The indomitable Hazel Micallef is called to the scene where bones from long ago have been found. It is a new housing development on land that was once owned by an orphanage for boys. The bones are those of boys and Helen soon learns that there had to be foul play involved.
It turns out to be a fair amount of work to determine what boys were living there in the 1950s, when the bodies were buried, and which of those went missing. For this task Helen calls upon her subordinate, James Wingate. Wingate was seriously injured in a previous case and is still recovering. He can't always find the right words and he tires easily. Yet he is determined and committed and pushes against the forces who want him to stay home and in bed.
More's the pity, Helen is warned off the case until the RCMP have finished with their work. The mounties had arrived and have cordoned off the area, but won't reveal exactly what they are working on. Of course Hazel still finds ways to work the case quietly. Which, in the end, is a very good thing.
The case blows open some underhanded dealings among persons who should not be connected with the housing development, shaking up the little town. More important to Hazel, it reveals the role her long-dead brother had in a disappearance long ago.
I'll be staying tuned to Hazel's moves as long as Wolfe (Redhill) continues to write them.
It turns out to be a fair amount of work to determine what boys were living there in the 1950s, when the bodies were buried, and which of those went missing. For this task Helen calls upon her subordinate, James Wingate. Wingate was seriously injured in a previous case and is still recovering. He can't always find the right words and he tires easily. Yet he is determined and committed and pushes against the forces who want him to stay home and in bed.
More's the pity, Helen is warned off the case until the RCMP have finished with their work. The mounties had arrived and have cordoned off the area, but won't reveal exactly what they are working on. Of course Hazel still finds ways to work the case quietly. Which, in the end, is a very good thing.
The case blows open some underhanded dealings among persons who should not be connected with the housing development, shaking up the little town. More important to Hazel, it reveals the role her long-dead brother had in a disappearance long ago.
I'll be staying tuned to Hazel's moves as long as Wolfe (Redhill) continues to write them.
It's taken eight years for the pseudonymous Inger Ash Wolfe to write four Hazel Micallef books, and if this is what it takes to maintain the high quality of the series, I'm certainly not going to complain and beg the author to write faster. Fans have experienced quite a bit through these four books: superiors wanting Hazel off the force, the sixtysomething Hazel's back surgery and recuperation, Hazel's care of her mother Emily as Emily's mental and physical health continue to deteriorate, as well as a passel of hair-raising cases that would make many police officers retire. Hazel Micallef is one of the best characters in crime fiction; she ranks right up there on my list with Fiona Griffiths and Dr. Ruth Galloway. I'd no more forget to read the newest Inger Ash Wolfe mystery than I would wake up in the morning and forget to put on my glasses.
There are two crimes being investigated in The Night Bell. The present-day one is solved rather quickly and behind the scenes because it is the old case, the case that Hazel wants to solve for her brother, that is the main focus of attention. It is interesting to inhabit Hazel's childhood memories, to see what sort of little girl she was. Those memories prove to be very important in solving the case, too. Her main source of help is James Wingate who was gravely injured in the last book, A Door in the River. Wingate is supposed to be on light duty, and he certainly isn't officially on the roster, but his work is key in helping Hazel solve the cold case-- and it has a lot to do with the fact that Hazel is the only one on the force who believes in him.
I may have spotted the killer in the cold case early on, but that didn't matter much. When the title of this book was explained, my blood ran cold, and all I could think about was justice. Don't be surprised if you feel the very same way.
Are you new to the Hazel Micallef books? Technically you can start just about anywhere because the author does a good job of filling in enough of the backstory to keep things clear. But if you truly love unique characters and delight in watching their progress over a period of time, please start at the very beginning with The Calling. You'll be in for a treat!
There are two crimes being investigated in The Night Bell. The present-day one is solved rather quickly and behind the scenes because it is the old case, the case that Hazel wants to solve for her brother, that is the main focus of attention. It is interesting to inhabit Hazel's childhood memories, to see what sort of little girl she was. Those memories prove to be very important in solving the case, too. Her main source of help is James Wingate who was gravely injured in the last book, A Door in the River. Wingate is supposed to be on light duty, and he certainly isn't officially on the roster, but his work is key in helping Hazel solve the cold case-- and it has a lot to do with the fact that Hazel is the only one on the force who believes in him.
I may have spotted the killer in the cold case early on, but that didn't matter much. When the title of this book was explained, my blood ran cold, and all I could think about was justice. Don't be surprised if you feel the very same way.
Are you new to the Hazel Micallef books? Technically you can start just about anywhere because the author does a good job of filling in enough of the backstory to keep things clear. But if you truly love unique characters and delight in watching their progress over a period of time, please start at the very beginning with The Calling. You'll be in for a treat!
