Sandra Ruttan, Lullaby for the Nameless

Lullaby for the Nameless

Sandra Ruttan

Leisure, Dec. 2009,$7.99

ISBN: 9780843962864

Two bodies are found far apart; one in the mountainous woods near Kelowna while the other is found in a dumpster. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Detectives Constables Hart and Tain are sent to investigate the corpse in the dumpster while Constable Nolan works the case in the rural area as he is already is near Kelowna as part of a manhunt for deadly Hank Kurtis Jeffers.

The investigations begin to merge though geographically at a distance, but also ties back to that infamous first case that brought a then newbie Hart to work with feuding Tain and Nolan. His role is to keep them from fighting, but they simply kept him on the out. They must work together as they have recently done (see The Frailty of the Flesh and What Burns Beneath), but none of the trio want that as they each remember their stubbornness led to avoidable deaths.

This is a super Canadian police procedural that uses flashbacks to fill in more of the back story that has left the three detectives alienated from one another. The story line is fast-paced from the opening moment readers join Nolan trekking and musing across the mountainous path while thinking of his previous manhunt re murderess Lisa Hamilton. The plot never slows down even with the back story and rotating first person perspective between the three antagonist-constables. Fans will relish this strong investigative thriller enhanced by reading the previous two engagements starring a dysfunctional threesome.

Harriet Klausner