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Friday, February 20, 2015

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.

17 comments:

  1. I read In the Shadow of the Glacier some years ago now and liked it a lot. At the time the series was not easy to come by and expensive on Amazon too, so I didn't read any more. I'll check again as things may have changed and I might be able to continue a bit more easily.

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    1. Cath, I think you'd like the mountain aspect. The Kindle books are not very expensive here. Not sure on your side. In looking at Amazin UK, they don't look too bad, but I'm not sure of the pounds vs. dollar amounts. In any case, good luck.

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    2. Yes, I checked and book 2 is only £2.35 (about $4) and book 3 only a bit more, so I'll be getting those at some stage. Oh yes, I definitely liked the mountain setting!

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  2. I've read four of the Molly mysteries, including this one, and I've enjoyed all of them. Most of mine have been from NetGalley--not much better than getting new installments for free!

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    1. Isn't that the truth? Did you know that Vicky Delany has a new book out that is cozy, I guess. Hate to label it. It's set in a lighthouse in NC.

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  3. Thanks for the recommendation - I hadn't heard of these books before.

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    1. I like them a lot, Margaret, but as Cath says, they may be hard to come by in your area.

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  4. Thanks for your recommendation again, Kay! Those wishlist is getting longer and longer! ;)

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  5. This sounds like a great series. I just put in a request for In the Shadow of the Glacier.

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  6. This is a new series to me but it sounds like a wonderful, almost cozy series. More for the list :)

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    1. Yes, almost a cozy but not exactly one, in my mind anyway.

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  7. Sometimes I feel like getting caught up on series is a far off dream.

    I am glad you are enjoying this series, Kay, and liked Among the Departed. I like the cold case angle too. I will have to give this series a try someday.

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    1. Oh, actually getting caught up on all the series that I currently read and would like to read is completely a dream, but I'm having fun trying.

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  8. I've added the first to my wish list!

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    1. Start at the beginning with this series. It really sets the stage. It's IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLACIER. Beautiful, beautiful setting.

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