The Body in the Back Garden

June 1, 2023

DEBUT Luke Trembley hadn't been back to Crescent Cove, a small town on Vancouver Island, in 20 years. He loved it there as a boy, but when he came out to his family at 18, everyone rejected him, including his beloved Aunt Marguerite. Now, after she was struck by a car and killed, Luke has inherited her house and her antique shop. He only returns to arrange to sell the properties, because his life as a freelance writer is across the country in Toronto. He catches a man snooping around the house and argues with him. The next day, Luke is shocked to find the man's body in the garden. He can't understand why the investigating Mountie, Jack Munro, seems angry with him. Jack warns Luke to stay in town, so he sets out to solve the case and prove his innocence. He only angers Munro more as he lies to the officer, steals evidence, and runs away when the police spy him at the scene of a break-in. VERDICT Luke is an exasperating amateur sleuth, but readers who crave LGBTQIA+ cozies may enjoy his escapades.--Lesa Holstine

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July 15, 2023
The hit-and-run death of his aunt brings a freelance writer to Canada's Vancouver Island and a confrontation with his past. Luke Tremblay has just broken up with Bryce, the boyfriend with whom he shared a home in Toronto, when he gets the unexpected news that his estranged aunt has left him her house and antiques shop in Crescent Cove, which may be just the lifeline he needs. Still bitter over the fact that his beloved aunt Marguerite had joined the rest of his family in cutting him off when he came out as gay, Luke plans on selling the place to finance his future. But memories of happy childhood summers with Marguerite come flooding back when he returns to her beach-view cottage. The first hint of trouble arrives when belligerent Joel Mackenzie insists that he's bought something from Marguerite and wants it now. Luke has to physically remove him, and the fight, which is witnessed by a teenage delivery girl, puts him in an awkward spot after he discovers Mackenzie facedown in Marguerite's ornamental pond. Luke, who finds Sgt. Jack Munro of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police both attractive and intimidating, is shocked to realize that he was the boyhood friend who shared his outsider status. Afraid that Jack isn't looking at anyone else for the murder, Luke decides to use his own investigative skills. Apparently, Mackenzie was searching for letters worth a fortune if he used them for blackmail, and someone was willing to kill to keep them hidden. As his relationship with Jack heats up, Luke learns enough to make himself a target. There may be both a romantic and sleuthing future for this pair who share wounds from the past.

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August 1, 2023
In this author-described ""queer cozy"" series opener, Toronto investigative reporter Luke Tremblay suffers a painful breakup with his partner, then learns that his Aunt Marguerite has died in a hit-and-run accident, leaving everything to Luke, including a charming cottage and the antiques shop Marguerite owned in Crescent Cove on Vancouver Island. Luke hasn't been back to the island in two decades, ever since he came out to his parents, who immediately disowned him. His return to Crescent Cove is bittersweet, bringing back both nostalgic and painful memories. But things take a shocking turn when Luke discovers a man's dead body in the cottage's garden. The investigating officer is none other than Luke's childhood friend Jack Munro, so Luke's shocked when Jack accuses him of murder and forbids him to leave town until the case is solved. Luke decides to use his investigative skills to try to find the killer, which results in Jack's wrath and danger to Luke from unexpected quarters. There's a shocking culmination to the case, but a happy ending for Luke. A light, entertaining read with memorable characters, small-town nostalgia, and plenty of twists.

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