James W. Nichol

This is the best book you've never heard of. In 1941, in German occupied France, sixteen-year-old Adele Georges meets Manfred Halder. Halder, a nineteen-year-old German working as a clerk, offers to help Adele find information about her missing father, a doctor who served in the French medical corps. The attraction between the two is palpable. They fall in love and begin a desperate affair that causes joy and grief to both.
In 1946, in Canada, a young girl finds a finger in the woods. The police chief suspects there is a entire body to be found as well, and begins an investigation for the corpse and the murder that created it.
The murder investigation progresses slowly, hour by hour, alternating with the story of Adele and Manfred and the war in Europe. When the war ends and Adele moves to Canada, the plots merge. The ending is fast-paced and gripping. Which character is the corpse and which is the murderer?
This is a brilliantly constructed novel of good people trying to do good things, surrounded by war, hatred and bigotry. Nichol perfectly captures the sense of hope and hopelessness of those in the midst of war, as well as the pain and terror that continue after the war has ended. It is a heart-wrenching, haunting, beautiful book.… (more)

Oh this book... I'll admit that for half of this novel, I skimmed most of it. The Jack and crime-solving portion of the book just seemed boring to me. I don't know if it's because I didn't become emotionally involved with this portion or what. Even the actual crime-solving stuff just made me sigh and try to move along to the Adele portions faster.

The Adele parts, however, were packed with emotion. Seeing what this woman went through because of her choice of love just made my eyes tear up and my heart go out to her. It was an interesting perspective for a story, from the eyes of what some would call a "collaborator" and "traitor". And not only seeing Adele go through these trials but her fellow German soldier women and seeing their fates... Just heart-breaking. I'm glad Adele was able to build something for herself and find some sort of a peace in a different land.

I enjoyed the romance-y stuff with both Manfred and Alex for Adele. Both relationships felt very real and down to Earth. I don't know if it was the times and surroundings or what, but each had a unique feel to them. The threads of the romances were interwoven with the narrative to create two very different men, relationships, and circumstances.

Overall, this was a very middle of the road novel. I enjoyed the characters, emotions, and relationships in the Adele portion. Yet, the Jack portion left me cold. And when half the book does that, let's just say the book doesn't shoot to the top of the pile of awesome. So a solid 3. Would I recommend it? Eh... Maybe to see the trials of a French woman in love with a German soldier but to enjoy a novel in its entirety? No.… (more)

This is a novel with an interesting structure. Running parallel with the story of Walker Devereaux is the story of Bobby, a boy with real social problems. With great persistence Walker searches for his mother, following leads gleaned from the only items found on him. The year before, when he turned 18, he was allowed access to his custody files. As the book progresses we learn that there is some connection between Walker and Bobby - why else would we be told Bobby's life story? - but there are a few red herrings before we learn the truth.

I had a some problems with the time frame of the book. The author has indicated on some chapters what year these events are taking place in but I couldn't always make the time elapsed synch with these dates.

But it is a very readable story.… (more)

James W. Nichol has given us a well-written, complicated murder mystery/thriller. Beginning with the protagonist Canadian pilot Wilf McLaughlin during WWII, under heavy fire and toward the end of the war, begins his death spiral as his Spitfire speeds to meet the earth the hard way. "I'm dead" is one of his last thoughts.

But death did not claim him. His plane is found days later with him still in it. His injuries are very serious but he is still alive. After several months in hospital, he returns home to a hero's welcome, but his head full of questions. With one useless arm, and a damaged leg as his main physical problems, there is much more going on in regard to his crash, not the least of which is several days of unaccounted for time, and unexplained blindness for 3 months.

Starting out working in his father's law office, reconnecting with his old friend Andy who is in the police force, and gradually connecting with Carol, his father's secretary, life begins again, but he suddenly finds himself in another type of death spiral. Several deaths in a small town raise eyebrows and awareness and when Wilf seems to be involved in one way or another, whispers around town begin. The deaths all appear to have happened since he came home.

The author has concocted a number of unusual deaths that appear to be unrelated and in some cases appear to be natural causes or accidents. But Wilf will not accept these quick decisions and is sure that they are all related and are in fact, murders. He convinces Andy to help him investigate "unofficially", help that causes Andy a demotion, devastating for a family man.

At the same time, he is trying to acquire his records to find out about his missing time and the mystery of his blindness, falls in love, and does not realize his loved one is already in danger. His father is studying files on the gas chambers and human experiments, which brings Wilf some confusing bits of memories pushing him even harder for answers. Answers he will come to realize he doesn't really want to know.

This book delves into many psychological and philosophical areas, dark places, and bizarre events, interspersed with the humor of friendships. Still, it is an easy book to read, holds the reader's attention, and reminds those of us who can remember, of the terrible crimes of war.… (more)