Review: Prisoners of Hope: An Amanda Doucette Mystery (An Amanda Doucette Mystery #3) by Barbara Fradkin

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2853 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dundurn (Oct. 6 2018)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B077VSTMJ7

Book Description

Amanda Doucette finds herself drawn into the world of exploited foreign workers when she rescues a Filipino nanny accused of murdering her wealthy employer.
Georgian Bay: a spectacular terrain of granite shores, deserted islands, and infinite sparkling bays. As part of her cross-Canada charity tour, Amanda has planned a kayaking trip in the area for abused families from a rural Ontario community. 

While exploring some remote islands offshore, she and a local tour guide rescue a frightened young woman whose boat has capsized. In an apparent act of kindness, the tour guide takes the woman to shore, leaving Amanda stranded. But when news surfaces that a wealthy doctor has died at his estate and his Filipino nanny has gone missing, Amanda fears far more sinister forces are at work. When the young tour guide is found dead on a nearby island, she and RCMP officer Chris Tymko race to prevent more innocent deaths.

About the Author

Barbara Fradkin (nee Currie), an award-winning Canadian mystery writer and retired psychologist whose work with children and families provides ample inspiration for murder. She is fascinated by the dark side and by the desperate choices people make.

Her novels are gritty, realistic, and psychological, with a blend of mystery and suspense. She is the author of three series, including ten novels featuring the exasperating, quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green, and three short novels about country handyman Cedric O'Toole which provide an entertaining but quick and easy read. FIRE IN THE STARS is the first book in her new mystery thriller series which stars passionate, adventurous, but traumatized aid worker Amanda Doucette.

Fradkin's work has been nominated for numerous awards, and two of the Inspector Green books have won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel from Crime Writers of Canada. Fradkin was born in Montreal but lives in Ottawa.

My Review

Prisoners of Hope: An Amanda Doucette Mystery is the third An Amanda Doucette Mystery by Barbara Fradkin. I have read all 3 books in the series. Prisoners of Hope is a great addition to the series.

I love this set in Canada series. Fradkin is taking us all around this glorious country as Amanda Doucette travels around doing work for her foundation. Prisoners of Hope is set in Georgian Bay in Ontario. Georgian Bay is cottage country where people from Toronto and other urban areas have a second home. It is a beautiful area with thousands of little islands. A perfect place to get lost in.

Amanda and her RCMP beau Chris Tymko are planning to camp and paddle around the area to see if it is suitable for an outreach trip Amanda is planning.  Immediately their trip plans are thrown into disarray and Amanda is deep into a mysterious death of a wealthy doctor.

Prisoners of Hope is a compelling and interesting tale. It is well written and I enjoyed reading it. The world of foreign workers is explored. Many young children in Canada are raised by Filipino nannies. These women leave their own children behind to raise Canadian children in the hopes of becoming landed immigrants and bringing their families to Canada. It does allow for abuse by unscrupulous employers.

I highly recommend Prisoners of Hope. It is available on October 6th.  I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.