This is a new series for me. I could tell I was missing some back story by starting with #6, but it didn’t seem to matter. It is a light mystery. It could have used some closer editing but was enjoyable nonetheless. The location and characters make this series special.

RCMP Sergeant Winston Windflower works in the small community of Grand Bank, Newfoundland. When 6-year old Sarah Quinlan goes missing, the local search turns nothing. Sarah has gone on an accidental and frightening journey in the back of a transport truck being driven by career criminal Solomon Flynn. A nosy trucker gets in Flynn's way and is dispatched and Flynn still has to decide what to do with Sarah. Meanwhile, Windflower has to deal with the dynamics of a new officer joining his team, as well as other cases involving thefts from a factory and a case of domestic abuse. On the personal front, Windflower's wife, mayor Sheila Hillier, is pregnant and the couple is looking forward to the birth of their first child.

This was another fine entry in the Sgt. Windflower mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and the author with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I liked this book a lot. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy for me to review.

Author Mike Martin has assembled a cast of interesting characters, put them in a remote Newfoundland village, and presented them with a fair measure criminal and meteorological activity to deal with. There's a child abduction, a cold-blooded murder, domestic violence and a theft ring, The action is non-stop, right up to the satisfying conclusion, when all the loose ends are tied up.

RCMP Sergeant Winston Windflower is at the centre of things; he's a solid policeman, competent and efficient, able to get along with almost everybody, including his superiors. He's a Cree who has transplanted himself to the East Coast and keeps himself in touch with his ethnic roots and beliefs.

This is the fifth in a series with Sergeant Wind flower, although his book can stand alone. As to style, I'd characterize it as a readable police cozy mystery. In the end the bad guys get their just desserts, which is just fine.

Recommended.

A fascinating story with many lines running through it seeming to interconnecting several incidents. I enjoyed the community of the RCMP. Also, the community of Grand Banks. I want to read other stories about Sgt. Windflower and friends. If you like Louise Penny, you will enjoy this.

A Tangled Web details the search for a missing child, and the resultant connections to corporate crime and spousal abuse in a small town in eastern Canada.
I'd call this book a "cozy procedural," as it tends to focus mostly on the procedures police (in this case, the RCMP) use to catch the criminals. It lends a little of the cozy format by adding details of the home life of Sgt. Windflower, including his pregnant wife (who is also the town mayor) and his dog. It seems like more time than necessary is spent focusing on them eating meals and walking the dog. In fact, so much focus was placed on the food in the cafe and in the Windflower household, I was actually disappointed not to find recipes at the end of the book!
I'm not sure I can adequately describe what's missing in this book. It just seemed to drag a bit, and maybe that's due to my lack of interest in the procedural aspects. Even the "action" parts of the book seemed to either move so slowly or move too quickly to really add the spark that was needed to keep the reader's interest. I did enjoy the addition of Windflower's indigenous cultural experiences. His interactions with his aunt and uncle were some of the best dialogues in the book.

This is a suspense novel with interesting characters and a plot moves right along. It also gives the reader insights into the Cree nation, the Mounties and Newfoundland.This is in a series which I had not read.

Sarah Quinlan, 8 years old, wanders from her backyard to a nearby truck stop. Solly Flynn kills a man in the same truck stop. He jumps into his truck and takes off, not aware that Sarah is in the back of his truck. Miles later, he finds her and doesn’t know what to do with her. He doesn’t want the police on his trail. Meanwhile, back in Grand Bank, Canada, inventory is noted missing from their deliveries. The questions about whether Solly is involved and Sarah gets home safely are dealt with in rest of the story. I want to thank Net Galley for giving me an opportunity to review this book with an ARC.

This is the first of the Winston Windflower series that I have read and while it was entertaining enough, the characters failed to come off the page for me.

What a great book getting back to the good old days decisions between work and family.

Sgt. Windflower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland day does not start well when a 6 year girl is reported missing, meanwhile a man is murdered at a restuarant in Goobies, not too far away. But more is happening in Grand Bank.
A pleasant mystery, interesting enough for me to read to the end but I am not sure whether I want to go back and start the series.

4 stars

Sergeant Winston Windflower is stationed in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. He is a First Nations member of the Cree tribe. Mrs. Molly Quinlan pulls up in front of the RCMP detachment sobbing that her almost six-year old daughter Sarah is missing.

The reader finds out what happened to Sarah. The little girl goes on an accidental and frightening journey. Meanwhile, Sergeant Windflower and his colleagues and neighbors comb the Grand Bank area for any sign of little Sarah.

A man is found murdered in the woods outside of a restaurant named Goobie’s. The Grand Bank police detachment is also investigating that. As the search goes on for Sarah without result, the team investigating her disappearance is downhearted and fear the worst has happened to her.

There is also something funny going on at the local plant. Supplies are missing from the new facility. The deputy mayor Francis Tibbo seems to be in the middle of the mess.

Winston has a bad dream about one of his colleagues named Eddie Tizzard. He tries to phone him without luck. Later that day, his friend and fellow officer is shot. Winston and Eddie drive to Stephenville to visit him and await news. While there, Winston meets the man who shot Eddie and listens to his tale about the missing supplies.

Winston is thinking about transitioning. For two years he will continue his job in the RCMP, but also will be buying a B & B. Getting someone to run it for the two year period and then he will take over. It’s a big decision, but Sheila his wife is very supportive.

This is a very well written and plotted novel. It’s almost a cozy, but with a bit of an edge. The suspense started immediately and continued throughout the book. I liked the way Sergeant Windflower’s team got along with one another and his relationship with his pregnant wife Sheila the mayor. Sufficient information was given about the main characters to flesh them out, but not so much that it intruded on the story line. I enjoyed the presence of a First Nations police officer and thought he was very well represented. I appreciated the little aphorisms that were dropped in throughout the book. The small town in Newfoundland seems like such a nice place, I Googled it just to have a look. It looks delightful. This is my first Mike Martin novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look at his other Windflower books.

I want to thank NetGalley and BookLocker for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book to read and enjoy.