Five Ways to Disappear

March 22, 2021
In Greenaway’s brisk sixth B.C. Blues Crime novel (after 2020’s River of Lies), the officers of the North Vancouver RCMP, including lead investigator David Leith, are called early one morning to the home of Lawrence Follick, a brewery employee and hobbyist metal worker. Follick’s body lies in his front yard, the spike of a lawn ornament thrust in his throat. Soon afterward, a unicycle-riding clown is killed in a local park. The deceased is later identified as the CEO of the Vancouver branch of Global Health, a pharmaceutical company. This leaves the police looking for his killer—and in a quandary about why the man was wearing such a bizarre costume. Since the reader is privy to the identities of the murderers, the suspense lies in seeing how or whether Leith and his colleagues, who often interpret clues and motives differently, will figure out who’s guilty. These and other crimes are skillfully entwined into a satisfying skein of serendipitous coincidences. Those who prefer character-driven police procedurals will be rewarded. Agent: Carolyn Swayze, Carolyn Swayze Literary (Canada).

April 9, 2021

British Columbia native Greenaway's sixth "B.C. Blues" novel features Royal Canadian Mounted Police detective constables Cal Dion and Dave Leith in a bizarre series of linked cases. In the past, Cal had committed a crime that he now tries to keep hidden, but it is always on his mind. He meets a strange, na�ve woman at the grounds where a magical show is being arranged, and winds up going home with her and staying. Their relationship and her eventual disappearance take Cal's focus off his main job, which is to find the person dubbed the Paradise Road Killer; Cal is almost killed during this investigation. Dave is ordered to investigate Cal's involvement in the earlier crime, but he is not keen on discovering any evidence against him. VERDICT This mystery has dark elements that contrast with the beautiful locale; it will please fans of the series, as well as those who appreciate noir novels in general. The characters are well developed, with their faults laid out for readers. The several strands of the plot are all brought together quite acceptably in the denouement, except for Cal's earlier crime, which is left to readers' imagination; the author intends this to be the last book in the series.--Vicki Gregory, Sch. of Information, Univ. of South Florida, Tampa

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