By the Time You Read This
The Fields of Grief, UK
The fourth book in the John Cardinal mystery series, The Fields of Grief was shortlisted for the Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger.
2006, Random House Canada
2006, Harper Collins UK
2007, Henry Holt and Co. US
Plot Synopsis
A psychological thriller in which a string of suicides could be the work of a serial killer. Photographer Catherine Cardinal's fatal fall from a high building is ruled an act of suicide. She has a history of depression, a note is found and her psychiatrist is not surprised. Even her husband, John Cardinal, begins to accept this conclusion—until vicious notes appear, taunting him for his loss, and it seems she may have been murdered. Driven by grief and guilt, Cardinal launches his own investigation, helped by his reluctant colleagues. He revisits his past, searching for a suspect among his previous arrests. Someone with a grudge, a person twisted enough to target his innocent wife in revenge. But could he be looking in the wrong place? The mystery deepens when he uncovers a spate of tragic suicides, leading him to investigate a startling new possibility….
Selected Reviews
"The most beautifully written, deeply felt page-turner of the year." — Kirkus
"An emotionally involving and intellectually challenging journey from night into day. All of the proper excitements and puzzles of a good crime story are here too, but above all this is a fine and moving novel about bereavement."— Reginald Hill
"An unexpected yet utterly realistic twist lifts this novel into extremely interesting (and entertaining) territory. Sharp dialogue, complex characters and a satisfying conclusion." —Publishers Weekly
"Blunt once again proves he can set the scene better than almost anyone else in the crime genre, putting the reader right into Algonquin Bay with all its autumnal glory, its painful lives and sordid little secrets. Unlike some series authors, he never writes the same book twice." — The Globe and Mail
"You always expect a crime novel to throw curves at you. With the latest John Cardinal adventure, Giles Blunt delivers a true heart stopper. . . . a taut, bleak thriller that takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of high emotion, deception and suspicion." — Edmonton Journal
“A poignant literary work . . . a great book from a writer at the top of his form.” — Calgary Herald
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