Amanda Adams

Second in the series, just as good as the first

Revisado: 07-23-19

Following up The Walker on the Cape, The Body on the T is the second in Mike Martin's Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. This time the titular body is unidentified, leaving Windflower and Tizzard that much more behind in that case from the get-go. A blast from the series' past comes in the form of another body, identity known this time, linked to Harvey Brenton. Add in Sheila's near-fatal car accident and one of his own Constables' involvement in the distribution of drugs and you've got the bones for another adventure in Newfoundland with Sgt. Winston Windflower.

The tone of this installment is the same overall as the last, cozy, but there is a lot more going on here and murder is just the tip of the iceberg. Windflower's relationship with Sheila has strengthened over time so he is understandably rocked when her car is hit head-on, leaving her in a coma. He has had to suspend one of his own, Claude LaPierre, and struggles with that decision in the face of the knowledge that LaPierre is involved in the drug trade. That very narcotic activity has led to a temporary transfer for Windflower to Marystown to aid the task force hoping to bring down the illegal enterprise. On a positive note, Marystown is where Sheila convalesces so at least he can visit her regularly. There is no shortage of the homey feeling that comes from the setting, Newfoundland, nor the quirkiness of the characters. As a sophomore release, The Body on the T does its job keeping readers interested in the heart of the series, leading to devoted fans who will wait with bated breath for each new book.

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My first Newfie mystery novel/audiobook

Revisado: 05-03-19

The Walker on the Cape (Sgt. Windfower Mystery #1)
by Mike Martin

*This first portion is specific to GoodReads, not Audible.com or Amazon.com/Kindle*

I'm sorry but I have to call out Goodreads or whoever entered this audiobook there because as you can see above, the title character is spelled W-i-n-d-f-o-w-e-r not WindfLower (or it was as on the date of this review). I noticed that it was an odd but perhaps clever opportunity for the author to go a bit off the reservation with something as simple as a character's name to set his aside from hundreds of other detective series. So... when I began listening and heard the Sgt.'s name pronounced WindfLower, I was thinking, shame on the narrator, that's a big mistake. But it is NOT the fault of the narrator and before you know it, I, as a reader, am thinking more about that discrepancy than what is happening in the story I'm listening to. That is something I think, I, as an author, might be fairly perturbed about.

Beyond that, I thought this story was.. cute. I know that's probably not what the author wants it described as but that's where I am. The townsfolk were quirky and fun, perfectly fleshed out for their role in the plot. Sgt. Windflower felt, to me, like your second choice for prom date but not your "ugh, if no one else asks me I'll go with...". I just didn't really care about him personally, beyond his role in the mystery. The mystery the plot is surrounded by was not necessarily tightly spun but it was enough where I wanted to know the ending. And speaking of the ending, I will admit I thought it was deeper than I expected. In fact, overall, the entire thing felt deeper than its individual parts - meaning that I found the characters to be so so, the mystery level to be so so, peripheral plots to be so so... And in the end, when I sit to think about The Walker on the Cape, I definitely cannot say I hated it. I have many friends I would recommend the book to.

*Something it did take me a while to get past - the Canadian accent of the narrator. I am quite sure it is perfect, but I'm a Southern American and I'm not sure two dialects could be more different than American South and Newfie.

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A new audio experience

Revisado: 04-25-19

Reviewing audiobooks is still new to me but The Darkwater Bride is different in another, brand new way. Here, there are multiple narrators voicing different characters rather than one narrator slightly altering his or her voice to notate characters. Also, this is more of an audioplay rather than audiobook - and by that, I mean the narrator doesn't audibly voice "there was a splash", instead you actually hear a splash sound effect. The overall execution is less an audio reading of the book and more an alternate version of the book, in this case a podcast/radio program.

That is not to say I didn't enjoy it, I did. The story was unique, creepy, and ultimately horrific. The voices were pleasant to listen to, even those of the most unpleasant characters. I can say I would recommend The Darkwater Bride to my creep-factor fiction loving friends who are anxious to experience audio storytelling.

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Where it all started

Revisado: 03-29-19

This book is where I fell in love with the crime/horror genre. In print at first and via audio book several times since. Despite my initially expecting Jodi Foster's voice, Kathy Bates does an amazing job narrating Silence of the Lambs. When I read it now, it's her voice in my head and I think that says a lot, especially for a novel as popular as this one. Even if you have read this book, listen to it. It is a different way to experience the story.

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