Framed in Fire (Lane Winslow #9) [B1003]

2022 PB. Shortlisted for a 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Award. Nominated for a 2023 Left Coast Crime "Lefty" Award. An April 2022 Loan Stars Top 10. A shallow grave, a missing person, and near-fatal arson keep Lane, Darling, and the Nelson police on high alert in the latest mystery in this Globe and Mail bestselling series. It's early spring 1948 and Lane arrives in New Denver to find that her friend, Peter Barisoff, is not at home. Instead, in a nearby meadow, she encounters Tom, an Indigenous man in search of his ancestral lands. Lane is intrigued. Unfortunately, once Peter returns home, the day takes a gloomy turn when the trio uncovers human remains next to Peter's garden, and Lane must tell her husband, Inspector Darling, that she's inadvertently stumbled into his professional domain-again. Back in Nelson, the Vitalis, Lane and Darling's favorite restaurateurs, are victims of arson. Constable Terrell's investigation suggests prejudice as a motive, and the case quickly escalates, as the Vitalis receive increasingly threatening notes of warning. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ames works a robbery while alienating Tina Van Eyck in his personal time, and a swirling rumor sets the entire station on edge and prompts an RCMP investigation into Darling's integrity. Amid the local bustle series readers have come to love, Framed in Fire is bound up in difficult questions of community and belonging, and the knowledge that trusted neighbors can sometimes be as sinister as a stranger in the dark.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Love, murder and history lessons all combine for a great book. Lane once again gets involved in murder and in helping people she comes across. Darling himself comes under scrutiny through no fault of his own. All is resolved satisfactorily by the end. A very satisfying read."; "Another beautiful book. Iona Whishaw writes in such a way as to make me think about life, the treatment of others and making my spot a better place. She also writes a very good mystery with great characters and beautiful scenery."; "Wonderful writing, interesting places, one of my favorite time periods and loved the characters. Read the series from start to finish but this is my favorite."