A missing child. A dead mother. Kala Stonechild is about to discover what one betrayal can lead to.
When Adele Delaney and her daughter, Violet, go missing, Jacques Rouleau is called upon to investigate. However, struggling with the impending death of his ill ex-wife, he sends Kala Stonechild and Paul Gundersund instead. Stonechild has been trying to adapt to life as her young cousin Dawns guardian, and even though Gundersund has offered support, Stonechild is at risk of losing custody.
On the second day of the investigation, Adeles body turns up, dumped on the shoulder of the highway with no sign of her daughter. Her husband, Ivo, denies any involvement with either his wifes death or their childs disappearance, but not everyone is convinced. As the investigation unfolds, Stonechild learns that Adele was once entangled with a Montreal biker gang and heads to Quebec to investigate further.
As Stonechild and Gundersund juggle personal troubles and a complicated, dangerous case, they find themselves piecing together a chain of disasters leading back to a single betrayal.
**
Review
A terrific read from beginning to end. (Midwest Book review)
Brenda Chapman knows her way around a mystery. Tightly written and cleverly plotted, Tumbled Graves begins with the disappearance of a mother and child. The book drives toward the surprise ending with a fine storyteller at the wheel. I highly recommend the series. Chapman is an author to watch. (Anne Hillerman, bestselling author of the Leaphorn and Chee series)
A deft balance of character, story, and setting. (Booklist)
Richly drawn characters enhance this well-constructed, thoroughly enjoyable whodunit that will leave readers eager for the next installment. (Publishers Weekly)
What makes this mystery most interesting are the tightly knit details. Chapman never tips her hand as she presents readers with a wide-open field of suspects. For the majority of the novel, the list of potential culprits is lengthy, and the author skillfully deploys twists and decoys to misdirect us, while also dropping tiny clues to help make the final reveal seem perfectly logical. (Quill & Quire)
About the Author
Brenda Chapman began her writing career in childrens fiction. Her YA novel Hiding in Hawks Creek was shortlisted for the CLA Book of the Year for Children. The first Stonechild and Rouleau novel, Cold Mourning, was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel, 2015. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario.