3.5 Stars
I’ve read all the
Rachel Getty/Esa Khattak books so was interested in this one, the fifth in the
series.
This time Rachel and
Esa are called to Saint-Isidore-du-Lac in Quebec after a massacre at a
mosque. Twelve people are killed. Christian Lemaire, the officer in charge, has
a young Muslim man, Amadou Duchon, taken into custody though he was helping the
wounded. On the other hand, Etienne Roy,
the local Catholic priest, is found at the scene with a gun in his hands but he
is not apprehended and never seriously considered a suspect. As the investigation continues, Esa and
Rachel are convinced that the Wolf Allegiance, an ultra-nationalist group, and
a right-wing radio host are connected to the mass shooting.
The mystery is
interesting with several suspects with possible motives. The identity of the murderer is not easy to
guess, though looking back there are sufficient clues. I understand the murderer’s initial
motivation but there are subsequent actions that are less strongly motivated
and so less convincing.
The novel tackles
relevant issues in Quebec and Canadian society.
It explores anti-immigration sentiments, Islamophobia, and white nationalism. Rather than focusing on the radicalization of
young Muslim men, it examines the radicalization of young white men. The book mentions topics which have been in
headlines in Quebec: biker gangs,
discrimination in the Sûreté du Québec, Hérouxville’s
Code of Conduct, Quebec’s Charter of Values.
Some online chats and blogs which promote hate are included in the
narrative; they are unquestionably realistic though disturbing to read.
In my review of the
fourth novel in this series, I mentioned that the constant romantic tensions
became tedious. In this novel, the
romance element is also over-emphasized.
Every woman who meets Esa seems to fall in love with him?! He is unmoved by such amorous yearnings, but
the love of one person has a dramatic impact on his mood and attitude. Rachel, on the other hand, is attracted to
someone with whom she has to work closely though she doesn’t know if he can be
trusted. These romantic concerns serve
only as an unnecessary distraction, especially over-the-top passages like this: “She struggled to regain her composure,
blinking several times rapidly and running a dry tongue over her lips.”
Another aspect which
is tedious and annoying is the many references to eyes: “Their eyes met and held, eloquent with fear”
and “the answering flame in her eyes” and “that still-banked fury in his eyes”
and “her eyes were locked on his” and “The priest’s eyes slid to his” and “something
dark and nameless in her eyes” and on and on.
Everyone communicates so expressively with their eyes?! Dialogue and actions should be used more to
convey thoughts and feelings.
As with the previous
book in the series, this one is also sometimes bogged down by lengthy passages
of exposition that would be more appropriate in an essay: “But in effect, that’s what the Code of
Conduct – and the succeeding legislation – stood for. It was dressed up in language about religious
neutrality and the values of Québec – it resisted encroachment; it spoke of
erasure – but at heart it was a repudiation, of what was considered different .
. . other . . . barbaric. Debates about
the Muslim veil had created the specter of a foreign invasion – an intolerable
usurpation delivered by the hands of a community who sought religious
freedom. The language of Bill 62 . . .
suggested it applied to all communities equally. But its neutrality was a veneer. Its practical application was to exclude
those in religious dress from joining in public life. In starker, more specific terms, the proposed
legislation stripped a Muslim woman of her dignity and her choice.”
There is a lot of
focus on the difficulties women face in a male-dominated workforce: “Unwanted, unwelcome attention that hindered
a woman’s performance of her job” and “What do you think it’s like for me? For any woman who tried to slog her way to
the top?” and “He’d heard it from many of his female colleagues, frustrated by
unnecessary obstacles or by the difficulty they’d faced being treated with
respect by the men who stood in their way.”
The reader does not need to be reminded over and over again about this
problem.
I had problems with a
few things in the novel. First, there’s the
portrayal of the fictitious town, Sainte-Isidore-du-Lac. It is a “small town on the fringes of
Gatineau Park” about “an hour and a half from Ottawa.” This small town has a mosque, a synagogue,
and a university. What small town,
especially one so close to a city that has two, would have a university? Then a character who works as a spokesperson
for the premier of the province is summoned to Montreal? The provincial capital is Quebec City so it
is more likely she would have to go there.
A Muslim man speaks of the type of woman he would like to marry: “A girl I can take to the mosque who will
stand by my side in prayer.” Perhaps I’m
being too nit-picky but in a mosque, women pray separately from men!
This is not really a
standalone novel. I would strongly
recommend that it be read in the proper sequence. The relationships among the characters will
be much better understood if the previous four books in the series have been
read. In addition, all the
investigations of these prior installments are mentioned. The next book in the series is foreshadowed
at the beginning and the end with the appearance of a shadowy figure who
follows and threatens Esa. The identity
of this person undoubtedly lies in the previous novels.
This book examines the
consequences of hate, and considering events in both Canada and the U.S., it is
very relevant. A Muslim police
investigator as a protagonist is a welcome addition to the mystery/crime genre,
and the character of Esa continues to provide insight into the tenets of Islam
and the mind of a devout but moderate Muslim.
He and Rachel are an odd partnership but their working relationship is
based on mutual understanding, respect, and affection. Though the book is not flawless, it is of sufficient
quality that I will continue to follow the series.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from
the publisher via NetGalley.
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