RCMP Corporal Holly Martin, newly transferred to Vancouver Island, faces adjustment to her new command, along with encountering her own past along the way. The reader is treated to all kinds of descriptions of the island in all its glory.
Almost incidentally, a mystery unfolds when an apparently homeless man is found dead of what looks like a drug overdose. An autopsy shows a deadly combination of heroin and a potent synthetic opiate, a deadly combination. Holly soon discovers something the man had hidden near the site of his death, and she struggles to find its meaning. At the same time, Holly is encouraged by her elderly aunt to investigate the disappearance of her mother many years before.
Slowly, Holly begins to look into the background of the homeless man, uncovering his relationship with a sister and aunt still living on the island. Consequently, Holly is able to begin piecing together the background story and investigate the possibility of murder. The author concentrates on developing the story against the raw beauty of nature and environment, which not only provide a truly forceful setting for the plot, but also a powerful conclusion.
Recommended.
