Friday, July 30, 2021

Book Spotlight: Safe Harbour by Mike Martin

 


Title: SAFE HARBOUR
Author: Mike Martin
Publisher: Ottawa Press and Publishing
Pages: 264
Genre: Mystery


Sgt. Windflower is on a special assignment in St. John’s and adjusting to life in the big city. He is navigating traffic, a difficult boss at work and what seems like an epidemic of missing girls. He becomes more interested when he discovers that one of the girls is from Grand Bank. Then a girl approaches his RCMP van one night and he is pulled into the underlife of the capital city. But he still manages to enjoy all of the good things in life. His family, old and new friends, and the love of living so close to the Atlantic Ocean. Welcome back to St. Windflower Mysteries.

PRAISE

“Safe Harbour is a thought-provoking, fast-paced read. The mystery woven around his home life is very nicely done, containing just the right amount of tension and development to make for an inviting leisure read.” – Midwest Reviews

CHAPTER ONE

Windflower looked across the lake. Well, he would have if he could have seen anything through the thick blanket of fog that had been sitting on Quidi Vidi Lake for the past seven days. One whole week, he thought. Every day since they had arrived in the port city of St. John’s, it had been the same. Windflower knew the lake was out there because he remembered running around it as his daily exercise when he was temporarily stationed here a few years back.

Sheila Hillier, his wife, knew the lake was out there as well. She’d spent a couple of months doing rehab at the nearby Miller Centre when she was recovering from a serious car accident. If there wasn’t any fog, she could look out her window in May and see the rowers getting their practice in as part of their training for the Royal St. John’s Regatta, an annual event that took place down there in August.

But it was a long way from spring as Windflower gazed out his window at the typical scenery for a January morning. He was the first one up, except for Lady, his collie, and Molly, the cat who never seemed to sleep anyway. She would close her eyes sometimes, but Windflower had never come into a room with her in it when she wasn’t awake and watching him. Windflower liked this time of day when his two children got up. They were Amelia Louise, his soon-to-be two-year-old daughter, and his almost-daughter, Stella, who he and Sheila were fostering.

He liked this house on Forest Road, too. It wasn’t similar to his and Sheila’s in Grand Bank on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, but for a rental it suited them perfectly. It had four bedrooms, two and a half baths and a large backyard for the kids to play in and, if the weather held, for Windflower to barbeque. But the likelihood of the weather staying just simply foggy and damp was not good. There was snow in the forecast and more snow coming after that.

Windflower had been in snowstorms in St. John’s before. It was hard to miss one if you travelled here regularly in the fall, winter or spring. And they didn’t come with a few flakes or a few inches of accumulation. No, snowstorms here often meant feet of snow, sometimes in the double digits, and he had come out some mornings to look for his car, only to find it buried under a virtual mountain of snow. The worst storms came in double or even triple waves. That’s when a storm system would blow through and dump one load of snow and then drift out to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately for the good people of St. John’s, it would blow back in and repeat the damage—sometimes more than once.

Windflower grabbed his anorak and hat and took Lady out to the backyard. He also brought his smudging kit. Inside were small packets of his four sacred medicines: cedar, sage, sweetgrass and tobacco. There was also an abalone shell, a small box of wooden matches and an eagle feather fan that had been gifted to him by his grandfather many years ago.

He placed small amounts of each medicine in his abalone shell and lit them with a wooden match. Smudging was a way to cleanse his body, mind and spirit, and how he smudged was to use a fan or the feather to pass the smoke from the burning herbs over his head and body. He even sent the smoke under his feet.

He had been taught to pass the smoke over his head to give him clear thoughts and wisdom, over his heart to keep it pure and lead him to wisdom, and under his feet to let him walk a straightforward path in his daily life. He would also allow the smoke to linger around him as long as he could to remember that he was not alone in the world. Then, when he was finished, he would lay the ashes on bare ground so that all negative thoughts and feelings would be absorbed by Mother Earth. Lastly, he would pray. Today his prayers were all about gratitude.

This was a good morning to be grateful, thought Windflower. Amelia Louise was a happy, healthy child. Sheila was happy to be back in school full-time as she pursued her dreams of an MBA. And little Stella, their four-and-a-half-year-old who’d been through a lot in her life, including the recent loss of her mother, was starting to settle into their household. Windflower himself had just started a new assignment as public outreach coordinator with the regional Royal Canadian Mounted Police office in St. John’s.

Sergeant Winston Windflower had been a Mountie for all his working life. After training in Regina, he was posted to British Columbia for two years on highway patrol and another couple of years in Halifax before arriving to the province nine years ago for a posting in Grand Bank. Wow, he thought. That was a long time. Most of his career had been spent in the field and on the ground, so he was a bit apprehensive about this job in St. John’s. It was only for a year, but it was his first desk job. He wondered if he’d become stir-crazy sitting in the office so much. But that was something else he could pray about.

His last prayer was for himself. He didn’t pray for patience. His uncle told him never to pray for patience because Creator would only send more opportunities to practice it. Instead, he prayed for calmness and guidance, and for the wisdom and courage to ask for help. That was something he wasn’t very good at, and something he surely needed.

His prayers and rituals complete, he and Lady went back inside to start the rest of their day. Things happened quickly in his house once everyone was up in the morning. Windflower put on the coffee to get himself ready. Soon, he could hear Amelia Louise calling out and Sheila moving to get her. He went upstairs and saw that Stella was also awake but shy and uncertain about what to do.

Windflower went through her clothes for the day with her. Stella was going to school for the first time, junior kindergarten, and Windflower could tell she was both excited and afraid. He and Sheila had talked to her about it again last night to try to reassure her, and this morning Stella was trying to put on her brave little girl face. But she started to cry as Windflower was leaving, so he went back and held her. Once she stopped crying, he left her to get dressed and went downstairs.

It was Sheila’s first day back at school, and she was looking a little anxious too. Windflower went to her and gave her a hug.

“I guess it’s a big day for everybody,” said Sheila. “New job for you, Stella and I both going to school and Amelia Louise to daycare. Are we out of our minds?”

Windflower laughed. “It will be different, but once we all get our routines down, it’ll be fine,” he said. He poured both of them a cup of coffee. “I’ll make some oatmeal if you check on Stella. She looked like she might be having second thoughts about this school thing.”

“Like the rest of us,” said Sheila. “I’ll leave Amelia Louise to help you.”

That was one way to describe Amelia Louise’s activities while Windflower got breakfast ready. From teasing the cat, to trying to pull Lady’s tail off, to upsetting Sheila’s craft basket in the living room, Amelia Louise kept her father busy and alert. But somehow he managed to slice up some fruit and get everyone a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and maple syrup. An even bigger miracle was getting everyone out the door on time.

Windflower helped Sheila put Amelia Louise in the car so she could drop her off at daycare first and then take Stella to her kindergarten class. She would go into Memorial University later for her first morning class. He was fine. He could take his time and walk over to the RCMP offices across the lake, the one he couldn’t see for the fog. He cleaned up, got the pets all organized and started his first morning walk to work.

Order from Amazon!



Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 10 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Safe HarbourA Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. Mike has also published Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries, a Sgt. Windflower Book of Christmas past and present.

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writing Guild and Ottawa Independent Writers.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mike54martin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore




Monday, July 26, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 26

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.


 


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Would someone please tell me where summer is going? How is it already the end of July? By this time next month, the Lil' Princess will be starting her senior year at WMA. 

We celebrated my mother-in-law's 89th birthday on Sunday. I am hoping she at least gets to see her 90th birthday; something denied my father-in-law thanks to COVID. I am so thankful to have such a strong woman of faith in my life. 



The husband and I also got a chance to see the Red Sox beat the Yankees this weekend. I swear I am not the reason he has gotten so gray. I totally blame the Lil' Diva and Lil' Princess. 



Travis & Dwight were their usual curious selves this week.



As far as reading goes, I am trying to stay on top of it. Work has been crazy, but I am hoping for a tiny slow down in August. 

I finished this middle grade mystery yesterday. You can read my review at my children's book blog



I need to start these soon if I don't want to fall behind. 







I might try to read something just because I want to after that, but another new book arrived this week that I need to read. Check it out below.









Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

I found this in the mail last week and couldn't be happier. 




Founded by five unmarried and enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morning Star Marketplace in small-town Missouri is preparing for a joyous Christmas season. But will the holiday also bring unexpected tidings of love?

Twin sisters Molly and Marietta Helfing are eagerly anticipating Christmas, with Marietta fully recovered from cancer and their noodle making business thriving. But Molly clearly misses having former tenant Pete Shetler and his rambunctious dog, Riley, around. Marietta can’t ignore Molly’s feelings for Pete—or the anxiety it stirs within her. Convinced her illness has made her unmarriageable, Marietta wonders what kind of life she’ll have if her sister marries—despite Molly’s promise to never leave her behind. . . 

 Then a fire destroys the home of Amish neighbors and Molly and Marietta graciously make room for widower Glenn Detweiler, his dat, and his two young boys. When Pete returns to help the family rebuild, Molly relishes her reunion with the handsome carpenter, while Marietta delights in mothering Glenn’s boys—and is surprised by her poignant bond with their quiet, brooding father. Soon everyone is wondering if this season will bring the blessing of a merry double wedding to Morning Star . . .

What is on your list to read this week?

Monday, July 19, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 19

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.


 


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Here we are at Monday again. Hope you had a nice week. We are experiencing unbelievable amounts of rain here. Flash floods, flooded basements, and washed out roads. I can't remember the weather being this rainy for so long ever... and I've lived here my entire life. Maybe I just blocked it out along with all those bad childhood memories. LOL!

Our unofficially adopted daughter turned 18 last week. Her dad threw her a huge birthday/graduation party. We got rained on, but it was a great time.


Daughter #3 is the same age as the Lil' Princess, but because LP's birthday is in November, they are a year apart in school. 

My birthday was Monday, which means I am creeping even closer to 55. Yikes! The Lil' Diva bought me some nice flowers.



I sometimes wonder how Theo doesn't hate us with all the ways we make him miserable. The Lil' Diva bought him a sweatshirt this week. 


Dwight and Travis look adorable, but don't let them fool you. They are total mischief makers. 


In my reading world, I surprised myself by finishing off and reviewing my first Murder, She Wrote novel. 


Read my review here.


I am reading this one. 



Though I could probably work another Murder, She Wrote novel in before these reviews are due, I think I will behave and start these right away. 






I also signed up for this book tour in October.









Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

I was so excited to see this one arrive in the mail this week. I sat in on a great Zoom conversation with the author, editor, and illustrator of this book on Sunday. 



I also grabbed this Kindle freebie, because you can never have enough books; though some might argue with me if they saw my closet.  



That's it from me this week. What are you reading? Do you have any good cozy mystery recommendations for me? I love to read them. 

Saturday, July 17, 2021

Book Review: Murder, She Wrote - The Murder of Twelve by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land

 

A blizzard is coming. A blizzard is coming. And Jessica and a dozen members of a wedding party are stuck at Hill House with a killer!!!

In the 51st book of the Murder, She Wrote series, Jessica is still staying at Hill House hotel while her Cabot Cove home is being rebuilt. As a winter storm of historic proportions blasts into town, she finds herself trapped with twelve members of a wedding party whose plans are waylaid by the storm. But the blizzard is the least of their worries when they discover there is a murderer in their midst who is determined to take them out one by one. 

Though a huge fan of the show, I have never read a Murder, She Wrote mystery. When I saw, however, that Jon Land was now involved, I knew I had to order some. 

The Murder of Twelve starts out with well-known residents of the town--the local doctor, sheriff and bestselling author--talking about the predicted once-in-century storm. The banter amongst the three is a fun way to start this mystery off light, and it really captures the essence of the cozy mystery in setting up the small town. It is also one way that Land allowed me to feel right at home while reading my first Murder, She Wrote novel, because it truly plays out exactly as I would have imagined. 

The writing is superb. The mystery is fun to unravel. And all of it comes to a satisfying conclusion with no loose ends. Now, I am ready to read the next book in the series, Murder in Season. A small town mystery can only be made better by setting it during Christmas, right? 

I look forward to reading more Murder, She Wrote novels with Jon Land giving Jessica Fletcher a hand.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (May 26, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1984804332
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1984804334

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.




Sunday, July 11, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 12

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.


 


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome back to Monday. For our family, it is also welcome home! After driving straight through, we are home from the Outer Banks. What a great time we had. Tropical Storm Elsa brought us a bit of wind and rain, but it didn't interfere with our plans too much. 


View from our street


Enjoying frozen yogurt at The Surfin' Spoon


They actually have three books out now


The Elizabethan Gardens


The Elizabethan Gardens


Elizabeth II replica


Beach time


Beautiful sky on the way back from Raleigh


Rainbow after a shower on Wednesday.



Theo isn't much of a car fan


Brought these home for me from The French Door in Nags Head and Mermaid's Purse in Manteo.



While we were away, the 14th anniversary of The Book Connection happened. I really should keep track of these things. 

Thankfully, vacation means time to read. I caught up on the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and a young adult fantasy novel that was overdue for me to review. 


Read my review here


Read my review here


Read my review here




I want to finish this one up, because it has been on my Kindle for a while. 



I am also reading this one, though I might have to break off since I have new books to review for book tours.


These are virtual book tour ones--you know, the virtual book tours I said in January I was cutting back on--coming up in August and September. 











Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

We stopped back in at Book Warehouse in Nags Head. Books at a bargain make me happy. 

I picked up these four historical mysteries by Kerry Greenwood for my mother-in-law. 





Then I grabbed this one for me.


I snagged this Kindle freebie yesterday.


That's it for me this week. Not sure how much reading I will get done since I start back to work early tomorrow. Hopefully, I can keep up a decent pace. 

What are you reading this week? Hope you'll share in the comments below.