Heather’s Bookshelf: Friends are Forever
Author: Mike Martin
Released: 04/01/25
Genre: Police Procedural
“Back home he dried off Lady and filled the pets’ bowls with water. Molly squinted at him to see if there was any more of that yummy chicken, but when there was none, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Windflower thought he heard the cat sigh, if that were possible, just before he turned off the lights and went up to bed.”
The story takes place in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and follows Winston Windflower and his Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) colleagues as they gather to celebrate promotions at celebration. Not so far away, a bank heist occurs. It doesn’t take long to recognize connections to other crimes in the area.
A couple of people connected to the crime end up dead. Windflower and his colleagues have their hands full trying to find a suspect and a motive. Meanwhile, Windflower’s family and friends are depending on him to not only solve the case, but get out of there safely. A personal loss also threatens to derail Windflower.
Will he be able to solve the case and overcome personal challenges in order to keep his family and community safe?
Trigger Warning: violence, death, reference to drug use, murder
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Though I have read two other stories in this series, the author did a nice job in re-introducing the characters in a way that it doesn’t feel redundant. The story is told mostly through the POV of Windflower. His spirituality, dream interpretation and connection to the deceased were especially poignant. The connections to friends- new and old- was also interweaved into the tale in a way that supported the title of the book. I especially enjoyed the arch of Bernard Thibeau and how Windflower supported him. This book felt a little different in mood and energy than the other two in the series that I’ve read- more introspective and Windflower-centric. I particularly enjoyed some of the details - recipes, walks with Lady, and the daily lives of the Windflowers and their friends. Not as much of a mystery in this one- much more of a police procedural. While there was a thread of the crimes conducted within the story, I did not feel that the main culprit or their motivations were made especially clear. I also didn’t feel the connections between the crimes were as developed as they could be. The ending did wrap everything up including an extremely touching goodbye for a “forever” and fallen friend. I’m a Windflower fan and would love to read what adventures Mike Martin has him encounter next.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A police procedural with a strong protagonist and clear connections to family and friends, but underdeveloped suspects and crime-related elements.
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