If you like quality mysteries, try award-winning The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. This mystery is also an outstanding historical novel, set in the Northern Territory (Canada) in 1867. On the outskirts of the small town of Dove River, Laurent Jammett is murdered in his cabin. Jammett was a voyageur for the Hudson Bay Company, but had left the Company and begun to trade independently with trappers, possibly making himself a target of the Company. Other aspects of his life might also have led to his murder. Various townspeople begin to investigate his death, and several are launched on long treks through the brutal landscape to find the truth. The novel gives us vivid images of Canada in the mid 19th Century, including a sense of the reach and importance of the Hudson Bay Company. The characters are well realized, various, and engaging. It took me longer to read than most mysteries, perhaps because I lingered over the descriptions and the characters, but it was well worth the time. If you are so lucky as to be looking for a beach read or some summer escape, you’ll love this one, and the snowy landscape will make the summer sun look more appealing than usual. Request this from Heights Libraries for a great escape!
