Vital Secrets by Don Gutteridge (Book Review)

From the back cover:

“It’s the fall of 1837, and Lieutenant Marc Edwards of His Majesty’s 24th Regiment of Foot is now an old hand at his post in the colonial backwater of Toronto, Upper Canada. The local population seethes and buckles under the repressive hand of the new government, and Marc expects to see some action very soon. In the meantime, the arrival of a touring American theatrical company promises an enjoyable diversion, and Marc’s friend Rick Hilliard falls hard for a young actress. Events turn deadly when a rival for the ingenue’s affections is murdered, and a disheveled Hilliard is discovered standing over the body holding a bloody sword.

“Marc leaps into action to save his friend, joining forces with the rough-edged Constable Cobb. The two soon discover that the victim was secretly smuggling American rifles across the border and selling them to local radicals. Was this a crime of passion or a criminal transaction gone wrong?

“What Marc doesn’t realize is that both crimes will reveal incredible secrets about his own identity, and the outcome of the investigation will change Marc’s life forever.”



In the third novel of the Marc Edwards mystery series set in early Canadiana, more particularly 1837 during the famous rebellion of that year. With this Mr. Gutteridge aptly “sets the stage” for this mystery series, providing historical detail to give colour and motive for his well rounded characters.

Marc Edwards, Lieutenant of the British army, raised in privilege, continues to court Beth Smallman. Although she is outspoken on the financial situation with the merchants and farmers he finds himself making compromises. While considering a wedding date Edwards has concerns of uprooting her from Upper Canada to some far off country: the British colonies in Van Damien’s Land, India or the Caribbean.

Other returning characters are Rick Hilliard, an ensign, perpetually love struck with each woman he meets, certain “she” is the one; Horatio Cobb, Toronto constable, with personable rough characteristics and loaded dialogue guaranteed to bring chuckles.

Each of the new characters are introduced with enough description to keep the reader interested, especially when one of the actors is discovered murdered. One character in particular that I took a shine to was Dora Cobb, Horatio’s wife, who is a midwife.

As Marc Edwards carries out the investigation rather than the local police due to the victim being an American to avoid political repercussions, the clues begin to surface: some red herrings and others most intriguing. The ending does come as a bit of a surprise but fits in well with the norms of the time.

Vital Secrets follows nicely after Solemn Vows. The next book in the series continues with the 1837 Rebellion in Lower Canada which should be as interesting as this one was. Historical novels provide an excellent way to reintroduce the reader to a time long ago.


Don Gutteridge taught English at the Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, before starting the Marc Edwards mystery series.

Review copy provided by Anneliese Grosfeld.


Book format: paperback, 321 pages

Author: Don Gutteridge

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada

Available at:

Also in ebook

chapters.indigo.ca

amazon.com

amzon.ca

Solemn Vows by Don Gutteridge (Book Review)

From the back page:

“It’s a steamy June in Toronto, 1836, Lieutenant Marc Edwards has again found himself sitting atop a lit powder keg in more ways than one. A prominent politician has been assassinated, and in their haste to catch the killer, Marc, and his troops are responsible for the death of an innocent local man. Making matters even worse, Marc may have accidentally gotten himself engaged to the wrong woman, while the right woman still won’t answer his letters.

“In order to track down the real assassin, Edwards joins forces with Constable Cobb of the newly created Toronto police force. Cobb’s methods are somewhat different from Marc’s; and investigations always end up in the local tavern, where it seems everyone knows far too much about Marc’s romantic entanglements.

“Between keeping track of Cobb, solving the murder, and extricating himself from his accidental engagement, Marc Edwards will be pushed to his limit once more.”


Solemn Vows is the second novel in the Marc Edwards Mystery series set in a historical era that I’ve posted about. Despite not having read the first book, Turncoat, the story had enough detail from the previous one to carry forward. The background of the plot covers the conflicts between the British government and the population, namely farmers and merchants, seeking to resolve grievances over taxes, roads and schools.

Sir Francis Bond Head, the new Lieutenant-Governor, takes some underhanded methods to keep the British government as the ruling force by disbanding the Assembly prior to calling elections. Marc Edwards as his camp-de-aide has concerns over his ethics while trying to be honest. Edwards is assigned to find the murderer of the politician as well as the writer behind anti-government sentiments in the local paper run by William Lyon Mackenzie.

As the story unfolded I began to like this character, Marc Edwards, despite being upstaged by the Toronto cop “Horatio Cobb”. Through Cobb’s investigative talents via frequenting the local taverns for gossip, it is determined that the assassin of the politician was hired.

Edwards feeling spurned by Beth Smallman’s failure to respond to his letters, he accepts the affections of Eliza Dwight-Smythe, niece to a prosperous wine entrepreneur. Despite the new feelings towards Eliza, Edwards discovers the old ones for Beth haven’t quite disappeared.

There were a few areas of concern when Edwards didn’t take back up when he responded to urgent messages, but that allowed the author to set him up. However, despite this there were many comedic romantic and social events to lighten the story and made for excellent reading. The ending came action packed with a satisfying conclusion and a good chuckle.

I hope Don Gutteridge continues to write more about Horatio Cobb in future books in the series, and I look forward to reading the next novel Vital Secrets.

Don Gutteridge taught English at the Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, before starting the Marc Edwards mystery series.

Review copy provided by Anneliese Grosfeld.

Book format: Trade paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Available: January 2011
Also available in eBook

Chapters.Indigo.ca

Amazon.ca

The Reincarnationist (Book Review)

The Reincarnationist is a historical mystery novel by M.J. Rose which was released in 2007.











This book comes with an endorsement from Douglas Preston: “One of the most original and exciting novels I've read in a long time, with a premise so delicious I'm sick with envy I didn't think of it myself.”


When Josh Ryder begins to recover from the wounds he sustained in a terrorist blast near a church in Rome, he realizes his life has changed forever. From that point he experiences new sensations: repeated vague scents of jasmine and sandalwood, brief flashes of light and images of intimate memories that are not his own. Some of the memories belong to Julius, a high priest, trying to keep his fellow priests and the Vestal Virgins they protect alive when the Roman Empire decides to enforce Christianity as the one and only religion. The other memories are of a life he lived in the nineteenth century with ties to the Phoenix Club.

Desperate to find answers after medical tests that say nothing is wrong with his mind; Josh enlists the assistance of the Phoenix Foundation, a research facility that scientifically documents cases of past life experiences. Here he learns the Phoenix Club was the original version of the Foundation. While assisting the Foundation with their regression therapy, Josh accompanies the team visiting an archeological dig site outside of Rome. The tomb being excavated is thought to contain treasure when the well preserved body of a vestal virgin and a box containing stones is found.

Being in Rome for the first time since the accident, and at the dig site, Josh’s memory flashes become more frequent and involve a woman named Sabrina whom he is to save and the treasure she carries. When the tomb is robbed of a precious artifact that can help a person remember his past and merge it with the present, Josh jumps into the race to recover them before being misused for evil purposes.

The ending I leave for other readers to discover, but it has a twist.

This book is so compelling it is difficult to put down, while the reader is transported into a story of intrigue, passion, mystery and a secret society. It provides a look into reincarnation where a person might be able to correct the mistakes of previous lives.


The soon to be released novel (Nov 1, 2008), The Memorist by M.J. Rose, promises to be as good as her previous book, The Reincarnationist.




The book continues with the reincarnation aspect with past life memories, a secret society, and an ancient secret about a flute made from human bone linked to Ludwig Beethoven.