Sorrow Lake Paperback – 30 April 2015

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest and open review.This is the first book I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.The story is set in a small town called Sorrow Lake in Ontario, Canada and focuses on the police investigation of a murder.I loved the description of the area. I could close my eyes and picture myself there.I was slightly confused at first due to the number of characters that were brought into the story. However, once I'd worked out who was who, I was engrossed in the novel.The main characters, Ellie and Kevin, were extremely well drawn. We were given glimpses of their private as well as their public lives.I read a lot of thrillers and it was interesting to compare the differences between the Canadian and the British procedures.I enjoyed this book so much that I've ordered book 2 in the series.Highly recommended.

This is the first Mike McCann novel I've read and I loved it! What immediately drew me in was the area in which it's set - Eastern Ontario near where we currently live and my husband grew up.I can't wait to read more by this author.

this novel is written very matter of fact, i felt like an outsider looking in on the on the way the police work when involved in a murder. i enjoyed the plot and getting to know the characters, and being the first book in a series i am looking forward to more of the same

This is the first in a new series of novels by Canadian crime fiction writer Michael J. McCann, the author of the popular Donaghue and Stainer crime novels, and is a strong first outing for the series. The plot is complex, but at the same time easy to follow, something that I have noticed is disappearing from a number of novels in this genre that are currently being released. The main two characters are well developed, although development of the supporting characters to the story suffers as a result of this. I partly put this down to Sorrow Lake being the first in the March and Walker crime series, and thus more focus needs to be placed on March and Walker themselves. Some of the more detailed aspects of the police work in the book have been described as dry by some reviewers, and whilst I don’t completely disagree, I don’t feel these aspects are as dry as one might expect. Overall, a solid start for this new series and I look forward to the second book.View more of my reviews at http://www.literaryweek.comNote: We received a free copy of Sorrow Lake for review purposes.

A couple years ago I reviewed Michael McCann’s crime novel, The Rainy Day Killer. When reading crime fiction, I gravitate toward cosy mysteries so it was not what I was used to. It is much darker. So, when I began reading his most recent novel, Sorrow Lake, I steeled myself, expecting it to be similar. But, it isn’t. I found myself immersed in an interesting police procedural that doesn’t contain too much gore. Sorrow Lake is the first book in McCann’s new March and Walker detective series and, as I’ve mentioned, it has a different tone from his Donaghue and Stainer crime series. I have to admit that it fits better with my comfort zone - a gripping plot that never loses its tension and picks up pace as it neared the climax but not too much graphic violence. There’s nothing in it that would make me squirm and screw my eyes shut but it still has nail biting moments.Not surprisingly for a crime novel, the story centres on the hunt for a killer and the law enforcement officers involved in the case, particularly Detective Inspector Ellie Walker, an experienced detective, and Detective Constable Kevin Walker, who is new to homicide investigations. I thought there was a bit too much explanation of some of the investigation procedures and techniques as the story opened but, once those details had been explained, the story moved along at a good pace and I got involved in trying to put together the clues to find the killer. I also enjoyed the subplot revolving around the jealousies and power struggles within the police department, particularly when one officer was jockeying to be chosen to lead the investigation. As I’ve said, the story is about the hunt for a killer and the people involved in it. I found the interaction and sometimes tension between the characters as interesting and absorbing as the actual case. I liked the main characters, Ellie March and Kevin Walker, and I think this was partly because the author gives readers glimpses of their private lives in between the scenes involving the investigation. This adds depth to the story as readers develop a better understanding of characters’ actions and decisions. In tightly written scenes, the author also produces well drawn secondary characters. Especially memorable characters are the underhanded Detective Constable Dart, Ellie March’s musician neighbour, Ballantyne Ridge, and the elderly, nosy woman who lives opposite the victim’s widow. The story is set in a small town and the surrounding countryside in Northern Ontario, Canada during winter. The landscape and the weather are both important to the story and the author vividly paints a scene that the reader can step into. He also has a good grasp of the internal structure of the regional police force and the details he includes about it add authenticity to the story. It isn’t a location that is frequently used as the setting for novels and it is more intriguing as a result. I found Sorrow Lake an entertaining and engrossing read. I liked the characters and was grabbed by the plot. I will happily read other books in this series as I think the characters are worth re-visiting. So I have no hesitation wholeheartedly recommending this book. Note: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.This is the first book I have read by Michael McCann and although I enjoyed it, it didn't blow me away. There were no edge of the seat, anxious page turning, wanting to know what happens next moments. For me the strength of this book was that it is a well written police procedural novel introducing a new crime fighting duo. The weakness was that nothing really happened, police procedure was followed, clues were found and investigated and the murderer was eventually apprehended with a minimal amount of drama thrown in.I can only speculate that as this is a first in a new series it was a getting to know each other settling in and finding out how each other works book and the next will prove to have more action and drama.

This was a great introductory novel! I was very excited to read this after seeing it was on the Hammett Prize list. I am a huge fan of the heavy hitters, Chandler, Hammett and Ross MacDonald, Ian Rankin, James Crumley, James Cain, Patricia Cromwell and Agatha Christie just to name a few. When writing crime fiction, it is hard to break free of the shadows those authors but McCann has done a fantastic job doing so. The plot is a straight forward police procedural starting with a homicide and the chase picks up from there. McCann's prose flows with grace and elegance. There are quite a few characters, but McCann makes it easy to circumnavigate through their narratives. Each one brings their own thoughts and angles into the investigation where it feels as though you're in the command room with everyone.The plot plays out nicely, however, sometimes I found myself wondering, "when are they going to get this guy?" McCann leaves us guessing until the very end, which is what you'd expect from a well rounded mystery. The only things that I did not like about the book, was there was an absence of atmosphere. I was hoping for a more dark, gritty setting that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The novel is set in Canada, which also gave me a hard time thinking of anything gritty about it. I've been to a few different places in Canada and never got that feeling while I was there. Also, I think that Ellie March, one of the main characters could have been better crafted. She is portrayed as a hard case and she does not deviate from that behavior. I was hoping she'd have some redeeming qualities, but she strikes me as a boss we've all had and didn't like.Those were just a few minor things that I found, but it does not take away from McCann's storytelling and plot. I'm looking forward to more books in the series. After reading, I'm not surprised why it was chosen as a Hammett Prize nominee.

I always love reading mysteries that take place around where I live. I especially like police stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys small town crime stories. I have read all of Michael McCann's books an can hardly wait for the next one. Always a good read.

This is an excellent police procedural set in rural Canada. The author's descriptions of the winter setting make it come alive. The characters are fully developed and the plot is dead on target for a police procedural. I'm looking forward to the next entry to this debut series.

I found this story to be a good solid and well written police procedural with well described settings and weather in a locale with which I am fairly familiar and populated by a caste of adequately developed and very realistic and believable characters whether or not they are likeable or good or bad guys. Lots of action, tense situations, the usual amount of in unit jealousies, prejudices and politics and a solid and satisfactory ending with a bit of a surprise in some of the characters. Now I have a slight problem with how to rate this book because I broke one of my cardinal rules and started this series out of order by reading book 3 “Persistent Guilt” first as part of my 2020 Arthur Ellis reading project. Once again I have just backed up my contention that most mystery series are definitely better when read in order and I am sure that applies with this series. Character wise I think Kevin Walker is the best character in these books and surprisingly I quite liked Elle March in book 1 “Sorrow Lake” much more than I did in book 3 “Persistent Guilt” where I feel she had regressed a whole lot. I think I’ll have to reserve my judgement on these books until I have read book 2 “Burn Country” which I already have acquired and will read soon and when I review it I’ll update my reviews of this series so far.

I bought this on a whim and dove right in. I really like small town mysteries but I haven't read a lot of Canadian stories. What a lovely surprise! Very interesting to learn about my northern neighbors and the OPP. Clearly this author knows the legal system writes a great procedural. I liked all the main characters and got just enough background to keep me turning pages. Supporting characters were interesting, especially the old rock star neighbor. I want to learn more about Sorrow Lake and its inhabitants and I'm hoping for some resolution for Ellie and her girls. I'm a bit curious to see where Walker goes with the hair dresser, too. I'm very excited to start this new series!