A young woman takes a curve too fast and wraps around a tree, A man sees her and runs down the incline just to find that he's left his phone at home. Another man joins him .. he also has no phone, but he volunteers to go up top and wave down a passing car. Then another woman finds her way down to them ..alas, she has no phone. What are the chances? He happens to see cars passing ..so where's the man who was going to stop traffic in order to get some help?

RCMP Constable Dave Leith and his partner Constable JD are investigating. Tracking down the good samaritans that tried to help proves to be a little harder than first thought .... bad things are happening to the people who tried to help.

RCMP Cal Dion is still fixated on something that happened right before he and his partner were involved in an accident, leaving Dion with memory problems and his partner dead.

Dion and Leith are still somewhat at odds, but their relationship is getting easier. But that's before Dion learns that Leith actually put a tracker on Dion's car? Why? And who put him up to this?

Although 4th in the series, it's easily read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading in order. While Dion and Leith take charge of the investigation, It's Constable J D Temple who takes center stage here. The characters are deftly defined and I really enjoy how they relate to each other. Lots of suspects .. lots of action, it's truly a page-turner. The plot is tightly woven with a few twists and turns here and there. The ending was a bit unexpected ...and there's a small cliffhanger that leads to the next in line ...RIVER OF LIES.

Many thanks to the author / Dundern Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Perhaps I'd like it more if I had read the other books in the series but overall, "Flights and Falls" was just okay in my opinion. I didn't much care for the writing style but the plot was okay, if a little strange.

This is good enough entertainment, but the plot is a little too strange. The language is also a little stilted for my liking, and even though the book can be read as a standalone, the characters are dependent on earlier books in the series.

A rollercoaster of suspense where every new bend brings one more puzzle piece and deepens the mystery.

A wailing ghost, a car crash, a blind shooting and wannabe policewoman this is the seemingly disconnected world Cal Dion finds himself in after returning to his job at the local station. Investigating this strange series of events while maintaining the falsehood of his amnesia-ridden memory for the sake of his peers, Cal will soon find that the deeper he digs, the more he feels he’s missing his grasp on all the pieces, putting his past in danger of coming back to get him. Flights and Falls follow multiple members of the RMCP as they investigate a seemingly unconnected series of near-fatal crimes towards the investigating officers looking into a fatal car crash of a young woman on a deserted road one fateful night.

This book was a delight to read even for one who has never dabbled in this genre, despite being the 4th book in a series, there is enough backstory from the previous books to provide an easy inroad while providing intrigue and mystery in equal measure.

This book is a pleasure to read that only improves as the pages turn, I will be reaching for the other instalments and so will you.

Alex

Breakaway reviewers received a copy for review.

On a December night, a red car swerves off the treacherous Sea-to-Sky highway. The two men who try and help the woman include rookie RCMP officer Craig Gilmartin. Soon afterwards, Gilmartin is shot at twice and ends up seriously wounded. The other witness, Rory Keefer, is reported missing by his wife and later found murdered in the forest by RCMP officer Cal Dion.

RCMP detectives Dave Leith and JD Temple lead the investigation into the various deaths and attacks. One theory involves the use of a radio controlled plane used as a weapon to cause the car crash. But what is the motive behind Amelia Foster's murder?

Dion is still dealing with the fallout behind the car accident that had killed his partner Looch, and the unidentified female witness to their illegal acts before the crash.

More killings occur as the RCMP team tries search for the whereabouts of their prime suspect during the Christmas holidays. Obsession over a manipulative young woman plays a key role behind the killer's actions. This convoluted motive and plot lowers the rating for me.

The ending with the key witness to Dion's actions being taken for a literal ride was a surprise.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Dundurn with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

R.M. Greenaway has crafted multiple diverse story lines into a gripping mystery thriller.This book made a long plane flight a pleasant experience that seemed to go by in minutes. Thank you R.M.Greenaway and Netgalllery for a spectacular thrill ride !

Multi-layered Mystery

This novel is the fourth in the BC Blue Crime series by R.M. Greenaway. In theory it could be read as a standalone but is probably best read as part of the series. I had read only the previous (third) one in the series.

The plot revolves around a single car accident on the Sea to Sky Highway. But then bad things start to happen to presumably good people who stopped to help out at the scene of the crush, including the young off-duty constable who is the first policeman on the scene. He is shot twice for no apparent reason and ends up in hospital, Another man who stopped at the scene is later reported missing by his wife and is subsequently found dead in the forest by RCMP officer Cal Dion. Dion is a continuing character in these novels and is under suspicion for his involvement in a car accident in the previous novel which did not happen as reported. Dion comes up with an interesting theory as to why the current car crash occurred and with Constable Leith pursues various leads to unravel the mystery.

The author weaves a complex and multi-layered plot which takes a while to unfold.

4 solid stars
This is book 4 in the B.C. Blues crime series. I recommend reading them in order, as there is a developing thread concerning a secret that Cal Dion, RCMP constable is hiding. Each of the 4 books reveals a little more of the secret.
The main plot of this book is a car crash originally written off as an accident on the British Columbia "Sea to Sky" highway or what the locals call the"Highway of Death" because of the number of accidents on the road. It is a mountain road with treacherous conditions in bad weather. A young constable, off duty at the time, happened upon the accident. Subsequently, he is shot at, but the shot misses. Then he is shot and left for dead, but survives. Now Sergeant Bosko of the GIS unit of the RCMP assigns Constable David Leith and Cal Dion to investigate along with other members of his team. More murders take place but the mystery is solved. There is a minor cliffhanger ending connected to the continuing thread.
While there are several murders, the violence is not graphic and I would say that this series is ok for cozy mystery fans.
Two quotes: "Leith glanced at the winter sky. In every place he had lived up to now, winter had brought snow. Snow was rare in the lower mainland, but rain was anything but."
Cal Dion reminiscing: "Memories were bittersweet, and it was the delineation that bothered him--the past so sweet, the future so bitter. The sea's scents and sounds, its wheeling gulls, it wide openness that suggested great power and endless possibilities, all closed to him now. The sea was a kind of background music to what had been the time of his life."
Thanks to Dundurn Press for sending me this book through NetGalley.

R M Greenaway began her writing career on a bus as she traveled through the remote areas of British Columbia. As a court reporter, she often found herself forced to take the bus by inclement weather. With time to kill, she amused herself by scribbling story ideas and, after many years of queries and rejections, she finally got her writing career moving. Her BC Blues crime series has won her awards and respect, a role she is still unused to filling, but this book is the fourth in the series so something’s working

In “Flights and Falls,” RCMP detectives look into a vehicle accident along the notoriously dangerous Sea-to-Sky highway, famous for its accidents and deaths. This one is different. The casualty is a young woman that dies after crashing into the woods after apparently swerving off the road. Two Samaritans that attempt to assist her are later viciously attacked with only one surviving. Another helper disappears for unknown reasons but a mysterious man fitting the description keeps showing up with apparently evil intent. Weird clues and tenuous connections seem to point to a game of thrills, but other evidence indicates greed and the possible involvement of another Mountie, leading investigators into a many faceted search for the truth.

Greenaway admits to many interests but the most compelling is her urge to develop schemes and write about them. Her books have an element of fantasy; something she avers exists in life itself, and definitely has a place in crime fiction. She uses it carefully so that her books remain realistic, a trait I found appealing and well conceived. One of her Mountie protagonists suffers from a past traumatic head injury, a situation that challenges her to find ways to keep him involved. She has also created a new female character that inspires her and she intends to keep JD Temple up front in her new books.

I like Greenaway’s writing skills. Her dialogue is well developed, her plotting is intricate but maneuverable, and the landscape is beautifully created. I look forward to becoming more familiar with this author’s work.

I read the first book in this series and although not totally won over to the series was really intrigued by the character of Dion and the potential for this series. Somehow I missed books 2 and 3 and picked the series back up in book 4.

There are definitely some interesting characters in this series. I really like JD but I'm not sure I like where Dion's character has gone. As in the first book, I find the character of Leith to be a bit lackluster. However, as a group of cops/constables/officers it's got a really good mixture of different personalities. In this type of series, I really want to be vested in the main characters and I definitely am.

My real problem comes with the plot. It's interesting and I love some of the twists and turns but it seems to lose its pace and plods along for too long before gaining momentum again. Instead of being pulled into the story, I found myself pushing to keep reading.

The ending leaves you open with the Dion, so I'm still intrigued with what happens there.

Thanks to Dundurn and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is a part of the review I have posted on my blog https://trailsoftales620253622.wordpress.com/2018/12/03/arc-review-flights-and-falls-by-r-m-greenway/

The twists and turns the author has concocted are invisible until they slap you in the face. I have lost count of how many ‘Whoa!’s I have uttered as I ran through this exciting mystery.
Just a few pages in, and I couldn’t help but appreciate the author’s understanding of how the smallest behavioural quirks of a person can tell his/her whole story. Armed with that understanding, the author has created a world of characters who are interesting even in their mundaneness.

Now you could read ‘ Flights and Falls’ as a stand-alone but I don’t think you would be able to fend off that book itch to read the rest of the series. I will be checking out the complete B C Blues crime series. You should too.

Updated review to follow. I finally got the book to download. I will correct my review as soon as I finish the book.

****REVISED REVIEW****

5 stars

RCMP Constable David “Dave” Leith wonders if his colleague Cal Dion might be getting away with murder. Dave was asked by his boss to keep an eye on Dion for he suspects that he is not yet recovered from an accident. Dave knew Dion from an earlier posting “up north” and is surprised to see him back at work. But keep an eye on him he does.

A new trainee reports being shot at in the street. He was not wearing his uniform at the time. Dave examines the scene, takes measurements and tells Constable Craig Gilmartin to be careful. He and his partner JD respond to a call later that evening and it turns out to be Craig who is shot in the chest. He is barely hanging on to life. Dave now feels bad at his almost flippant remark earlier to Craig.

Meanwhile Cal Dion is feeling scared and rather sorry for himself. No one called him to go to the scene of last night’s attempted murder of an officer. But it is his own fault. He has gotten himself into a bad situation and he knows it. He knows he is under suspicion; he just doesn’t know how much the brass knows.

A car accident that perhaps wasn’t an accident, a suicide that perhaps wasn’t a suicide, a constable shot and a man dead in the forest; the cases are piling up and Dave wants to draw connections between them. Then Dave’s boss Bosko tells Dave that there was a witness to the bad deed that Cal Dion supposedly did. But the telephone message is garbled. The “witness” calls again angry that Dion has not been arrested, but won’t tell Dave’s boss any more information.

The officers, JD, Dave, Bosko, Cal and the others toss around theories about how the car accident and the other incidents could be related. Some of the officers veer off to one theory, while Cal has one of his own. He sets about trying to prove it. Cal tells Dave his theory and then heads over to confront his suspect.

In a surprising twist to the story the truth is revealed. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I should have figured…

This book is very well written and plotted. The transitions flow smoothly and there are very few wasted words. The story is linear and makes logical sense. I like Dave and JD. They make a great team when they work together. I also like how Dave partners with different people, so he doesn’t get too influenced by one person. Dave is smart and a competent police officer. JD is more secretive, but thinks well on her feet and has opinions of her own. I like this book more than the first in the series which I read some time ago. I can hardly wait for the next R.M. Greenaway novel to come out.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn for the eARC.
Book no. 4 in the B.C. Crimes series is another excellent read, I really love this series and can't wait for no. 5.
A young woman is killed in a car crash on the dangerous Sea to Sky Highway and the 2 men who tried to help are end up severely attacked, one of them killed. The detectives heading the case are Dave Keith and JD Temple. Detective Cal Dion, still anxious about the events surrounding his car accident that killed his partner, is stressed about the possibility of losing his job if the truth comes out. He spends quite a bit of time trying to figure out what exactly happened that night when the woman was (possibly) driven off the highway.
There are more killings as the case progresses; it looks like someone is getting rid of possible witnesses.
The story is intense, with many possible scenarios and quite an ending...what a great book!
I would suggest reading the series in order (believe me, it's well worth it!), so as to get the full backstory.

Flights and Falls is the fourth book in the B.C. Blues Crime series.

I enjoyed the plot, the characters in this book are well developed and they work well together. I loved their interaction and it definitely had me guessing.

This book is well written and had me gripped right from the first few pages. The storyline is interesting but was hard for me to follow because at first—I had a hard time keeping up with some of the characters in this book. I will have to read the previous books in the series to know more about them.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dundurn in exchange for an honest review.

Vancouver’s Sea to Sky highway can be a beautiful but treacherous drive. So when a young woman rolls her car, it’s hardly front page news. Sadly, despite the help of 2 men who stop to help, she dies. Oddly enough, both are seriously assaulted in the days following the accident.

One is found by demoted detective Cal Dion & his partner. Once upon a time it would have been his case. But these days he hands over the reins to former colleagues Dave Leith & JD Temple. When the second man is shot, the RCMP have to wonder if/how these events are connected.

All those involved were strangers & you know what that means…..endless hours of interviews & shuffling paper trying to find a common thread. Cal finds himself seconded to the team & it’s the last place he wants to be.

If you’ve been following the series, you’ll feel his pain. You see a couple of years ago, Cal did a bad thing (although we still don’t have the full 411 on that yet). Another cop died & Cal’s injuries left him with a wonky brain. His spotty memory was legitimate at the time & everyone bought his version. But someone else was there & saw what happened. And then there’s that anonymous phonecall made to Sgt. Mike Bosco, head of the elite unit.

Bosch is a smart, affable man who deals in secrets. He can’t shake the feeling Cal remembers more than he let on & enlisted Leith to keep an eye on the young cop. Unaware of their alliance, Cal went to great lengths to avoid Bosco while working with Leith. So when he got demoted all he felt was relief. Now he’s back with the team & squarely under Bosco’s watchful eyes once again.

As far as the investigation goes, all I’ll say is you get a killer with a most unique M.O. Who’d have thunk it? There are plenty of twists, subplots & red herrings to keep you on your toes. But a couple of elements in particular made me really enjoy this. One is a bigger role for JD Temple. She…is…hilarious. I love her dry sarcasm. She’s a smart, tough cop who’s casual asides had me grinning like a loon in the middle of a dramatic scene. And through one of the sub plots connected to the investigation, we get to see the softer side she usually keeps under wraps.

The other thing was the progression of the overall story line of the series. In the previous 3 books we got a slow drip of information re: the night Cal lost his partner & scrambled his brain. We know the end result but still have so many questions about what led up to it & the mysterious witness. In this outing things take a huge leap forward & the identity of the anonymous caller made my jaw drop. Holy cats….uh, Cal? Might be a good time to look into a transfer, buddy. To somewhere like…oooh, I don’t know…Guam, maybe? However, the final pages make it clear the informant might face a few challenges of their own.

As always, it’s a pleasure to spend time with Cal & watch as he, Leith & Bosco engage in their intricate dance. The situation feels like it’s coming to a head & adds a growing background tension to the criminal investigations. So I’ll close with a note to the author: please write faster. In the meantime I’ll check out job opportunities in Guam.

Book #4, in the Blues Crime series

Once again I will say that this latest is one of those books you either love or hate and if you have lots of time on your hand tackle this convoluted mystery.

As in her previous stories “Flights and Falls” is a characters driving mystery populated with many players and following them and keeping track of them can be a challenge, well it was for me. No doubts, this book is a progression of the overall story so to understand were things fall you really need to start with book #1( Cold Girl) and move from there.

This latest starts when a red Chevette crashes in the woods along the treacherous Sea-to- Sky highway. The driver, a young woman is the only casualty and the people who had assisted her brutally attacked. An investigation is set in motion with endless hours of interviews and we find ourselves in an unspeakable cat and mouse game. Our usually main characters Cal Dion and his partner are on the backburner and the reins have been handed to Dave Leith and JD Temple in this open case. We go back and forth between the many threads and more characters come into play, more killings and more investigation….more mysterious witnesses, anonymous callers ….oh boy more people…Cal and Bosco are still engage in their little dance...will this ever come to a head and blow up….back and forth we go…. again….

Ms. Greenaway has penned once more a multilayered mystery that dilly-dallies too much for my taste but nevertheless offers a plot that is interesting and captivating. The style is original and is well said to push us forward in order for us to stay tuned till we reach the last chapter. The conclusion opens the door for a 5th book…I will be waiting for it…

I have been unable to download and change the file type from acsm I'm afraid and can't open the file. I have completed the steps as per the advice but can't get the file to work. Would you have a copy I can read on the kindle please?