The Fortunate Brother
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4.2 • 21 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the 2017 Arthur Ellis Awards for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing, Best Novel
Winner of the 2017 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
A powerful tale of a family reeling from the tragic loss of a son, while facing a mysterious murder on their doorstep--told by one of Canada's most beloved voices
After being uprooted from their fishing outport, the Now family is further devastated by the tragic loss of their eldest son, Chris, who died working on an Alberta oil rig. Kyle Now is still mourning his older brother when the murder of a local bully changes everything. The victim's blood is found on the family's pier, and suspicion falls first on an alienated wife, and then finally on the troubled Now family.
But behind this new turmoil, Chris's death continues to plague the family. Father Sylvanus Now drowns his sorrow in a bottle, while mother Addie is facing breast cancer. And the children fight their own battles as the tension persists between Kyle and his sister, Sylvie, over her role in their brother's death.
A cast of vivid characters surrounds the Now family, some intriguing, others comical--all masterfully crafted. As the murder mystery unfolds, other deeper secrets are revealed. Wise in the ways of the heart, The Fortunate Brother is a moving family drama from beloved storyteller Donna Morrissey.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shameful secrets abound in Canadian author Morrissey's strong conclusion to her trilogy about the Now family set in rural Newfoundland (after Sylvanus Now). Sylvanus Now does a poor job of hiding his drinking from his wife, Addie; Addie has cancer, but won't tell daughter Sylvie; and son Kyle tries to hide all his insecurities from both parents as he continues to mourn his brother, Chris, who was killed by a truck years before. Other residents of the village of Hampden have their secrets. Why does Bonnie Gillard stay with her abusive husband, Clar? Who is newcomer Kate Mackenzie, the guitar playing singer-songwriter whom Kyle likes to visit? Why does elusive Vernon Trapp skulk around the community? When someone fatally stabs Clar, Kyle, who recently confronted him, becomes a suspect, as does Sylvanus. Helpful friends provide fabricated alibis for Kyle and Sylvanus, complicating things for Sergeant MacDuff, the crime's quietly competent investigator. Morrissey's bleak portrait of harsh village life will linger long in the reader's memory.
