A mystery novel set in Ottawa, Canada finds Inspector Green of the Ottawa Police Service battling the constant harassment of a man he helped put in prison for murder twenty years ago. The man claims he is innocent and Green often goes over the circumstantial evidence that was used to convict James Rosten of killing one of his female students. When Rosten suddenly changes his attitude and seems to admit he is guilty, Green is soon involved in the case again. When Rosten commits suicide or is it murder, the old case unravels fast.

This is a fast moving, complicated narrative and having it set in the city I live in gives it an added appeal. ( )

In None So Blind, by Barbara Fradkin, Ottawa Inspector Michael Green finds himself revisiting his first major criminal case, which had occurred 20 years earlier. At that time, the body of a young college student was found near the summer cottage of one of her professors, and the evidence led Green to charge that professor, a charge that stuck. Now, 20 years later, the professor is finally being paroled, but not everybody is happy to see him get out - certainly not the family members of the girl he killed so long ago. When the professor apparently commits suicide, back at that old summer cottage, Green is at first content with the outcome, but then anomalies arise and he has to decide whether to pursue the death as suspicious or let sleeping dogs lie.... This is the tenth novel in Barbara Fradkin's series, and as with the earlier books, there is a mixture of Green's detective work and his private life, which in this instance centers on his ailing, Holocaust-survivor father. I felt the personal storyline was shoved aside a little bit toward the end of the novel, but then it's in the nature of police procedurals that the last few chapters in the book will be focused primarily on the outcome of the crime being investigated. A small coda or epilogue would have been nice, but I suppose it's not essential. Because this particular book in the series follows up on a crime at the beginning of Green's career, one that has not been covered in any earlier book, the reader doesn't really have to know the previous books in order to enjoy this one; and perhaps after perusing it, the reader will return to the beginning of the series! Recommended. ( )

This is a really good "cold case" type of police procedural. Inspector Green is haunted by the possibility that he helped to wrongfully convict an innocent man who has spent 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commit. The pressure on him grows when the man is released on parole and apparently commits suicide. Green frantically chases down some leads and another dead body turns up. It all comes together in an exciting and plausible conclusion.

This story is significantly better than the other one in the series that I read, "Honor Among Men", which was pretty good too. I think each book stands alone so it is not necessary to read them all from the beginning of the series (this one is #10). ( )

I have not read any of the earlier mysteries in this series. Although this worked perfectly well as a stand-alone story, I am intrigued to go back and find out more of Green's history with Sharon and his daughter. This one was the revisiting of a 20 year old case of the murder of a student by her professor. Green was instrumental in building the case against the professor, Rosten, who has always maintained his innocence. Rosten is granted parole and is murdered himself and the body count continues to rise. I enjoyed the writing overall and the character of Rosten was well done. I found Green's loyalty to the murdered girl's mother hard to understand as his persistence seemed a thankless task. The twists during the course of the novel were, for me, much more satisfying than the conclusion. By the end, so many people were dead that there was only really one suspect left to be the murderer. The motive for the original murder was not explained to my full satisfaction and I wish Rosten had lived to be vindicated. ( )

This is the latest in the author's series featuring Inspector Michael Green of the Ottawa PD. Like the others, the book is a mixture of Mike's professional & personal lives. The large cast of returning characters lends the stories continuity due to shared histories & evolving personal situations.
In this instalment, a case from Mike's past comes back to haunt him. About 20 years ago, he was instrumental in the conviction of Prof. James Rosten for the murder of student Jackie Carmichael. And for 20 years, Rosten has sent Mike letters arguing his case. He never accepted responsibility for the crime but that's about to change.
Through a series of events, Rosten finally gets parole. Not long after, he's found dead. Suicide or murder?
He always said someone else killed Jackie & after his death, Mike starts to wonder. What if he made a mistake? He was aptly named in those days, a brash new detective eager to make his mark.
Mike starts to dig & puts together a team to solve Rosten's death. He has a new boss & she hovers over the investigation. If the old conviction is overturned, she makes it clear his career may be on the line.
To add to the stress, he's also dealing with some issues at home. With a new baby, neither he nor his wife are getting much sleep & his father is gravely ill.
There's much, much more to the investigative aspect of the plot. It's complex with several big twists that entirely change its' direction. The author provides details of the original case so the reader gets a sense of all the characters involved & their backgrounds.
We also spend a lot of time in Mike's head. He's a worrier, a compassionate man who cares deeply about his family & job. Guilt over possibly convicting an innocent man, his father's condition, the state of his career...no wonder he's laying awake at night.
Despite the nature of the the crimes that occur, this is closer to the cozy end of the spectrum of police procedurals as opposed to gritty. It's a very "clean" read with no sex, swearing, etc. If you're a fan of Elly Griffiths, Alex Gray or David Whellams, give this series a try. ( )