Kim Herdman Shapiro’s THE RAVEN’S CRY, which kicks off her Wynter Island series of cozy mystery novels, is a quintessential example of the genre, from its enchanting setting—Wynter Island, a picturesque little spot off the coast of British Columbia—to its redoubtable protagonist, Kate Zoë Thomas, a newcomer who becomes embroiled in the island’s hidden secrets. A journalist fleeing a traumatic past (as well as an unfaithful ex) covering the war in Afghanistan, Kate comes to Wynter Island seeking a fresh start in the small town’s tight-knit community. She meets with Gwen Wynter, a descendant of the town’s founder, who has launched a television station, and before long, Kate has a new job as Wynter Island Television’s station manager. Kate finds solace in the beauty of Wynter Island and the companionship of new friends. Kate’s past comes crashing back into her new life, however, when she discovers a body on a beach, which turns out to be her ex, Daniel. As the prime suspect in his death, Kate is desperate to prove her innocence, and her search for the actual killer leads her into the treacherous waters of the island’s dark history—and a confrontation with her own past demons.
As a small-town murder mystery, THE RAVEN’S CRY doesn’t stray far from the cozy formula, but the author brings Wynter Island to vivid life, tapping into the rich pleasures of the genre with a charming narrative voice and an imaginatively rendered milieu. Following Kate as she gets to know Wynter Island’s residents and history—including the T’sawout people, an indigenous community from whom she learns of a long-lost sacred artifact, the Raven’s Cry, believed to hold immense power—is as compelling as the mystery itself, which Shapiro unreels with brisk pacing and plenty of dramatic turns. And Kate’s inner conflict, as she walks a precarious line between loyalty to her new friends—the most delightful of which is Jupiter, a scruffy stray dog with whom Kate forms an intimate bond—and her desire to uncover the truth about her new home, gives her character complexity and depth that elevates her beyond the genre’s standard amateur sleuth protagonist.
With THE RAVEN’S CRY, Kim Herdman Shapiro tells a deeply immersive, evocative tale against an enticing backdrop of characters and plot threads that will leave cozy mystery fans eager to explore in future installments.
~Edward Sung for IndieReader