A Chill Rain in January (Hardcover)

by L. R. Wright (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Sechelt, a village on the British Columbia Sunshine Coast, is the locale of the successor to Wright's Edgar-winning The Suspect . Among the memorable characters from the first novel--RCMP Sgt. Karl Alberg and friends--is beautiful, aloof Zoe Strahan, a new resident. Alberg and the members of the community are, however, more concerned about elderly Ramona Orlitzki, who has disappeared from the nursing home. During the search, Zoe's brother arrives at her house with blackmail in mind and she kills him. As the reader knows, Zoe has been getting away with murder for years and seems about to persuade Alberg that her brother died in a fall down her cellar steps. But Ramona is hiding in a guest house on Zoe's land, where the killer's young nephew finds a refuge with the failing but tough-minded old woman. While Zoe uses her wiles on the sergeant, she plans a feral attack on the defenseless pair. The story is rich in humorous and poignant aspects as well as fierce suspense.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A small town on the Pacific coast of British Columbia provides the evocative backdrop for this work of striking clarity and forcefulness. After Zoe Strachan's ne'er-do-well, blackmailing brother "tumbles" down her basement steps to his death, she searches his house unsuccessfully for incriminating notebooks, and shelters his previously unknown adopted son. Zoe--aloof, beautiful, and truly bizarre--challenges all the resources of Mountie Karl Alberg, who only half-believes her story. Apparently effortless but finely crafted prose supports the narrowly focused plot, wonderful characters, and gorgeous descriptions.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First English Edition edition (March 30, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670831298
• ISBN-13: 978-0670831296
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,980,275 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Karl Alberg Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a true mystery or suspense but engrossing, July 3, 2002

By	sonytoao (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Chill Rain in January (Hardcover)

Since you know who committed the murder and why (as described in the editorial review and very early in the book) there is neither a mystery or very little suspense here. But like her other books in the series, Wright focuses more on character study and the relationships among those affected by the murder rather than lay out a typical who-dunit.

I frankly found the main character, Zoe Strachan, to be the most fascinating feature of the book because her gross inner imperfections contrasted sharply with her outward stunning beauty. The one fault I find with this book, however, is that Zoe is perceived by others and perhaps Wright herself as evil, when in fact many of her actions are driven by acute mental illness. The former has you rooting for the character's demise; the latter has you hoping she gets treatment.

All-in-all, a very good read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Something's missing, July 13, 2009

By	Patto (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Chill Rain in January (Karl Alberg Mysteries, No. 3) (Paperback)

All is not sunny on the Sunshine Coast of Canada. Something's missing in the intense gaze of the most beautiful woman police chief Karl Alberg has ever seen. He's disturbingly attracted to Zoe Strachan, as he looks around her house inspecting the scene of the accidental death of her brother.

According to Zoe, Benjamin Strachan had too much to drink and fell down the stairs in search of more booze, unluckily breaking his neck. Alberg can't help noticing Zoe's silky stockings as he questions her.

The next time he visits he finds a nine-year-old boy in the house. Zoe thought Benjamin had no family, but in fact he had adopted Kenny. The boy seems oddly terrified of Aunt Zoe. Alberg starts wondering about certain ambiguous findings in the post mortem following Benjamin Strachan's death.

Zoe Strachan's house feels strangely like a fortress, and nobody in Sechen knows anything about her. It's Alberg's job to unveil the mystery of this wildly seductive, visibly cold woman. Little Kenny is destined to help him - as well as an old lady with Alzheimer's, a runaway from the hospital.

I find Alberg's scenes with his divorced family a bit saccharine, and overall Alberg seems less interesting in this book than in The Suspect, first book in the series. But the book is well plotted, and the portrayal of an unstable amoral mind quite gripping.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Killer, June 14, 2007

By	Sonia D. (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Chill Rain in January (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book, though I thought a few aspects of the main crime were too clumsy. I never felt like she'd "get away with it" and that detracted from the suspense. But the character of Zoe was worth it, fascinating--very cold and literal. Good read.