A Sorrowful Sanctuary (A Lane Winslow Mystery)

By Iona Whishaw

Rating: 5/5 Stairs

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I not only continue to read amazing books this year, but books that have amazing covers. Before we begin, just look at this beauty. I love the style, the color, the shadows. Without knowing anything else about this book, I knew I wanted to read it just from this gorgeous cover art.

This beautiful cover belongs to A Sorrowful Sanctuary, the latest installment of the Lane Winslow mysteries.

If you are new this series, meet Lane Winslow. A former spy during WWII, she has settled down in a village in Canada to begin the next phase of her life, which includes gardening, spending time with her neighbors, writing poetry, and of course solving murders. To be fair, our amateur sleuth does not go looking for trouble, but it does seem to find her.

In this adventure, we find Lane innocently out fishing with her friend Angela and Angela’s boys when they discover a rowboat floating in the water. Inside, they find a man who appears to have been shot, just barely clinging to life. Meanwhile, Inspector Darling and Constable Ames have been looking into a case involving a missing man. Could they be the same person? Once again, Lane finds herself in the middle of a mystery. As much as (she thinks) she’d like to stay out of it, curiosity propels her investigation forward.

As the mystery deepens, so does the relationship between Lane and Darling. They have finally admitted their feelings to each other, but their path forward still has some obstacles to overcome. Will they stay together, or are they better off apart?

A Sorrowful Sanctuary is the fifth book in the series, and Ms. Whishaw continues to include some key elements of her writing style in each story. Each of these elements blend together to create a fantastic mystery:

Her attention to detail puts the reader right into the post-WWII 1940s.
The murders are not random acts, but have a history. She includes flashbacks where appropriate as the story moves forward to paint a better picture for the reader and fill in missing details of the victim.
The characters are complex, and continue to develop as the series progresses.

As I’ve read the Lane Winslow mysteries (this is now my third out of the five), I am often reminded of my favorite sleuth, Nancy Drew. In my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries, she is independent, loyal, and always determined to find the truth. Sometimes she finds herself in danger, but she always perseveres. I was visiting Ms. Whishaw’s blog, and discovered a wonderful entry where she discusses Nancy Drew’s influence on her writing.

If you enjoy historical mysteries (especially the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear), amateur sleuths, post WWII storylines, or strong characters, don’t miss Lane Winslow and pick up A Sorrowful Sanctuary. It’s all of those and more.

Many thanks to Touchwood Editions for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.