The Wandering Soul Murders: A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery

Lori A. Dunn is an ESL teacher and editor of the Toronto women’s
magazine Feminie.

Joanne Kilbourn, a political writer in Saskatchewan, has a very full
life that includes a large family and circle of friends. Her
daughter’s discovery of a body sets into motion a sequence of events
involving more deaths, a television show, and romance.

Gail Bowen’s latest novel is disappointing only in that it lacks many
of the characteristics readers associate with a murder mystery. While
there is an inherent mystery to the story, the central character does no
real “detecting.” The murders infringe on Joanne’s life, but
instead of solving them in the usual way, she finds that they take her
on a personal quest for appeasement. So, although we find no laying out
of plot, no clues to follow, and almost none of the accoutrements we
look forward to in a mystery novel, we are surprised to find an
intelligent novel of light suspense.

Although not a typical mystery, this is a wonderfully written,
suspenseful novel. The story is captivating and the Canadian content is
calmly familiar in a story of tension and drama.