Sorrow Lake by Michael McCann

Sorrow Lake is Michael McCann’s first in what promises to be a series of police procedurals featuring Detective Constable Kevin Walker and Detective Inspector Ellie March of the Ontario Provincial Police.  Walker is stationed at Sorrow Lake, a small rural town near the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Toronto and March hails from the Eastern Ontario police headquarters at Smiths Falls.

Det. Walker is called to the scene of a murder in a farmer’s field just outside of Sorrow Lake one wintery morning.   The victim has been shot through the neck with a shotgun from close range and is identified as Bill Hansen, a used car dealer from Sorrow Lake and neighbor to Walker.  Walker is placed in charge of the homicide investigation, his first, and Det. March is sent from the regional police headquarters to oversee the investigation… a common practice in Canada.

The investigation team is quickly assembled and Walker and March methodically lay out the process and make team assignments.  Nothing is left uncovered.  A forensic team analyzes the crime scene finding foot prints and tire tracks, and recovers the bullet.  Walker and March inform the widow of the deceased and measure her reaction for any abnormalities.  Every neighbor on her street is interviewed.  Hansen’s place of business as well as his home is searched for any signs of foul play.  His business records, bank accounts, and phone calls are examined to identify anyone who was in contact with him and to discover any unusual transactions.  Employees are interviewed as well as business associates.

From Hansen’s place of business they discover a late model Range Rover is loaded with about a quarter of a million dollars worth of BHO, marijuana butane hash oil and records indicate it’s to be delivered the following day.  Another car from the lot, an Audi Q7 had been picked up by a local lady, Jeanne Clayton the day of Hansen’s death.  While interviewing Mrs. Clayton, Walker and March discover Clayton may have seen the murderer when she picked up her car that day.  She offers a description of a man who she had witnessed having an argument with Hansen and a manhunt is on.  But the evidence just doesn’t add up for March.  Why would a drug client or supplier kill Hansen and leave the spoils?  Plus why is Walker so friendly and loose lipped with the retired police chief still living in Sorrow Lake?  And why did Hansen call the police station the night of his death, then hang up without talking to anyone?  There has to be something in Hansen’s life that their detailed research has yet to uncover.

I happened upon this book on NetGalley and in keeping with West Coast Don’s foray into Eastern Canada and its native authors, decided to give it a try.  Also, I have a personal connection to this area in that I had numerous commercial dealings with folks from here as well as from Western Ontario and Quebec during my career. As for Sorrow Lake, McCann writes a linear and detailed saga on how to investigate a murder complete with interesting diversions while revealing tidbits about the lives of the main characters and historical facts about the area.  There is very little gore and not a lot of suspense but a straight forward, ‘Just the facts, Mam’ type of approach… classic police procedural.  I’m sufficiently interested to try the second in the series due to be released next year entitled Burn Country.