A Killer in King’s Cove, the first in the Lane Winslow mystery series by Iona Whishaw, was very palatable. There were elements that I liked, and some that I didn’t, but I can’t stop thinking about it (and that I will have to get the next one out of the library).
Lane Winslow has found the perfect escape from her work in the secret service during WWII in the idyllic town of King’s Cove, British Columbia. She’s purchased the ideal property, with a friendly ghost and all, and stunning scenery all around. It’s the best place she can think of to start her writing career. However, that career is hampered when she finds a body in her stream whom nobody can identify. Given the nature of the Official Secrets Act, she finds herself caught up in the investigation as she can’t reveal pertinent information about herself. Soon, she’s determined (and a bit desperate) to find the killer before she’s charged with the crime.
Lane Winslow proves to be a very pragmatic character throughout this novel, which is really appealing to me and a great quality in an investigator. She takes everything in stride, stands up for herself, and proves that even the new girl in town can make her mark. I found her to be a really agreeable character, especially in her desire to live somewhere remote and scenic. I liked that she was willing to strike out on her own and go across the ocean, away from everything she knew in her homeland of England.
I thought Whishaw’s writing style was really good; she gets in different characters’ heads at just the right moment to provide the reader with pertinent information to the story, although the main focus is on Lane. She also does a fantastic job of describing the scenery that Lane is enjoying, which is making me think about taking my next vacation in Newfoundland! However, I didn’t get why she chose to tell the story the way she did; she gave away the plot about halfway through the book and, although there were some surprises, they didn’t have anything to do with the mystery. I feel that this book did a good job of conveying Lane’s background, so if that was the goal, then it has been accomplished.
Although there wasn’t as much mystery as I’d like due to the structure of the story, I thought other elements were completely on the nose. The townspeople of King’s cove were appropriately strange and nosy, the love interest of Inspector Darling was subtly introduced, Lane’s contentment in her surroundings was believable and understandable, and this novel even comes with a friendly attic ghost. All in all, I want to read more about Lane and her future exploits: I want to learn more about her and follow-up with her and Inspector Darling, I want to see some of the neighbors in King’s Cove again, and I want to visit the beautiful Canadian scenery some more. Luckily, I will be able to do so as there are seven books in the series so far!