As the mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia, shakes off a long hard winter, famous photographer Rudolph Steiner arrives to do a feature on mountain tourism. Steiner is accompanied by his assistant and sexy young wife, but he has another reason for the visit: to reconnect with the woman who left him twenty-five years ago to marry another man. Twenty-five years ago she was young, beautiful, naïve, and an internationally known supermodel. Today Eliza Winters is no longer young, and definitely not naïve, but still beautiful and married to Trafalgar City Police Sergeant John Winters. When Steiner is found dead in his luxury hotel room, shot once in the back of the head, suspicion falls upon Eliza. John Winters is forced into the most difficult decision of his life: loyalty to his job or to his wife. As the RCMP dig into the secrets of both Steiner and Eliza, John Winters slowly comes to realize that he doesn’t know the woman to whom he has been married for twenty-five years as well as he thought he did. Unable to help the Sergeant, Constable Molly Smith has her own troubles: a series of B&Es has the peaceful town in an uproar, her overprotective Mountie boyfriend is fighting with her colleagues, and a vengeful stalker is watching her every move. When tragedy strikes at the heart of her own family, Molly can’t even turn to her mother, Lucky, for help.
“It’s a crime not to read Delany,” so says the London Free Press.
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most varied and prolific crime writers.
She is the author of four cozy mystery series: The Tea by the Sea series from Kensington Books, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane and the Year Round Christmas series from Penguin. Under the pen name of Eva Gates she writes the Lighthouse Library Series. Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com , www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor, and twitter: @vickidelany
This was a solid three-star for me until the last third of the book which catapulted to a four. What held the story back in my reading was that the murder mystery had Winters' wife at the center of the suspect list and she, in the three prior books is pretty much a blank of a character. Truth be told, by the end of this book, if I never read about her again, it won't really matter. As I write this review, I can't even recall her name (and it's been mentioned in all four books of the series!).
I felt the Charlie Bassing thread was becoming tedious because Molly was doing nothing about his escalating aggression. The rationale that she was trying to navigate the terrain as a woman in law enforcement went only so far with me because she knew Charlie's violent past and expecting he'd just stop or go away seemed lunacy. But then the last third of the book happened and I was ready to forgive all the prior tedium.No spoilers but the turn taken was very well done and it set up Molly for more growth in the future.
Also to the good here was the bits about the town and its residents. It adds to the patina of Trafalgar and to Molly's life as she moves through interacting. It's nice to see how some seemingly unrelated things related by people unrelated to the case come together to help find the solution. Also to the good was a very big surprise with a character that I never saw coming but will open up new avenues in many characters' lives.
I'll definitely continue with the series and do recommend this one.
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book four of eight.
A celebrity photographer come to the town and is murdered. The investigation is going sideways. They keep asking questions uncovering the truth leading to the arrest of the killer. It all comes to a happy ending 😀.
I would highly recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships mystery adventure novels 👍🔰. 2024 👒😤
Things are in turmoil in our fearless constable's life both at home and at work with Detective Winters and his wife being murder suspects, the mounties and local police at odds, her stalker is escalating and that is all before we get to her personal life! Once again an intriguing story surrounding Molly Smith and her gang makes for an entertaining read that you just can't put down!
This is a grudging 2.5 stars. Molly's improving slowly, and she continues to make some rookie mistakes, which feel believable. John Winters is an ass for much of the book because of something that happened to his wife Eliza years ago, and he chooses to make everything about his feelings. And I think the author needs to find a much better way to resolve her stories. Molly is again detained, and much of the local police rush to her aid. Add in threatened rape, and Molly is again at someone else's mercy. Sheesh! Lazy writing. Why does the female protagonist need to grabbed and almost raped? And all the big, sexist coworkers need to run to her aid, again. I have no idea how tough it must be for female police officers, but it must be incredibly hard doing the job. The author gives us a little bit of info on what that's like, but keeps letting me down; almost raping the main character twice (books 1 & 4 in the series) and getting her kidnapped/detained three times, once in each book (1, 2 & 4) is not the way to make me think highly of the author's skill.
Constable Molly Smith serves on the Trafalgar police force. She secures the scene when a hotel maid discovers a dead man in his restroom. When the crime scene people take a look, they discover a photo of Detective John Winters' wife Eliza taken years ago. Rather than placing it in evidence, they give the photo to Winters. Outsiders are brought in to lead the investigation but Detective Ray Lopez has a better feel for the case. The investigators just want to arrest Eliza and be done with it. Molly's dad falls from a ladder. He faces hip surgery, and Molly's mom Lucky shows a great deal of nervous concern. Meanwhile, the former inmate with a vendetta against Molly continuously escalates the seriousness of his retaliatory attacks. Off the case where his wife is a suspect, Detective Winters steps up attempts to solve a series of local break-ins. With a little help from Molly, he discovers a pattern and a suspect. That's as much as I can reveal without giving spoilers. I really enjoy this series. While there are a couple of things in the plot I wish had not occurred, I'm still anxious to see what happens. I read the next installment many years ago, but I think I'm going to re-read it (or listen to it) since I remember little of the plot. (3.5 stars)
I really enjoyed it. Trust me to pick up 4 of 8 and read that first, not that it mattered. I really like John and Eliza. Support characters were good too. Wouldn’t mind reading the books that came before this one (and after if they are just as good). A good book to read over the weekend. Hard to put down. Not too predictable. Solid 4 imo.
Molly Smith is a police officer, the kind who has to wear a uniform, walk around town and check out the streets and alleyways. She's the one who gets to ask a lot of questions so that the real detectives can track down the criminals. She loves her job in the small town of Trafalgar, in southern BC.
When the murder that happens at the local swank hotel is of an important person, so important that local detective John Windsor is taken off the job and the federal mounties are brought in, Smith continues to work with Windsor on a series of burglaries. Things get complicated: Madison, the top mountie on the scene, decides Windsor's wife Eliza is the murderer. An ex-convict decides to play out a little vendetta on Smith. Smith's father is ill. She's conflicted about her current boyfriend. What else can go wrong?
Vicki Delaney creates a solid mystery with a believable and appealing protagonist. She has a talent for keeping the reader guessing almost to the end. This book is number four in a series that has reached seven. I read it because I am interested in Canadian mystery authors and how they use the Canadian setting in their writing.
I recommend Negative Image, or better still, go back to the first book, In the Shadow of the Glacier, and read the whole series. I plan to.
By comparison to most of the other books I listen to, I found this one weak. In so many ways. As the series is set in my home province, I periodically come back and try another and, alas, am again not impressed. I can see how it would suit for a light summer read and no doubt others will enjoy the series. Sadly, just not me.
#4 in the Constable Molly Smith mystery series. Author Delany has moved on from the group of one dimensional characters that peopled her last book, Winter of Secrets (2009), but she has crafted a central plot that revolves around an obsession that suddenly appears after lying dormant for twenty five years and the unlikely actions of Sgt. Winters wife when she is confronted with that obsession. The saga of Molly Smith's personal life continues with her family and boyfriend and she is visited by the misogyny of some of her colleagues. A side note: The four novels in the series to date take place in July, August, December and April of a single 10 month period. That makes this backwater a very criminous location.
As the mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia, shakes off a long hard winter, famous photographer Rudolph Steiner arrives to do a feature on mountain tourism. Steiner is accompanied by his assistant and his sexy young wife, but he has another reason for the visit: to re-connect with the woman who left him 25 years ago to marry another man. That woman was a young, beautiful, naïve model. Today Eliza Winters is still beautiful and married to Police Sergeant John Winters. When Steiner is found shot in his hotel room, suspicion falls upon Eliza who had, inexplicably, visited Steiner there. John Winters is torn between loyalty to his job or to his wife. As the RCMP dig into secrets hidden by Steiner and Eliza, Winters comes to realize that he doesn't know his wife as well as he thought. Meanwhile, Constable Molly Smith has her own troubles. A series of break-ins has the town in an uproar, her overprotective boyfriend from the RCMP is fighting with her colleagues, and a vengeful stalker is watching her every move. When tragedy strikes at the heart of her own family, Molly can't even turn to her mother for help.
Good book. Interesting plot. Do like this series......
As the mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia, shakes off a long hard winter, famous photographer Rudolph Steiner arrives to do a feature on mountain tourism. Steiner is accompanied by his assistant and sexy young wife, but he has another reason for the visit: to reconnect with the woman who left him twenty-five years ago to marry another man. Twenty-five years ago she was young, beautiful, naïve, and an internationally known supermodel. Today Eliza Winters is no longer young, and definitely not naïve, but still beautiful and married to Trafalgar City Police Sergeant John Winters. When Steiner is found dead in his luxury hotel room, shot once in the back of the head, suspicion falls upon Eliza. John Winters is forced into the most difficult decision of his life: loyalty to his job or to his wife. As the RCMP dig into the secrets of both Steiner and Eliza, John Winters slowly comes to realize that he doesn’t know the woman to whom he has been married for twenty-five years as well as he thought he did. Unable to help the Sergeant, Constable Molly Smith has her own troubles: a series of B&Es has the peaceful town in an uproar, her overprotective Mountie boyfriend is fighting with her colleagues, and a vengeful stalker is watching her every move. When tragedy strikes at the heart of her own family, Molly can’t even turn to her mother, Lucky, for help.
I recommend this book to those interested in crime and police mysteries without the gore. I feel teenagers or a younger audience may enjoy this series best.
This is my first Molly Smith novel. I read it as part of a contest for my public library. I found Molly to be too mousy for a cop, but perhaps that's because the narrator for the audiobook gave her such a high pitched voice. Since the narrator is female, she should have just voiced Molly in her regular voice, especially seeing that Molly is the main character.
The other bone I have to pick with the narrator is that Canadians do not sound like that!!! Outside of the Maritimes, we do not say "oat" for "out". This must be how Pakistani people feel when they hear Apu from the Simpsons talk. This is not really a fault of the author, but it did influence my reading experience.
One thing that solely rests on the author is the Scooby-Doo like ending. I'm really not a fan of the bad guy just confessing, especially with minimal pressure put on them.
All that said, the premise of the book was interesting. The book held my attention until the killer was revealed, and I didn't guess who did it. I did appreciate the minimal gore.
I didn't dislike this casual reading experience, but I probably won't read any more books in this series.
3/5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Like real life there are many loose ends and few tidy bows. I'm OK with that but would appreciate it if the author gave a quick check in before closing out. The shoplifter, her old friend, the blockheaded out of town detective got off smelling like a rose ... what's happening with them? Even a light reference, such as, Madison the Mountie got shat on by a loon as he got out of his car. That would be satisfying.
I am not a fan of the reader. There are many characters but subtle touches would suit my liking more than relying on 1. Stern. 2. Refined. 3. Whiney. The entrance training for police officers is very rigorous. Molly spends her days off skiing the most difficult downhill runs. Occasional internal whining or whining to a friend would be OK but the petulant voice is used almost all the time. My interpretation is Molly is written as a young officer similar to Rizzoli in Boston. Yeah, she whines and she wonders but she's also strong. I think Molly needs a good woman friend in town.
The setting is great. I'm eager to learn more about Molly and her family. The mystery is secondary to the residents of this tourist town.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm not sure where this novel fits in the Constable Molly Smith series but was easily read as a stand-alone once I got a feel for who were the consistent characters besides Molly. Fashion photographer Rudolph Steiner is in Molly's hometown of Trafalgar, B.C. He is a reclusive germaphobe with a mob boss's daughter for a wife and a surly assistant. Molly's father is hospitalized with a broken hip and her mother is falling apart. An excon has it out for Molly and is harassing her. Add to the whole situation, Molly's boss, Detective John Winters is removed from the photographer's murder investigation because his wife is the main suspect. The local police call in the RCMP to assist and for some reason the main investigator decides John's wife is guilty and refuses to look at any evidence pointing elsewhere. This was my main complaint about the novel. There was speculation why he disliked John and Molly so much but no real explanation (thus the 4-star review). I assume he'll be back in a future novel to cause more problems. A good enough read to keep me going to the end.
#4 in series. I like Constable Molly Smith, but think it should be called Winters and Smith series.
Winter is finally almost over, skiing in Trafalgar is done for the season. A has-been photographer is found murdered in his hotel bathroom. The crime scene tech gives Sgt John Winters a photo found on site: his wife Eliza, from 30 years ago, young, nude and sexy. Then, it turns out that she was the last known visitor to the photographer. Also, in the "picture" (my pun) as potential suspects are his young wife, who happens to have Montreal mob connections, his assistant photographer, who happens to have relations in Trafalgar, and the hotel repair guy, who happens to be his brother. Meanwhile, Molly's father breaks his hip, and is in hospital. Molly is harassed by Charlie Bassing, a character from a previous book who abused her best friend, and was in prison. A satisfactory ending to all the threads.
This story felt like more of a character development story than a murder mystery. I think that works as there seems to be some big changes coming along. The characters were more human in their actions and responses, good or bad.
I'm sad about some of the outcomes. I'm glad about the resolution of one that has been lingering for a couple of books.
I felt this one was good not great, but fits the series and sets thing up for future storylines. Interested in seeing what is next for Constable Molly Smith.
The story’s fine, but I listened to the e-audiobook via Hoopla, & didn’t care for the reader. Sometimes she was fine, but she gave Molly & her mother such high, wimpy voices! Makes Molly sound like a 12-yr-old! And her tough mother sounds like a 16-yr-old in places! That’s really disappointing, because I have lots of print books to read, & when I found this series on audio, I thought “oh, good, I’ll listen to this series now while I read others”. Will definitely have to check whether the rest have the same reader.
Finished 08/02/2013. Molly Smith & her mentor Sgt. John Winters have help (?) from IHIT, 2 mounties led by a Sergeant who is full of himself & has a personal vendetta going against Winters, his wife and Molly. Molly's dad dies on the operating table in a routine procedure and the family and friends are devastated. A series of B & E crimes has broken out, Rudy Steiner is murdered, a handicapped girl takes things without paying and an ex-con is harassing Molly. Altogether a fun read.
I quite like John and Eliza as a couple (and Eliza as a character especially, I think she's such an inspiration for thriving, childless women... when her husband isn't being a dingwad), so this was hard. But the plot was interesting and I enjoyed watching Molly grow a little more, but This book was also hard for me because
Fashion photographer comes to town and is killed. There's a link to Elizabeth Winters and a poor cop, a Mountie, focuses only on her. Meanwhile there has been home thefts that Molly is trying to solve. Also, her father falls and breaks his hip. The stories aren't too bad alone, but there are too many coincidences, including a pair of brothers, for this to get the highest rating.
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series so far but I felt that this the best so far. I could hardly put the book down. Loved all of the twists and turns and the ups and downs that the author created. It was awesome. Looking forward with continuing the journey in this series.
Another good book in the series. I didn't like that she killed off Molly's dad; that felt unnecessary. Molly's career plans and love life are back up in the air so there's plenty to look at for the next book or two' the Bassing subplot came to a rather abrupt end too - maybe Molly's (former) bestie can come back into the picture?
Small town police force, with some help from some Mounties, solve the murder of a famous photographer visiting the town of Trafalgar, British Columbia. Along the way the main characters, Molly Smith and John Winters have trouble in their respective homes as well. Looking forward to the next book.
Another episode with Constable Molly (Moon) Smith in Trafalgar, BC. Several life changing events later we are ready to see what direction her life will go. She is developing into a good officer and she works with a great supporting group. Not too heavy and good who done it!
I am enjoying this series more, I feel like I know the characters and I'm enjoying the story lines. This one was a little sad and I was shocked that the story went this way, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the books follow this.
This high quality, award winning Canadian mystery is loaded with lots of twists and turns, and interesting characters. I'll definitely read more books in this series!
A very good mystery with great characters and many twists. I also liked how the main character isn't a super-star higher ranking officer. This makes the novel different from so many others.
My favorite of the series so far. So much happens and the characters continue to evolve, especially Mollie’s and Winter’s. Intricate and intriguing plot, with many pieces fitting together.