The Glass Coffin

It's always a pleasure to meet up with Canadian sleuth Joanne Kilburn. Complex characters combined with a fast moving plot keep the reader guessing until the last page. Bodies and clues abound as do Canadian icons such as Tim Hortons, CBC Radio and national TV shows. Gail Bowen is one of the few mystery writers who keep getting better.

Gail Bowen's Joanne Kilbourn mysteries, set in Regina, Saskatchewan are an intense, quick and entertaining read. Joanne's best friend Jill has never made great choices in the romance department, and it seems the trend is continuing when her husband to be has lost his preceeding two wives to suicide. He is a filmmaker who documented their descent into madness and death. When murders mar the wedding, Joanne searches for a way to protect her friend and her new family. What is enjoyable about this series and this entry in particular is the way in which the drama captures a reader's attention and keeps the pages turning. Following the lives of the Kilbourns, for example the loss Joanne's relationship with Alex Kequahtooway, personalize the characters and make a reader want to "keep up" with them. Catching the nuances may be difficult if you haven't read the prior novels but that wont stop you from enjoying this one if you like your stories concise and compelling.

Saskatchewan sleuth Joanne Kilbourn was planning on a white Christmas with family, friends, peace on earth and the occasional nip of her favourite scotch. When her best friend Jill Osioway's husband is murdered only hours after their nuptuals, Joanne's holiday turns from white to blood soaked red and she knows there won't be peace on earth until suspicion is lifted from Jill and the murderer is found. Readers who are fans of Gail Bowen's 7 previous Joanne Kilbourn mysteries know they are in for a heart pounding ride through Regina's snowy streets. Familiar characters are woven into a riveting plot and new players are introduced and given the depth they need to come alive. Bowen intices us with opening paragraphs that are intiguing and obviously only the tip of a ver nasty iceberg. She describes the tragic suicides of two bright young women who were also married to Jill Osioways husband. The thread that linked those two women has now wounds its way into Joanne Kilbournes life. The Glass Coffin is certainly a dark mystery that delves into the complex bonds between parent and child that transcend generations. All the Joanne Kilbourn mysteries are character driven books that throb with true to life intensity. The author unleashes a parade of dysfunctional adults and a few children that may be a bit unnerving because they may hit close to home. Jill Osioway's husband is Evan MacLeish, prince of indie film noir and he's looking for a wider audience via Jill when he is slain. Jill inherits Evan's troubled 17 year old daughter Bryn not to mention Bryn's odd aunts Tracey and Claudia who display an unnatural interest in their niece. Evan's last hurrah was a film that followed Bryn's life literally from the moment of her birth and Bryn is not a willing subject. The Glass Coffin is Bowen's best work yet. She treats the reader to a thinking person's mystery filled with memorable quotes, references to art and literary works and dialogue that far exceeds other novels in its genre with its edgy wit and believability. The Glass Coffin is a showcase of Gail Bowen's talent for remaining fresh and unpredictable in the world of mystery writing.