What’s Leannah Riah Fidler Reading?
I am currently, hungrily working my way through Iona Whishaw’s ‘Lane Winslow’ series. I am trying to hold back, to not read too fast, knowing there are a limited number of books in the series so far.
But, I can’t stop myself.
A dear friend, and avid reader, turned me onto this series in the fall and I fell in love immediately.
The series is based around my hometown of Nelson, BC and in the fictional community of King’s Cove in the 1940s, after the end of World War II. In the first book you meet Lanette (Lane) Winslow, as she has just moved to Canada from Britain after the war. She had resigned from the wartime work she was doing and is just looking for a quiet country life now. She bought a beautiful house on the lake and wants to leave the excitement and danger of war behind.
Except, we find out her new life is anything but quiet and serene. The first book starts with a mysterious death, practically in Lane’s backyard. She is drawn in to the circumstances surrounding it, and we the reader, are pulled along.
I love getting to know more about the main characters, as they return in each book. We not only find out about their hopes and fears but also about secrets from their pasts and how these secrets can come to disrupt the lives they are living now. It’s a fun read with suspense, action and a touch of romance thrown in.
Iona Whisaw was born in BC and spent her younger years in the Kootenays before moving away. But her time here must have made an impression. While the author does take some liberties with the landscape, for me the places are easily recognizable. How could I not love stories that are set in the same places that I call home? I can see Lane falling in love with the mountains and the lake they lean over.
I would recommend this series to anyone would loves a good British murder mystery, beautiful descriptions of setting and a little romantic tension. Definitely a good series to curl up in bed with (but not if you have to get up early the next day!
Leannah Riah Fidler lives in southern B.C and draws her inspiration from the landscapes of the natural world. She has previously been published in the Black Bear Review. She is working on her first poetry chapbook and is often found staring out the window.