Iona Whishaw – författare

With its intelligent protagonist, believable characters, effortless dialogue, and intriguing plot-all set against a gorgeous mountain backdrop-this second installment in a clever and charming postwar mystery series will captivate fans of the Maisie Dobbs or Bess Crawford books while winning over new devotees to this popular genre.On a snowy day in December 1946, Lane Winslow—a former British intelligence agent who’s escaped to the rural Canadian community of King’s Cove in pursuit of a tranquil life—is introduced to the local hot springs. While there, she is astonished to overhear nearby patrons speaking Russian. When one of the speakers is found dead in the change room, Lane’s linguistic and intelligence experience is of immeasurable value to the local police force in solving the murder.The investigation points to the Soviet Union, where Stalin’s purges are eliminating enemies, and the reach of Stalin’s agent snakes all the way into a harmless Doukhobor community. Her complicated relationship with the local police inspector, Darling, is intensified by the perils of the case—and by the discovery of her own father’s death during the war.The case comes to a frantic and shocking end with a perilous nighttime journey along treacherous snow-covered roads.

It is 1946, and war-weary young ex-intelligence officer Lane Winslow leaves London to look for a fresh start. When she finds herself happily settled in King's Cove, a sleepy hamlet nestled in the idyllic interior of British Columbia surrounded by a suitably eclectic cast of small-town characters she feels like she may finally be able to put her past to rest. But then a body is discovered, the victim of murder, and although she works alongside the town's inspectors Darling and Ames to discover who might possibly have motivation to kill, she casts doubt on herself. As the investigation reveals facts that she has desperately tried to keep a secret, it threatens to pull her into a vortex of even greater losses than the ones she has already endured. A clever postwar mystery that will appeal to fan of historical mysteries with women sleuths like the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear or the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd.

The third book in the popular Lane Winslow mystery series by an author the Globe and Mail has called a “writer to watch.”It’s early spring of 1947 in idyllic King’s Cove, and the Hughes ladies, mere et filles, are gardening and sorting through the jars of food that have been put up for the winter. But while cleaning up after the roof of their root cellar has caved in slightly, they are horrified to discover a small skeletal hand embedded in the mess. Panicked, they call Lane Winslow, the ex-British secret service agent, and, not without some misgivings about the state of their tense relationship, Lane calls Inspector Darling.Before long the police crew discover the body of a young child buried almost 40 years before. Who is the child, and why has it not been buried in the local cemetery? Inspector Darling, already busy dealing with a teenage girl who has gone on a destructive rampage at a local mill, asks Lane for help in unearthing the long-forgotten secrets of the early life of the tiny town, and the identity of the long-forgotten child.This delightful new historical mystery series will appeal to fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford.

Finalist for a 2019 Lefty AwardThe fourth book in the Lane Winslow post-war mystery series, which Kirkus Reviews calls "relentlessly exciting.”Summer descends over the picturesque King’s Cove as Darling and Lane’s mutual affection blossoms, but their respite from solving crime is cut short when a British government official arrives in Nelson to compel Darling to return to England for questioning about the death of a rear gunner under his command in 1943.In Darling’s absence, Ames oversees the investigation into the suspicious death of a local elderly woman and uncovers a painful betrayal inflicted forty years earlier. Meanwhile, Lane follows Darling to London, where he is charged with murder and faces hanging. While desperately seeking answers, Lane is presented with a desperate proposal that could save the man she loves, but only if she returns to the very life she sought to leave behind.

In the fifth book of this post-war mystery series that Kirkus Reviews calls “riveting,” Lane Winslow investigates the murder of an unidentified man she found adrift in a boat near King's Cove.Lane Winslow is enjoying a perfect, sunny day at the lake when she spots a gravely injured young man drifting in a sinking rowboat. Hypothermic, bleeding, and soaked in icy, bloody water, he is unable to speak, leaving Lane at a loss. What series of events brought him to this grisly fate?Darling and Ames are quick to pick up the case, but leads are few until Angela’s young son finds an unsettling clue on the beach—a bright red swastika lapel pin—that points to the National Unity Party of Canada. When the anonymous man succumbs to his injuries, Darling and Lane are thrown headlong into a murder investigation with ties to the old country.Fans of Maisie Dobbs, Bess Crawford, and the ever-popular Kopp Sisters will be enchanted by Lane Winslow, a clever, no-nonsense sleuth based on the author’s own mother, who was a wartime spy.

Winner of the the 2021 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award“An intriguing mix of character, plot, time, and place. Highly recommended.” —Ian Hamilton, award-winning author of the Ava Lee novelsLane Winslow, the ex British secret service officer and her new husband Inspector Darling travel to Arizona to honeymoon at a historic Inn when gunshots ring out in the newest Lane Winslow mystery, a series that Kirkus Reviews calls "relentlessly exciting.”It’s November, and Lane and Darling have escaped the chilly autumn in the Kootenays for a honeymoon at the posh and romantic Santa Cruz Inn in sunny Tucson, Arizona. But despite her very best intentions to relax, soon after their arrival Lane’s plans to spend the holiday poolside with a good mystery are interrupted by gunfire. One of the hotel’s wealthy guests has been shot point blank and Lane is second on the scene.Though Lane and Darling attempt to distance themselves from the investigation, the longer they stay at the Santa Cruz Inn, the deeper they are drawn into a web of suspects and bystanders, and a collection of seemingly perfect marriages fraught with jealousy and violence. The situation threatens first their honeymoon and then their lives when Lane puts herself directly in the sights of local criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want.Back in Nelson, Sergeant Ames has been left in charge of the department during Darling’s absence. As he investigates a case of vandalism at the Van Eyck garage, it seems to lead directly to the death of the suspected vandal himself. Working with Constable Terrell, the new recruit, to piece together what happened in this strange and unsettling murder, Ames finds his romantic interest in mechanic Tina Van Eyck creates complications that are more than awkward; they could be deadly.Fans of Maisie Dobbs and the Kopp sisters will delight in the latest Lane Winslow, a study of matrimony and mirage in the American Southwest.

Shortlisted for the 2022 BC and Yukon Book Prizes' Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice AwardAn Indigo Top 10 Best Mystery of 2021A Globe and Mail bestsellerLane Winslow trades crime solving for substitute teaching in the eighth installment of this mystery series that Kirkus Reviews calls “riveting”.Back home in the Kootenays after her Arizona honeymoon, Lane offers her assistance when neither the outgoing teacher, Rose, nor her replacement, Wendy, show up at the local schoolhouse one blizzardy Monday in December. But when she finds the teachers' cottage ransacked with Rose unconscious and bleeding, and Wendy missing, Lane delivers Rose to the hospital in Nelson and turns the case over to her exasperated husband, Inspector Darling, and his capable colleagues, Sergeant Ames and Constable Terrell.Never one to leave a post unmanned, Lane enlists as substitute teacher for the final two weeks before the Christmas holidays, during which time she discovers a threatening note in the teachers' desk and a revolver in the supply cupboard. But these clues only convolute the case further. Who has been tormenting these women, and where has Wendy gone?Meanwhile, Darling finds the body of a hit-and-run victim in a snowbank miles outside of Nelson, the residents of King's Cove are preoccupied by the possibility of a new neighbour, and Sergeant Ames is as confused as ever by the inimitable Tina Van Eyck.

Shortlisted for a 2023 Crime Writers of Canada AwardNominated for a 2023 Left Coast Crime "Lefty" AwardAn April 2022 Loan Stars Top 10A shallow grave, a missing person, and near-fatal arson keep Lane, Darling, and the Nelson police on high alert in the latest mystery in this Globe and Mail bestselling series.It’s early spring 1948 and Lane arrives in New Denver to find that her friend, Peter Barisoff, is not at home. Instead, in a nearby meadow, she encounters Tom, an Indigenous man in search of his ancestral lands. Lane is intrigued. Unfortunately, once Peter returns home, the day takes a gloomy turn when the trio uncovers human remains next to Peter’s garden, and Lane must tell her husband, Inspector Darling, that she’s inadvertently stumbled into his professional domain—again.Back in Nelson, the Vitalis, Lane and Darling’s favourite restaurateurs, are victims of arson. Constable Terrell’s investigation suggests prejudice as a motive, and the case quickly escalates, as the Vitalis receive increasingly threatening notes of warning. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ames works a robbery while alienating Tina Van Eyck in his personal time, and a swirling rumour sets the entire station on edge and prompts an RCMP investigation into Darling’s integrity.Amid the local bustle series readers have come to love, Framed in Fire is bound up in difficult questions of community and belonging, and the knowledge that trusted neighbours can sometimes be as sinister as a stranger in the dark.

“Highly entertaining . . . Winslow’s fans and newcomers alike will find lots to love.” —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewWith events spanning both world wars, the tenth instalment in the Lane Winslow mystery series—which first began with the bestselling adventure A Killer in King's Cove—is a transatlantic tale of sibling rivalry, infidelity, and espionage.It’s an early morning in May when Lane is pulled from a deep sleep by a concerning phone call from Scotland—her grandfather has had a heart attack. Lane hastily makes plans to fly overseas, and a dejected Inspector Darling prepares himself for a stint of bachelorhood. But before he can begin to dwell on it the Nelson Police learn that Ben Arden, a local cad, has gone out for a late-night boat ride and not returned, which immediately sets the town rumour mill churning.In Scotland Lane finds her grandfather on the mend but her estranged sister Diana caught up in stressful—and mysterious—circumstances of her own. As Lane follows the thread leading from South Africa to Aberdeen to the War Office in London it becomes apparent that her sister is on the run, and that keeping secrets seems to be a Winslow family trait.Back at the Nelson Police station a strange assemblage of clues begins to amass around the Arden case, stretching from the local printshop all the way back to the Great War. But progress is interrupted when the mayor himself issues a demand that Darling travel to England to tie up a decades-old mystery with local connections. True to form, upon Darling’s arrival in London he is quickly swept up in Lane’s mission, which threatens to endanger the entire family.

A Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and CBC Books Bestseller"Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow is much more than B.C.’s answer to Armand Gamache. A smalltown sleuth with a background in international espionage, Winslow’s latest escapade takes her from Nelson to France and Mexico on her most thrilling adventure yet." —Sam Wiebe, author of The Last Exile and the B.C. Bestseller Ocean DriveThe latest mystery in the series Publishers Weekly calls “highly entertaining” sees Lane trekking through Mexico while the team back in Nelson pursue an open and shut and then open again kidnapping.It’s a slow August morning in King’s Cove. Lane has a book to read and a lawn that needs mowing. At the Nelson Police Station her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team are tidying their desks during a rare lull. Then Lane receives a call with news that Darling’s brother Bob has gone missing from a mining camp in Mexico and the police station is visited by the frantic mother of a boy kidnapped from his bedroom.From bustling Mexico City, through the desert and into the mountain range beyond, Darling and Lane’s search for Bob puts them out of the realm of the law and at the mercy of a local bandido. Meanwhile Lane is certain she’s recognized someone from her past she’d rather forget.Back in the Kootenays, both kidnapper and kid turn up across the lake in Creston and it appears to be case closed—until a body is found mangled in the paddlewheel of a ferry boat. Plans for Ames’s wedding are taking shape, and Terrell’s favourite soon-to-be police officer April has a chance to prove her mettle. The latest Winslow mystery questions the roles of men and women, husbands and wives, and of course a certain police inspector and King’s Cove’s resident sleuth.

“Iona Whishaw is an absolute treasure! Her books are instantly charming, instantly immersive, and readers will instantly fall under the spell of her captivating storytelling. No matter where you start in this entertaining series, Whishaw's considerable skill at creating a satisfying traditional mystery with well-drawn characters we adore—not to mention a gorgeous and authentic setting— provides a delightful experience. And for effortless and engaging dialogue, there is no one better. For anyone who loves Jacqueline Winspear and Louise Penny, Iona Whishaw will be your new favorite author.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA TODAY best-selling author of All This Could Be YoursLane Winslow struggles to tell friend from foe in a captivating new mystery from the series Publishers Weekly calls “highly entertaining.” Lane Winslow is known in her idyllic British Columbia laketown of King's Cove for a bad habit of finding dead bodies. This time, all she’s found is a suspiciously well-made hat abandoned in the brush, but she’s certain there’s a mystery afoot. While Lane is overtaken by the urge to snoop around for clues, her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team at the Nelson Police Station find their straightforward case of a stolen boat suddenly complicated when a fourteen-year-old boy is reported missing from the local school. When the search for the boy, the hat’s mysterious owner, and the boat lead them to the sudden disappearances of the local café cook, a visiting wealthy investor, and seventy thousand dollars in cash, the case quickly turns into a snarled tangle of missing people and scant, circumstantial evidence. Desperate to keep a vulnerable and possibly violent young boy safe, Lane recruits the neighbours as Darling, Ames, Terrell, and April scour the local towns and wildernesses for answers—all while Ames struggles to focus through wedding jitters, and April and Terrell chafe under the questionable advice of meddlesome old “friends.” At first, the daily dramas of King’s Cove unfold uninterrupted around the simmering questions at the heart of this far-reaching mystery, but as the case reveals its roots in both the glitzy high society and criminal underground of 1920s Toronto, it soon becomes clear all hands will be needed on deck to get everyone to the coming wedding alive in one piece.

"In the midst of the London Blitz, a spy is born and so is a star. Lane Winslow, an unlikely but resilient heroine, is someone to follow and someone to root for, and this is only the beginning of her story." —J. A. Jance, New York Times bestselling authorIn A Season for Spies, the page-turning prequel to the mystery series Publishers Weekly calls “highly entertaining,” Lane Winslow embarks on her first spy mission in wartime England, while her grandparents’ quiet Christmas in Scotland is interrupted by a mysterious guest.In wartime England, Lane Winslow has been pulled out of her studies at Oxford and spends her days in London translating for the war office. Things are grim, and it looks like no one is going home for Christmas—that is, not until Lane's commanding officer orders her to drop everything to do just that. He’s loathe to send a woman, but a very important agent needs an escort into the country from an isolated cove in Scotland in just a few days, and Lane’s family connections in the north are the perfect cover for this mission of utmost secrecy.On rails, wheels, and snowshoes, Lane makes her way up the country through the thick snows, navigating inquiries from old friends, distrustful townspeople, and dangerous interference on her race against time. Resourceful, but still untested, Lane will have to use all of her wits to make it out of her mission unscathed.Meanwhile, Lane’s grandparents are delighted by the news that she’ll be up for the holidays, but their cheery preparations are interrupted by clues suggesting a mysterious visitor has dropped right down into the forest outside their cottage. They might have a British airman wandering around in danger—or someone much more sinister lurking in the woods. Cozy and action-packed, this prequel to the beloved Lane Winslow mysteries shows readers just where Lane got her mettle.