Wreck Bay

December 19, 2022
Arthur Ellis Award winner Fradkin’s exhilarating fifth Amanda Doucette mystery (after 2021’s The Ancient Dead) takes Amanda, a former aid worker who now runs a charity organization, from her home in Newfoundland to the tourist town of Tofino, British Columbia, to research a location for her next Fun for Families charity tour. Providing logistical help is Matthew Goderich, “her oldest, dearest friend,” whom she met in Cambodia when she was an aid worker and he a war correspondent. The discovery of a body that washes ashore derails Amanda and Matthew’s research expedition. The victim is a California tourist with a mysterious connection to the reclusive Luke, a Vietnam War deserter who’s lived in the area for decades. Amanda, who has a penchant for meddling in other people’s business and solving crimes, heads into Tofino’s sprawling and dangerous backcountry to look for Luke, the chief suspect, after he vanishes. Amanda wants to clear Luke’s name and uncover the truth. A historic connection to a local hippie commune adds depth and color to the plot, while Fradkin’s training as a psychologist ensures well-developed and credible characters. This is the perfect distraction for an armchair tourist.