The Calling
By Inger Ash Wolfe
Mariner Books, $13.95
ISBN: 978-0-15-603398-5

Whether this novel is a thriller, mystery or police procedural, or a combination of all three genres, it is original and suspenseful. It takes place in a small town north of Toronto, and features 61-year-old Hazel Micallef, the acting head of the small police outpost in Port Dundas. The crusty Detective Inspector has a bad back and is racked with pain, dependent on pain killers.

Aside from minor infractions, little in the way of real crime takes place in the small town. Then one day a murder is discovered, the terminally ill victim horribly mutilated. Hazel discovers other similar victims stretching across Canada from Vancouver eastward. Despite her understaffed department, she undertakes to investigate what appears to be a case of a serial killer who may be masking mercy killings.

The story is gripping, with a tight plot, packed with shivering descriptions and taut writing. The author’s name is a nom de plume of a writer who is described as a North American literary novelist. One wonders why the author chose to hide under an alias for this well-told tale; whatever the reason, it should be read for its well-constructed flow, and is recommended.

Review by THEODORE FEIT

©2009 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.