Cover Image: Fire, Fog and Water

Fire, Fog and Water

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Member Reviews

"Fire, Fog and Water" often verged into the tedious, perhaps too often. I found this book to be a bit of a boring read overall. It's probably my least favorite in the series.

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While on a run with his dog, Lady, Sgt Winston Windflower of the RCMP slips off the road and lands up against a boulder buried in the snow -at least he thought it was a boulder. Lady’s furious digging suggests something else. Windflower digs deeper and soon he discovers a rolled up carpet and, inside, a body.

Fire, Fog and Water is the eighth in the Sgt Windflower Mysteries by Mike Martin but the first I've read and it works well as a standalone. I will admit I requested the book from Netgalley based mainly on the fact it is set in Newfoundland and I’m so glad I did. The mystery was compelling but it was the characters and their lives away from the job that kept me glued to the page. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of this series in the future.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Ottawa Press and Publishing o for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review<i/>

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I enjoyed so much about this book which has Sergeant Winston Windflower facing several mysteries at once. The setting is Newfoundland, Sgt. Windflower and coworkers of members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Place. This is an entertaining mystery with well-developed characters and enchanting descriptions of the landscape. I highly recommend this book.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book for Net Galley for my unbiased review.

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Sgt. Windflower is in the doldrums as this mystery begins. He "snaps" at everyone who approaches him so unlike the Sgt.Windflower we now and love. There is murder/s, hit and runs, fire, bombs, and drugs. What is going on? Plus there is family, friends, dreams. Mix all these items together and you have another wonderful Sgt.Windflower mystery situated in Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

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I did not understand the idea behind including the element of magical dreams in this story. Of course, this might have been explained in the previous books of this series - which I haven't read so I will not comment much on this topic.

Windflower's routine gets a little repetitive and makes the story a tad boring. The murder mystery takes precedence in the second half and the pace picks up.

The author has explored various angles in this story - office politics, sexual harassment and familial life - and these additions are appreciable.

Overall, this was an okay read.

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It's the second book I read in this series and I'm fascinated by the setting.
It's a good story, well written and engrossing. The cast of characters is fleshed out and the plot well crafted.
I hope to read other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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I like this series better with every book. The small town of Grand Bank sounds like a great place to live in Canada. This is book 8 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and it's a winner. Could be read as a stand alone but lots has happened in the previous books that reflect on book 8. Slightly more than a cozy read but nothing too gory or scary this is a great read for teens to older connoisseurs of mystery novels. Sgt. Windflower is a native of the area and practices the old ways of his people. He's been lax about contacting his ancestors so they start coming to him in dreams. Now with several murders in his area and drugs coming in, he must keep his unit focused and digging for clues. A wonderful police procedural. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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This is the first I've read in the series and really enjoyed it. The overall emphasis of the story is that Sgt. Windflower has a wonderful support system of spirituality, friends, family and coworkers that help him to maintain his balance in spite of challenging job duties.

I felt like the opening of the story was a little uneven; Windflower seems to have let the pressures of his job get to him more than usual, and while his friends are concerned about his dark mood, his wife basically threatens to leave him if he doesn't snap out of it. Within the first couple chapters he does just that and then life goes on in family bliss...everything seemed to resolve way too fast for as rocky as it started, with no more mention of unhappiness on his wife's part. However, I was rooting for Windflower and was happy to let that incident go.

The emphasis of the story is the solving of a case with various moving pieces but not focusing much on all the gruesome details of the crime. While I don't know if this qualifies officially as a "cozy mystery" I felt cozy reading it and would recommend it if you're looking for an uplifting story.

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Even if this is a series, I quite enjoyed Fire, Fog and Water on it's own. The community presented, grabbed and carried me through each part of life and intrigue as it developed. In addition to giving the feel of the area it felt real, this in itself kept me guessing as to what direction they would be going nextand what was to follow. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!

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Thank you NetGalley and Ottawa Press and Publishing for the eARC.
This was the first book I read in the Sergeant Winston Windflower series and thoroughly enjoyed.
Sgt. Windflower is having a bad day after having a fight with his wife Sheila, finding a body on his run with his beloved dog and getting an earful from his boss. This is the start of a complicated case that also involves the hit and run of a young woman, culminating in the realization that it's all to do with the making and distribution of fentanyl/heroin pills.
I was surprised and sad to learn that Canada has the same opioid crisis that has ravaged the States.
The sense of place is terrific, especially for me, as I vividly remember being stuck at St. John's airport due to thick fog. Wildflower is an extremely likeable character with a lovely family who keep him sane, as do his daily prayers of thankfulness.
A lovely and thoughtful book that I recommend with complete confidence.

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I saw this title and was instantly intrigued by the setting of Grand Bank Newfoundland – an island (and province) I’ve visited frequently and sailed about often. While I was concerned coming into the eighth book in the series and wondering if there would be missed connections, Martin did a lovely job of building interest in earlier (and later) stories to come, while providing me with a read that was self-contained and well presented. Winston Windflower is a Sargent with the RCMP, and stationed in Grand Bank. But the end of winter is coming, and while things are ‘samey’ as always, he’s feeling more than a bit “off”. The long winter of grey (if you’ve seen The Shipping News – you’ll understand) has worn on him, and things aren’t helped by tripping over a corpse on his run.

Seriously though, this was a character driven story – from Windflower’s struggles with a temporary superior and his being caught in the middle of a power struggle with said superior and a co-worker, a pile of trouble falling down with links to the body he and his dog tripped over and some drugs involvement, his own frustration with the weather and his mood, and a serious look at why he’s so out of sorts and just what will bring things around and put him on the right track again.

The story was full of twists, with plenty to sort out from a mystery end, and with Winston, his family, his friends and even the ‘temporary superior’ adding a different sense of Winston’s reactions and impulses, the story is engaging and hard to put down. I’m a fan of supporting stories from the Maritimes (or anywhere) in Canada, and this peek into an underserved yet entirely unique spot off the Eastern Seaboard is wonderful. I’ll be looking out for the earlier books in this series to see how Winston has grown and developed over time, as well as taking a break on the island – without the fog and cold!

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aAN/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

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The setting for this book is very well defined and developed. It's as recognizable as your own community. The characters are woven into the community, I know several people just like these. Mike Martin is well skilled at drawing us into the story. It was very hard for me to set it down. I was not shocked at the ending but I very much enjoyed the journey to get there.

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Thanks to #NetGalley, Mike Martin and Ottawa Press for the opportunity to read the 8th book in the Winston Windflower series in return for a fair and honest review. I have to admit that I have not read any of the previous books in this series (but I fully intend to), but after reading a review by #JackBatten in the #TorontoStar, I decided to give "FIre, Fog and Water" a try - and I'm certainly glad I did.

Sgt. Windflower wakes up in a bad mood, and the events of the day do nothing to temper his mood; he snaps at everyone including his loyal assistant Betsy. He's being bullied by this (acting) Superior Officer, and during a morning run he makes the unwanted acquaintance of a corpse wrapped in a rug. And thus begins the latest installment.

Throughout the book we see that Windflower is deeply in love with his wife and his infant daughter, is in touch with his heritage, respects his fellow officers and has a spiritual connection to Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

However, the case of the corpse in the rug soon snowballs to include hit-and-run, murder, opioid trafficking, explosives, and a host of suspects. While on the homefront Winston has to deal with replacing a roof; and at the station he deals with an out-of-control superior officer as well as one who gets into a bit of trouble (due to said superior).

This mystery grabbed me from the first page, and barrelled along to a satisfying conclusion. The author manages to weave in some local colour (that's sum weather, b'y) but is not heavy-handed with it so the story feels modern at the same time as down-homey (there are forensics, computer traces, DNA, fingerprints, and all the trappings of modern mystery books, as well as a sense of place and time.

I highly recommend "Fire, Fog and Water' to anyone who has read the other books, and even to those curious about the series.

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This is my first time reading Mr. Martin and I really enjoyed it. I don't know much about Newfoundland so this was a treat. You really get a feel for the location that makes you want to visit.
The characters were really good and I love Windflower's daughter. She steals the show! I also love getting to know more about Windflower's family relationships along with his colleagues and neighbors. It's a mystery but it has lots of heart. Will be looking for more of this series soon.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

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It is no wonder that Sergent Winston Windflower is feeling cranky and overwhelmed. His small corner of Newfoundland is generally quiet yet he finds himself with an unsolved murder, a hit and run victim, as well as suspected arson. His young officers are needing his guidance to work through challenges of their own, while his new boss is riding him almost to the breaking point. As he races to put all the pieces together, the foggy damp winter weather weighs him down and the fires in his dreams leave him confused and searching.

In any work of fiction, it is the characters that drive the story. In this book, the tail end of winter weather, especially the fog, becomes a character in itself. Throughout the story, it lies as subtext if not quite menacing definitely oppressive. While the human characters do their part, Windflower’s dog Lady, and surprisingly food, become almost driving characters as well. It is obvious that he has a deep relationship with both.

Book eight is my first venture into this series and with a small exception, I found it easy to read and follow as a stand-alone. There is a sense of shared history among the main characters that I never felt left out of. Windflower is an exceptionally spiritual individual and at first, I was quite lost when it asserted itself in his character. It is the one instance that I feel a bit of background from reading previous installments in the series might have helped me navigate the story a bit easier.

Windflower is quite different from most mystery protagonists. He is far more grounded in those close to him than is the norm. It is actually quite refreshing and doesn’t detract from the clever wit or dogged determination to get to the bottom of the various mysteries that is quite expected in literary detectives. These people in his life are well written and brightly colored offering a unique tapestry to present the story on.

I also quite enjoyed the insight into the RCMP structures and protocols. With me not being from Canada I found it quite different from the police procedurals I am used to. I would move to Grand Banks in a heartbeat. It sounds like a wonderful place, winter notwithstanding.

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This was the first book I had read from this series. It will definitely NOT be the last.
I was impressed with the writing and the depth shown with the characters. The book and story are very well rounded between the crime aspect and the family and friendship parts.
Sgt. Windflower is not your typical police officer.
In the US we might call hum native but I guess indigenous is a good term. He has some seemingly mystical beliefs and practices such a dream walking that I felt added much to the story.
He supported his staff, current, former, etc and stood up for them and for his own values and beliefs. I very much appreciated this aspect of the story. He also loves and is attentive to his dog.
He is well versed in poetry and Shakespeare and classical music. As I said - quite well rounded and unusual for the LEOs I read about in most series.

That does not mean that the issues and crimes he comes up against both in his personal life and on-the-job are simpler. Very much relatable to current times and trends, this is a series that offers much for any sort of crime reader.

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I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is the first book that I have read in the Sgt. Windflower series by Mike Martin.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and will read other books in the series. I have never been to Newfoundland and the descriptions of the environs make it sound like it's worth a visit.

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Fire, Fog and Water is the latest book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

I have read several of the books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them all. It has been a pleasure to watch Sgt. Winston Windflower develop in both his personal and professional life, to be enveloped in the beautiful Canadian location and to learn more about his beliefs, local history and the spirit world.

Author Mike Martin has a gift for combining the authenticity of crime – drugs, murder, abuse – with charming characters, love of friends, family and animals, and an overall feeling that despite horrific events that can and do happen there are still good people in this world.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. I recommend this book and this series without hesitation.

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Windflower goes on runs to settle him down and exercise his dog. When he slips and slides down to a boulder, his dog gets excited by what's hid behind it. He thinks it's dead animal, but no. It's a dead human...

Ottawa Press and Publishing and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

As they work on who might have killed him, they also has have a hit and run victim and an arson fire. For a small town in Newfoundland, they have their share of problems.

Then they learn the burned cabin was creating pills that were illegal. The owner of the cabin and his son both deny any knowledge of the illegal activity. Someone didn't agree and blew the father up with a package bomb.

While all this is going on, Windflower is going through his own personal crisis. He's been dreaming and some of them are confusing. His aunt interprets them and tells him to use an Indian ceremony to settle him down. He does and it works.

He finds there were more people involved with drug smuggling. He's a busy man in this story. The best part of the story is his relationship with his wife and child.

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4 and 1 / 2 stars

Sergeant Windflower of the Grand Bank Detachment returns in this, the latest in the series.

He finds a body in the snow. It is identified as a local man named Paul Sparkes. He was a man who was known to be a small time criminal. Windflower also has a possible hit and run on his hands and a particularly cranky boss. Time passes and things come to a nasty head with his boss. An altercation takes place at the Grand Bank station. A fire breaks out at an abandoned house. It is arson.

Are all these cases tied together? How?

Windflower is a kind and introspective guy. He does his best to follows his family's traditions and listens to his dreams. He is kind to his employees and loves his wife and daughter very much. This is a warm hearted police procedural which focuses as much on Windflower's personal life as it does on the investigation. It is almost a cozy mystery. It is distinctly different than the usual hard bitten police procedurals I usually read. It was a very nice side trip into an imaginary town in Newfoundland.

I want to thank NetGalley and Ottawa Press and Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

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