Set in the wintery backdrop of Edmonton, fans of Louise Penny's The Three Pines Mystery series will enjoy this quirky, cozy-adjacent detective story of Detective Smeg pulled back on duty for one last case. Former detective and perpetual grouch Charlie Smeg is old-at least that's the way he feels-and newly retired from the Edmonton Police. He's washed up, burnt out, and unappreciated by younger cops clawing for his job. He'd been a good detective but methods change, times change. He's looking forward to a life of solitude, a good book, and staying indoors during the winter months. Unfortunately, his former boss has other plans. He's not even a week out of the job when she asks him to mentor rising star Meaghan Byatt-one of those upstart detectives-on her first case in the homicide department. The case is an odd one from the get-go, enough that Smeg decides, against his better judgment, to help. With a jobless stepson living at home who won't stop encouraging him to get with the times, and his growing fondness for Byatt making him begrudgingly look forward to human interaction, this case might be what Smeg needs to get back in the game.
