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A Collins-Burke Mystery #5
Children in the Morning
When Beau Delaney, the Halifax hotshot whose exploits are the subject of a new Hollywood film, is charged with the murder of his wife Peggy, it’s lawyer and bluesman Monty Collins who takes the case. But when Beau’s family dynamics and the appearance of a mysterious child alert Monty that his client is keeping secrets, others join in to help keep Beau from a life in prison.
Monty’s pal, Father Brennan Burke, has a hand in the investigation, as does Monty’s estranged wife, Maura. Watching all this is Normie, Monty and Maura’s daughter, who has the gift of second sight. When she starts having visions that involve Beau, she can’t tell whether they reflect something he’s done in the past—or something he might do in the future. It then becomes clear that Normie and Monty must rely on each other to discover the truth about Peggy’s death.
Monty’s pal, Father Brennan Burke, has a hand in the investigation, as does Monty’s estranged wife, Maura. Watching all this is Normie, Monty and Maura’s daughter, who has the gift of second sight. When she starts having visions that involve Beau, she can’t tell whether they reflect something he’s done in the past—or something he might do in the future. It then becomes clear that Normie and Monty must rely on each other to discover the truth about Peggy’s death.
297 pages, Hardcover
First published July 23, 2010
5 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Anne Emery
17 books79 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Anne Emery is the author of SIGN OF THE CROSS (2006), OBIT (2007), BARRINGTON STREET BLUES (2008), CECILIAN VESPERS (2009) and CHILDREN IN THE MORNING (2010). Anne was born in Halifax and grew up in Moncton. She is a graduate of St. F.X. University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. Anne lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.
Series:
* Monty Collins Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2007): Sign of the Cross
Anne Emery is the author of SIGN OF THE CROSS (2006), OBIT (2007), BARRINGTON STREET BLUES (2008), CECILIAN VESPERS (2009) and CHILDREN IN THE MORNING (2010). Anne was born in Halifax and grew up in Moncton. She is a graduate of St. F.X. University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. Anne lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.
Series:
* Monty Collins Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2007): Sign of the Cross
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 13, 2021
In this installment of the series, Emery mixes things up a bit to keep her narrative fresh. This time Monty shares the telling of their lives in Halifax with Normie his eight-year-old daughter. Much of Normie’s contribution comes in the form of her diaries, where she keeps notes on the important things happening in her life and keeps them hidden under her bed.
It all begins at Monty’s office, where Normie, waiting for her father to finish work, makes two new friends, Jenny and Laurence Delaney, two children whose father Beau Delaney is facing charges he murdered their mother. Beau has hired Monty as his defense lawyer and the two are talking behind closed doors. Beau Delaney is a widely recognized figure in Halifax and one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Nova Scotia. Many have watched his flamboyant courtroom theatrics as he defended his clients, but he is also known in his community for his twenty-year marriage to Peggy and the fun, boisterous and happy home life the couple share with their ten children; two of the children are biological, two are adopted and the rest are fostered. There has even been a television movie made about him with Jack Hartt, a well-known actor in the starring role as Beau.
Delaney was handcuffed as he was leaving court, charged with murdering his wife. The police believe he hit Peggy over the head with a rock or pushed her down the stairs, but Beau denies both the allegations and insists he wasn’t even at home when she died. Although Monty knows putting together a case for the defense will be difficult, they have one thing going for them with the jury -- Delaney’s reputation as a loving father and a top-notch lawyer, who offers pro bono services and works just as hard on those cases as he does for his paying clientele.
Monty has his case carefully planned, but the day they go to court a young man arrives in the courtroom loudly demanded to be heard. Beau makes it clear to Monty that he does not want this young man to take the stand, but will not tell Monty why. There also seems to be other details his clients is reluctant to disclose and Monty begins to wonder if his client is guilty. No matter how hard he tries, Monty only gets to know what Beau Delaney wants to tell him.
Meanwhile Normie is still working through the issue of having second sight. Her great-grandmother from Cape Breton on her mother’s side of the family believes she does indeed have this special quality. Normie doesn’t talk about it much and can’t understand why others can’t see what she sees; it is like being in a dream but she is wide awake. Lately she has been having thoughts that bother her, seeing visions of a crying baby and people standing around the child dressed in long robes. She is upset she cannot help the child or stop what is going on and feels she should be doing something. She has also been having nightmares, seeing a brick building with Gothic windows where these events take place, so upsetting they wake her with her heart pounding and her eyes filled with tears. Her parents are worried, concerned there may be a physical problem and take Normie to a pediatrician to have her checked out. She has a CAT scan and arrives at an appointment with a psychiatrist, but runs out of the waiting room frightened by the behavior of the others waiting to see the doctor. She is scared her parents may want to have her locked in a mental hospital because they think she is crazy and that is a very scary thought.
When Normie’s friend Jenny says she heard her mother say “Hell Angels” the night she died, she and Jenny decide to see of they can solve the mystery of how that might relate to Peggy’s death. They pay a visit to the Hell’s Angels clubhouse in Fairview, a comic piece of writing that eases the tension significantly especially when they arrive home on the back of a “hog” ridden by the club President to the astonishment of their families.
Maura MacNeil, Monty’s ex-wife, is having her own problems. Giacomo her former boyfriend, has reappeared on the scene and is demanding joint custody of Dominic the baby Maura had several months ago. Readers still do not know who the father of the baby is, although it is clear that Brennan Burke and the baby not only look similar but share a very special relationship. Giacomo wants to take the child back to Italy to meet his family, with the long-term plan of spending six months in Italy and six months in Nova Scotia with Maura. Maura knows if the child leaves the country, she may never see him again and needs some urgent lawyerly advice. Giacomo is pressuring her to sign a document acknowledging he is the father of the child. Monty is not the person she can ask for such help. Giacomo continues threatening her with serious pressure, telling her he is serious about this issue and plans to bring over a high-profile lawyer from Italy, funded by his family who are wealthy wine growers in Chianti.
Maura has also challenged Brennan Burke about his drinking. She believes he is drinking too much and should cut down or stop altogether. Brennan insists he drinks not because he needs to but because he enjoys it and can stop whenever he wishes. She is doubtful, and challenges him to prove it by stopping for a few weeks to see how he does. Burke accepts the challenge which leads to him drinking ginger ale amid a number of comic remarks from the waiters and his drinking buddies at his usual watering holes.
Emery choice to share the telling of this story between Monty and Normie works well. She has done good job handling the voice of the young child, making her voice and the way she speaks feel authentic just the way eight-year-old girl should sound.
I enjoyed this installment more than the last one and look forward to the next addition to the series. On the whole they are getting better with each addition and I still enjoy the Halifax locale with all its familiar landmarks.
It all begins at Monty’s office, where Normie, waiting for her father to finish work, makes two new friends, Jenny and Laurence Delaney, two children whose father Beau Delaney is facing charges he murdered their mother. Beau has hired Monty as his defense lawyer and the two are talking behind closed doors. Beau Delaney is a widely recognized figure in Halifax and one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Nova Scotia. Many have watched his flamboyant courtroom theatrics as he defended his clients, but he is also known in his community for his twenty-year marriage to Peggy and the fun, boisterous and happy home life the couple share with their ten children; two of the children are biological, two are adopted and the rest are fostered. There has even been a television movie made about him with Jack Hartt, a well-known actor in the starring role as Beau.
Delaney was handcuffed as he was leaving court, charged with murdering his wife. The police believe he hit Peggy over the head with a rock or pushed her down the stairs, but Beau denies both the allegations and insists he wasn’t even at home when she died. Although Monty knows putting together a case for the defense will be difficult, they have one thing going for them with the jury -- Delaney’s reputation as a loving father and a top-notch lawyer, who offers pro bono services and works just as hard on those cases as he does for his paying clientele.
Monty has his case carefully planned, but the day they go to court a young man arrives in the courtroom loudly demanded to be heard. Beau makes it clear to Monty that he does not want this young man to take the stand, but will not tell Monty why. There also seems to be other details his clients is reluctant to disclose and Monty begins to wonder if his client is guilty. No matter how hard he tries, Monty only gets to know what Beau Delaney wants to tell him.
Meanwhile Normie is still working through the issue of having second sight. Her great-grandmother from Cape Breton on her mother’s side of the family believes she does indeed have this special quality. Normie doesn’t talk about it much and can’t understand why others can’t see what she sees; it is like being in a dream but she is wide awake. Lately she has been having thoughts that bother her, seeing visions of a crying baby and people standing around the child dressed in long robes. She is upset she cannot help the child or stop what is going on and feels she should be doing something. She has also been having nightmares, seeing a brick building with Gothic windows where these events take place, so upsetting they wake her with her heart pounding and her eyes filled with tears. Her parents are worried, concerned there may be a physical problem and take Normie to a pediatrician to have her checked out. She has a CAT scan and arrives at an appointment with a psychiatrist, but runs out of the waiting room frightened by the behavior of the others waiting to see the doctor. She is scared her parents may want to have her locked in a mental hospital because they think she is crazy and that is a very scary thought.
When Normie’s friend Jenny says she heard her mother say “Hell Angels” the night she died, she and Jenny decide to see of they can solve the mystery of how that might relate to Peggy’s death. They pay a visit to the Hell’s Angels clubhouse in Fairview, a comic piece of writing that eases the tension significantly especially when they arrive home on the back of a “hog” ridden by the club President to the astonishment of their families.
Maura MacNeil, Monty’s ex-wife, is having her own problems. Giacomo her former boyfriend, has reappeared on the scene and is demanding joint custody of Dominic the baby Maura had several months ago. Readers still do not know who the father of the baby is, although it is clear that Brennan Burke and the baby not only look similar but share a very special relationship. Giacomo wants to take the child back to Italy to meet his family, with the long-term plan of spending six months in Italy and six months in Nova Scotia with Maura. Maura knows if the child leaves the country, she may never see him again and needs some urgent lawyerly advice. Giacomo is pressuring her to sign a document acknowledging he is the father of the child. Monty is not the person she can ask for such help. Giacomo continues threatening her with serious pressure, telling her he is serious about this issue and plans to bring over a high-profile lawyer from Italy, funded by his family who are wealthy wine growers in Chianti.
Maura has also challenged Brennan Burke about his drinking. She believes he is drinking too much and should cut down or stop altogether. Brennan insists he drinks not because he needs to but because he enjoys it and can stop whenever he wishes. She is doubtful, and challenges him to prove it by stopping for a few weeks to see how he does. Burke accepts the challenge which leads to him drinking ginger ale amid a number of comic remarks from the waiters and his drinking buddies at his usual watering holes.
Emery choice to share the telling of this story between Monty and Normie works well. She has done good job handling the voice of the young child, making her voice and the way she speaks feel authentic just the way eight-year-old girl should sound.
I enjoyed this installment more than the last one and look forward to the next addition to the series. On the whole they are getting better with each addition and I still enjoy the Halifax locale with all its familiar landmarks.
June 21, 2015
3.5 stars This is the 5th book in the Collins/Burke mystery series. A popular and rather flamboyant Halifax defence lawyer, Beau Delaney, is in trouble. So great is his fame that a movie has been made about his legal cases and his family. He and his wife have a family of 10 children, many of them adopted. There was also a troubled teenaged boy who has run away. Beau's wife has been found dead at the bottom of the basement stairs. Monty Collins and Father Burke want him to be innocent and would hate to see his large family broken up. They find it hard to believe Beau is guilty of murder.
Meanwhile, Monty's nine year old daughter is having visions which seem to have a tenuous connection to the case. The story is told from the viewpoint of Monty and also his daughter, Normie. Generally I don't care for adult books told through a child's voice and viewpoint (Bear, and even the critically acclaimed The Room). In this case ,the young girl's narration seems age appropriate and fitting. Normie has a little friend who is Beau's daughter. The child is worried that her mother swore just before her death, as she heard her yell 'Hell's Angels'. Father Burke explains to the girls that this utterance was not blasphemy but the name of a notorious motor cycle club. One of the most entertaining sections is when the girls visit the Hell Angel's club house trying to solve the crime.
There are a number of suspects, and a couple of other deaths which may be connected in some way. Once Burke and Collins solve the mystery, it ends like another book I read in the series. The killer is not brought to justice due to client/lawyer privilege and the oath of the confessional..
Not my favourite book in the series, but still I enjoyed it more than some other mysteries recently read.
Meanwhile, Monty's nine year old daughter is having visions which seem to have a tenuous connection to the case. The story is told from the viewpoint of Monty and also his daughter, Normie. Generally I don't care for adult books told through a child's voice and viewpoint (Bear, and even the critically acclaimed The Room). In this case ,the young girl's narration seems age appropriate and fitting. Normie has a little friend who is Beau's daughter. The child is worried that her mother swore just before her death, as she heard her yell 'Hell's Angels'. Father Burke explains to the girls that this utterance was not blasphemy but the name of a notorious motor cycle club. One of the most entertaining sections is when the girls visit the Hell Angel's club house trying to solve the crime.
There are a number of suspects, and a couple of other deaths which may be connected in some way. Once Burke and Collins solve the mystery, it ends like another book I read in the series. The killer is not brought to justice due to client/lawyer privilege and the oath of the confessional..
Not my favourite book in the series, but still I enjoyed it more than some other mysteries recently read.
December 10, 2019
Other than the book "Cecilian Vespers," I've become a fan of this series. It features Monty, a criminal lawyer, and Brennan, a Catholic priest. Both are flawed men and admit to their flaws. Brennan has broken his vows of chastity more than once. However, when it comes to faith, love, kindness and, in the end, morals, Brennan is a stern taskmaster. Monty is divorced from his wife but still loves her so there is some sexual tension there. However he and his wife are united by the love of their children. Muddying the waters in their relationship is the fact that his wife, Maura, had an affair with the son of a wealthy and influential Italian vintner and exporter. Dominic was the result. Maura's older children with Monty adore Dominic. Monty has mixed emotions but he recognizes that he is part of the family for better or worse.
This book finds Monty defending a well known lawyer, Beau Delaney, who has been accused of killing his wife. Delaney is a well known criminal defense lawyer who has defended people who, in the eyes of the public, didn't deserve to be defended.
Monty's daughter, Norma aka Normie, is featured in the book. She has the "second sight" that her great grandmother on her mother's side had. It seems to come to her in terrible nightmares though. Normie is a little girl who hasn't come to terms with her gift and worries that her parents will put her into an institution because they think she's "crazy."
The author always provides an interesting twist at the end and this one is no exception. As I read this, I realized that I had missed Barrington Blues which came before. So I've reserved that one at the library. I'm still catching up with all of the books in the series and there's a new one coming out in 2020. Anne Emery is an author who has been under the radar in the United States. I'm not sure why. It could be because she is obviously a faithful and, perhaps, an old fashioned Roman Catholic. Her writing is stellar. I hope more Americans discover her.
This book finds Monty defending a well known lawyer, Beau Delaney, who has been accused of killing his wife. Delaney is a well known criminal defense lawyer who has defended people who, in the eyes of the public, didn't deserve to be defended.
Monty's daughter, Norma aka Normie, is featured in the book. She has the "second sight" that her great grandmother on her mother's side had. It seems to come to her in terrible nightmares though. Normie is a little girl who hasn't come to terms with her gift and worries that her parents will put her into an institution because they think she's "crazy."
The author always provides an interesting twist at the end and this one is no exception. As I read this, I realized that I had missed Barrington Blues which came before. So I've reserved that one at the library. I'm still catching up with all of the books in the series and there's a new one coming out in 2020. Anne Emery is an author who has been under the radar in the United States. I'm not sure why. It could be because she is obviously a faithful and, perhaps, an old fashioned Roman Catholic. Her writing is stellar. I hope more Americans discover her.
June 1, 2019
Wonderful story telling from the perspectives of Monty and his daughter, Normie. Well done.
October 2, 2019
I loved the insight into Nirmies visions.
July 21, 2023
I enjoy these books because of the setting, and the main characters are engaging.
September 16, 2010
Children in the Morning-Anne Emery
Well, I had some difficulty reading this book for a couple of different reasons. First, it did not convert well over to my e-reader and I had to read it in very small print and it was very straining on my eyes or on my lap-top, which also gave me similar issues. It also took me some timeto get used to the writing style. It was written in narritive form from the perspective of a father and his nine year old daughter. Once, I was able to adjust to reading small font and the “back and forth” between father and daughter, I was able to focus on the actual story itself. Unfortunatly it took about five or six chapters for this to happen. Basically this book is a legal drama, where one high profile defense attorney (Monty) is defending another high profile defense attorney (Beau) for the murder of his wife. Monty's daughter Normie befirends two of Beau's ten children and begins to have nightmares that Monty feels may be relevant to his client's case. Nothing in this story was overly surprising, lets just leave it at that. It is probably a lot easier to read in print, but that would not change the need to acclimate to the writing style, which would have been cool and could have worked if the story had not been so predictable, and if Monty and Normie had been a more exciting characters.
Well, I had some difficulty reading this book for a couple of different reasons. First, it did not convert well over to my e-reader and I had to read it in very small print and it was very straining on my eyes or on my lap-top, which also gave me similar issues. It also took me some timeto get used to the writing style. It was written in narritive form from the perspective of a father and his nine year old daughter. Once, I was able to adjust to reading small font and the “back and forth” between father and daughter, I was able to focus on the actual story itself. Unfortunatly it took about five or six chapters for this to happen. Basically this book is a legal drama, where one high profile defense attorney (Monty) is defending another high profile defense attorney (Beau) for the murder of his wife. Monty's daughter Normie befirends two of Beau's ten children and begins to have nightmares that Monty feels may be relevant to his client's case. Nothing in this story was overly surprising, lets just leave it at that. It is probably a lot easier to read in print, but that would not change the need to acclimate to the writing style, which would have been cool and could have worked if the story had not been so predictable, and if Monty and Normie had been a more exciting characters.
June 15, 2014
I think Book 1 (Blood on a Saint) and this are my favorites in the Series so far. I love the characters.... I feel I know them personally. I miss them when I have to put the book down. This particular book is split into perspectives from Monty (lawyer/dad/best friend of Father Burke) and his daughter, Normie (who has been thought to have "The Sight"). The child's part is humorous and appropriate for an 8 year old - but also tragic that she bears so much fear. I was a bit shocked at how this story unfolded. Great read. I listened to the Audio Book and I feel that really added to the experience.
May 14, 2010
Nova Scotia barrister Monty Collins can't figure out why the police are charging his client, charismatic defense attorney Beau Delaney, with murdering his wife. Beau was madly in love with Peg, and his reputation as a philanthropist and sterling citizen seems unimpeachable. But Monty is disturbed that Beau is keeping secrets from him. Meanwhile, Monty's precocious and psychic daughter Normie is having disturbing dreams and visions about Beau, her new friend's father.
February 14, 2011
The author chooses two voices to tell her story. Monty the grownup who represents the accused and Normie, a nine year old, who has the gift of second sight. Sometimes, the characters voices seem to intermingle and Monty sounds a bit like a child. The mystery is who killed Peggy the wife of a well-known lawyer. The suthor sprinkles the story with tidbits about the accused and what Normie's story has to do with it. Inexpertly, told.
Read
June 2, 2010Unexpectedly engrossing. Normie makes a compelling narrator whils still sounding like a very real child. Her pieces combined with her fathers allow for a broader viewpoint. I found some of the characters quite compelling and I enjoyed the community they all belonged to. I could have used more resolution at the end, but I'm not disssatidfied.
September 18, 2013
I liked the characters and the way that they interacted. It was good to pick up and read if I hadn't been able to get to it for a few days -the storyline was easy to grasp again. I didn't expect the ending at all, so it was well written in that respect. I really enjoyed the character of Normie - she was quite accurately childlike. Overall I enjoyed it.
July 27, 2014
When Beau Delaney is charged with his wife Peggy's murder, Monty Collins, lawyer, who takes the case. Beau’s family dynamics and the appearance of a mysterious child alert Monty that his client is keeping secrets. Normie, Monty and Maura’s daughter, has the gift of second sight. This is a good novel that keeps you reading late into the night.
December 11, 2015
This is Emery's finest book so far! It's an intriguing story with an exciting secondary story. You have to believe that things put into play in the personal lives of the main characters in this book will certainly come back to cause problems in the future. Thoroughly enjoyed this one-couldn't put it down!
August 3, 2010
Any book involving a priest with an attitude is a winner for me. I also didn't know how it was going to end, which is unusual. Good stuff! Definitely worth reading.
October 2, 2010
Awful presentation, style, fractured plot - if I believed in tossing books into the garbage, this one would go. Instead, I am returning it to the library.
January 7, 2012
I love this series partly because it is based in Halifax, by a Halifax author. The next book will be partly in Ireland. In this book Emery catches the thinking of a young girl very well.
February 6, 2014
Absorbing mystery which combines psychology, second sight and family dynamics set in Halifax, Canada.
November 9, 2014
Good series about Halifax and area.
April 22, 2017
I liked it. Very different from the others and more predictable but it was just right for when I was reading it... not too cerebral for me to follow, but good. I enjoy how Emery has developed these characters deeply enough to make you want to keep coming back just for them.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews