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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's a metorological thing, October 5, 2005
This review is from: The Delicate Storm (Paperback)
I am not sure I can tell you anymore about the plot than what other reviewers have already written. Therefore, I will focus in other areas and generalize a bit.
The weather definitely plays big in this--the latest crime-stopper--novel from Giles Blunt, and I am sure Canadians will certainly commiserate with Detective Cardinal and the citizens Algonquin Bay, Ontario, when an unusual January ice storm virtually shuts down the town. Of course the weather never seems to affect the criminals amongst us!
Blunt's a great story teller and a gifted writer, this story is testament to that fact. Do you know how you can be readying and enjoying a good book, then hit a spot that seems to do little to advance the story, and all of a sudden you are skimming over the words rather than reading and absorbing them? Of course you do! Well in this book, that never occurred for me. The book was not particularly suspenseful nor would you call it a thriller, but it was interesting throughout and each page, paragraph, and sentence, made a contribution. Blunt uses the entire book, like a trail of bread crumbs, to guide the reader to a final realization of whodunit. Try this--and this is not a spoiler--stop when you get to the middle of the book and try to figure out who the killer is, you will have been introduced to all the characters by then. Bet you can't do it!
A believable crime story, with real-life characters. It could happen like this somewhere and probably already has!
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent crime writing, June 1, 2003
I must confess, I wasn't quite so crazy about Giles Blunt's debut, Forty Words For Sorrow, as others were, even though it was certainly very good. However, now, after reading The Delicate Storm I'm quite tempted to revisit his first novel and be prepared to reassess my opinions, because The Delicate Storm is, quite simply, excellent. It begins when a human arm is discovered on an unseasonably warm day in some woods near the town of Algonquin Bay. The search for other human body parts leads investigators John Cardinal and Lisa Delorme to a remote hunter's cabin that is clearly the scene of the crime, and which holds some useful information. The deceased is soon found to have been an American citizen, and so the Mounties are brought in to assist. But, it is when the Canadian Secret Service also start sniffing around the case that Cardinal comes to uncover something far deeper and darker. Then, a few days later, a young doctor goes missing, and the glittering woods relinquish a second dead body. Blunt paces his novel absolutely perfectly. It's not too slow, but nor is it so fast that, come the end, the book feels like sand having slipped through a net. He has also struck a perfect equilibrium between character and plot, giving the book power from both corners, and a nicely rounded feel. The characters are excellent, especially Cardinal and Delorme, who are fascinating (both when working together and apart), and, I am sure, capable of sustaining this series for many books to come. The plot itself is great (although possibly discomforting for those who don't like to confront the possibility of a "perfect" crime), and the plotting is slick, smooth and assured, all stemming from Blunt's excellent narrative control. He also examines, interestingly and convincingly, the past and present Canadian political scene. However, possibly best of all is the setting, which the author describes brilliantly, giving the book a sharp, edgy and entirely chilly atmosphere that broods over the whole novel like some impetuous deity. The landscape creaks and shimmers under the ice and takes on a forbidding life of its own in a way which few writers can really create. Overall, I'd recommend this book to everyone who likes a great crime novel, because there is no way you'll be disappointed with this. It's full of interesting characters with interesting lives, great plotting, and an atmosphere that shivers. Giles Blunt is tremendous, and surely the best writer to have emerged from Canada in many a moon. I'm looking forward to the next one already!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Police Work Through A Prism Of Ice, August 25, 2005
This review is from: The Delicate Storm (Paperback)
Blunt's book is unique in the detective mystery genre in its careful attention to character development. Much of the book is devoted to the internal musings and thoughts of Detective John Cardinal and his partner Detective Delorme. The partners are working a 17 year old murder case, and the interaction with the people related to the case is vital and very intricate.
Blunt weaves a complicated tale of connections that typifies normal excellent police work. On the way, there is some "high jingo" (higher up manipulation) of the evidence and the information. In addition, the book concentrates on interagency cooperation in Canada. Since the victim is American, the investigation falls in the province of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the lead investigators on the case are local police Cardinal and Delorme.
As the reader moves through the book, slowly the information unfolds. One of the beauties of this book is that the connections and information are so complex, that it is virtually impossible to guess the most likely suspect. Blunt is masterful in creating characters for the reader to ponder, and always with good character development.
In short, Blunt is one of the finest detective mystery writers today. All those interested in the genre should read this book.
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