Haitian Graves: Ray Robertson Mystery

By Vicki Delany

RCMP sergeant Ray Robertson is serving with the United Nations in Haiti, a land of brilliant color and vibrant life, Vodou and vast above-ground cemeteries. Ray’s job is to train the local police and assist investigations. One call comes in from the home of a wealthy American businessman. The man came home to find his beautiful, young Haitian wife floating face down in the swimming pool. The American embassy and the Haitian police immediately arrest the gardener, and the case is closed. But Ray isn’t so sure, and he keeps digging. Until one night he finds himself in a Vodou-saturated cemetery, surrounded by above-ground tombs and elaborate statuary, confronting a killer with nothing left to lose.
   This is the second in a series featuring RCMP sergeant Ray Robertson on his various postings overseas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Books
• Release date: Aug 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781459808997

Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the United States. She has written more than 30 books: from clever cozies to Gothic thrillers, gritty police procedurals to historical fiction and seven novellas in the Rapid Reads line. She writes the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series, the Year Round Christmas mysteries and under the pen name of Eva Gates, the Lighthouse Library series. Vicki is the past president of Crime Writers of Canada. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, Bony Blithe, Golden Oak, and Arthur Ellis Awards. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Reviews for Haitian Graves

[toades_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A quick read, but a very enjoyable book. This is the second Ray Robertson novel and I really enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

[sprocto · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I prefer a full length novel rather than the "Rapid Read" novella style of writing. That has impacted this review. That said, I thought the feeling of Haiti was well represented; the plot was complete and logical; the characters defined - within the confines of the length of the story. I would have loved a full novel.

[bill_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Haitian Graves was a rapid read, more an extended short story. That said, it was a satisfying read with well developed characters. But, I read mysteries during extended plane flights. I would have enjoyed the story more if it were more drawn out.

[lehack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

RCMP Ray Robertson is on temporary duty with the UN in Haiti assisting the police department. A body is found, American they are told, an investigation begins. The body is the wife of an American executive in Haiti to bid on rebuilding after the earthquake. There are two children in the house along with security guard, a gardener and a housekeeper. The death is assumed to be an accident, the body shipped to Miami for autopsy, and everyone assumes the case is closed. But Robertson persists, even though he doesn't have the right to investigate which is the job of the local police. An arrest is made, but Robertson thinks it is the wrong person and continues investigating on his own. This was a very quick read. A nice summer afternoon repast while resting from gardening. I will look for other boos from this author.

[drled_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: Ray Robertson is a Canadian Mountie stationed in Haiti as an instructor and mentor to their police department. While on patrol with Agent Pierre Lamothe and several of his patrolmen, they get a call regarding a dead woman. The house is elegant, the husband is American, but the wife and her two young children are Haitian. Although there is a quick arrest of the gardener in this apparent murder, Robertson wonders why American Embassy officials are involved and why the evidence seems too pat.Review: This is a beautifully written and literate novella, presenting a mixture of police procedural and detective story. However, the plot is thin. Even though this is a 'Rapid Reads' book, I expected a bit more depth pulling in the title of the book and giving some color to Pierre and to the city. I had little trouble deciding 'who done it'; knowing why took only slightly longer. Overall, I enjoyed the quality of writing but expected more from the storyline.

[kaulsu · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

How sad. Delany took a skeleton of an outline and published it as a book. The book has such unrealized potential. Does she not own a thesaurus? Has she never heard of descriptive adjectives? I was really looking forward to a book that could promote an island country that never catches a break. This wasn't that book. I thought the whole world knew of Papa Doc and Baby Doc. Not Delany. She throws in a reference to "Dictator Duvalier." Whaaaa?When I saw the book, I first thought it might qualify as a YA mystery. But young people also deserve well-written books with three dimensional characters. When the plots are located in real, actual physical places, the locations need to come to life. When describing the denizens of that location, an author has an obligation to evoke the street sounds of the vendors singing their wares and the colorful clothing they wear. Not all the men are lecherous, nor are all women whores, although Delany correctly attempted to educate the reader on the risks single, under-educated women face. And in Haiti, not everyone speaks creole, is poor OR rich, or is uneducated. The book is two dimensional, so it is no surprise that the characters are, too. Don't bother to read it. Especially, don't bother to pay money to read it.

[cfk_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ray Robertson is trying clean up the reputation and retrain the local police under the auspices of the UN. Consequently, he has little authority when he takes his team to the scene of what is at first called a tragic accident. At first, he seems disconnected from events--nothing more than an observer. But once he gets his back up and charges ahead, he uncovers a far greater crime than the murder of a Haitian woman married to an American businessman.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is one of the Rapid Reads titles put out by Orca Books. I read the first book by Vicki Delany in the Rapid Reads catalogue, Juba Good, and enjoyed it very much.Ray Robertson is an RCMP officer who is working with the UN training police in third world countries. After the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 it wasn't only physical damage that had to be repaired and replaced. The Haiti National Police (PNH) were mentored by experienced police like Ray. On one shift Ray and his crew were called to the home of a wealthy American because his wife, Marie, had been found floating dead in the pool. From the beginning Ray thought this death was something more than a terrible accident and when the coroner's report found that Marie had been dead before she hit the water he was sure of it. He didn't believe that the gardener was responsible even though there was some circumstantial evidence. So Ray started nosing around on his own time and found the real culprit.Delany hooks the reader in from the first paragraph:Haiti is all about colour. Colour and contrast. Masses of red, peach and white flowers twisted around barbed wire. Brightly painted houses in the crowded slums spilling down the hillside. Cheerful ribbons wound through girls' hair as they walk through piles of garbage. The painted minibus taxis called tap-taps. Some of the tap-taps looking as though paint and rust are all that's holding them together.

[unkletom_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Haitian Graves is a short, very concise mystery featuring Ray Robinson, a Canadian Mountie serving as a UN advisor in Haiti. At just under pp., the book has little room for extraneous descriptions or red herrings which contributes to its rapid flow. The story is more cozy than hard-boiled. While entertaining, it is not exactly exceptional. *This review book was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:•5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.•4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.•3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered good or memorable.•2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending. •1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Sergeant Ray Robertson of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is on assignment in Haiti with the United Nations, mentoring and advising the Haitian police. While on patrol, Robertson and his team respond to a call from the home of an American businessman. The American had arrived at home to find his young Haitian wife floating face down in the pool. Appearances at the scene suggest that her death was accidental, but the autopsy results indicate otherwise. Robertson's authority doesn't extend to murder investigations so he's relegated to the sidelines as an observer -- as long as he doesn't interfere with the investigation. This becomes increasingly difficult for Robertson when he becomes convinced that the police's prime suspect is innocent, and that the husband, his security guards, and American embassy personnel are obstructing the investigation.This book is part of the Rapid Reads series intended for adults with low English literacy levels, such as ESL readers. I've read a couple of other Rapid Reads books that have cross-over appeal for readers who enjoy crime fiction in a short story or novella format. This book will have little appeal to readers outside its target audience. It must be a challenge to adjust one's normal writing style to the needs of low literacy readers. Delany's writing is adequate for the purpose, but it isn't elegant. Her sentences are short and choppy. Whole paragraphs consist of sentences starting with “I”. Delany also uses a lot of sentence fragments in her writing. This is a style that some writers, such as Louise Penny, use to good effect. I'm not sure it's a good fit for a low literacy/ESL audience. These readers would be better served by a style that incorporates complete and grammatically correct sentences. This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

[tatoosh-3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ray Robertson, sergeant in the RCMP has relocated from South Sudan to Haiti, but he is still working as a UN volunteer helping in the development of a modern police force. An American business man returns home from work to find his young Haitian wife dead in the swimming pool. Robertson accompanies agent Pierre Lamothe and three officers in training to the house. After a quick glance the Haitians conclude that the woman fell, hit her head, and rolled into the pool. Robertson actually examines the body – imagine that – and argues that the victim had been hit on the head and dumped into the pool. A subsequent autopsy conducted in Miami supports that conclusion.Faced with evidence that the victim was murdered, the case is assigned to a local investigator. He quickly identifies a suspect, makes an arrest, and closes the case. Robertson is unwilling to accept that facile conclusion.As in “Juba Good,” the first novel in this series, the plot relies on a racist subplot. With the exception of Lamothe, the Haitian officers, all men of color, are lazy, cynical, and bereft of any sense of service to the community. It is only through the efforts of the White Canadian man that the murderer is identified, and the innocent man freed.This book is an improvement over Juba Good,” and slightly more enjoyable. Delany’s depiction of the Haitian police officers is more sympathetic, due largely to the more positive qualities assigned to Lamothe. Nevertheless, readers interested in a rapid reads series of murder mysteries featuring Canadian police officers will find John Lawrence Reynolds’ series featuring Police Chief Maxine Benson to be superior.