The title comes from a comparison to the Eskimo language. If there are forty words for snow, surely somewhere out there there are forty words that mean sorrow. John Cardinal is a flawed small town Canadian cop fixated on solving the mystery of the disappearance of a teenager girl. Maybe it was the thought of his own daughter that originally drove him, but Cardinal's obsession to solve the case depleted department resources and ultimately got him transferred out of homicide and into the burglary and petty crimes division. Meanwhile, another teenager goes missing. Then another. Suddenly, Cardinal's obsession, thirteen year old Katie Pine's remains are found. Maybe he was onto something after all? Is this the work of a serial killer? This time John is back on the case with a rookie for a partner (is it Lise or Lisa?) who might be investigating him.
This all would be a typical story of a dedicated office with an I-told-you-so attitude but Cardinal is a cop with a complicated life and a dirty secret his partner is determined to uncover. Can he solve the crime(s) before his personal life crashes down around him? His daughter is attending Yale on illegal funds, his wife's mental instability has landed her in an expensive in-patient hospital, and yet another individual has been found murdered. John asks again, is there a serial killer operating out of the tiny town of Algonquin Bay? Can Cardinal close the case before his colleagues close in on him?
Not a spoiler alert: I appreciate that Blunt leaves the ending open. Cardinal's crimes are not wrapped up in an all-is-forgiven-because-you-are-a-hero bow. There is room for Cardinal to make a comeback and face his demons. ( )

Efter en lite trevande inledning så sätter sig berättelsen efter ett par hundra sidor. Karaktärerna blir levande och historien intressant. Blir riktigt spännande mot slutet. En mycket stark trea. Kommer att fortsättas läsa serien. ( )

En Algonquin Bay, una pequeña ciudad canadiense, han desaparecido cuatro adolescentes sin dejar rastro. La policía abre una investigación, que pronto se revela infructuosa. El único que se resiste a abandonar el caso es el solitario y tenaz detective John Cardinal. Su obstinación, que se añade a algunos problemas internos d el departamento, obliga a sus incomodados superiores a apartarlo de la Brigada de Homicidios. Los problemas se acumulan para Cardinal, que ve peligrar no solo su carrera, sino también la relación con su familia. Todo da un giro inesperado cuando aparece el cuerpo sin vida de una chica de trece años en una mina abandonada. La inevitable conclusión a la que Cardinal llega es que la ciudad se enfrenta a unos asesinos despiadados. Y esta verdad solamente la asume él, sometiéndose así a la presión de los medios de comunicación y de la policía. Cardinal tiene que darse prisa en interpretar las pistas y en encontrar a los criminales, porque quizá esté en juego la vida de algún inocente más.

on se perd dans dans cette histoire effarante d'un sérial killer dont les tortures sont - trop - détaillées au fil des pages, et où il est question de l'organisation des différentes polices canadiennes ; et des états d'âme du personnage principal ; sans parler de ses relations avec une de ses collègues dont on n'arrive pas cerner vraiment le rôle et le caractère. Bref, on a bien de la chance que les criminels soient arrêtés, et les "héros" toujours vivants... ( )

Great story, tense scenes and well-drawn characters make for a wonderful book. It is grim and creepy in many parts but the humanity balances thing out.