Comment

A Cold White Sun

a Constable Molly Smith Mystery
Mar 31, 2017gloryb rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canadian author but used an American publisher. Mystery story is set in a small town in the Kootenays during ski season. The author's main character is a young female constable working in her home town and still living with her mother, but is hoping to wed a fellow worker soon. Although her name is Molly Smith, her mother, a hippie when she was born, still calls her Moonlight. The novel certainly has a promising start with the murder of a local teacher out walking her dog. The author selects characters who have problems of some sort so she can use them as a diversionary tactic when the story needs to show the passing of time and to help her police characters follow clues. These characters are cliched, however - hubby with a mistress, ex-Afghanistan soldier with PTSD, a looney older mother who sees the son she gave up at birth in the town's male visitor, rebellious teenager in trouble with the police, cancer stricken murder suspect, an older hippie-environmentalist who falls for a police officer, land developers, strangers who are not who they say they are, popular young male teacher also good at athletics and a role model, etc. The author sprinkles her book with characters of all ages and uses a good balance of dialogue to description. While there seems to be a lot of conflict - actually, between all characters - the novel still has a good feel to it; all problems are resolved in the last chapter. A quick, predictable read reminiscent of those "made for TV mystery movies".