December 5, 2011
Meg Harris, “an escapee from Toronto” living in the West Quebec wilderness adjacent to the Migiskan Anishinabeg First Nations Reserve, gets an education in evil in Harlick’s absorbing fifth mystery (after 2009’s Arctic Blue Death). When Fleur Lightbody, the beautiful 18-year-old daughter of a friend of Meg’s, goes to Ottawa to find a summer job, Fleur and another young native woman disappear without a trace. Dismayed by the indifference of both the Ottawa police and the Quebec provincial police, Meg attempts her own investigation, which leads her to a remote fishing camp, a biker gang, and a vicious prostitution ring. When Meg’s estranged boyfriend, Eric Odjik, also goes missing, her investigation becomes even more personal. Harlick underscores the serious problem of missing native women while providing valuable insight into native customs. Meg’s continuing battle with alcoholism and her guilt over a childhood incident add emotional depth.