Sweep Lotus: An Elias McCann Mystery

Henry G. MacLeod teaches sociology at both Trent University and the
University of Waterloo.

Mark Zuehlke’s first Elias McCann mystery, Hands Like Clouds (2000),
won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel; Sweep Lotus is his
third. Zuehlke’s mysteries are set in Tofino, a village in the Pacific
Rim National Park on the west coast of Vancouver Island. McCann is the
reluctant local coroner. The holder of this position is responsible for
determining the cause of sudden deaths, but community coroners are not
required to have forensic or medical training. McCann is uncomfortable
in his role because of that lack of training; however, his army
background gives him sound investigative skills that he puts to good
use.

A young street kid known as “Sparrow” has been found dead, wrapped
in barbed wire on the beach near the deserted campsite of the One Earth
Family, a group of homeless youth led by an older man. McCann quickly
establishes that the murder actually occurred in the woodshed on Jack
Ashton’s nearby rundown beach estate, which is soon to be transformed
into a luxury resort by the Dalgleish Property Development Corp. Initial
suspicion falls on the Family, who are preparing to leave town, and the
security guard who resides on the estate. But Sparrow’s interest
in—and frequent trespassing on—the estate shifts the focus to Darren
Dalgleish and his head of security. When a similar attack on another
street kid leaves her in a coma, suspense builds.

Sweep Lotus is well crafted, with interesting characters and
relationships and a beautiful West Coast setting. It offers insights
into both small-town life and politics and the world of street kids. For
new readers to the series, the action is balanced with information about
past events and the history of the characters. McCann’s strained
interaction with RCMP Sergeant Gary Danchuk and the stress in his
romance with girlfriend Vhanna Chan are explained.