(Image from Barnes & Noble)

With a population of less than 10,000 people, Trafalgar, B.C. is not exactly a hub of criminal activity.  Yes, the town's divided over the issue of whether or not to build a community peace garden honoring the area's Vietnam War draft dodgers.  The conflict has caused tension in the bucolic community, sure, but it's not like someone would kill over it.  Or would they?  When Reg Montgomery—an overbearing developer who's bent on building a large resort on the community garden land—is murdered, it looks like tempers over the polarizing issue have finally blown up. 

Because she knows Trafalgar, 26-year-old Moonlight "Molly" Smith is assigned to the case.  A constable who's only been with the police department for six months, she's ecstatic about this fortuitous opportunity to prove herself.  John Winters, a seasoned detective sergeant from Vancouver, is not exactly thrilled with his new partner.  Molly's green, overeager, and not exactly objective, considering her mother is the peace garden's most ardent supporter.  

As the duo investigates Montgomery's murder, they must dig deep into the town's secrets, which produces some shocking—and nasty—surprises.  The more they nose around, the more dangerous the situation becomes.  Can Smith and Montgomery find the killer before one, or both of them, become the next victim(s)?  

Mystery series set in small towns are my very favorite kind.  I always love to see what these quaint little communities are hiding, the secrets they keep hidden behind their peaceful facades.  Naturally, then, I found the setting of In the Shadow of the Glacier by Vicki Delany, appealing.  Unfortunately, that's about all I liked about this book.  Not only are the characters flat and clichéd, but they're just not likable.  Most of the men are, quite simply, jerks.  The novel's plot offers nothing new, which makes it both predictable and dull.  Add a whole lot of typos/errors, bland prose, sloppy story construction, stiff dialogue and, yeah, you can see where I'm going with this.  I only paid a couple bucks to get In the Shadow of the Glacier on my Kindle, but man, what a waste of 200 pennies.  

(Readalikes:  The setting reminds me of Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series—definitely read that one instead of this one.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of In the Shadow of the Glacier with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Wayward, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Pines.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Ethan Burke, a former Secret Service agent from Seattle, now knows the truth about Wayward Pines, Idaho.  He knows what's hiding behind its quaint facade.  He knows what lurks beyond the razor-topped electrified fence that circles the village.  He knows the 461 people living in the town may be the only humans left on the planet and that those people, himself included, are being watched every second of every day.  He's seen what happens to residents who rebel, or complain, or simply can't conform.  David Pilcher, the megalomaniac in charge of Wayward Pines, will do anything—anything—to preserve the dream he's fulfilling with his post-apocalyptic version of Mayberry.

Few are brave enough to break the rules.  Even Ethan, now the town sheriff, worries about the repercussions of standing up to Pilcher.  Still, he can't stand the lie he's being forced to live.  Torn between protecting the people he cares for and fighting for the freedom they all deserve, Ethan will have to make some life-or-death decisions.  The fates of 461 people hanging in the balance.   

Wayward, the second thriller in Blake Crouch's exciting Wayward Pines trilogy, is not quite as mind-blowing as the series opener.  Still, the novel draws the reader in just as quickly as its predecessor and keeps the suspense going until the very last sentence of its very last page.  The story moves quickly, with lots of thrills and chills, making it pretty much impossible to put Wayward down.  Literally.  Although I didn't find it as jaw-dropping as Pines, I still devoured it in one sitting.  After which I promptly started The Last Town.  Did I mention this series is *slightly* addicting?  Don't say I didn't warn you ... 

(Readalikes:  Pines and The Last Town by Blake Crouch)

Grade:

If this were a movie (and the trilogy has been turned into a mini-series on Fox), it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find