Publisher Description

Stylish, atmospheric psychological thriller following on from the Silver Dagger Award winner, Forty Words for Sorrow.
A gruesome discovery in the wilderness above Algonquin Bay leads detectives John Cardinal and Lisa Delorme to a remote cabin that has served as an abattoir for a cold-blooded killer…But the woods hide other horrors and soon a second body is discovered, naked and shrouded in ice. When one of the victims is identified as an American the Mounties have to be called in, but it's the Canadian Secret Service that arouses the most mistrust. Is their interference due to a suspected terrorist link, or is there something even more sinister behind it?With Northern Ontario in the grip of an ice storm of once-in-a-hundred years severity, the woods take on a glittering, lethal beauty. And in this winter wonderland John Cardinal must hunt down and confront a killer.

Notes

Stylish, atmospheric psychological thriller following on from the Silver Dagger Award Winner, Forty Words For Sorrow. Backed by Sunday press and outdoor campaign.

Review

'This is the book I've been waiting for through twenty years of reviewing crime fiction. This is the first great Canadian crime novel. Giles Blunt has done for Canada's north what James Lee Burke did for Cajun Louisiana. With Forty Words for Sorrow, the Canadian crime novel finally comes of age' Margaret Cannon, Globe 'A taut and enthralling tale that is as dark as the Canadian winter setting is cold. Humane, intelligent and gripping, Forty Words for Sorrow is a haunting journey into the human heart in all its complexities' Val McDermid 'A fine debut that deserves to do well, and promises much from a talented new author' Jim Driver, Time Out 'This atmospheric account ... is extraordinary for its psychology and tensions. Giles Blunt manages to inhabit the minds of killer, victim and investigator alike, a feat that very few writers can manage. It moves his work to a different level' Jane Jakeman, Independent 'A highly professional tour-de-force: excellently plotted, with fleshed-out characters and a well-portrayed, interesting setting' TJ Binyon, Evening Standard 'This Canadian novel is as fine a police procedural as any written in the USA and doesn't rely on others for ideas -- it comes across as fresh as morning dew ... never less than fascinating throughout' Mark Timlin, Independent on Sunday

Kirkus UK Review

This is a superb page-turning thriller by a Canadian author who won the Crime Writers Association Silver Dagger Award 2001 for his first crime novel, Forty Words for Sorrow. Stylishly written and set against the beautiful but deep-frozen and deadly winter landscape of Algonquin Bay, the novel unfolds a complex but enthralling story. The case for Detectives John Cardinal and Lise Delorme begins when body parts are found in the woods near Algonquin Bay. These lead to an isolated trapper's cabin where it becomes clear murder was done before the body was left as food for the bears. At first the dead man appears to be an American tourist, with secrets to hide. But the mystery deepens when a second body - this one intact, but naked and frozen - is found in the same woods. This time the victim is a local doctor. As the investigation progresses, links are established between the present-day crimes and the separatist violence of the 1970s in Montreal. A 30-year-old kidnapping and murder appears to have connections with the bodies in the woods - connections that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service seem unhappy to have uncovered. One of their agents in particular - Calvin Squier - is doing his best to muddy the waters of Cardinal's investigation. But Cardinal and Delorme are not to be impeded in their hunt to uncover the identity of the murderer. The sense of place is vivid, the story construction excellent and the characters compassionately and effectively portrayed. Giles Blunt is definitely an author to watch. (Kirkus UK)

Kirkus US Review

Canada's tiny, frigid Algonquin Bay, home to more bears than people, is relatively quiet during an unexpected winter thaw until two bodies are found in the woods within a three-day span. One, which may belong to a visiting American accountant, has been chomped on by bears. The other, bearing signs of rape, is identified as nice Dr. Winter Cates, who recently treated Det. John Cardinal's dad for a heart condition. While Cardinal, working the bear case, bumps into territorial disputes with the RCMP, lies and obstruction from the CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service), and hints of FBI encroachment, Det. Lise Delorme focuses on Cates's demise. Before they become convinced they are seeking the same perp, they must eliminate a trapper and a mobster from their suspect list and reexamine a 30-year-old murder chalked up to members of a terrorist cell seeking separatism for Quebec-and especially to the long-missing Yves Grenelle. There'll be links to Quebec city and New York, but the downbeat resolution, which follows Cardinal's dressing-down for prematurely arresting a local nabob, occurs right in Algonquin Bay, during a political fundraiser managed by Paul Laroche, a real-estate mogul with high-powered connections. This time out, author Blunt, who's already trained his microscope on Cardinal's feelings for his wife, a hospitalized depressive (Forty Words for Sorrow, 2001), turns to his relations with his father, with telling sidelights on Canadian politics and prejudices. Beneath the unfortunate mishmash of coincidences is a humdinger of a plot. (Kirkus Reviews)

Long Description

Stylish, atmospheric psychological thriller following on from the Silver Dagger Award winner, Forty Words for Sorrow. A gruesome discovery in the wilderness above Algonquin Bay leads detectives John Cardinal and Lisa Delorme to a remote cabin that has served as an abattoir for a cold-blooded killer... But the woods hide other horrors and soon a second body is discovered, naked and shrouded in ice. When one of the victims is identified as an American the Mounties have to be called in, but it's the Canadian Secret Service that arouses the most mistrust. Is their interference due to a suspected terrorist link, or is there something even more sinister behind it? With Northern Ontario in the grip of an ice storm of once-in-a-hundred years severity, the woods take on a glittering, lethal beauty. And in this winter wonderland John Cardinal must hunt down and confront a killer.

Review Quote

Praise for Forty Words for Sorrow 'Extraordinary for its psychology and tensions. Giles Blunt manages to inhabit the minds of killer, victim and investigator alike, a feat that very few writers can manage. It moves his work to a different level' Jane Jakeman, Independent 'A taut and enthralling tale that is as dark as the Canadian winter setting is cold. Humane, intelligent and gripping, Forty Words for Sorrow is a haunting journey into the human heart in all its complexities' Val McDermid 'This Canadian novel is as fine a police procedural as any written in the USA and doesn't rely on others for ideas it comes across as fresh as morning dew … never less than fascinating throughout' Mark Timlin, Independent on Sunday 'A highly professional tour-de-force: excellently plotted, with fleshed-out characters and a well-portrayed, interesting setting' TJ Binyon, Evening Standard

Feature

* A major stylish, intriguing and atmospheric thriller in the vein of David Guterson and Reginald Hill * Giles Blunt's first book, Forty Words for Sorrow, met with huge acclaim and won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award * The Delicate Storm is even more addictive and certain to take Blunt to a wider audience * Backed by a spine-tingling Sunday press and outdoor campaign targeting millions of book buyers Competition: Last Bus To Woodstock (Inspector Morse Series Book 1); Still Life; Meet Me In Malm

Description for Sales People

Stylish, atmospheric psychological thriller following on from the Silver Dagger Award winner, Forty Words for Sorrow. A gruesome discovery in the wilderness above Algonquin Bay leads detectives John Cardinal and Lisa Delorme to a remote cabin that has served as an abattoir for a cold-blooded killer... But the woods hide other horrors and soon a second body is discovered, naked and shrouded in ice. When one of the victims is identified as an American the Mounties have to be called in, but it's the Canadian Secret Service that arouses the most mistrust. Is their interference due to a suspected terrorist link, or is there something even more sinister behind it? With Northern Ontario in the grip of an ice storm of once-in-a-hundred years severity, the woods take on a glittering, lethal beauty. And in this winter wonderland John Cardinal must hunt down and confront a killer. * A major stylish, intriguing and atmospheric thriller in the vein of David Guterson and Reginald Hill * Giles Blunt's first book, Forty Words for Sorrow, met with huge acclaim and won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award * The Delicate Storm is even more addictive and certain to take Blunt to a wider audience * Backed by a spine-tingling Sunday press and outdoor campaign targeting millions of book buyers Competition: Ian Rankin, James Lee Burke, David Guterson

Details