Nor’easter

This is the second Sergeant Howey Cross, Nova Scotia birder-murder mystery, following on from the publication of ‘The Frigatebird’ in 2020.

In Nor’Easter, Cross investigates the disappearance of a number of young women from Queens County, even though it’s outside his jurisdiction, so what is his connection and will he get to the killers before someone else does?

Then there is his new girlfriend, who he describes as ‘nuts’ and she cheerfully agrees that she is. Life with her is never dull, but will she let him down, socially, as the partner of a cop, and does he really care if she does?

On top of the murders and frolics, there’s a storm coming, the largest ever recorded, but the tail might be even more dangerous, it might bring the dreaded nor’easter.

June 2004

Ever since Aunt May died, Uncle Miles had been over protective and Tullah, at seventeen, wanted to live a bit. She understood, she really did, but it was getting claustrophobic and they lived far enough away from most people that she had to be taken if she wanted to visit, rather than get there under her own steam. The trouble was, something in her head was stopping her learning to drive. They said it might be because she was in the crash that killed her parents; she had come out of the wreck without a scratch.

At least she had her bicycle.

The ride into town was around four kilometres and it wasn’t too bad on a nice day. She knew that she could read on-line, but it wasn’t the same as holding a book, you didn’t get the same sense of participation. So, on good days, she took to her bike.

As she came out of the regional library, she saw the two men, young men. They were stood around her unlocked bike; one was doing something that she couldn’t figure out.

“Hey, what are you doing with my bike?”

It was a fine, early summer day but both were in full camo. It was the Wildings, Aaron and Connor.