Seldom Seen Road by John Degen (Latitude 46 Press)
I just finished Seldom Seen Road, a new murder mystery by John Degen. This is Mr. Degen’s third novel and the first featuring Mark Roth as a widower amateur detective.
The setting of rural Ontario north of Toronto allows Degen to use his detailed knowledge of the area to immerse the reader into Mark’s daily life. The local color, especially the diner where everyone knows your business (even if they don’t know your name), compliments the narrative. I appreciated the balance of detail and action; I rarely skipped ahead to get with the story.
The murder of Paul Robichaud, a local environmental activist, is the hub of the wheel with excellent choices of spokes to support a complex but not too burdensome storyline. Mark Roth is assisted by his cousin Jeremy Roth who works as a constable and his daughter Stephanie, a criminologist in Thunder Bay. These characters serve as solid counterweights both in solving the murder and supporting Mark as he struggles to find his way after the unexpected death of his beloved wife. The plot has a nice proportion of lines including a uranium mine, aggressive real estate development, and an evolving marijuana trade.
I really enjoyed reading this one. Not as much “can’t put it down” as “this was so engaging I didn’t want to”.
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