Arctic Blue Death / R.J. Harlick

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

Nunavut

It's not easy to find a mystery set in Canada's newest territory, let alone one available at my local library. I wasn't sure about this novel, but quickly set aside my prejudices and started to enjoy it. Although the mystery itself took place in Nunavut in the 1970s (when it was still part of the NWT), the main character lives in Quebec. Meg begins her investigation into her father's disappearance in Toronto at the family home and in Ottawa, consulting Inuit art specialists.

I don't know a great deal about Inuit art, but it seemed to me that the author has done her research on the subject. Perhaps someone with expertise could be critical, but I found her scenario believable. Meg's father, Sutton Harris, dealt in art and made frequent trips north to collect. On his last trip, he was apparently killed in a plane crash. Meg and her sister have just discovered that their elderly mother has been receiving anonymous letters from Iqaluit suggesting that Sutton is still alive and a submerged plane has been recently reported, stirring up the Harris family.

If Sutton Harris is alive, why has he never contacted his wife or daughters? What has he been doing all these years? Or is this a nasty rumour? What could anyone gain from it? Meg begins with these questions and starts following the clues. She is willing to talk to the RCMP, but at no point does she really insert herself into their investigation. She is following public sources and networking with people who may know things. There are plenty of loose strings for her to tug on and I found myself engrossed in the details.

There is, of course, family drama for Meg to contend with too. She and her mother have never had a comfortable relationship. The elderly woman is unhappy about the newest hints of what may have happened in the arctic and is having heart problems (literal and metaphorical).

The ending may not be everyone's cup of tea. The perpetrators are found and dealt with, but some of the family mystery remains unresolved. Proceed at your own risk! I personally liked it, as I like messy endings.

A view of Iqaluit, capitol of the territory of Nunavut.