her relationship with the Superintendant is over and she is spending the summer at a lake cottage owned by a lawyer friend in a circle of lawyers' cottages. Canada Party and she meets several of the neighbours, one of whom confides in her and hours later drives his car off the dock and dies. Slowly the illness within the law firm is uncovered. An accurate portrayal of life within a large aggressive law firm. A great read.
April 7, 2019
A beautiful summer’s night on Lawyers Bay is broken by a heartbreaking act of suicide. Clearly, the young lawyer Chris Altieri meant to end his life. Consumed and haunted by their conversation earlier, Joanne is determined to find out why. Blessed with wonderful dialogue, Bowen weaves a story of intrigue and demonstrates the lengths some people will go to protect what they value no matter the cost to others. Excellent storytelling.
April 5, 2020
Taken from one of those little libraries on poles quite awhile ago but with libraries closed due to Covid 19, books that have been languishing on my shelves for ages are getting some respect. This was a solid 3 star book with good characters and a pretty good mystery with a great sense of place. Speaking of place, it is always a bonus to read a book set in Canada even when it is a province I don't know much about like Saskatchewan.
September 5, 2020
Probably most readers would not give this mystery 5 stars. I did because (1) I love the Joanne Kilbourn series (2) this book introduces the "winners circle" characters who figured prominently in the first Gail Bowen book I read and (3) our heroine/amateur detective is solving the case while on summer holiday and the days sound delightful, full of socializing, budding romance, and meeting lots of new people. You know, normal.
August 18, 2022
A gathering by the lake with new and old friends turns a fun time into a tragedy when one of them ends up in the lake – is it suicide or murder? Quite a bit going on in this one – set in Saskatchewan as are all the books in this series.
October 21, 2017
Oh, Alex. Not what I expected from you at all. And I have very mixed feelings about Zach. Maybe that will change as the series moves forward. Another engrossing read from Gail Bowen.
September 4, 2018
I'm looking forward to Gail Bowen's author visit to FEPL!
January 24, 2019
Reasonably good story, good mystery and going backwards in this series is just a bit strange.
May 17, 2019
Another great Kilbourn mystery. Sad ending
November 5, 2021
An enjoyable, fast read of the light mystery genre.
August 2, 2023
Not much of a mystery.
January 1, 2013
I love the Joanne Kilbourn mystery series for a few major facets:
(1) The heroine is an independant widowed woman with a strong sense of family, and yet is not reduced to being a simpering victim or wailing emotional wreck. She handles things, and handles them as well as any one could.
(2) The strong Canadian content to the stories: be it simple things like surnames that show a european background, or native rights issues, or any number of uniquely Canadian flavours, Bowen finds a niche for them in her books that adds to the story.
(3) The mystery is always a good one, and hard to puzzle out any faster than her heroine.
Joanne retires to a languid summer at "Lawyer's Bay," where one power law firm seems to rule the roost. When a shocking suicide starts the vacation on a dark turn, Joanne once again finds herself in the middle of the lives of those around her, trying to dig out the dark secrets, and learn if the suicide was even that. When her ex-lover Alex Kequahtooway gets involved, things seem even more personal. The tension keeps rising, and as always, Bowen delivers a stunning finale. Well done.
(1) The heroine is an independant widowed woman with a strong sense of family, and yet is not reduced to being a simpering victim or wailing emotional wreck. She handles things, and handles them as well as any one could.
(2) The strong Canadian content to the stories: be it simple things like surnames that show a european background, or native rights issues, or any number of uniquely Canadian flavours, Bowen finds a niche for them in her books that adds to the story.
(3) The mystery is always a good one, and hard to puzzle out any faster than her heroine.
Joanne retires to a languid summer at "Lawyer's Bay," where one power law firm seems to rule the roost. When a shocking suicide starts the vacation on a dark turn, Joanne once again finds herself in the middle of the lives of those around her, trying to dig out the dark secrets, and learn if the suicide was even that. When her ex-lover Alex Kequahtooway gets involved, things seem even more personal. The tension keeps rising, and as always, Bowen delivers a stunning finale. Well done.
July 13, 2018
Sooo disappointed with the Alex sub plot and the abruptness of its resolution. Also really really not a fan of Zach. For one of the few strong female lead characters I had really liked to follow, I am not sure I like where this series is going.
July 4, 2010
I expected to like The Last Good Day. The narrator sounded cool (55yo female university professor/amateur sleuth). It's set in Saskatchewan! I don't think I've ever read a book set in Saskatchewan that wasn't CanLit. And the reviews on the back cover are glowing.
Really?! Did we read the same book? Because I actually thought it was really bad. It was excessively telly. I couldn't work up an iota of sympathy for the characters. And the inciting incident basically made no sense. But here's the thing that drove me absolutely batty: TLGD was published in 2004. The characters are happily using email and have GPS in their cars. So, it is set in present day. However, when they are told that a character has moved to Vancouver to work at a law firm there, but are suspicious as to whether this is true or not, not one person thinks of googling to check out the story. I just could not get past this.
Really?! Did we read the same book? Because I actually thought it was really bad. It was excessively telly. I couldn't work up an iota of sympathy for the characters. And the inciting incident basically made no sense. But here's the thing that drove me absolutely batty: TLGD was published in 2004. The characters are happily using email and have GPS in their cars. So, it is set in present day. However, when they are told that a character has moved to Vancouver to work at a law firm there, but are suspicious as to whether this is true or not, not one person thinks of googling to check out the story. I just could not get past this.
April 18, 2012
Really pissed at this book! The heroine of these books, Joanne is 55 years old and she is fighting off men left and right. She seems to get involved with a man in every book. She has a busy career, 4 kids and murders left and right and still dates like a 17 year old! Find it very unbelievable.And the guy she hooks up with is just creepy. Always following her around asking intrusive questions. If that is who an independant woman is attracted to I just don't understand.
Also, the ending of this book was very disappointing to me. Unbelievable motive and method of murder. The death of Alex was expecially disturbing because it didn't mesh with all we had come to know about him in previous books. He would never have done what he did because of his dedication to his nephew, never. I feel the author was just looking to get rid of his character and this was the way she chose whether it jived with the character's past or not.
Also, the ending of this book was very disappointing to me. Unbelievable motive and method of murder. The death of Alex was expecially disturbing because it didn't mesh with all we had come to know about him in previous books. He would never have done what he did because of his dedication to his nephew, never. I feel the author was just looking to get rid of his character and this was the way she chose whether it jived with the character's past or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 23, 2016Falconer Shreve Law Firm
The Winner's Circle
Lawyer's Bay: a friend has loaned his cottage in Cottahe Country to Joanne and family
-she's approached by Chris, a lawyer in the firm, who confesses to her that he's done something dreadful in addition to his girlfiend having an abortion and then drives his car into the lake and drowns
-Lily, office manager of the firm, grew up with Alex who has been incommunicado to Joanne and his bosses
-Lawyer Clare Mackey's abrupt resignatio/disappearance from the firm has now caused ripples because Alex supposedly investigated it at the time but nothing was ever done; trust ledgers
-Zach Shreve, wheel-chair bound: new love interest for Joanne
-Joanne pieces it altogether and the ending is tragic: Alex, Lily; Clare's body is found under the gazebo
Best yet in the series
The Winner's Circle
Lawyer's Bay: a friend has loaned his cottage in Cottahe Country to Joanne and family
-she's approached by Chris, a lawyer in the firm, who confesses to her that he's done something dreadful in addition to his girlfiend having an abortion and then drives his car into the lake and drowns
-Lily, office manager of the firm, grew up with Alex who has been incommunicado to Joanne and his bosses
-Lawyer Clare Mackey's abrupt resignatio/disappearance from the firm has now caused ripples because Alex supposedly investigated it at the time but nothing was ever done; trust ledgers
-Zach Shreve, wheel-chair bound: new love interest for Joanne
-Joanne pieces it altogether and the ending is tragic: Alex, Lily; Clare's body is found under the gazebo
Best yet in the series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2011
Canadian author; hero is a woman in her 50's (widow) that teaches at a local college, has children, gets involved w/local mysteries. The hero, Joanne, is an intelligent woman that is portrayed without the fluff that some American writers tend to do to women. This is a continual series so starting from the beginning is a must in order to understand the following books. This mystery took a little bit longer then I liked to get going; however, the author kept me interested in all the other things going on around Joanne.
February 15, 2012
Big disappointment. Cover stated shortlisted for the 2005 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel so I expected something...anything. The whole story could have taken place in 50 pages...well it did if you read to the last 50.
February 13, 2014
Good read, especially since references familiar places in my home province of Sask.
The missing lawyer and a bit hard to fathom in a time when a 'Net search of firms, or Law Society memberships would have solved a big part of mystery early on, so detracted from the read.
The missing lawyer and a bit hard to fathom in a time when a 'Net search of firms, or Law Society memberships would have solved a big part of mystery early on, so detracted from the read.
March 22, 2017
Didn't like this one. It didn't seem plausible that she could become so quickly and intensely involved with a group of people who had been friends for 20 years AND who lived in a private, wealthy enclave of summer homes. After that, nothing rang true.
February 6, 2008
These are books everyone from Saskatchewan should read. She writes about Regina(murder mystery genre)
February 16, 2009
I always enjoy Bowen's mysteries.
February 23, 2009
I do love Gail Bowen. This one surprised me, not that I ever figure out the mystery. Even some contacts with academics. Surprising for a political scientist.
August 29, 2011
More of 'just passing time' with a book that doesn't require too much concentration. A decent book..okay.
May 12, 2015
Not as good as the other books have been
May be because I had to skip one. Cannot find The Glass Coffin, so missed a whole bunch of Joanne's life.
May be because I had to skip one. Cannot find The Glass Coffin, so missed a whole bunch of Joanne's life.
August 16, 2015
I enjoy Bowen's Joanne Kilbourn series - the ending of this book featured quite the fatal twist. Not sure if I like the direction in which Joanne is headed, but I'll keep reading!
August 4, 2015
Love this character, series and writting style.
September 7, 2015
Not one of my favorites but not bad either.
May 6, 2016
Enjoyable fast read...I thought I could 'figure it out' - but it was a fairly cut and dry mystery. Certainly a good book to take to the cottage to read on vacation :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews