Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Book Review: "A Perfect Storm" by Mike Martin


It's book review time again. While Wayne and I have been enjoying our float cabin home on Powell Lake, we've had lots of time to relax and read both indoors and out.

There's nothing better than sitting in a chair on our sunny deck with a cool drink and a good book.

This month I'm reviewing A Perfect Storm, the newest book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series.


Mike Martin is a Canadian author originally from St. John's, Newfoundland, who now resides in Ottawa, Ontario. He's proof you can take a man off The Rock, but he can never leave it behind.

Just released in September 2020, A Perfect Storm is the ninth book in his light crime mystery series. You can read each one as a stand-alone, but I've enjoyed reading them all. The main characters remain in each book so the return reader has the advantage of knowing more of the backstory and how their lives evolve over time.

Mike uses several recurring themes in his books. Of course, there's the core plot of criminal activity in and around the small Newfoundland town of Grand Bank. Yes, it's a real town. Read more about it here. There's the thread of small town, family and RCMP life that ties solving crimes together. And there's the ongoing use of quotes from Shakespeare and other notable sources in dialogue to make a point. My favourite from this book was, "Happiness is what's inside your head, so be careful what you feed it."

And now for the book review: Sgt. Winston Windflower is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officer of the Grand Bank RCMP Detachment. As much as we hate to admit it, small town life isn't immune to the perils of society: drugs, theft, racism, violence and murder. A powerful multinational white supremacist biker gang has set up a network in Grand Bank to take over the drug trade. Investigating a fatal automobile accident leads Sgt. Windflower and his officers to the larger crime and drug problem.  Solving it will take a community-wide recommitment to taking responsibility and helping one another.

Windflower is Cree from Northern Alberta and follows traditional practices. His Auntie Marie gives him guidance through visions and dreams. Even after her passing, her assistance guides him in his professional and personal life. We all could use help like this during difficult times.


Other reviews I've written for Mike Martin's Sgt. Windflower Mystery series:


A Tangled Web - Book 6 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series

A case about a missing five-year-old child quickly expands like the interconnected threads of a spider's web throughout the small community of Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Follow the link to the review and pictures from the trips Wayne and I took to Newfoundland in 2009 and 2014.

Darkest Before the Dawn - Book 7 in the Windflower Mystery Series

A series of break-ins has the people of Grand Bank unnerved, then circumstances escalate and the situation quickly evolves into a murder mystery. Follow the link about to the review and a YouTube video and Google tour through the real Grand Bank.

Fire, Fog and Water - Book 8 in the Windflower Mystery Series

Running down the lookout trail Sgt. Windflower slides down a slope and into a frozen body wrapped in rug. The ensuring investigation links to a women injured during a hit-and-run, a house fire and the discovery of opioid drugs in an abandoned mobile home.

You can find out more about Mike Martin at:

Mike Martin on Crime Writers of Canada
Mike Martin on Twitter
Mike Martin's Author Page on Amazon
Mike Martin on !ndigo
Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series on Facebook
Mike Martin book reviews on the Crafty Gardener blog

A Perfect Storm is available in print and ebook formats. Online options include Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. -- Margy

17 comments :

  1. Haven’t got my copy yet, looking forward to the next book in this fabulous series.

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    1. When I asked, he said on Facebook that book 10 is due out in May 2121. This one was on Kindle Unlimited so I lucked out big time. - Margy

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  2. I think I picked one up, after your reviews! It's a good time to be reading, although I think you're getting some rains today!

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    1. We are getting rain off and on right now. Got to grab the sun when we can. - Margy

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  3. Margy - sounds like my kind of series - most of the time, I prefer something lighthearted, and that does not require me to think too much! Enjoy the rest of your week!

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    1. That's the kind of book I prefer unless it is local non-fiction so I can learn more about where I live. - Margy

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  4. Sounds like a really interesting mystery series.

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    1. I've enjoyed it and following the main characters as their lives progress. - Margy

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  5. I'm very interested in this Cree detective!

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    1. I like the way his traditional Cree background is woven into the book. - Margy

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  6. Egads! Reading this review reminded me that I have The Walker on the Cape (the first book Mike Martin mystery), and I haven't read it yet! Did I ask you if you've read any of LR Wright's mystery series starring Karl Alberg, a Mountie? They take place in BC, on the Sunshine Coast. My favorite is the first: The Suspect. Anyway, thank you for reviewing A Perfect Storm. your floating cabin deck does indeed look like the perfect reading place.

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    1. Better get it back out. I looked up LR Wright on Amazon. I'll order The Suspect after we return to the States and mail deliveries are easier. - Margy

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  7. Haha, at first I thought this would be a review of The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, which was nonfiction about the No Name Storm that caused lots of damage and flooding in New England. It was good too! Sorry to be slow to visit, I've been busy making get out the vote calls for the Maine Democrats.

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    1. A very important task. We voted early to make sure our ballots get counted. As U.S. citizens living abroad we are eligible to vote in local city, county and state elections for our last residence and federal elections. - Margy

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  8. I'm reading Bird Box. And about to start: The Silent Companions. Happy reading! And traveling.

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    1. I watched Bird Box, but didn't read the book. - Margy

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  9. I’m so glad you’re home and comfortable and soaking up the last rays of sunshine on your deck. (I realize this is an older post ... hope you still have some of that sun). A dim loving your book reviews .

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Thanks for stopping by. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome. - Margy