Northern Winters Are Murder: A Belle Palmer Mystery

Realtor Belle Palmer is devastated and puzzled by the death of her young friend, Jim Burian. Jim fell through the ice while riding his snowmobile, but Belle can't believe Jim would make such a mistake. He was an experienced wilderness instructor who didn't take risks. The police believe Jim's death was accidental, yet Belle still has doubts. Jim was organizing a rally against a proposed development in the area and he'd also spotted small planes making drug drops late at night. Had Jim made enemies? To answer these questions, Belle tries a little investigating on her own. Northern Winters are Murder is an elegantly written story of loss, revenge, and the search for peace. Does everyone find it? Read the book to learn the answer, but do so in a warm place. Lou Allin's descriptions of snow and freezing temperatures and isolation in rural Lake Wapiti are amazingly detailed. I don't recall reading any books set in this part of Canada, but Allin's so good at narrative description that I felt I knew the place. As a Canadian, I also enjoyed the references to very Canadian things like prime ministers and the two-tiered health care system which our country doesn't have, officially. If you're looking for a smart, independent, forty-something amateur sleuth in a quintessential Canadian setting, then pick up this book and a warm blanket.

I really enjoyed the first Belle Palmer novel from Lou Allin. The setting vividly evokes the North Country around Sudbury during the winter time. That, I'm afraid, is the source of my main criticism; We hear over and over about how cold it is. Ok, I get it! It's cold! Can we move on? All in all a good read though.

There's a new amateur detective in town, and she's not only a role model for middle-agers but a pip. Belle Palmer is a likable, adventurous, teacher turned real estate agent turned unofficial private eye. She lives with her German Shepherd in a lovely, if not primitive area of Canada known as the nickle capital of the world. It reminds me of the bustling blue-collar cities reduced to seasonal resorts that dot America's coasts. Author Lou Allin creates a picture of a town and countryside that we know by heart toward the end of the book. Sudbury struggles against a seven month winter, and Allin's descriptions of the landscapes, storms, snowmobiling, and cars sliding on the ice into snow banks are so real that the reader thinks she's there. I needed a comforter and hot chocolate to finish this chilling read. And murder happens here too. But Belle keeps dressing up and asking questions until she finds out who did it, and this almost costs her life. I think the ending is the best part of this book-twists, turns, chases, and lots of Palmer ingenuity. Don't miss this one!

This book is best read while sitting someplace really warm! The author has done an excellent job of writing about the snowy north, makes me really feel like I'm there. Brr. The book has a unique voice too. Apparently she loves old movies, and you can really tell. She's got a quirky way of looking at things. Makes for a nice change.