Sunday 29 January 2017

Strange Things Done

Finished January 25
Strange Things Done by Elle Wild

This mystery is set in Dawson City in the Yukon. Journalist Jo Silver made the wrong choice when reporting the story of a serial killer in Vancouver, and because she was talked out of warning the public of his methods, a woman died. The blowback was bad, but Jo feels remorse even more strongly than the criticism she's received.
Jo is looking for a new start, and took the job on a small newspaper called the Dawson Daily. She finds once she gets to her new job that the newspaper is even smaller than she thought, and that it isn't daily, but weekly. The outgoing editor gives her some basic orientation, and will be approving any stories until he leaves. But he seems to have a different view on journalism than Jo, and doesn't want to share the information she's sure is important to her new community. Why is that?
After her experience in Vancouver, she doesn't take all the advice she gets on not reporting what she's discovered on the death of a local woman well at all, and this increases her distrust of her new acquaintances.
Jo has been used to drowning her guilt in alcohol lately, and on her first night in town she got drunk, accepted a ride home from a man she barely knew, and doesn't remember much about what happened after that. Bryne seems like a nice guy but Jo is no longer sure who to trust.
Her new housemate Sally, a dancer seems to have secrets and a real attitude too. Jo isn't sure whether she likes her or not. And the local RCMP guy is awful good looking, but Jo's recent experiences haven't made her inclined to trust the police, even though her father is a police officer.
As Jo gradually gets to know the people and issues of Dawson City, she finds her journalistic skills reading true and gets accepted enough to be initiated into the SourToe Cocktail Club.
Jo is a strong character and I hope this is the start of a new mystery series.
I also like the title of the book evoking of my favourite poems The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service, a man who lived for many years in Dawson City.

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