Book Review: Canaan’s Gate by Kathryn R. Wall

And the winner is…
Congratulations to Joanne Prusak
who will soon be reading
Death of a Dancing Master by M. E. Kemp!

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Canaan’s Gate
Kathryn R. Wall
Minotaur Books, 2010
ISBN 0312601840
Hardcover

Bay Tanner has a case of the doldrums as we enter Canaan’s Gate – the 10th book in the Bay Tanner mystery series by Kathryn R. Wall. Tanner, an accountant and inquiry agent, is trying to come to terms with the roller coaster of emotions of profound  loss, sorrow, guilt and joy ensuing from recent life events, when a mysterious phone call sets the story in action.

Vivid settings always make a story most enjoyable for me. When the reader can be transported through time and space to feel as if they are in that particular locale, then they have experienced a rare and special gift. This series is so firmly planted in the South Carolina Low Country that you can hear the ocean waves break and feel the mosquitoes biting.

As Tanner’s agency investigates possible fraud at a local bank, the people involved start dying. In the race to uncover what is going on, an exhausted Tanner, suffering from insomnia, simultaneously struggles to examine her personal relationships and conflicted emotions. There is no cotton candy fluff here – life and relationships are complicated.

Wall has not allowed this to overwhelm the story though, as the bank fraud and murders are perfectly interwoven with the conflicts in Tanner’s personal life, keeping the reader glued to the pages. The strong characters are vibrantly real and developed. The story flows quickly and easily. My only criticism is that I was able to guess who the killer was rather early in the book, but Kathryn Wall’s writing is so wonderful that I did not care. The story does not end with only the corralling of the killer though, but rather with a new drama that will have me anxiously awaiting the next Bay Tanner mystery.

I had never read any of the Bay Tanner series before, and yet I did not feel at any disadvantage, so feel free to jump right in at number ten.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the previous nine in this series.  I highly recommend Canaan’s Gate.

Reviewed by Pat Walsh, November 2010.

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November 29, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Contests/Giveaways, Guest Reviews

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