A wonderfully well written crime mystery thriller, “River of Lies” is the fifth installment of R.M. Greenaway’s B.C. Blues Crimes series. Having never have had the pleasure of reading any of the previous books in the series, I found it easy to follow the story as if it were a stand alone novel. There were few questions lefts unanswered, in a tactful way to leave the novel open for possibly a 6th installment. I applaud R.M. Greenaway on the ability to build a series that can be read through or as a stand alone novel. I look forward to reading the rest of the book in this series!
Greenaway opens the book with a young janitor leaving her shift at the local high school late at night. She arrives to her car to find that her tire is flat. A good Samaritan, who the young women recognizes from the school, happens to be there and offers his help. However, the young woman ends up dead. No witnesses, limited clues, and spotty security footage leaves constables Leith, Dion, and JD scratching their heads. While reading through the book, this murder seemed as though it was almost a filler for the book. However, it does bring the story full circle at the end. Leith and Dion, who are partners, seem like an unlikely match. Leith, who is secretly investigating Dion for a crime he may have committed, doesn’t fully trust Dion, it seems. Dion, who comes across as a constable with profiler tendencies, is feeling unheard and doubting himself. This unlikely duo come across as likeable, even with their strained relationship.
With the hunt for a killer under way, across town, a toddler goes missing from her crib in an upscale riverside home, in an upper-class community. During a dinner party no less. The toddler’s parents, Gemma Vale and Zachary Garland, are too busy arguing and blaming each other to be of much help. With Vale being remarried, and Garland in a new relationship of his own, the two continued to fight and argue and threaten one another over custody and living arrangements for the 3 children they share custody of. Little Luna Mae, the toddler who went missing from her crib, was their biological child. The other two children, Viviani who is 9 and Tiago who is 15, are Garlands niece and nephew who Garland is raising, after their parents’ untimely demise. The children are caught in the middle of the arguing, both with something they need to say. Neither able to do so, as neither Garland or Vale will allow the children to be interviewed alone. In the meantime, Leith and Dion are on a wild goose chase for a couple who may have bought the toddler from a local troubled teen named Kyler Hartshorn, who suddenly seems to vanish. Rumor has it that Tiago was also involved.
Tragedy strikes again as Tiago is found dead, on the rocky cliffs behind the riverside house that he spent half his time. For Dion, the parent’s reactions are lacking. For Leith, they are in shock. Either way, the race is on to find not only a killer, but a toddler who could be in danger. As the team work together to try and fit the puzzle pieces together, Kyler, who seems to have been at the center of both cases, is found dead in the river behind the riverside home. As team start closing in, Garland and Vale, as well as the team other suspect, become more unhinged and start to unravel. After Viviani secretly calls constable JD, and that call is cut short immediately by Vale, JD rushes to the riverside home to make sure Vivi is ok. Once there, JD becomes suspicious of Vales behavior and Vivi’s safety.
I don’t want to give away the ending, as I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turn the ending took. Whole reading, I was trying to figure out the case along side the team. I was shocked to learn what happened to little Luna Mae. The murderer was a little easier to figure out, but none the less, it was an unlikely source who helped bring justice to the young woman murdered. I defiantly give this book 5 stars and can’t wait to read the other B.C. Blues crime series novels, as well as what R.M. Greenaway come out with next.
Thank you to the author, R.M. Greenaway, the publisher, Dundurn Press Dundurn, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this title, in exchange for an honest review.
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