By the Time You Read This
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4.4 • 17 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Book 4 in the John Cardinal series
In this highly anticipated fourth book from the spine-chilling John Cardinal series, Detective Cardinal confronts his most personal case yet. After years of battling depression, his wife, Catherine, is dead, and despite a suicide note written in her handwriting, Cardinal refuses to believe that she has really killed herself. Hateful notes taunting him about Catherine arrive by mail and he begins to suspect her death was an act of revenge. Cardinal is forced to work this case alone, and his investigation leads him towards a new and very different kind of criminal. One who is truly untouchable by any legal system.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in remote Algonquin Bay, Ontario, Blunt's compelling fourth crime novel to feature John Cardinal (after Blackfly Season) finds the police detective mourning the death of his wife, an apparent suicide. Then Cardinal starts receiving cold, hate-filled notes gloating over his loss. Stirred and angered into believing that his wife may have been murdered, he sets about looking into who might be refusing to let the dead or, more particularly, himself rest easy. Meanwhile, his partner, Lise Delorme, is busy trying to track down the pedophile responsible for a cache of appalling photos featuring a small girl who may live in or near Algonquin Bay. An unexpected yet utterly realistic twist lifts this novel into extremely interesting (and entertaining) territory. Sharp dialogue, complex characters and a satisfying conclusion should help Blunt, who has won Britain's Silver Dagger and Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, win new readers in the U.S. Author tour.
Customer Reviews
Lines of inquiry
*****SPOILER ALERT! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS DETAILS YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME TO ON YOUR OWN*********
In this installment of the John Cardinal series death come early and from an angle I wasn't expecting.
Within the first few pages John Cardinal's wife, Catherine is found dead, an apparent suicide. Cardinal and his daughter Kelly find it awkward being in such close quarters with the absence of Catherine thrust in their faces at every turn. Preparing for a funeral is never easy, but what do you say to people when the person took their own life?
While he is on bereavement leave Lise Delorme, his frequent partner in these stories, is handed a case no police officer ever wants to handle - child pornography including evidence of sexual abuse. The case originates with the Toronto Police but the registration on a plane in the background of one photo indicates a connection to Algonquin Bay. Delorme starts the delicate task of investigating while trying to make sure the unknown perpetrator doesn't get alerted. One false move and not only will he disappear but also any potentially incriminating evidence will go up in smoke.
The internal logic of this tale slowly brings the two incidents together, with the reader able to see connections invisible to Cardinal and Delorme. Each new development ratchets up the tension until you wonder whether the metaphorical cavalry will arrive in time to prevent further tragedies.
Blunt continues to develop the characters of his two principles and the story, while grim at times, is a worthy addition to the series. "By the Time You Read This" will make you want to read more.