The Storm Murders by John Farrow is the continuation of the Sergeant Detective Émile Cinq-Mars series; it’s the first in The Storm Murders trilogy. Set in the rural countryside of Quebec but within driving distance of Montreal, Cinq-Mars has retired from the city police force and his former partner has been promoted to sergeant detective. Cinq-Mars’ brand/style of analysis/deduction and investigation–similar to Sherlock Holmes–quickly sucks the reader into this intense, suspenseful mystery shot through with thrills and intrigue.
When an anonymous couple is murdered in the middle of a storm at their isolated, rural farmstead and the surrounding snow left pristine with nary a footprint or tire tread left to reveal the killer’s method of ingress or egress, a perplexing mystery bursts forth in Cinq-Mars’ backyard. The mystery is made even more intriguing by the presence of a cagy FBI agent named Rand Dreher, who persuades Cinq-Mars to investigate the murders. Despite the retired detective’s reluctance, misgivings, and certainty that the FBI man is willfully withholding information regarding the murders and why he wants Cinq-Mars’ assistance with the case rather than going through the proper law enforcement channels, Cinq-Mars cannot resist acquiescing to the American federal agent’s proposition. Ultimately the odd case in which everything is just slightly off and minutely avoids lining up piques Cinq-Mars’ interest.
It turns out the Canadian murders are merely the latest in a series of couples who have met similar ends; the cases are tied together by methodology, staging of the crime scenes, and their proximity of occurrence in the aftermath of natural disasters spanning the United States over the past decade or so. When Cinq-Mars and his wife, Sandra, travel to New Orleans to consult with the investigating officer and get background on the first murders that date back to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the couple get more than they bargained for when Sandra is abducted in service of the abductors applying pressure to Cinq-Mars to leave New Orleans. While the couple beat a hasty retreat from the city a mere twenty-four hours after their arrival, Cinq-Mars is not scared off the case. Rather additional details come to light regarding the Canadian couple and their identities, including why the FBI is so interested in the murders of two Canadian private citizens. All of which leads Cinq-Mars to strike out on his own on the case while leaving his FBI handler, who’s never been straight with him anyway, in the dark regarding his continued investigation of the murders.
Ultimately Cinq-Mars is just half a step behind the assassin/serial killer, whose identity reveals shocking corruption within the ranks one of the world’s most venerated law enforcement institutions. Cinq-Mars’ hubris and slightly slow uptake lead to an intense, incredibly suspenseful final confrontation with the murderer who means to take out Cinq-Mars and his wife as his own crowning achievement: besting a highly respected detective known for his integrity and investigative skills.
A Series of (Un)Fortunate Reviews 