Maureen Jennings

It's not as much of a page-turner as the first book in the series, but it's still an enjoyable read. If you're looking for a very plot-driven police procedural, this isn't it, but if you're more interested in immersing yourself in 1890s Toronto, I think it is a worthwhile read. I found the ending too open-ended and just not enough closure for my preference (you do more or less find out who the murderer is; it's just not dealt with in the story directly), but I still enjoyed it - it was a good, easy read to get back into reading after exams and make use of the time I've spent visiting some relevant places in person.… (mer)

I decided to read this third installment of the Paradise Café Mysteries. I know a fourth book is planned for next year, but this will be the last one I read.

It is December 1936. As foreshadowed in November Rain, Charlotte Frayne’s boss, has brought a Jewish refugee from Germany to Canada. Charlotte has been asked to help protect that man, Stephen Lucas, who has documents that could supposedly change the government’s attitude to Nazi Germany. There are people who are trying to prevent that information from being passed on.

As in the previous books, there is a second case. Charlotte’s estranged mother Moira reappears; she asks her daughter to find a son, Charlotte’s half-brother, whom she gave up for adoption two decades earlier. Of course the two cases converge, again in a very contrived way. What are the chances that for the third time in months, Charlotte is tasked with two cases simultaneously and they connect as in the previous two instances?!

This book is repetitious in other ways as well. There are several meetings held at the Paradise café where a pattern emerges: Cal’s daily menu is described; Pearl, the waitress, makes some caustic comments; and there is a disagreement between Hilliard and Wilf as to the entertainment being planned. Again, Charlotte is co-opted by the police to take notes at interviews. Then Detective-Inspector Jack Murdoch shares significant findings with her and even asks her to accompany the police to a potentially dangerous arrest. Police would never involve civilians like this.

I was really irked by the repeated delays. Characters don’t share information, stating that they will do so at a later time. Then Charlotte wants to share with others, but always seems to be out of time. People whom Charlotte interviews, like Sister Ambrose and Mrs. Stafford, have only a few minutes to spare so Charlotte has to return a second time.

And then there are the inconsistencies. On page 258, Charlotte makes notes of a conversation and lists the four people in attendance. Then, on page 266, Pearl bursts into the room calling for Hilliard, yet he is not one of the four present and there’s no indication he came in at any point. On page 144, Mrs. Stafford states unequivocally that she would never show anyone the content of a resident’s box without his consent, but then, on page 295, she does exactly that? Where was the editor?

This series has deteriorated. The first book, Heat Wave, offered some interesting historical information, but this one contains nothing new. The plots in the second and third books follow the pattern established in the first. Such formulaic plotting with unrealistic events has little interest for me.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).… (mer)

This is the second Paradise Café Mystery, after Heat Wave (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-heat-wave-by-maureen-jennings.html). I needed a quick read so I decided to check in on Charlotte Frayne.

It is November of 1936 in Toronto. Charlotte, a private investigator, is hired by Mrs. Jessop to determine if her son Gerald really did commit suicide. A badly disfigured World War I vet, he is found dead and with a suicide note, but his mother refuses to believe he would have killed himself. On the same day, Charlotte is hired by Saul Rosenthal to infiltrate his garment factory because he suspects communist agitators are fomenting labour unrest at his company. The murder of the supervisor on Charlotte’s first day at the factory gets her seconded by the police into their investigation.

As in the first book in the series, the plot is slow with little suspense and intrigue. The novel covers only a few days and everything gets nicely wrapped up in the end. The two cases end up being connected and that really irked me. It’s one of so many coincidences. In fact, it’s Charlotte’s happening to see people together that helps her make connections between the cases. It’s not great sleuthing that solves the cases – just luck.

As in the previous book, the plotting is so obvious. Characters that are not needed, like Mr. Gilmore and Hilliard, are given an excuse to travel. Why, for instance, does Charlotte go the café just after being hired on the two cases? The visit serves no purpose except to have her witness two women arguing, two women she will encounter again, of course. What is also problematic is how the police treat her as a colleague. Because various police officers conveniently have the flu, she is co-opted to attend questionings? She admits to “a rather ambiguous position in terms of officialdom.” No kidding! And what’s with all the obviously Jewish names like Klein and Cohen? Mr. Rosenthal is identified as Jewish, yet Mr. Klein is a Methodist?

In Heat Wave, I appreciated the historical aspects. In a second book, however, it just seems repetitious. Nothing new is added, except the reference to blue park benches which were reserved for veterans, a warning to passersby that a veteran sitting on the bench might be disfigured.

There is currently one more book in the series, Cold Snap, and a fourth one, March Roars, is set to be released in 2024. I might turn to the next installment when I need another unchallenging read. Maybe I keep hoping the books will get better, or maybe I just enjoy being critical and picking out the flaws.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski).… (mer)