Whale Fall

Russell and Leduc mysteries #3

by Ann Lambert

There’s blood in the water…

Marie Russell and Detective Roméo Leduc are finally getting married, but the joyous occasion is overshadowed by the unexpected arrival of Magnus Sørenson, renowned eco-warrior and Marie’s first great love. When Magnus’ plans for a dramatic environmental protest take a dark turn, Roméo and Marie are forced to abandon their honeymoon in the Laurentians in order to catch a killer, unearthing long-buried secrets along the way. Fast-paced and chilling, Whale Fall is a riveting tale of love, vengeance, and climate justice.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Audiobook, Mystery

344 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

Ann Lambert has been writing and directing for the stage for thirty-five years. Several of her plays, including The Wall, Parallel Lines, Very Heaven, The Mary Project and Two Short Women have been performed in theatres in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.

She has been a teacher of English literature at Dawson College for almost twenty-eight years in Montreal, Quebec, where she makes her home.

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the riveting Russell and Leduc mystery series set in Quebec. The first book, The Birds That Stay, was set in the Laurentians north of Montreal. The second, The Dogs of Winter, revolved around the murder of marginalized and homeless people on the streets of Montreal. Whale Fall returns the reader to small villages in the Laurentian countryside. The vivid descriptions render an atmospheric sense of place and are transportive. I have never visited that part of Quebec, but the writing immersed me in the area, causing me to feel that I knew it.

Detective Romeo Leduc met former teacher Marie Russell while investigating a crime near her home in the Laurentians. This book opens with the joyous celebration of their wedding. Marie is a divorced grandmother, aged 61, and Romeo is slightly younger. The villagers and relatives attending the happy occasion represent a diverse cross-section of the region's population. The characters are very well-developed and memorable. A surprise guest shows up at the wedding party. He is Magnus Sorenson, a world-famous eco-warrior and Marie's first love. He came from a very wealthy oil-rich family in Norway. He is charming, charismatic, and handsome and has become the poster boy for the environmentalist movement. Much covered by the press, his activities included protecting endangered animals, protests against oil, and against the clearcutting of forests and jungles. He is also known as a womanizer with a series of affairs with younger women.

A business conglomerate plans to start clearing the surrounding forest to build a tourist retreat. Some of the villagers find this to be positive for the community. They have been promised an increase in employment and an upsurge in the economy. They believe lies that destroying the forest will lower the threat of global warming. Many others plan to participate in a massive protest against the tourist development. There are hints of bribery and fraud in the business deal. Magnus will make a dramatic entrance to gain support and publicity for the upcoming environmental protest. Marie's daughter is a lawyer who is advising the protest committee.

Marie Russell and Romeo Leduc have started on their honeymoon, tenting and canoeing in the wilderness. The trip is interrupted when Romeo receives a call from the police. He must return as there has been a murder on the day of the demonstration. During his investigation, he suspects the killing was connected to a tragedy when Magnus sought publicity for the See Change movement. Many have reasons to dislike or be jealous of the environmental movement. Business people are hoping to become wealthy from the development of the tourist project. There is a man who started See Change but was replaced as leader by the famous Magnus and assigned to a lesser role. Magnus's longtime romantic and business partner is fed up with his affairs with younger women.

Romeo and Marie have a frantic personal problem. Marie's elderly mother has dementia and is in an upscale nursing home. She is in her 80s and has a caring 'boyfriend' who is almost 90 years old. They had disappeared from the nursing home together and went on an adventure walking in the woodlands. After they become lost, Marie's mother becomes ill and has a mental and physical lapse. Search parties scour the wet and muddy forest trails. Marie is anxious and troubled, fearing her mother will be found dead.

This was a fast-paced, suspensful, complex crime story involving the world of eco-activism with engaging characters. Recommended.

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a sweltering summer in Quebec, this novel evokes the place and season very well.

The two protagonists, Roméo and Marie, are personable, intelligent and engaging. It is fascinating to follow their personal relationship as well as their working life. This is one of those series which should be read in order as the backstories of the main characters plays such an important role in the plots of the books.

Many environmental issues were raised between the pages of this novel. Sustainability; the devastating impact of clear cutting in forests - just one of the many factors contributing to global warming; the part that beef cattle and meat consumption play in the environmental emergency precipitated by climate change; and the dire effects of warming oceans and human's use of plastics play upon sea-life.

The novel incorporates many characters into its narrative. Some readers might find the myriad people hard to follow, especially if they hadn't read the first two novels in this series.

After reading the first three novels, I can highly recommend this novel and this series to readers who enjoy socially relevant crime fiction. "Whale Fall" is a successful blend of police procedural and eco-thriller. In my opinion, this author and this series are deserving of a much wider readership.

[Alexandra Demers · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
I had high hopes because I enjoyed the previous two books of the series. I just felt the story jumped too much from one thing to another and it took a long time to get to the main intrigue. It fell flat for me. I must say, though, that the history, the facts, and the descriptive scenery woven into this book were great.

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie Russell and Detective Roméo Leduc are finally getting married, but Marie's first love Magnus Sørenson arrives. He's a renowned eco-warrior with plans for a dramatic environmental protest. Roméo and Marie abandon their honeymoon to catch a killer who was at that protest, unearthing long-buried secrets. In this book, love, vengeance, and climate justice go hand in hand.

Whale Fall is the third Russell and Leduc mystery, following The Dogs of Winter. I still like the fact that these characters are older, with established histories before they met each other, and the subtle give and take between them because of it. Their children give them away and Marie's daughter officiates the wedding, blending their families and histories. This also gives a chance for new readers to come in and get to know characters even if you haven't read the first two books. Intercut with the wedding and reception are flashes of meetings regarding a hotel building project, Magnus' latest fling, and his longtime partner, with hints of a larger problem before the protest.

As with the prior book, we have a lot of attention to detail, relationships, and past history. It unfolds slowly, pulling us along with Roméo as he investigates the murder and the other incidents that occur and potentially distract him. By listening to the stories of all the characters and piecing together the connections between them, Roméo and Marie eventually figure out what happened. The second half of the book moves much faster because of this, and everything is revealed. Not everything is solved, as the local issues between those who want to cut down the forest and those who want to protect it remain in place, but we do have a sense of closure and hope that a resolution can be reached within the town.

[M.G. Doran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers dive right into this book as Marie Russel and Detective Leduc are about to take their vows in their quaint backyard wedding ceremony. Unbeknownst to them, the stirrings of yet another mystery occur at their own wedding reception, breaking wide open as they leave for their honeymoon. They return to not only one mystery but two-as Marie's mother has gone missing with the l' homme à tout faire (handyman) from 'The Birds that Stay'. Weaved through all this is the mysterious notes from another time about a whale disentanglement gone awry and the planned Leviathin activist/activity on one of the many ski/snowboarding destinations in northern Quebec. Amongst the flurry of face-paced story telling, Anne Lambert manages to keep this book well-paced and warmly written. I look forward to the next book in her series...

[J.J. Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lambert violates what some call a “rule” of the genre by not giving us a body in the first fifty pages of Whale Fall. But what she gives us instead more than makes up for it. Although the book opens with a wedding, it feels like a high school reunion, the reader being invited to join old friends and old rivals. Even if you have never read any of the other books in the Russell and Leduc series, you’ll feel like you know these characters. Lambert, through the characterizations and the intimate moments the reader is privy to, dials up the tension. We care deeply about these characters, and knowing the kind of book we’re reading, anticipate the worst. What comes next is a satisfying tale of the uncovering of secrets and the pursuit of justice.

[Carolyn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whale Fall by Ann Lambert @ann.lambert.author a Canadian author and director. This is the 3rd in the Russell and Leduc mystery series set in Quebec. I haven’t read the previous 2 books but this is a stand alone. The main characters are getting married when an eco warrior old flame appears. A story of murder, love, revenge and climate justice ! I enjoyed this book, it skipped along nicely and the characters are well written and interesting, each with their own quirks. The paperback was released in October 2022 and the audio is now available at @librofm thanks to @talismanonpender @librofm @_secondstory for the #ALC

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a slow start, and if I didn’t already know Ann Lambert’s writing, I probably would have stopped reading this. But, as usual, it ended up being a very satisfying story to read. However, I will say that it focused on “random” characters, most of whom were unknown in the series before this. Somehow that felt a bit odd to me, but I was drawn in by the recurring characters and Ann Lambert’s ability to write about Quebec. I hope she writes more in this series — this one had the look of a self-published book, so I’m not sure…

[Michaela Cesare]

Lambert's done it again! I've read all three novels in this series. The range in themes and subject from novel to novel is so impressive. There's no reason this series should not be adapted to a miniseries for one of the streamers. It has everything: intrigue, a specific setting with local authenticity, charming characters and a motor to last at least 3 seasons (I suspect Lambert has another one up her sleeve).

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Loved the setting and the environmental theme kept me interested. Got a little glum when I read the description of the whale tangled in fishing line. And then I watched a CBC Nature of Things show about Right Whales and wished I hadn't. Didn't know how common it is for these endangered whales to be caught up in fishing line, the images of dead whales washed up all tangled up will stick with me for too long. Still I am hoping for a another book in the series!

[Stacielynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these books. Interesting topics and fascinating characters. They are a little clunky for some reason-- too fast at times and too slow at others or too much information sometimes and sometimes not enough.
Things always seem to be concluded all at once.
Just a niggling quibble not a major criticism or insurmountable problem. Looking forward to a new installment

[Brian Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whale Fall is, in my opinion, the best of the Russell and Leduc Mystery Series so far. It touches on important issues that affect the planet while keeping our interest in the murder mystery that is unfolding - a real page-turner!

[Tamera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was definitely wonderful! The storyline was great and the character development was really heartwarming.

Each book is a little better and I hope the authoress has plans for another installment of this series!

On a side note, the narration was much better.

[Karrie Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was my favorite of the series, I hope she continues to write more Russell and Leduc mysteries!

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book for the preachy environmentalist and over the top vegan in your life. There is a plot, but it's so buried under strong opinions, I couldn't enjoy this.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Lambert never disappoints! A very good read!

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third Russell and Leduc novel is a highly readable amalgam of police procedural, mystery and
romance set in the Laurentians.

[M Rabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book. Very entertaining.