Author Brenda Chapman https://brendachapman.ca published the novel “Closing Time” in 2020. She has published more than 20 novels. This is the seventh and final novel in her Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery series.

I categorize this book as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence. The primary character is police officer Kala Stonechild. Stonechild has taken her niece on a canoe trip in the wilderness north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. They are staying in a cabin at Pine Hollow Lodge. They had only been there a short time before Rachel Eglan disappeared. Rachel was a 16-year-old who worked at the Lodge as a waitress. After her body is found, her death is determined to be from foul play. Because of her expertise, an official request is made for Stonechild to assist in the investigation. Stonechild is an officer on the Kingston Major Crimes team.

Part of the reason for Stonechild taking the trip is to reevaluate her career and her relationship with fellow Kingston officer Paul Gundersund. She is surprised at the Lodge by a prior romantic interest and local police officer, Clark Harrison.

At first, there seem to be no motives for Rachel’s death. The more questions the investigators ask, the more it appears that everyone seems to be hiding something. The deaths do not stop with young Rachel. Stonechild forges ahead with the investigation while dealing with her own issues.

I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 392-page mystery. I enjoyed this mystery, but I feel that the killer’s identity was revealed too early. I had not read any of the other books in the series, but this one stood up well on its own. The cover is a bit dark and dismal but relates to the story. I rate this book as a 4 out of 5.

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Although this book is number 7 in the series, you can still read this as a stand alone.I loved the plot and the writing style . I will definately be reading the other books in the series. I was connected with the characters. It actually was a very thought provoking book.

This is the first book that I have read by Brenda Chapman and in the series, which apparently is the last in the series. I am at a slightly disadvantage but it did not stop me from my overall enjoyment of this novel.

Firstly, the setting was nostalgic for me as I come from upstate NY and my parents come from London Ontario which we used to spend a lot of time in Ontario. This was a winning factor for me as Chapman was able to capture the people and the setting perfectly.

The characters are all well established and even though there are loose strings tied from previous instalments, I was able to get in with the whole flow of these characters situations. Karla is an insightful and strong character and as we are led by this character’s hand, she is strong with human frailties which makes her a memorable character and one we truly care about as she figures out the mystery that she is involved with. The other characters are very well drawn and add to the story.

The plot is very well driven and leads interest and plausibility to the proceedings. It feels that everything is happening for a reason and to Chapman’s credit, she never once wedges in something implausible to manipulate her plot. The reader is fully invested in these characters and the plot to the amazing finish.

Overall, I am not sure if this is a book to read if you are to start the series but it did not take away from my enjoyment. It did make me wish that I started at the beginning and feel that I have really lost out by not reading into this series sooner. This is a good read and one that I think people will enjoy and fits well within the crime mystery genre. Chapman is a very talented writer and thoroughly enjoyed this and will seek out more from this author.

Murder hunt in the wilds of Northern Ontario!

There are obviously depths and challenges to Ontario Provincial Police Officer Kala Stonechild that to me, a first time reader of the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series, are fascinating. I feel the need to know more.
Holidaying with Dawn her foster charge, Karla looks forward to canoeing and recharging her batteries in the wilderness that so calls to her. Unfortunately Karla finds herself catapulted into the murder investigation of a sixteen year old waitress working at the isolated lodge they're guesting in, located to the north of Sault Ste. Marie in the far reaches of Ontario.
At the request of the local officer Clark Harrison, a former acquaintance of Karla's, she is seconded to the investigation. The inquiry dances down some rather twisted paths. It seems the victim Rachel Eglan is not the quiet churchgoing young woman she appears to be. She's somewhat of a chameleon.
The breaking down of facts, the casework process, was nicely instituted. Karla's sixth sense, her detectively intuition comes unerringly into play.
As Karla's partner Clark says, scratch any small community and anonymity is unerringly impossible “some freaky community osmosis [comes into play]. Frig, they know when someone sneezes before they reach for a tissue." Investigating this murder will stretch right into that community and secrets thought hidden will be revealed, after searching down some twisted pathways.
I feel I would have benefited more if I'd read previous novels. Starting with the last is somewhat awkward but doable. If anything else, it encourages me to turn back to the beginnings of the series to understood more about Karla's backstory. Obviously part of that are her tortured romance relationships, although this didn't at all deter from my being able to gather up pieces of the puzzle as to who Karla is. A free spirit with a troubled childhood, an inability to commit in a relationship, a fear of being trapped, an absolute love of the wild and free northern parts of Ontario, a thorough and focused investigator, with an uncanny ability to read body language.
Apart from the timing of Rachael's murder, the title "Closing Time" is apt in terms of not only the crime committed. This is the last of series. Many factors about the key characters are pulled together. Brenda Chapman's forward helped me to locate some of the past of Stonechild and Rouleau. BTW, I must say I really liked the cover. With its color tonings, the half submerged boat amongst the reeds, it hints at secrets covered up, at a darkness lurking.
A fascinating read that pulled me back to a beautiful area of Canada that I've been fortunate enough to visit from time to time.

A Dundurn ARC via NetGalley

This was an alright story. Wasn't bad but didn't wow me. I liked the mystery in it but the personal relationship things kind of lost me. I just could not care enough to get invested in Stonechild's dilemmas.

Kala Stonechild is a police officer living in Kingston, ON, and taking care of her teenage niece, Dawn, while Dawn's mother is in prison. Kala has been feeling restless lately and has some life decisions to make ... while she likes the life she's made for herself in Kingston, she has also been missing her old life, living in northern Ontario with no responsibilities for anyone but herself and her dog.

Kala and Dawn rent a cottage on a lodge in northern Ontario so Kala can show Dawn the joys and simplicity of life away from the city. Days spent hiking and on the lakes are interrupted when Rachel, a teenager who was working at the restaurant at the lodge where Kala and Dawn are staying is murdered. The area is served by one police officer, who Kala had worked with years before, and he asks for her help. As Clark and Kala start investigating, they find that Rachel wasn't the good girl her mother wanted her to be and there are many who could have killed her.

This is the seventh (and final) in the Stonechild and Rouleau series and I enjoyed it. Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone and you don't need to have read the previous ones to read this one (there is enough background given). It's always nice to read a book that is happening in Ontario (these characters live in Kingston and this story happens in northern Ontario and the author doesn't hide this fact). I liked the writing style and found the storyline interesting. It is written in third person perspective with the focus on the various characters wherever the action was happening.

While I'm sorry to see this series come to an end, I look forward to reading future books in this series and by this author.

It's late summer and Officer Kala Stonechild has a need to get away so she goes with her foster niece, Dawn, to Pine Hollow Lodge in the wilderness to the north of Sault Ste. Marie. But a teenage girl working at the Lodge goes missing and soon her body is found.
Kala is asked for her help and so assists Officer Clark Harrison, an old colleague. Can they find the guilty party among the many suspects and unravel the lies.
Unfortunately this is the last in this series. Again this is another entertaining and well-written series, with its excellently plotted stories. So we say goodbye to all these likeable and well-developed characters.

A moment of silence please, as I mourn the passing of one of my favourite series. I’ve enjoyed every one of these books & feel like I’m saying good-bye to old friends….friends with lives waaay more exciting than mine.

In the final instalment, we find Kingston police officer Kala Stonechild at loose ends. She has a good life in the city but can’t deny a growing urge to chuck it all & hit the road. She has some big decisions to make & in an effort to clear her head, she & niece Dawn head off to a cabin in the wilds of northern Ontario. The little resort promises spotty cell service & no wifi but plenty of rivers to explore by canoe followed by quiet starlit nights. Perfect. Or it should have been.

People staying in the cabins only see each other when they gather for meals at the main lodge. Among the staff & guests is Rachel, a pretty 16 year old working as a waitress for the summer. Unfortunately, Kala will only get to know her after her broken body is found on the side of the road. She’s been brutally murdered & the small, close knit community promptly goes into shock.

Enter OPP Officer Clark Morrison, a former colleague of Kala’s when she worked in a northern detachment. And due to staff shortages, he could really use a hand. Would she be interested in a temporary reassignment? This was supposed to be a break from bodies & paperwork but Kala can’t shake the feeling the killer is hiding in plain sight. And they might not be done.

Back in Kingston, boss Jacques Rouleau ok’s her request to join the investigation. But he’s worried. He & her partner Paul Gundersund have sensed Kala’s restlessness for a while & wonder if this is her first step toward saying good-bye.


Readers expect a lot from a final book. You want a great story but usually there are some long running plot lines to tie up as well. This strikes a good balance. The investigative aspect is detailed & loaded with red herrings that keep your brain veering in every direction. When the killer was revealed, I had to do the forehead smack….how could I forget the most basic tenant: cui bono? But in my own defence, my God, some of these people are a hot mess. When Morrison compared their shenanigans to Peyton Place, he wasn’t wrong (something for all you youngsters to google 😉).

But it’s also a very personal read. If you’ve been following along, you know Kala had a rough start in life. It’s affected her ability to form relationships & recognize a home when she finds it. Her friendship with Jacques is the heart of the series & he’s become the father figure she never had. And after some bumps in the road, she & Paul built something solid. Or so I thought. As Kala pondered her future I found myself dreading the final pages as I had very firm opinions about where these characters should end up (one didn’t quite pan out so in my head I added a chapter. Go for it, Vera!).

This aspect of the story is about change, those life altering decisions that are scary. Where you call home, what you hang on to & what you let go. Several of the characters are at a crossroad & the choices they make are reflected in the book’s title. I’m sure the publishers would have loved the series to continue but hats off to the author for going out on a high. Hopefully she has a new gang of great characters lined up & I look forward to whatever comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.
This is the 7th and last (sigh) in the Detective Kala Stonechild series and I, for one, will miss her.
Kala and her 15-year old ward, Dawn, are on a canoe trip North of Sault St. Marie, Ontario, staying at a lodge accompanied by Kala's beloved dog, Taiku. Unfortunately their trip is not as planned...a young waitress from the lodge is found dead in a culvert, murdered. Kala reluctantly agrees to help with the investigation and soon a retired photographer, also staying at the lodge, is also murdered.
I'm very sorry this is the last in the series, it has become one of my favorites. Not only because of the settings of Ontario, but because of Kala, the enigmatic loner, and Taiku. I love Kala's musings, I really empathize with her, she's a good woman, sharp as a tack, who has successfully overcome a difficult childhood and is doing her best to give Dawn a good life. Rousseau is also a very sympathetic character, the two of them make a great team. This is a series to be treasured!
Highly recommended.

5 stars

Officer Kala Stonechild and her niece Dawn are taking a relaxing trip North to Searchmont near Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario. They plan to go canoeing and take long walks in the woods. About the same time they arrive, a young teenager is murdered. It is strongly rumored that she was having an affair with a married man. Was this the person who killed her?

Rachel was a waitress at the lodge where Kala and Dawn were staying and was attempting to break with her over controlling and religious mother. She took the job at the lodge to get away and try something new.

Kala is asked to assist with the investigation. Her partner, Clark Harrison, is someone she had worked with before. She was dating his brother Jordan and it was very serious. Clark's wife is due to give birth any day now.

Together they start interviewing the people staying at Pine Hollow Lodge, as well as the employees and their spouses, if any. Other people also seem to have valuable information. Suddenly, Clark's wife goes into labor and Kala gets a surprise when Rouleau from her home detachment is sent up to assist her. Another murder is committed and the investigation ratchets up.

When Kala speaks to an elderly man in a cafe, and picks up some belongings from him that Faraday, the second murder victim left at his house, she begins to form an idea.

In an exciting and nail-biting denouement, the story concludes as tragedy strikes.

This is an excellent book. I am so sorry to see the end of this series, it is so very good. I certainly hope that Ms. Chapman continues to write mystery novels for she has a rare talent for creating colorful and interesting characters. I really like Kala, Gundersund, Rouleau and the rest of the gang. I liked especially getting more back story on my favorite personalities. Ms. Chapman's book are extremely well written and plotted and the story progresses quickly and logically.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press for forwarding to me a copy of this most delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this gripping, complicated mystery story. This is the final book in the 7th, I believe, Stonechild and Rouleau series. It works well as a stand-alone as there are frequent references to past personal and working relationships and events. Regular followers of the series should find this a ‘must-read’ book. I have only read one of the series, but this has given me further incentive to look for past books. I found this a highly suspenseful and easy to follow story.

Kala Stonechild, an Indigenous police officer, once preferred working alone in the north of Ontario. She had a difficult upbringing and kept herself closed off from others. Now working in and around Kingston, she has adjusted to city life and has developed close personal relationships. She has decided to take a vacation in a wilderness area and to take her 14-year-old step-niece and ward on the holiday. The plan is to stay at a remote lodge and spend time canoeing on nearby rivers.

It is not long before she becomes entangled in the investigation of a disturbing murder case. Her help has been requested by an officer she worked with during a past posting. A young, teenaged waitress, Rachel, employed at the wilderness lodge, was found by the roadside brutally murdered. She had been walking home from work after dark.

There are many suspects, especially among those at the lodge. There are the owners, their workers, the guests, and a dinner party from outside the lodge who knew Rachel and interacted with her on her last shift before her death. Among them was her English teacher, who considered himself her mentor, and her priest was also in attendance. Suspicion also fell on an ex-boyfriend whom she blamed for stalking her.
As the investigation proceeded it seemed most everyone harboured some feelings of guilt and were holding secrets. There were betrayals, jealousies, infidelities, and resentments and the lodge was considered a centre of “sexual shenanigans .” Next, an older male guest, a retired photographer, was found murdered in a similar manner.

With such a widespread investigation underway, the discovery of the perpetrator or perpetrators and the motive is a painstaking and puzzling task. The solution leads to madness and a tragic, but a thrilling conclusion.
Kala now must make a decision to return to her life, work, and relationships in Kingston or to pursue a former romantic relationship elsewhere. Recommended!

Officer Kala Stonechild’s canoe trip with her niece turns into a busman’s holiday when a teenage girl in the area disappears after her shift at the lodge where Kala is staying. It’s not long before the girl’s body is found and Kala steps in to help investigate. She teams up with Clark Harrison, a cop she worked with in the past. and that past may very well threaten her home life. Will the investigation lead to a new life and a different relationship for Kala?