REVIEW: When The Flood Falls

When the Flood Falls
Author: J.E. Barnard

Lacey McCrae is running from the tatters of her life. Her career with the RCMP is over. Her divorce is pending. She needs a change. So, she moves back to Bragg Creek, west of Calgary, to start over. Taking a temporary job with the crew installing security systems and the vault for the new Foothills History Museum and staying with her friend, Dee, she tries to pull herself together. Dee feels she is being stalked, but nobody ever sees the stalker. When it escalates into a hit-and-run attempt on Dee's life with a disappearance and murder tacked on for good measure, Lacey realizes the situation is more than just a simple case of stalking. She teams up with Dee and a neighbor to investigate the growing danger.

I enjoyed this book. The setting is great, and I liked Lacey as a main character. She is flawed, but determined to rein in her chaotic life. With a river threatening to flood the entire region, a killer and all sorts of issues surrounding her at all turns, she has to rise to the occasion -- and she does. At times the plot moved a bit too slowly, but the suspense was enough to keep me reading. I wasn't sure who was behind everything until the very end. There were definitely enough suspects, red herrings and twists to keep the truth a secret til the last minute. I liked how Lacey, Dee and Jan all have different issues, weaknesses and prejudices, but were able to work through differences and help each other.

I will definitely read more by this author. Very enjoyable debut!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Dundurn via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**