‘Blackflies Are Murder’ by Lou Allin

Published by Rendezvous Crime, 
January 2002.
ISBN: 978-0-92291419-2

When her elderly neighbour is found dead, Belle Palmer is worried that her death could in some way be connected to the bear baiting site that she had discovered in the woods, and that her neighbour had vowed to destroy.

Steve Davis of the local police investigating the killing seems to have only one suspect, the victim’s nephew, But Belle, owner of Palmer Reality surveying the neighbourhood finds herself paying close attention to things that she would normally overlook. The distinct hostility of Patsy Sommers. Nick Delvecchio, who arrives every April and stays through to August, shy and reclusive, Belle reckons he is too old to be a student and has no idea how he supports himself during these months.

When Belle stumbles on a letter which recalls a past tragedy, she wonders if this could be relevant to the murder. Snatching at straws she sets out to seek the truth of this horrific event, believing that it may lead her to find her friend’s killer. As she uncovers past secrets, she comes to question the people around her who may not be what they seem.

Set in Northern Ontario in high summer, Lou Allen conveys the incredible vastness of the country and the remoteness of the setting. The descriptions of the woods, fauna and plant life are beautiful and fascinating. At one point in the story Belle is explaining to a neighbour who has only recently moved to the area, that there are rules to rural living. Well Lou certainly had my attention. I found the whole background to the story utterly absorbing. It’s rewarding to not only enjoy a mystery but to learn about a different way of life along the way.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

Lou Allin (1945-2014) was born in Toronto, Canada, but raised in Ohio. She is the author of two series, the Holly Martin Mysteries and the Belle Palmer Mysteries. After teaching for many years at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, she moved to Vancouver Island. Her father followed the film business to Cleveland in 1948. and his profession explains her passion for classic films. And debt to Ted Turner.