Among the Departed by Vicki Delany

I'm really having a good time doing some catch up on several series where I've fallen behind.  Vicki Delany's Constable Molly Smith series is one of those.  I listened to Among the Departed, the 5th Molly mystery, and fell right into the story.  It was read by Carrington MacDuffie, who I think is the narrator for all these books, set in Trafalgar, British Columbia.  She does a good job with the Canadian accents or so it seems to me, a Texas girl.

A little background on Constable Smith of the Trafalgar Police.  Molly, also known as Moonlight Legolas, as she was named by her mother, has grown up in Trafalgar, the daughter of Andy and Lucky Smith, former hippies and owners of a hiking and outfitting store.  This area is quite beautiful, surrounded by mountains, and certainly the setting is a big part of Vicki Delany's plots.  Having a daughter who becomes a cop was the last thing that Molly's parents wanted, but a police officer she becomes nonetheless.  And is known as Molly to all but her mother, who persists in calling her Moonlight.  By the way, the second child of this family, a brother named Sam, has what do think as a legal name?  Of course, Samwise.

Among the Departed begins as Molly and her boyfriend, RCMP Officer Adam Tocek, are having a romantic evening when Adam gets a call that a small boy has gone missing from a family campsite.  Adam and his police dog, Norman, are needed right away.  The boy is quickly found, but another discovery is not quite as pleasant.  Norman has also found something else.  Human bones.  Sergeant John Winters, Molly's co-worker, starts looking into missing persons cases and soon find an unsolved one from 15 years ago.  Brian Nowak left his family home for a walk and never came home.  The last person to see Mr. Nowak was his daughter's friend who had spent the night, Moonlight Smith, age 13.  The case is reopened and all kinds of secrets emerge, ones that some would prefer had stayed hidden.

I have loved this series and loved revisiting the characters, the small town charm, and the gorgeous  setting.  Molly is an interesting character and her life is filled with good friends, an eccentric mother, and co-workers that have all kinds of issues, both good and bad.  The cold case mystery is always a favorite of mine and I was caught up in the investigation of the missing man and also loved the personal aspects of these characters.  This author does a good job of giving us a mystery to solve and friends to hang out with.  The best parts of reading a series.

If you'd like to begin with the first Molly Smith book, it is In the Shadow of the Glacier.  I recommend this series highly.  And I'll be moving on to the next book soon, A Cold White Sun.