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Hazel Micallef #1
The Calling
There were thirteen crime-scene pictures. Dead faces set in grimaces and shouts. Faces howling, whistling, moaning, crying, hissing. Hazel pinned them to the wall and stood back. It was a silent opera of ghosts.
Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef has lived all her days in the small town of Port Dundas and is now making her way toward retirement with something less than grace. Hobbled by a bad back and a dependence on painkillers, and feeling blindsided by divorce after nearly four decades of marriage, sixty-one-year-old Hazel has only the constructive criticism of her old goat of a mother and her own sharp tongue to buoy her. But when a terminally ill Port Dundas woman is gruesomely murdered in her own home, Hazel and her understaffed department must spring to life. And as one terminally ill victim after another is found—their bodies drained of blood, their mouths sculpted into strange shapes—Hazel finds herself tracking a truly terrifying serial killer across the country while everything she was barely holding together begins to spin out of control.
Through the cacophony of her bickering staff, her unsupportive superiors, a clamoring press, the town’s rumor mill, and her own nagging doubts, Hazel can sense the dead trying to call out. But what secret do they have to share? And will she hear it before it’s too late?
In The Calling, Inger Ash Wolfe brings a compelling new voice and an irresistible new heroine to the mystery world.
Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef has lived all her days in the small town of Port Dundas and is now making her way toward retirement with something less than grace. Hobbled by a bad back and a dependence on painkillers, and feeling blindsided by divorce after nearly four decades of marriage, sixty-one-year-old Hazel has only the constructive criticism of her old goat of a mother and her own sharp tongue to buoy her. But when a terminally ill Port Dundas woman is gruesomely murdered in her own home, Hazel and her understaffed department must spring to life. And as one terminally ill victim after another is found—their bodies drained of blood, their mouths sculpted into strange shapes—Hazel finds herself tracking a truly terrifying serial killer across the country while everything she was barely holding together begins to spin out of control.
Through the cacophony of her bickering staff, her unsupportive superiors, a clamoring press, the town’s rumor mill, and her own nagging doubts, Hazel can sense the dead trying to call out. But what secret do they have to share? And will she hear it before it’s too late?
In The Calling, Inger Ash Wolfe brings a compelling new voice and an irresistible new heroine to the mystery world.
419 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
133 people are currently reading
2966 people want to read
About the author
Inger Ash Wolfe
10 books180 followersInger Ash Wolfe is the pseudonym of the Canadian fiction writer Michael Redhill.
Michael Redhill is a poet, playwright and novelist whom has written two novels, a collection of short fiction, three plays, and five collections of poetry. His play, Building Jerusalem (2001) garnered him the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and a nomination for the Governor General’s award. His first novel, Martin Sloane (2001), won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, and was also nominated for the Giller Prize, the City of Toronto Book Award, and the Trillium Book Award. His most recent novel, Consolation (2006), won the City of Toronto Book Award and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has acted as an editorial board member for Coach House Press, and is one of the editors, and former publisher, of Brick Magazine.
Michael Redhill is a poet, playwright and novelist whom has written two novels, a collection of short fiction, three plays, and five collections of poetry. His play, Building Jerusalem (2001) garnered him the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and a nomination for the Governor General’s award. His first novel, Martin Sloane (2001), won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, and was also nominated for the Giller Prize, the City of Toronto Book Award, and the Trillium Book Award. His most recent novel, Consolation (2006), won the City of Toronto Book Award and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has acted as an editorial board member for Coach House Press, and is one of the editors, and former publisher, of Brick Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
June 25, 2023
“Why did he kill her the hard way when it looked as if she’d already agreed to the easy way?”
THE CALLING is a difficult book to characterize. On the surface it’s a psychological thriller built around tracking down one of the more perverse and obtuse serial killers I’ve ever encountered in literature. But, while the killer’s identity remains a mystery to the police in the novel, the readers are allowed to peek behind the curtains and determine the killer’s identity from virtually the opening chapters. That, in effect, changes the entire character of the novel from a suspense thriller into a blend of, well, police procedural, an essay on policing in small rural northern Ontario communities and an extended character sketch of the lead female protagonist.
DI Hazel Micaleff, the erstwhile commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served.
On the plus side, THE CALLING will provokes the readers to consider a number of interesting issues – homosexuality; the lifelong effects of drug addiction and alcoholism; the difficulties of small-town policing in isolated rural jurisdictions; the pros and cons of euthanasia and assisted suicide; naturopathy; organized religion and religious cults; and, the astounding possibilities of the burgeoning AI science of digital visetics (go ahead and look it up – it was new to me as well!).
On the down side, the story stretches credibility beyond the breaking point by having DI Micaleff reach the impossibly self-interested and wrong-headed decision to withhold information from ALL other municipal police jurisdictions and the RCMP on a murderer who had gruesomely chosen his victims on a spree covering a 16 town road trip across Canada.
Enjoyable without reaching the status of a compelling, page-turner thriller. Provisionally recommended and we’ll see how Ms Micaleff evolves in the follow-up novel, THE TAKEN.
Paul Weiss
THE CALLING is a difficult book to characterize. On the surface it’s a psychological thriller built around tracking down one of the more perverse and obtuse serial killers I’ve ever encountered in literature. But, while the killer’s identity remains a mystery to the police in the novel, the readers are allowed to peek behind the curtains and determine the killer’s identity from virtually the opening chapters. That, in effect, changes the entire character of the novel from a suspense thriller into a blend of, well, police procedural, an essay on policing in small rural northern Ontario communities and an extended character sketch of the lead female protagonist.
DI Hazel Micaleff, the erstwhile commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served.
On the plus side, THE CALLING will provokes the readers to consider a number of interesting issues – homosexuality; the lifelong effects of drug addiction and alcoholism; the difficulties of small-town policing in isolated rural jurisdictions; the pros and cons of euthanasia and assisted suicide; naturopathy; organized religion and religious cults; and, the astounding possibilities of the burgeoning AI science of digital visetics (go ahead and look it up – it was new to me as well!).
On the down side, the story stretches credibility beyond the breaking point by having DI Micaleff reach the impossibly self-interested and wrong-headed decision to withhold information from ALL other municipal police jurisdictions and the RCMP on a murderer who had gruesomely chosen his victims on a spree covering a 16 town road trip across Canada.
Enjoyable without reaching the status of a compelling, page-turner thriller. Provisionally recommended and we’ll see how Ms Micaleff evolves in the follow-up novel, THE TAKEN.
Paul Weiss
June 2, 2016
Excellent mystery about a 60-year old female CO in a small Canadian town outside of Toronto. There are the usual issues with superiors, staff, new detective, etc., etc., but the slant's a little different and I liked the fact that the MC was an 'older' woman. (Who even has her older-older cranky, independent mother living with her - she used to be the town's mayor!)
The situation: a serial killer is targeting terminally-ill people, especially the old, and leaving them with contorted mouths and mutilated bodies. It's kind of weird and I had no idea what that was about until the very end. This is the mark of a superior mystery/thriller author IMO as I've read 100's of mystery/thrillers. (I can count all those Nancy Drew books, can't I?)
The writing is superior as the author is also a literary novelist, so his take on how to write is spot-on. No wasted words. Story is all. Yet he knows how to handle suspense, dialogue, description, transitions, etc. So why the four stars?
There were one or two places where I got lost - as though there were missing pages in the book. I don't think there were and I had to re-read to get back on track. I still enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the second in this series.
The situation: a serial killer is targeting terminally-ill people, especially the old, and leaving them with contorted mouths and mutilated bodies. It's kind of weird and I had no idea what that was about until the very end. This is the mark of a superior mystery/thriller author IMO as I've read 100's of mystery/thrillers. (I can count all those Nancy Drew books, can't I?)
The writing is superior as the author is also a literary novelist, so his take on how to write is spot-on. No wasted words. Story is all. Yet he knows how to handle suspense, dialogue, description, transitions, etc. So why the four stars?
There were one or two places where I got lost - as though there were missing pages in the book. I don't think there were and I had to re-read to get back on track. I still enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the second in this series.
December 12, 2016
The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe.
I had read and enjoyed The Night Bell by I.A.W. and decided to go back and start with the first book in the Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef series.
Hazel Micallef is not your average Detective Inspector. She's over 60 years of age with painful health issues and an aging mother she cares for at home. Detective Micallef is also divorce with a history of alcoholism which has never completely left her life. All that taken into consideration she runs a tight ship with a team that respects and has her back.
The murders began with a woman who Hazel knew as did her mother. This was the first and not to be the last. These victims had something in common. Their murderer was allowed entry into their homes. There were no signs of defensive wounds but there was something else. Something so strange that it went over everyone's head until the murderers code began to unravel.
Inger Ash Wolfe does something few other authors are capable of. He has the talent to write even the most heinous crimes/murders that have a hidden mystery within them. It's not horror for horror's sake ...it's so much more and then lends itself to depth of each and every characters including the victim(s). Highly recommended and hard to put down once started.
I had read and enjoyed The Night Bell by I.A.W. and decided to go back and start with the first book in the Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef series.
Hazel Micallef is not your average Detective Inspector. She's over 60 years of age with painful health issues and an aging mother she cares for at home. Detective Micallef is also divorce with a history of alcoholism which has never completely left her life. All that taken into consideration she runs a tight ship with a team that respects and has her back.
The murders began with a woman who Hazel knew as did her mother. This was the first and not to be the last. These victims had something in common. Their murderer was allowed entry into their homes. There were no signs of defensive wounds but there was something else. Something so strange that it went over everyone's head until the murderers code began to unravel.
Inger Ash Wolfe does something few other authors are capable of. He has the talent to write even the most heinous crimes/murders that have a hidden mystery within them. It's not horror for horror's sake ...it's so much more and then lends itself to depth of each and every characters including the victim(s). Highly recommended and hard to put down once started.
August 1, 2025
***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***
Ontario
Fast paced and tense, this novel captured and held my attention. I always have personal misgivings about fiction featuring serial killers, but then I find myself reading books like this one frantically. I guess the subject matter raises the stakes and adds urgency to the plot.
I had never heard of Inger Ash Wolfe, but I like his style.* I was interested in his choice of an older woman as the main character, but he wrote Hazel Micallef well. I found her believable. She is approaching retirement age, but her mother was mayor of the small community of Port Dundas well into her seventies. Retiring at sixty-five seems like a failure by comparison. Hazel's mother lives with her and basically runs her life when she's not working as Acting CO of the local police detachment. Like any good fictional detective, Hazel is divorced and has strained relations with her two daughters. She also has severe back pain and the alcohol and pain med habits to prove it. She also has a vindictive senior manager who won't make her job title official nor will he provide manpower or funds for her detachment. She is quite the old battle axe and I like her that way.
Port Dundas (a fictional town) is a sleepy place, where the police typically deal with traffic violations, drunks, and petty crime. Until a very ill elderly woman is found dead and obviously murdered. Hazel's work life is about to spin wildly out of control. Suddenly, she is drafting officers from surrounding communities, coordinating a nationwide manhunt, and trying to stay upright long enough to finish the job.
There are three more books featuring Hazel and I desperately want to know what happens to her next. Soon, Hazel, I will be getting back to you and Port Dundas.
*This is a pseudonym and it turns out I have read one of his lit fic novels (and wasn't dreadfully impressed. I much prefer his genre fiction.)
Ontario
Fast paced and tense, this novel captured and held my attention. I always have personal misgivings about fiction featuring serial killers, but then I find myself reading books like this one frantically. I guess the subject matter raises the stakes and adds urgency to the plot.
I had never heard of Inger Ash Wolfe, but I like his style.* I was interested in his choice of an older woman as the main character, but he wrote Hazel Micallef well. I found her believable. She is approaching retirement age, but her mother was mayor of the small community of Port Dundas well into her seventies. Retiring at sixty-five seems like a failure by comparison. Hazel's mother lives with her and basically runs her life when she's not working as Acting CO of the local police detachment. Like any good fictional detective, Hazel is divorced and has strained relations with her two daughters. She also has severe back pain and the alcohol and pain med habits to prove it. She also has a vindictive senior manager who won't make her job title official nor will he provide manpower or funds for her detachment. She is quite the old battle axe and I like her that way.
Port Dundas (a fictional town) is a sleepy place, where the police typically deal with traffic violations, drunks, and petty crime. Until a very ill elderly woman is found dead and obviously murdered. Hazel's work life is about to spin wildly out of control. Suddenly, she is drafting officers from surrounding communities, coordinating a nationwide manhunt, and trying to stay upright long enough to finish the job.
There are three more books featuring Hazel and I desperately want to know what happens to her next. Soon, Hazel, I will be getting back to you and Port Dundas.
*This is a pseudonym and it turns out I have read one of his lit fic novels (and wasn't dreadfully impressed. I much prefer his genre fiction.)
July 9, 2010
The hardest part of writing a mystery for North American audiences has got to be getting the ending right. Because in American mysteries, the whole affair travels the arc from procedural to personal, concluding with the inevitable – and once upon a time, appreciated – face-to-face confrontation between law and disorder. It’s a formula that becomes more tiresome the more the genre adheres to it, and only Europe has truly embraced tossing a little mystery back into the business of, um, mysteries again (Thank you, Karin Fossum).
To little surprise, this formula turns out to be the worst part of The Calling, which is otherwise, a tightly plotted, gruesome, outstandingly populated, and very well written police novel. The deep rural Ontario setting is brilliant, and each member of the quickly established cast of soon-to-be-regulars is unique and original, at least for the genre. If you like anything about procedurals, you’ll love this novel. Even the treads it sets on the freeway of familiar ideas is done better than I’d hoped, finding at least small measures of originality in one of the game’s oldest set-ups.
Outside the book itself, there’s also a lot of speculation about who the author, Inger Ash Wolfe, might actually be. I’m less interested in that, so long as the novels keep coming. This is not just a promising beginning; it’s a chance to push the boundaries of the form into a mindset that lets a mystery be something more.
To little surprise, this formula turns out to be the worst part of The Calling, which is otherwise, a tightly plotted, gruesome, outstandingly populated, and very well written police novel. The deep rural Ontario setting is brilliant, and each member of the quickly established cast of soon-to-be-regulars is unique and original, at least for the genre. If you like anything about procedurals, you’ll love this novel. Even the treads it sets on the freeway of familiar ideas is done better than I’d hoped, finding at least small measures of originality in one of the game’s oldest set-ups.
Outside the book itself, there’s also a lot of speculation about who the author, Inger Ash Wolfe, might actually be. I’m less interested in that, so long as the novels keep coming. This is not just a promising beginning; it’s a chance to push the boundaries of the form into a mindset that lets a mystery be something more.
July 28, 2008
Wow! The most compelling book I've read in a long time. The characters have lots of depth and the plotting is twisty, sharp and very, very creepy. Not at all the mid of book I usually enjoy. It was recommended on a mystery book list I read so I took a chance and was rewarded. Set in Northern Canada, the female lead is 61, divorced and troubled by the very bad back and lack of support from regional headquarters. Enter what turns out to be a very scary serial killer who comes only by appointment. The procedural elements of the story are interesting and build suspense in the way the investigation identifies and tracks the killer.
The jacket blurbs promise a book that keeps you up at night to finish and that was true. I read this book in one sitting!
The jacket blurbs promise a book that keeps you up at night to finish and that was true. I read this book in one sitting!
August 17, 2010
Inger Ash Wolfe is the pseudonym for "a North American literary novelist," so I was curious to see a (presumably) skilled novelist put his or her genre instincts to work. It was a disappointment.
There were way too many characters and names introduced at the outset. By page 23, 23 characters had either been met in person, or mentioned (including two named Gord); some of those mentioned would later appear, others didn't. By the end of the book, this number had more than doubled. All the expected police department cliches were present: the main investigating detective is always going off the reservation, superiors are disliked, superiors refuse to allocate additional needed resources, there is bickering and discontent among the two lead detectives, guns get confiscated. There were elements of some Latinate (but new, cultish, and utterly wacked-out) religion that seemed to be attempting to replicate the mystique of other Church-related murder mysteries from authors like Umberto Eco and Dan Brown, rather unsuccessfully. I understand how some of these cultish beliefs relate to the murders, but remain confused on others.
We know who the killer is from page 1. The only mystery is motive and how it will all unravel. There is ambiguity; are these mercy killings, or murders? There is the unique aspect of a killer who smells like Juicy Fruit from his body producing ketones as he starves (yet still has the strength to carry out some awfully athletic murders), and the novelty of a detective-heroine who is 61 years old, virtually alcoholic, and in near constant back pain.
There were way too many characters and names introduced at the outset. By page 23, 23 characters had either been met in person, or mentioned (including two named Gord); some of those mentioned would later appear, others didn't. By the end of the book, this number had more than doubled. All the expected police department cliches were present: the main investigating detective is always going off the reservation, superiors are disliked, superiors refuse to allocate additional needed resources, there is bickering and discontent among the two lead detectives, guns get confiscated. There were elements of some Latinate (but new, cultish, and utterly wacked-out) religion that seemed to be attempting to replicate the mystique of other Church-related murder mysteries from authors like Umberto Eco and Dan Brown, rather unsuccessfully. I understand how some of these cultish beliefs relate to the murders, but remain confused on others.
We know who the killer is from page 1. The only mystery is motive and how it will all unravel. There is ambiguity; are these mercy killings, or murders? There is the unique aspect of a killer who smells like Juicy Fruit from his body producing ketones as he starves (yet still has the strength to carry out some awfully athletic murders), and the novelty of a detective-heroine who is 61 years old, virtually alcoholic, and in near constant back pain.
February 3, 2013
This was an excellent new author for me to read. The book was original in plotline and mostly stayed at a fast pace. All of the characters were "real" to me and for most of my reading I didn't want to put the book down. The book was a little slow in the beginning then there was some less edgy parts in the middle which is why I marked it down to 4 stars. When I think of the characters, plotline, and setting, it reminded me of Lois Penny's series of books with Detective Armound Gamache, only the female version. I love how the chief of police was a 60 something woman, which doesn't happen often in police mysteries. It gave the feminine side of the job a good description. It told how she was bogged down with caring for her mother and worrying over her 2 children which would never be described if the main character were male, no matter the age. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of the series to see what this misfit gang of police will be up to next. I highly recommend this to any lover of Louise Penny or any other reader who likes a strong female lead in a police procedural. 4 stars!
September 4, 2025
★★★★
As this book was written in 2008, I appreciate even more the use of an older woman as our main character. Older female main characters seem pretty trendy right now but were less so in 2008 I believe.
In this first installment of what appears to be a four book series, Hazel Micallef is the 61 year old police detective solving crimes in a small Ontario town. Recently divorced, Hazel is still mourning the end of her marriage while dealing with a debilitating back injury, a fondness for alcohol and her mother’s (and now roommate’s) need to feed her only healthy food. When a very ill, elderly woman with a complicated relationship to Hazel’s own family is found murdered, no one in sleepy Port Dundas can believe it. Thanks to some clever police work and a willingness to investigate even the most far-fetched of theories, Hazel and her team of unlikely heroes discover that a serial killer has visited their small town - and appears to have visited many others across Canada as well.
Most of the book is written from Hazel's perspective. I like being in her head. She’s complicated, cranky and oftentimes, funny. There are some chapters that are written from the killer’s perspective as well. Those I enjoyed less but I recognize they are necessary to keep the story moving.
This is a police procedural that features a fair bit of character development and background. There’s not much mystery as we know who the killer is from the very beginning of the book but reading along as Hazel and her team unravel the motivation and identity of the killer is interesting. I will definitely be continuing with the series.
As a side note, this book has been made into a 2014 movie titled The Calling. It features Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Christopher Heyerdahl, Gil Bellows, Ellen Burnstyn and Topher Grace. I’ve never heard of it but am going to have to look it up.
Read for the MURDER MOST FOUL square on my Halloween Bingo card.
As this book was written in 2008, I appreciate even more the use of an older woman as our main character. Older female main characters seem pretty trendy right now but were less so in 2008 I believe.
In this first installment of what appears to be a four book series, Hazel Micallef is the 61 year old police detective solving crimes in a small Ontario town. Recently divorced, Hazel is still mourning the end of her marriage while dealing with a debilitating back injury, a fondness for alcohol and her mother’s (and now roommate’s) need to feed her only healthy food. When a very ill, elderly woman with a complicated relationship to Hazel’s own family is found murdered, no one in sleepy Port Dundas can believe it. Thanks to some clever police work and a willingness to investigate even the most far-fetched of theories, Hazel and her team of unlikely heroes discover that a serial killer has visited their small town - and appears to have visited many others across Canada as well.
Most of the book is written from Hazel's perspective. I like being in her head. She’s complicated, cranky and oftentimes, funny. There are some chapters that are written from the killer’s perspective as well. Those I enjoyed less but I recognize they are necessary to keep the story moving.
This is a police procedural that features a fair bit of character development and background. There’s not much mystery as we know who the killer is from the very beginning of the book but reading along as Hazel and her team unravel the motivation and identity of the killer is interesting. I will definitely be continuing with the series.
As a side note, this book has been made into a 2014 movie titled The Calling. It features Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Christopher Heyerdahl, Gil Bellows, Ellen Burnstyn and Topher Grace. I’ve never heard of it but am going to have to look it up.
Read for the MURDER MOST FOUL square on my Halloween Bingo card.
September 12, 2025
'The Calling' is the first of a series of four Canadian crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef. The book is set mostly in the fictional small town of Port Dundas in Ontario.
This is a serial killer story, which is not normally my sort of thing. They are often too voyeuristic for me, presenting the killings as an expression of the killer's mania in a way that elevates the killer while treating those killed as human plot devices. The emphasis is often on the violence of the kill rather than the destruction and loss caused by the death. This story avoids most but not all of that. It does this partly because there is an unusual relationship between the killer and those he kills which both gives those killed more agency and mitigates the loss caused by their deaths. The violence, however, remains graphic.
For me, the serial killer's motivation was barely feasible, but perhaps that's because it was based on passionate beliefs that I would struggle with, even if no killing were involved. The plot has a good momentum to it. A strong sense of inevitability that was enlivened by a couple of surprising disclosures along the way.
What made this book a memorable read wasn't the killer or the killings but the character of Hazel Micallef. She's an older woman who has spent her entire career policing the small town she grew up in. She is a strong, determined woman usedto being undervalued by her chain of command, but comfortable in her role in the community. The murder of someone in her town feels personal to her. Instead of handing the case to the RCMP, she becomes determined to find the killer. When her investigations start to uncover a previously unnoticed pattern of killings, she becomes obsessed with the case and pushes herself and her colleagues beyond their normal limits.
I liked and believed in Hazel. She felt real to me. I also liked how the police investigation was presented. The discoveries and the blind spots felt plausible, as did the often fractious relationships between the various police investigators as the pressure to solve the case mounted.
The ending was unexpected and dramatic. It provided a satisfying conclusion that did more than solve the case; it fundamentally affected how Hazel saw herself and the people around her.
I'm looking forward to reading 'The Taken' (2009), the second book in the series, and finding out what Hazel does next.
This is a serial killer story, which is not normally my sort of thing. They are often too voyeuristic for me, presenting the killings as an expression of the killer's mania in a way that elevates the killer while treating those killed as human plot devices. The emphasis is often on the violence of the kill rather than the destruction and loss caused by the death. This story avoids most but not all of that. It does this partly because there is an unusual relationship between the killer and those he kills which both gives those killed more agency and mitigates the loss caused by their deaths. The violence, however, remains graphic.
For me, the serial killer's motivation was barely feasible, but perhaps that's because it was based on passionate beliefs that I would struggle with, even if no killing were involved. The plot has a good momentum to it. A strong sense of inevitability that was enlivened by a couple of surprising disclosures along the way.
What made this book a memorable read wasn't the killer or the killings but the character of Hazel Micallef. She's an older woman who has spent her entire career policing the small town she grew up in. She is a strong, determined woman usedto being undervalued by her chain of command, but comfortable in her role in the community. The murder of someone in her town feels personal to her. Instead of handing the case to the RCMP, she becomes determined to find the killer. When her investigations start to uncover a previously unnoticed pattern of killings, she becomes obsessed with the case and pushes herself and her colleagues beyond their normal limits.
I liked and believed in Hazel. She felt real to me. I also liked how the police investigation was presented. The discoveries and the blind spots felt plausible, as did the often fractious relationships between the various police investigators as the pressure to solve the case mounted.
The ending was unexpected and dramatic. It provided a satisfying conclusion that did more than solve the case; it fundamentally affected how Hazel saw herself and the people around her.
I'm looking forward to reading 'The Taken' (2009), the second book in the series, and finding out what Hazel does next.
December 19, 2010
I am not quite half way through this and it is amazing! If you like Cody McFadyen then this book is perfect for you!
Finished it and loved it!
Finished it and loved it!
September 25, 2019
"Thriller" is too often synonymous with gruesome. For me, the gore took away from what could have been a series I would want to continue. To each his own.
October 19, 2008
THE CALLING is one of those books. One of those books that I found sometimes utterly compelling; was bored witless in some passages; laughed out loud in others; found myself heartily confused about some of the procedural elements; and was slightly repelled by some parts.
It is a serial killer book, and I will admit that I'm getting to the point where I'm over the whole serial killer thing. I'm particularly over the barking mad, out there motive serial killer thing. And there's certainly a barking mad impetus behind the killer in THE CALLING. Luckily, the plot is a little intriguing and how on earth he's managed to select and convince his victims to co-operate (up to a point) did mitigate the predictable elements somewhat.
DI Hazel Micallef is a great character - fiesty, compassionate, very realistic. The fallout from her divorce wasn't over-blown and she's certainly somebody that you can "get a handle on", empathise with. At points she was flat out funny. The relationship with her mother is hugely enjoyable.
There is a great sense of small town Canada throughout the book - albeit not the main point of the plots or the book as a whole, but there were nice little glimpses into life in Port Dundas, and the relationship between the small towns and the larger metropolitan areas.
The violence implicit in the killings was well handled - most of the very worst off camera, enough of the icky to the forefront to enhance our killer's extremely creepy persona. (Mind you, once in a while a serial killer that wasn't just weird would probably be a lot more chilling.)
The oddity that kept wrong-footing me at points though was a procedural element (and it's probably my fault) but I couldn't quite believe that a multi-location serial killer, ranging across the entire of a country like Canada would remain a small-town extremely local investigation with Hazel directing activities in far-flung locations. It might well happen that way - THE CALLING didn't quite convince me of the authenticity of this approach.
But as serial killer books goes, THE CALLING was okay - it's not the best crime book I've read in a long while, but it's certainly not the worst, and I'd recommend anyone looking for a strong female character, who can handle a bit of creepy and a bit of gore to try it out.
POSTSCRIPT: Inger Ash Wolfe is flagged as a pseudonym for a prominent North American literary novelist. I don't know why people play these games, but knowing / not knowing who the author is doesn't affect how the book reads, and besides, I didn't think the book was so bad that the author needs to hide their identity.
It is a serial killer book, and I will admit that I'm getting to the point where I'm over the whole serial killer thing. I'm particularly over the barking mad, out there motive serial killer thing. And there's certainly a barking mad impetus behind the killer in THE CALLING. Luckily, the plot is a little intriguing and how on earth he's managed to select and convince his victims to co-operate (up to a point) did mitigate the predictable elements somewhat.
DI Hazel Micallef is a great character - fiesty, compassionate, very realistic. The fallout from her divorce wasn't over-blown and she's certainly somebody that you can "get a handle on", empathise with. At points she was flat out funny. The relationship with her mother is hugely enjoyable.
There is a great sense of small town Canada throughout the book - albeit not the main point of the plots or the book as a whole, but there were nice little glimpses into life in Port Dundas, and the relationship between the small towns and the larger metropolitan areas.
The violence implicit in the killings was well handled - most of the very worst off camera, enough of the icky to the forefront to enhance our killer's extremely creepy persona. (Mind you, once in a while a serial killer that wasn't just weird would probably be a lot more chilling.)
The oddity that kept wrong-footing me at points though was a procedural element (and it's probably my fault) but I couldn't quite believe that a multi-location serial killer, ranging across the entire of a country like Canada would remain a small-town extremely local investigation with Hazel directing activities in far-flung locations. It might well happen that way - THE CALLING didn't quite convince me of the authenticity of this approach.
But as serial killer books goes, THE CALLING was okay - it's not the best crime book I've read in a long while, but it's certainly not the worst, and I'd recommend anyone looking for a strong female character, who can handle a bit of creepy and a bit of gore to try it out.
POSTSCRIPT: Inger Ash Wolfe is flagged as a pseudonym for a prominent North American literary novelist. I don't know why people play these games, but knowing / not knowing who the author is doesn't affect how the book reads, and besides, I didn't think the book was so bad that the author needs to hide their identity.
February 22, 2010
How do you review this book? It held great promise, the characters were well drawn and interesting but acted irrationaly. The plot was complicated but lacked direction and believabilty.
Spoilers Follow:
I'm still not sure what motivated the killer. Nor am I sure why Det Insp Hazel Micallif refused to call in the Canadian Mounted Police when she realised there was a serial killer on the ramage. It would seem the logical thing to do. No, instead she kept silent and eventually called in a TV true crime show to help catch the killer. If I was Canadian I would be deeply offended by the potrayal of the law enforcement agencies concerned.
There are so many other things I could criticise; the random scene with Wingate and the female pilot which was obviously included just to point out Wingate was gay, the easy way the killer gained access to Micallef's home where her 87 year old mother was playing poker with her friends who all thought it was one of their number running late, the complete lack of police procedure at the crime scenes and most importantly, the fact that the killer had already committed numerous other murders in a short space of time and no one was the wiser! I mean to say, how common is it for terminally ill people to commit suicide by cutting their throats?
Read at your own peril!
Spoilers Follow:
I'm still not sure what motivated the killer. Nor am I sure why Det Insp Hazel Micallif refused to call in the Canadian Mounted Police when she realised there was a serial killer on the ramage. It would seem the logical thing to do. No, instead she kept silent and eventually called in a TV true crime show to help catch the killer. If I was Canadian I would be deeply offended by the potrayal of the law enforcement agencies concerned.
There are so many other things I could criticise; the random scene with Wingate and the female pilot which was obviously included just to point out Wingate was gay, the easy way the killer gained access to Micallef's home where her 87 year old mother was playing poker with her friends who all thought it was one of their number running late, the complete lack of police procedure at the crime scenes and most importantly, the fact that the killer had already committed numerous other murders in a short space of time and no one was the wiser! I mean to say, how common is it for terminally ill people to commit suicide by cutting their throats?
Read at your own peril!
May 17, 2008
woah. this was a seriously good murder mystery. a friend who is a book distributor told me that "this is the new margaret atwood," & I thought he meant it metaphorically, but now I'm wondering if he meant it literally. the back cover says "Inger Wolfe is the pseudonym of a prominent North American literary novelist." hmmm. in any case, if you have a stomach for gore and like salty 61-year-old female police chiefs, buy this book. I couldn't put it down.
May 10, 2016
3 and a half stars.
Well, I just don't know what to write. I did like Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef, sixty-one year old and living with her mother. But it would normally not be the sort of book I like, mainly because of there being too much gore for my taste. However,it was quite a compelling book and I just had to read on to the end.
Well, I just don't know what to write. I did like Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef, sixty-one year old and living with her mother. But it would normally not be the sort of book I like, mainly because of there being too much gore for my taste. However,it was quite a compelling book and I just had to read on to the end.
June 10, 2020
Notes:
What should have been a great mix of well crafted characters & an interesting serial killer case ended up being a bland series of events that comes to an abrupt conclusion.
What should have been a great mix of well crafted characters & an interesting serial killer case ended up being a bland series of events that comes to an abrupt conclusion.
August 21, 2016
This book had almost everything I love in a book. It has fleshed out characters who I ended up caring about. It was beautifully written. It had a real sense of place. What I didn't care for was the graphic and gruesome descriptions of the aftermath of the killings. Also, the ending I thought was convenient.
I would like to read more about Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef who is a great character but will look at reviews for the next book to see if I can tell if the gore level is lower.
I would like to read more about Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef who is a great character but will look at reviews for the next book to see if I can tell if the gore level is lower.
December 28, 2018
Great book with a really nasty serial murder! Loved the characters!
August 10, 2010
This first portion of my review does not contain spoilers. Please do not read beyond the bolded comments below if you don't wish to be spoiled on the ending.
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery element is solid and when the point-of-view switches to the killer, it is creepy, frequently gross, and thoroughly engrossing. I think this book would have suffered without the reader being able to get an understanding of the killer’s mindset and his “victims”. Oddly enough, sometimes I understood the killer’s motivations more so than the main character, Hazel. I also should note that I loved DC Wingate from his introduction onward. I truly hope in the future that the author switches to his POV more often. With the other characters, I’m curious to see where Wolfe will go with Sevigne (spelling is probably wrong – I was listening to an audiobook).
Aside from the issues I have listed below, I am looking forward to the next book about Hazel and crew. :)
Unfortunately, the reason why this book received four stars instead of the five I planned to give it contains MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT THE CONCLUSION OF THE BOOK. Please do not read on if you do not want the end of this book spoiled for you!
Consider yourself warned…
1st Issue: A side note that bothered me… The killer puts Hazel in the backseat of his car (probably a Cavalier since that is the last vehicle he was driving), hand-cuffed and in the middle seat. She enrages him, he speeds up and then swerves to the shoulder and brakes hard. Hazel’s head smacks the side window hard enough to hurt her. Is this even possible from the middle seat? I just can’t see someone hitting the side window when buckled in to the middle seat. ‘Course, I could very easily be wrong, but it was just another thing that didn’t seem right.
2nd Issue: The way that the killer kills himself after a short bit of time with Hazel just didn’t seem like something his character would’ve done. It felt very abrupt, out of character, and promptly pulled me out of the story to do a “WTF?”. He has trudged on even though his body is eating itself from malnourishment, but a few words from Hazel has him convinced that his whole mission was in vain and the answer is to blow his head off? This disappointed me greatly… I could’ve foreseen a big, drag out fight between the injured Hazel and ill killer, or him just dropping dead because of the wasted condition of his body, or perhaps he goes to jail, but to kill himself, nope, don’t buy it.
3rd Issue: And lastly, Hazel takes the killers body and stuffs it in the trunk of the car she uses to drive back to town. Isn’t this a big no-no? Disturbing the crime scene and all? I get that at that point she had broken a lot of procedural laws during the course of the investigation, but I really don’t get why she took the body back with her. Couldn’t she have just directed the investigators back to the scene to retrieve the body?
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery element is solid and when the point-of-view switches to the killer, it is creepy, frequently gross, and thoroughly engrossing. I think this book would have suffered without the reader being able to get an understanding of the killer’s mindset and his “victims”. Oddly enough, sometimes I understood the killer’s motivations more so than the main character, Hazel. I also should note that I loved DC Wingate from his introduction onward. I truly hope in the future that the author switches to his POV more often. With the other characters, I’m curious to see where Wolfe will go with Sevigne (spelling is probably wrong – I was listening to an audiobook).
Aside from the issues I have listed below, I am looking forward to the next book about Hazel and crew. :)
Unfortunately, the reason why this book received four stars instead of the five I planned to give it contains MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT THE CONCLUSION OF THE BOOK. Please do not read on if you do not want the end of this book spoiled for you!
Consider yourself warned…
1st Issue: A side note that bothered me… The killer puts Hazel in the backseat of his car (probably a Cavalier since that is the last vehicle he was driving), hand-cuffed and in the middle seat. She enrages him, he speeds up and then swerves to the shoulder and brakes hard. Hazel’s head smacks the side window hard enough to hurt her. Is this even possible from the middle seat? I just can’t see someone hitting the side window when buckled in to the middle seat. ‘Course, I could very easily be wrong, but it was just another thing that didn’t seem right.
2nd Issue: The way that the killer kills himself after a short bit of time with Hazel just didn’t seem like something his character would’ve done. It felt very abrupt, out of character, and promptly pulled me out of the story to do a “WTF?”. He has trudged on even though his body is eating itself from malnourishment, but a few words from Hazel has him convinced that his whole mission was in vain and the answer is to blow his head off? This disappointed me greatly… I could’ve foreseen a big, drag out fight between the injured Hazel and ill killer, or him just dropping dead because of the wasted condition of his body, or perhaps he goes to jail, but to kill himself, nope, don’t buy it.
3rd Issue: And lastly, Hazel takes the killers body and stuffs it in the trunk of the car she uses to drive back to town. Isn’t this a big no-no? Disturbing the crime scene and all? I get that at that point she had broken a lot of procedural laws during the course of the investigation, but I really don’t get why she took the body back with her. Couldn’t she have just directed the investigators back to the scene to retrieve the body?
January 5, 2013
I read "The Taken" before I read this one, so I read out of order. However, it did not take away from the story. The story follows D.I. Hazel Micallef, in a small town called Port Dundas in Canada. The body of an elderly lady Hazel knows all her life, is found in her home, drained of her blood and yet it would appear, humanely killed. The woman has a terminal illness and it would have seemed to have been an assisted suicide, had it not been for the strange post-death mutilation. When Hazel hears of another similar death a few hundred kilometers away a couple of days later, she goes to look into this death also and soon makes the link that there is a serial killer on the loose, covering his tracks quite well for some time. Hazel is not your typical lead character. She is 61 years old and has a chronic back problem, which she doses with painkillers and alcohol. She lives with her 87 year old mother and still has a good relationship with her ex-husband, who has now remarried. It is clear Hazel still has feelings for her ex, she has a good relationship with her co-workers also, but now one relationship with her second in command is coming apart, when Hazel refuses to call in the R.C.M.P. to assist with the current case. We know pretty much right off, the man responsible for the killings, but this does not take away from an ending full of high drama and a little suspense. I like this book, despite the fact that the killer is highly competent and yet two cans short of a six pack, there is just something about the style of writing and the authors story-telling ability to keep you on the edge of your seat and able to suspend your belief of the overall plot. There is a third book, which I look forward to tracking down in the New Year.
March 3, 2011
I finished this last night and I must admit it turned out better than I'd been thinking it would. Probably about two thirds of the way through, I was pretty much convinced that it was going to be a let down. But it did pick up in the dramatics later on, so that's good.
I really enjoyed reading about Hazel Micallef, Detective Inspector in a small town called Port Dundas. She wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, and I like that she made the sort of mistakes one can totally see a small town cop with no experience with mass murderers making. The book was full of colourful characters, and I like the "family" feel that the cops had with each other.
It was good in a way that there was no make-up scene with Greene, because it's less realistic if you have all the ends tied up, and everything working out nicely. Up until very near the end I wasn't sure how things would end, so I guess I was kept in suspense.
I am only giving it three stars because I didn't find it really gripping and I wasn't reading compulsively. But I did enjoy the read.
I really enjoyed reading about Hazel Micallef, Detective Inspector in a small town called Port Dundas. She wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, and I like that she made the sort of mistakes one can totally see a small town cop with no experience with mass murderers making. The book was full of colourful characters, and I like the "family" feel that the cops had with each other.
It was good in a way that there was no make-up scene with Greene, because it's less realistic if you have all the ends tied up, and everything working out nicely. Up until very near the end I wasn't sure how things would end, so I guess I was kept in suspense.
I am only giving it three stars because I didn't find it really gripping and I wasn't reading compulsively. But I did enjoy the read.
October 20, 2016
Thanks to Peter Bailey, St. Albert Public Library Director for recommending this series, and to CBC Radio Edmonton for having him on to spread the word about this fantastic Canadian mystery author in both genre and name. Inger Ash Wolfe is the pseudonym of the well known (and really diplomatic) Canadian author Michael Redhill. The Calling is the beginning of a new wonderful friendship for me and thankfully I have #2 of the current 4 in this series locked and loaded. A great police procedural that keeps you on the edge of your seat, to coin a much oft quoted suspense phrase. Those who enjoy both mystery and detective fiction, and Canadian literature, will really enjoy this title and its main character Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef. Thrilled to have discovered it. Move over Peter Robinson ;)
July 21, 2016
This book is actually a strong 3.5, but I just couldn't push it up to 4 because of some major problems with the mystery. The main character, Hazel is so well-drawn, interesting and different for a police chief in a novel. I also really enjoyed the depiction of the killer and the manner in which the murders were described, but the motivation of the killer was never flushed out. I wanted much more background on the killer and to see some psychological analysis of his actions. Besides Hazel's mother, the other side characters were very hit and miss and none of them had the richness of Hazel.
October 5, 2011
oh, why did I put this book down? I must have forgotten how much I was enjoying it.
September 21, 2017
The murders are horrifying, but not gratuitous. The detective in charge is sympathetic, but not quirky. The setting is rural Canada, where the murderer travels fram small towns to even smaller towns, working on his murderous master plan. I liked everything about this, and may have found a new favorite series. The only stopping me from a five star rating was the ending. I liked how (relatively) understated and realistic the novel was up to that point, and the climax was just a little too over-the-top.
March 6, 2022
Bloody. Spooky. Gripping. The killer is a madman but he’s believable. A fine read.
April 10, 2020
Ick, this book doesn’t even deserve one star however there is no option for negative stars. I chose another yucky book. I’m a bit gun shy now. I think I will stay away from any book touted a psychological thriller I have been burned too many times.
April 22, 2019
Presents the points of view of both (various) police and of a serial killer; contains both a mystery section and a chase section making it more thriller than police procedural, and having the requisite unexpected twists that keep the thriller reader plowing onward. Together with Canadian locations and a sympathetic set of small-town characters, a good first novel by Michael Redhill whose Bellevue Square represents a quantum leap forward.
November 14, 2009
Reason for Reading: My sister brought the book to my attention and I saw that Mo Hayder had put a blurb on it so I definitely was intrigued by this new author.
Summary: Inspector Hazel Micallef is the acting chief of police at a small Ontario town. At 61 years of age daily life for Hazel and this police force involves drunks, trespassing, speeding and maybe the occasional domestic dispute. That is until an elderly town citizen dying of cancer is brutally murdered and drained of all her blood. Investigating the murder Hazel and her force stumble upon a similar case in a small town not so far away and believe they have stumbled upon the trail of a serial killer who has been working his way across Canada. Can they find him before he reaches the Atlantic?
Comments: A fabulous new crime writer for me to follow! Inger Ash Wolfe is actually a pseudonym for Russell Smith, an already published Canadian author. While Smith's own books don't hold any appeal for me to read, The Calling is a fantastic addition to the serial killer genre. Very well-written with a creepiness that just oozes from it's pages. The gruesome factor nowhere matches Mo Hayder but it has enough, written with style to satisfy fans looking for hard edge mysteries. It was mostly the plot and the mystery that kept this book alive for me though as I couldn't quite find myself comfortable with the main characters. Hazel is the central figure with a few of her police officers taking secondary character roles. Nobody was particularly likable to me; they all just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps this may be unique to this particular reader. Yet I find it hard to 100% enjoy a book when I don't like any of the main characters. There was one guy who I started to like by the end of the book but it is left up in the air as to whether he will be returning. I guess I'll find out in The Taken. I'll certainly be continuing with this series. The plot and the crime are so very unique that I'm eager to find what else Wolfe will come up with and I'm hoping that with another book I'll find a regular character that grows on me. A definite not-to-be-missed book for serial killer crime fans.
Summary: Inspector Hazel Micallef is the acting chief of police at a small Ontario town. At 61 years of age daily life for Hazel and this police force involves drunks, trespassing, speeding and maybe the occasional domestic dispute. That is until an elderly town citizen dying of cancer is brutally murdered and drained of all her blood. Investigating the murder Hazel and her force stumble upon a similar case in a small town not so far away and believe they have stumbled upon the trail of a serial killer who has been working his way across Canada. Can they find him before he reaches the Atlantic?
Comments: A fabulous new crime writer for me to follow! Inger Ash Wolfe is actually a pseudonym for Russell Smith, an already published Canadian author. While Smith's own books don't hold any appeal for me to read, The Calling is a fantastic addition to the serial killer genre. Very well-written with a creepiness that just oozes from it's pages. The gruesome factor nowhere matches Mo Hayder but it has enough, written with style to satisfy fans looking for hard edge mysteries. It was mostly the plot and the mystery that kept this book alive for me though as I couldn't quite find myself comfortable with the main characters. Hazel is the central figure with a few of her police officers taking secondary character roles. Nobody was particularly likable to me; they all just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps this may be unique to this particular reader. Yet I find it hard to 100% enjoy a book when I don't like any of the main characters. There was one guy who I started to like by the end of the book but it is left up in the air as to whether he will be returning. I guess I'll find out in The Taken. I'll certainly be continuing with this series. The plot and the crime are so very unique that I'm eager to find what else Wolfe will come up with and I'm hoping that with another book I'll find a regular character that grows on me. A definite not-to-be-missed book for serial killer crime fans.
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