This was a new mystery series for me, and I enjoyed certain aspects of it. It was a procedural which I enjoy. The best part for me was that the lead investigator was a woman, and while she faced a certain amount of misogynistic reactions from some of the men she supervised, on the whole not much time was wasted on sexist remarks or treatment. Besides that, she wasn't described innumerable times as beautiful, gorgeous or as so sexy men couldn't take their eyes off her. She established professional relationships with the men on her team and they treated each other with mutual respect for the most part.
It was also a welcome change for the primary characters to either be comfortably single or happily married. No one was having an affair with any one on the side.
A minor annoyance was the detailed descriptions of local roads and driving directions. I'm not from the area, there was no map provided, so reading the details was a waste of time for me.

Sorrow Lake by Michael J. McCann is an excellent police procedural set in rural Canada. The author's use of description makes the Canadian winter landscape come alive. The characters are fully developed and the plotting is dead on target for a police procedural. I'll be waiting for the second title in what promises to be an excellent series. ( )

Nice mystery with the gorgeous backdrop of a Canadian winter. This book has everything, disgruntled cops, seemingly nice victim, hidden drug trafficking, dirty cops, lots of snow and really good burgers. All in all it was a satisfying read, the pace was great, the characters were well developed. Hard to write a review of a mystery novel. ( )

Murder is not unknown in Sorrow Lake, a small village in eastern Ontario – in a long-ago murder suicide, a man killed his wife and kids, and a couple were once murdered in a break-in. But the killers were quickly identified and these murders were easily solved. When the body of a man is found shot execution style in a farmer’s field and there is nothing pointing to the perpetrators, the local constabulary is ill-equipped to deal with it. The Ontario Provincial Police send in Detective Inspector Ellie March to lead the investigation. Detective Constable Kevin Walker is excited to work with her but, as their investigation digs deeper into this close-knit community, it becomes clear that this was not the crime of outsiders and, as they get closer to the solution, he is in danger of losing more than just his enthusiasm or his career.

Sorrow Lake by author Michael J. McCann is a well-plotted, well-written and intelligent police procedural. Rather than focus on all the more sensational aspects of the crime, instead it focuses on the investigation itself. Clues are collected, leads are followed, forensics is examined, and suspects are identified. All of this may sound boring but, in fact, it was fascinating – it was like getting a glimpse of real police work and it was great fun following March and Walker as they navigate through both the evidence and the politics of solving a murder. ( )

"His breath visible in the early morning air, Detective Constable Kevin Walker made his was down the hill and across the farmer's field toward the body. There was a crust on the snow from freezing rai that had fallen tow days ago, and hos books punched crisp holes as he followed the footprints of the old man who'd spotted something in the middle of his field just after dawn and had come down to investigate."

Thus starts Sorrow Lake by Michael McCann. Sorrow Lake has a reputation, there have been other deaths on this lake. In the sixties, there was a boating accident that killed a man and some kids. There was a murder-suicide where a man killed his wife, his five children and himself. Looters killed a couple, a man and wife. Thus giving the lake it's name, Sorrow Lake.

An elderly man sees something out of his kitchen window and goes to investigate and sees a body lying in his field. The man is William (Bill) Hansen, and he was shot execution-style.

Detective Inspector Ellie March of the Ontario Provincial Police has been called to help wih the investigation in the man's death. Ellie has a complicated life, her children won't speak to her because she has always been involved in her work, so the children live with their father. We learn a bit about Ellie, but it is her skills as an investigator and not her private life that is important to the book. We do learn a little about her private life, and I feel that as the series goes along the reader will learn more about Ellie.

Young and talented Detective Constable Kevin Walker feels that working with Ellie March is an honor as she does have a reputation as being an exceptional investigator. He is inexperienced but makes up for his lack of experience with his enthusiasm. I like his character; he is a likeable and honest cop. He is a bit naive, though, in that he shares and seeks answers from his mentor, Chuck Waddell, who was in the position that Kevin now holds, retired and now running a security firm. Can Chuck be trusted?

There are also a lot of other characters that play pivotal roles in the investigation. Some that will surprise you. Just who was Bill Hansen, what was he involved in and why was he murdered. Clues abound, and investigators are stymied trying to put these clues together as with each suspect is interviewed, they end up at a standstill in the investigation. It takes another detective to start putting the clues together, except he is hoping to advance his career if he is successful with his investigation.

I have read a few other books in Mr.McCann's Donaghue and Stainer Crime series and thoroughly enjoyed them. I think this new series, March and Walker Crime series is off to a great start in this first book. Well written, understandable and suspenseful. You can't go wrong reading this and Mr.McCann's other novels. ( )