A very short post, mostly filled with praise.
I’ve been reading a number of forthcoming novels; thank you, NetGalley, for the ARCs.
A few favourites that I will be sharing with friends:
Belinda Bauer’s The Impossible Thing, which is a nigh impossible thing to describe without giving away too much. So I will fall back on shopworn reviewing phrases–fresh, inventive, and surprising. In the words of her publishers, “A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skulduggery at every turn.” It starts with sea bird egg thefts (shades of Vera’s old dad) and then jumps a century. As always, Bauer is laugh-out-loud funny and crafts characters who will stay with you.
Eliza Reid’s Death on the Island is my current read, a first novel by the expat Canadian woman who served in the unofficial role of Iceland’s First Lady. Never have I ever seen so many breathless book blurbs attached to a debut. Penny and Cleeves, and then a dozen or more chiming in with praise. I’m about a third of the way in and enjoying the Icelandic setting, writing style, and plot tremendously. There’s a dead diplomat, a Christie-worthy dinner party, and glorious descriptions of a place I now want to visit.
I’ve previously discussed the very fun forthcoming novel Julie Chan Is Dead, by another first-time novelist, Toronto’s Liann Zhang. The twin sister of a famous social media influencer takes over her sister’s life. And the last bit of the novel . . . Wow. Lots of twists, to put it mildly.
Finally, Canada Reads will include a thriller for the first time, as Olympian Maggie Mac Neil advocates for Samantha M. Bailey’s Watch Out for Her. It’s in my TBR pile, and I’ve previously enjoyed Bailey’s rapidly paced domestic thrillers.
Nice boost for Canadian mystery novels!
The Landscape of Canadian Women's Crime Fiction 
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