Cold Mourning: A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery

Written by Brenda Chapman

Narrated by Michelle St. John

Nominated for the 2015 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.

When murder stalks a family over Christmas, Kala Stonechild trusts her intuition to get results.

It's a week before Christmas when wealthy businessman Tom Underwood disappears into thin air - with more than enough people wanting him dead.

New police recruit Kala Stonechild, who has left her northern Ontario detachment to join a specialized Ottawa crime unit, is tasked with returning Underwood home in time for the holidays. Stonechild, who is from a First Nations reserve, is a lone wolf who is used to surviving on her wits. Her new boss, Detective Jacques Rouleau, has his hands full controlling her, his team, and an investigation that keeps threatening to go off track.

Old betrayals and complicated family relationships brutally collide when love turns to hate and murder stalks a family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ECW
• Release date: Nov 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781459742215

Brenda Chapman

Brenda Chapman is a crime writer who has published over twenty books, including seven in the lauded Stonechild and Rouleau mystery series. She lives in Ottawa.

Reviews for Cold Mourning

[Teresa · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I could not get past the bad narration, didn't finish it.

[Derry-Ann Morgan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Natures laws of the Universe flowed though this novel. Thank you. Beautifully written by author with twits , turns and intrigue. Awakening a longing to learn more of Canada's native people and history.

[romonko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I decided to take a look at this series that is set in Ottawa, Canada. I'm always looking for new Canadian series, and this one appealed to me. Kala Stonechild appealed to me as she is is an indigenous young police officer trying to start a new life and forge a way for herself. We get hints of Kala's backstory throughout, but just little tidbits. I know that the remainder of the series will probably flesh this out, but no answers were really given in this book. But that doesn't make the book any less intriguing. Kala and Rouleau are on the trail of a particularly calculating killer. There are tons of red herrings, and false leads to make things more interesting, but Kayla doesn't appear to be distracted by this. She follows the clues and eventually figures it our during her first Christmas in Ottawa, Canada. There is a lot of promise in this series, and I look forward to following Kala and Rouleau in their next adventure.

[lamour_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A neighbour introduced me to Chapman when we were talking about local writers. I found a copy of her first novel in the Stonechild and Rouleau series and was immediately taken by the characters and the plot. The novel opens with the sexual assault of two native children who are in foster care in 1995. After that disturbing opening, we jump 20 years to be introduced to a character named Kala Stonechild who has just been hired by the City of Ottawa Police Service as a detective. Immediately she senses resentment from some of her male colleagues because she is a female and also indigenous. When wealthy and famous Tom Underwood is found murdered in the trunk of his car, Stonechild and her colleagues begin a lengthy murder investigation which is stymied by many suspects and investigators with differing points of view. The head of the team, Sergeant Rouleau, is suffering from some personal issues as are some of the other men in the unit. It is a fast moving narrative. As I live in Ottawa where this story takes place, it was fascinating to follow Kala as she described driving along streets and through neighbourhoods I know well. It reminded me of Robert Crais' books set in Los Angeles where he describes the streets and neighbourhoods he travels through on his way to some suspect's home in such detail that you are able to follow him on Google Maps.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kala Stonechild has moved to Ottawa to join a specialised crime unit run by Sergeant Rouleau. Her first case is investigating the death of businessman Tom Underwood.
This first in the series introduces two new interesting characters, and the mystery was well-written so I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[baochuan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the very unexpected ending of the story. However, the story telling is a bit halting in some sense and the characters felt a bit shallow. Hope the next one in the series showed improvement.

[yukon92 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book started out very brutal and disturbing.... I wasn't sure I would make it past the 1st chapter. However, I gave it "one more chance" and ended up listening to the whole audio book. It was very well written and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[kerrymarsh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cold Mourning was an interesting read. The story is set around Detective Kala Stonechild. Her private life, present and past, her relationship with her boss Rouleau, and lets not forget crime. A good first Adult Crime Novel for this author.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kala Stonechild, a First Nations woman and police officer, has transferred from Northern Ontario to Ottawa to work in a specialized unit in major Crimes. But it is not just the job which has brought her here. As a child in foster care, she and her cousin, Rose, experienced an horrific event which has plagued both of them since. Now, Rose has disappeared with her young daughter and Kala is determined to find them. In her first week on the job and just a week before Christmas, the body of a wealthy businessman is found frozen in the trunk of his car. Most of the unit is convinced that his murder was linked to his job but Kala is not so sure. She suspects that the family is harbouring secrets and she is convinced that the truth lies somewhere among these secrets.Author Brenda Chapman has written a compelling mystery with some very interesting characters. Kala is strong-willed, smart, and sympathetic and her boss, Jacques Rouleau is kind, compassionate, and understanding. Chapman has also created a plot full of enough twists and turns that it was nigh impossible to guess the real perpetrator. Cold Mourning is the first in a new series by Chapman and it is certainly a fine beginning.

[kmt01_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was immediately taken by with this book from the very start. Police recruit Kayla Stonechild, who has a difficult history and is from Northern Ottawa, is assigned to a new unit in Ottawa whose job is to return Tom Underwood, who has gone missing, home for the holidays. Kayla is a loner, used to striking off on her own to do her job. Her new boss, Detective Jacques Rouleau, must somehow control her and his team, keeping them from straying off track. To make matters worse, Detective Rouleau’s boss has a personal vendetta against Detective Rouleau and is determined to see the team fail. The team works diligently to solve the case, but old rivalries, personal relationships and a dysfunctional family work against them in their efforts to solve the case. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in the story, especially Kayla and Jacques, whose chemistry in the job was perfect. The author has developed an intricate plot, filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until almost the end just who is responsible for Tom’s demise. A fascinating subplot in the story is Kayla’s past and her relationship with another indigenous native/aboriginal woman, and how Kayla is trying to tie up whatever loose ends there may be with this woman. I will definitely look for a follow on to this book, with more about the Stonechild/Rouleau working relationship. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[druidgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about two Native American girls put into foster care,they are kidnapped by a man and unspeakable things were done to them. They are separated, but promise to find each other some day. Kala Stonechild eventually becomes a police detective in Ottawa on their special team. Kala and Sargent Rouleau are called to investigate the murder of Tom Underwood, throughout the investigation you learn of Tom's very dysfunctional family,friends and business partner, there are more murders and attempted murders for them to solve before the investigation is taken away from them by the Major Crimes unit. Kala finds her cousin Rosie but she disappears again.This was a well written storyline and the characters were great and they were very much like real people. I recommend this to all those who love the mystery genre and those who don't usually read mysteries this might change your mindThanks to Net Galley and Dundurn..