Verdict in Blood by Gail Bowen McClelland and Stewart 1998

Judge Justine Blackwell is bludgeoned to death after leaving a party celebrating her 30 years on the bench. A call in the middle of the night wakens Joanne Kilbourn to ask that her 83 year-old friend and house guest, Hilda McCourt, identify the body. It turns out that Hilda has been asked by the Judge to decide if she is becoming senile. Judge McCourt has been spending a lot of time developing a halfway house for released criminals and her three daughters think she is losing it. When a will shows up that leaves the bulk of her fortune to the halfway house, the daughters become very upset. Some very unsavory characters at the halfway are linked to the Judge and come under suspicion. When Hilda is attacked and nearly killed in Joanne's home Joanne begins to put the pieces together and eventually solve the riddle of the Judges death.

The personal life of Joanne continues to be hectic. Her budding romance with Alex Kequahtooway, hits some snags when Alex's nephew Eli, disappears and Joanne's good-intentioned comments about his care raise Alex's hackles. An old lover returns to Saskatoon and wants to rekindle their old flame and throws Joanne into a bit of a tizzy. Joanne becomes a grandmother and her adopted daughter continues to grow in spirit and painting ability.

A good solid read but not as good as "Burying Ariel". After watching two made-for-TV movies of Bowen's previous books just before reading this book I had a little trouble getting my head around Joanne's character again. They are presented quite differently in book and movie.

I just discovered Gail Bowen when we were doing a mystery program on Canadian and Alaskan mysteries at our local library. Of all the new authors I sampled, Gail Bowen was my favorite! I was instantly struck by how well written A Killing Spring was. Also, I found that not only did I like the character of Joanne Kilbourn, I also cared about her and wanted to go back and read all the previous mysteries in the series to see her character develop. I found all the characters in the book quite engaging and well developed, and also became quite fond of Jo's elderly friend Hilda, whom I hope to meet again in other books in the series. I found the Saskatchewan setting added another appealing element--just a bit exotic to a reader living in California! Jo's romance with an "aboriginal" (Indian) policeman, as well as her relationship with her children and with the troubled nephew of her policeman friend, all add three-dimensionality to her character. Gail Bowen is a great new discovery for me, and I am recommending her to all my mystery-reading friends! I am eager to read all the other books in this series.

Gail Bowen has done it again! Political Science professor/sleuth Joanne Kilbourn, in the latest in this excellent series from Canada, has a full plate, indeed. She manages to lead a full life with all its joy and despair. She's a "real" person; as I mentioned in a review of an earlier work of Bowen's, one of the rewards, for me, in this series is watching the growth and development of "true" people. The protagonist and her family and friends come alive for this reader, and they don't stay stuck in one time slot book after book. Not at all - They age - Children mature - (If not that, at least they grow up)- A grandchild arrives and so on. Through it all, because of Bowen's very fine writing, we have a novel of three-dimensional characters about whom we care deeply and I, for one, look forward to meeting them all again.

Before I begin, I should point out that I have read and loved the entire Jo Anne Kilbourn mystery series, and that this first book is the only one I have any solid troubles with.

Jo Anne Kilbourn is a wonderful character, a woman who can't seem to not get involved when a man she worked with in Canadian Politics is murdered by poison in front of a crowd, herself included. Digging into the past of the politician, however, she unearths that all might not be how it seemed, and soon wonders how many people she can trust that she has trusted her entire adult life.

A character with a solid family, Jo Anne is a bright and interesting widower, and a smart amateur sleuth to boot. On that basis alone, this was a pleasure to read.

The pleasure ends with the villain. I don't want to give the book away, but who the villain is and and the villain's motive for murder set my teeth on edge. .... It's tiring, insulting, and done far too often in fiction.

That said, the rest of the book propelled me forward in the Jo Anne Kilbourn series, and I have loved the rest dearly, right up to "Burying Ariel."

Check it out, just get ready to flinch, in a bad way, at the villain.

Joanne Kilbourn is a political science professor and widow of a Canadian politician. After the brutal murder of her husband, she struggles to rebuild her life and raise her three children. Part of her healing process includes working on the campaign of her good friend Andy Boychuck, a rising political star. When he is poisoned at a political rally she decides to write a biography about his life and, of course the secrets she uncovers lead her straight to the murderer. Gail Bowen is one of the premier mystery novelists in Canada and her books have a satisfying blend of character development, description of Canadian life and a puzzle. Several of her books have been made into TV movies in Canada.

Bowen's book opens with her protagonist's, Joanne Kilbourne's, second tragic and seemingly senseless loss, this time of her close friend, up-and-coming Regina politician Andy Boychuck. Not long before Joanne lost her husband in an apparently unmotivated violent crime and, therefore, Andy Boychuck's murder by poison hits her hard. To make sense of his death she, as a former political speech writer, decides to write his biography. So she dives into Andy Boychuck's life and uncovers an interesting array of secrets in the lives of their mutual friends, associates and acquaintances.

In the course of her investigations she meets a close friend of Andy's whom she feels an affinity to and whom her children also like. She starts feeling that life might be good after all and that there is a chance for happiness for herself.

But then she gets sick. Repeated visits to doctors cannot determine any physical reasons for her illness and she starts wondering whether she might be going mad.

This is as much as I am going to reveal. Gail Bowen's debut novel is one of the best crime novels ever. It features believable, three-dimensional characters the reader learns to care about. Joanne Kilbourne is the mother-next-door and then she is something rather different because she is capable of seeing a thing she believes in through, no matter what (not that most of us are not). Unlike a hero in a movie, she has her self-doubts and bad moments; when a doctor tells her there is nothing wrong with her physically she assumes - like we all would - it's in her head. But she keeps on doing what she feels necessary. Most of all she is a real person. She has a family and is ensconced in a social network - and Bowen lets us into Joanne's thought processes.

The end is logical - and totally unexpected.

I borrowed Deadly Appearances from my local suburban Australian library in early 1999; since then I have bought all her novels to date and I keep scanning magazines for new ones. My mother-in-law borrowed Deadly Appearances in May 2000; since then she has just requested the next one every single time she's finished one. And if they have been translated into German, they'll make a fantastic present for my mother, my sisters and all of my friends.

And next time I go and visit my sister in Toronto I'll make sure to have a stop-over in Regina to tour Bowen-Country.

A Killing Spring is one in a series featuring Joanne Kilbourn, a Canadian college professor, as the amateur sleuth. There is a nice density to these mysteries: the reader is always aware of Joanne's full life--we see her with her children, her friends, as a political woman (her deceased husband was in politics), as well as with students in and out of the classroom. The mystery itself is good and Joanne's investigation of it quite believable--only at the end does she become improbably active. Gail Bowen is a good writer, and the depth of the mystery and Joanne's life gives the book a rich quality; the final scene is lovely. Joanne does have a romantic relationship with a policeman (as do many female amateur detectives). The policeman is a Native Canadian, and the two must deal with prejudice in this book. Joanne feels she has never before experienced prejudice, an astonishing belief, I thought, for a liberal woman. I highly recommend this mystery.

What a joy for a reader to discover a new author! A KILLING SPRING is the third Gail Bowen book I've read (one after the other after "finding" her) and she gets better and better. In too many mystery series, the protagonist stays the same age, everything around her is unchanging and, after reading a slew in a series, the reader discovers that about two months have elapsed. Not so with Joanne Kilbourn, political science professor in a Canadian college and amateur detective. Not only does Kilbourn grow - time goes by - her kids age - neighbors and friends change and develop. Combine all of the above with masterful story-telling skills and you have mystery writing at its best.

Before I enter into a review let me say I have been a Joanne Kilbourne lover since Gail Bowen's first mystery. I have distributed all her novels to all my friends and family. I have been looking forward to every single one of her novels - until Burying Ariel.

This to me is a very tortured attempt at incorporating a personal view into fiction.

I gather the topic is misguided expectations: expectations parents have of their children, lovers have of their paramours, individuals have of themselves. And how we fail and cannot let go or, if we do, the price we pay.

This is certainly a valid topic and true. But in the novel it is so lifeless. So there is the old academic who cannot let go of his mysogenistic perceptions (only in the end) and that is exemplified by the fact he doesn't like email or using a computer; then there are the parents, high achievers, who do not want to recognize the artist in their daughter; the feminists, who are totally obnoxious and want to claim her as a victim of patriachy; there is the (almost ex-) partner, badly scarred himself; etc.

But none of these characters are actually explored in detail. They are just what they are: People who do not understand. They all do things, but none of their actions have any grounding in the novel. They are simply scarred people (there are a few more) and none of their actions are related to anything.

I was truly disappointed. Sure there is the usual family history; but there are also some memorable hitches when it comes to the series. Funny, Joanne Kilbourne, at nearly 50, would suddenly have a new gynaecologist, I guess for the sake of the novel.

Gail Bowen writes wonderful novels, but in this one she just stretched credibility too far.

If you want to complain about feminism or the imagined threat of "political correctness" on campus, there are other ways.
If you want to make everybody's misconceptions topical in a novel, make characters come alive. Do not leave them cyphers.

For her creation, and maintenance, of a heroine who is not in the early years of her life, Gail Bowen deserves a lot of credit. Joanne Kilbourn, first introduced to us in "Deadly Appearances" has aged with grace and style by the time we get to "Burying Ariel," and this book shows no sign of her character declining.

Mixing in Joanne's daily life with the sudden stabbing-murder of a loved teacher on campus with ehr usual deft touch, Bowen has definitely left the pattern of every murder being tied so someone in Joanne's past (something that was starting to get a little bit hard to swallow in some of her previous books). This murder is connected to her solely by the place Joanne works, the university, and a respect she had for the deceased.

Tying in radical feminists, student protests, and angry pointed fingers at a man who may have confessed - or merely said the wrong thing at the wrong time - keep the plot humming in this Kilbourn mystery. And as always, it is the depth of character in both villains and hero(ine)s of the book that immerse you totally in what is going on.

Big cheers for Gail Bowen, Canada's Lady of Mystery!

'Nathan

In Regina, Canada, everyone associated with the university is stunned to learn that someone killed twenty-seven year old Professor Ariel Warren. The culprit stabbed the popular political science lecturer in the back.

The police have several suspects from a professor previously accused of sexual harassment to Ariel's boy friend radio star Charlie D. The campus' militant women feel Ariel is the victim of a male animal and use her vigil to further their goals rather than as a memorial to the deceased. Realizing the campus is divided and turning ugly, Professor Joanne Kilbourn who has known Ariel for two decades begins to make her own inquiries not yet realizing where the danger really comes from.

BURYING ARIEL is an exciting academic murder mystery that provides insight into extreme campus politics. Readers will take pleasure from the story line though they will wonder how the vigil turned ugly so quickly. The characters seem genuine especially Joanne, her family, and most of the political science department. Though the killer's motive seems stretched, the audience will find the latest Kilbourn Canadian who-done-it to be a delightful amateur sleuth tale.

Harriet Klausner

The first time I read "Deadly Appearances," I was struck by the fact that Joanne Kilbourn's husband had died before the series had even begun, and in a random act of violence, no less. It was enough to raise an eyebrow, and now here, in "A Colder Kind of Death," the past comes to haunt Joanne again.

When her husband's killer is himself killed in prison, Joanne Kilbourn picks up her Nancy Drew ways and delves into the life of her husband's life, the lives of his friends, and finds more and more things that don't add up, and secrets that might better remain in the past. As she uncovers a conspiracy that might cast a very dark shadow on who her husband was (and even how solid their marriage was), Joanna is solid in her determination to find out the truth.

As always, Gail Bowen's strength is in her characters. Joanne is a very well-written character, with solid history and plausible emotionality. She is active and intelligent, something you rarely see in an over-forty female character, and moreover, this is done in a believable, important way.

Pick this one up - though it might be best to read the Joanne Kilbourn series in order, starting with "Deadly Appearances." This is definitely one of the best in the series.

'Nathan

Written in good, unpretentious prose, this book seems simple at first, but quickly gets the reader involved. The characters are interesting and well developed. The story is interesting and complicated enough to be intriguing. It is very well written and well edited. I prefer the author's style to that of many better known writers.

This was my first time reading this author and I thoroughly enjoyed her. It helps because she writes about the Regina, Saskatchewan area and I actually was born around there. Reading about streets that I had visited and roads I had travelled was kind of fun. Ms. Bowen is a good mystery writer. She has a strong story line and here characters are real. Definitely worth a visit.

Gail Bowen's Joanne Kilbourn mysteries, set in Regina, Saskatchewan are an intense, quick and entertaining read. Joanne's best friend Jill has never made great choices in the romance department, and it seems the trend is continuing when her husband to be has lost his preceeding two wives to suicide. He is a filmmaker who documented their descent into madness and death. When murders mar the wedding, Joanne searches for a way to protect her friend and her new family.
What is enjoyable about this series and this entry in particular is the way in which the drama captures a reader's attention and keeps the pages turning. Following the lives of the Kilbourns, for example the loss Joanne's relationship with Alex Kequahtooway, personalize the characters and make a reader want to "keep up" with them. Catching the nuances may be difficult if you haven't read the prior novels but that wont stop you from enjoying this one if you like your stories concise and compelling.

If you are tired of mysteries set in New York, Los Angeles and other well know urban centres, this book is for you. It is set in a fresh, new region: the province of saskatchewan in Canada. Yet it could be North or South dakota, Iowa or Nebraska. It has those characters typical to farm-belt urban areas. Bowen, a professor at the Saskatchewan Indain Federate College of the University of Regina know her setting and is brilliant at character development. She has created a new and interesting dectective in Ms. Kilborn, a political activist and, yes, university professor. Her plot is complexed and will keep you reading and puzzled, until the last few pages. Her major characters are interesting, and the relationships with family and riends refreshing. Try this book, you will want to read all the rest of this series

I chose to read this book because of its Saskatoon setting. It was instantly captivating to read about familiar streets and buildings. The Mendel Art Gallery and Spadina Crescent are signatures of Saskatoon.

I enjoyed having a forty-something female - especially a working mother - as the main character and sleuth...makes it seem like us regular folk just could have excitement in our lives! On top of it all, I learned something about my home town and province....the South Saskatchewan River really does empty into Lake Winnipeg!

The Wandering Soul Murders by Gail Bowen M&S Paperback1992

This is my first Gail Bowen mystery with Joanne Kilbourn. The finding of a dead young girl in a garbage can next to Joanne's daughter's store is followed shortly by the apparent suicide her son's girlfriend (Christy). The two victims had known each other and the police are wondering what they could have known that would lead to their deaths. Joanne is drawn in by her feelings of guilt that she had not been very nice to her potential daughter-in-law. The death of a third young girl with a tattoo identical to one that Christy had, forces Joanne to try and find what is happening. This leads her into some very treacherous waters and her personal safety is threatened. The kidnaping of her five-year-old-adopted daughter, sends her rushing to rescue her daughter and in the end to solve the murders of young women and bring some very despicable people to justice.

The principal characters are well drawn and the family life of the widowed Joanne is very realistic. Joanne and her children are thoroughly modern in their relationships and it will be interesting to see if these relationships continue through the other books in the series.

By and large a good read.