As a Toronto girl through and through. Downfall was a special treat of a read! In addition to be a solid mystery with interesting and complex characters, it showcases Toronto, it's neighbourhoods, local dynamics and current issues in an accurate way and compelling way. I liked the juxtaposition of the detective/police procedural side with the legal/courtroom elements.

In true Arianna fashion, i went into this not knowing it's book 6 of a series. But this book totally works as a standalone. And instead of leaving me frustrated that I missed out on plotlines, I'm just happy to find out there are more books for me to dig into!

Recommend this one to police procedural and legal thriller lovers and especially those that live in Toronto!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the eARC for an honest review.

This book came out February 2, 2021

Downfall by Robert Rotenberg is the fictional account of the search for a serial killer that is murdering the homeless in Toronto against the backdrop of a local golf course.

Rotenberg supplies us with quite a few characters, all of whom with differing backgrounds but many of whom are connected. One of my favourite sphere features a daughter who is a live-to-air on-scene television reporter that has a police detective for a father (who is in fact working this case) and a new boyfriend that heads up anti-police protests on behalf of the homeless. Talk about a tough spot!

I love a good whodunnit, and especially one based in my hometown that brings with it a viable ripped from the headlines feel. I think we all enjoy consuming media that vividly describes our town and Rotenberg does that well. Even the description of how the live to air shots are set up and presented pulls us in and prompts us to envision it happening on our local news channel.

I did find the beginning chapters to be a bit clunky and spinning wheels in the mud. It’s always difficult to introduce a lot of characters right out of the box and I feel this could have been streamlined a bit, but the great detail taken, in retrospect, had me completely surprised by the reveal. I pride myself on saying “I knew it” but this time I felt my jaw drop. The meticulous way it was explained is something all thriller/mystery writers should study.

This made for a good spring read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review.

A fabulous mystery that keeps you guessing to the end. Timely plot that develops along with both familiar and new characters.

Robert Rotenberg is a new author to my reading repertoire- and what a solid addition he is!
From the get-go I was invested in the Downfall characters - Detective Ari Green, the triangle friendship of the three women who had known each other since grade school, and the pace of the narrative and plot kept me turning the pages long into the time I was supposed to be working on my own novel. After researching some of Rotenberg's earlier novels, beginning with Old City Hall, I now realize I can begin my relationship with some of the characters, like Ari, from the start- which I am already doing by buying or borrowing, (from the library) the novels - in chronological order.
Rotenberg's six novels are set in Toronto, which also resonates, even if you aren't a Torontonian. The scenes and the meetings in cozy or down-at-the-heels cafes are such that as a reader I felt like an insider, enjoying a cappuccino at one of the adjoining tables.
I thought I had figured out who the perpetrator of the murders was on three different occasions; wrong. In fact, 'who done it' was a complete surprise.
As I start Old City Hall, I'm going to make a list of characters and scenarios to see if I can outwit the author at his oh so excellent game. #Downfall #NetGalley #SimonandSchusterCanada #cecescott
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I was quite happy to see that Robert Rotenberg had a new entry in his Greene and Kennicott series. The sixth book is the newly released Downfall.

Ari Greene is the head of homicide in Toronto, Ontario. Greene has a calm, measured way of speaking and thinking and often knows and sees more than he lets on, playing his cards close to his chest. Detective Kennicott has learned from Greene and is also a keen investigator. Greene's daughter is a news reporter and gives another viewpoint on things. I'm not totally sold on her yet, but her appearance in the books adds to Greene's personal story line. I am quite fond of Greene's elderly father. The rest of the supporting players in Downfall include some familiar faces and some new characters. The homeless were given dignity and real voices in their character building.

The crime at the heart of this novel is not imagining on Rotenberg's part. Instead, homelessness and the killing of homeless people is fact. In this case, Ari has more than one murder on his plate. 'Toronto is now the fourth largest municipality in North America and there are over 10,000 people in Toronto who are homeless on any given night.' Encampments, gatherings and tent cities are part of every large city's make up. In Downfall, one such tent city has drawn the ire of an elite Toronto golf club. The tensions between the wealthy and the homeless is at the heart of the story.

Rotenberg has been called Canada's John Grisham. This is an apt descriptor as Rotenberg himself is a criminal lawyer. That expertise brings much to his writing and his plotting. Rotenberg also makes his home in T.O. Actual streets, places and more make up the setting. Having been to some of them, it was easy to envision places as I read.

Rotenberg keeps things moving along at a good clip, with no down time for our investigators. I had my suspicions as to the whodunit as the book progressed, but this certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I was right to a certain degree, but hadn't sussed out the details.

A really good addition to this series. And the plot lends itself to food for thought in regards to homelessness. I will be happily looking for the next entry in this series. Here's an excerpt of Downfall.

Robert Rotenberg is one of my favourite authors because I really enjoy the mix of a legal thriller and a police procedural with a Canadian slant. Since most of these books are usually American, it's really nice to see things from the Canadian point of view since there are some crucial differences. I also really love the main character, Detective Ari Greene. Over the course of these novels, I've become extremely invested in his story.

While this was a solid mystery novel and I did enjoy it, I managed to guess the killer's identity very quickly and there wasn't a lot about this particular story that gripped me. Also, the characters didn't develop very much during this book.

When a homeless man is found murdered near a ritzy golf course, no one cares. When a second homeless person, this time a woman, is found murdered near the golf course, people start paying attention and demanding answers. Ari, the head of the homicide squad, is in charge and he and fellow police officer Daniel are feeling the pressure as they investigate. Ari's daughter, Alison, is a TV journalist reporting about the murders and as she gets to know a doctor who is fighting for the rights of the homeless, she becomes more involved in the cause, which may put her at odds with her dad.

This the sixth book by Rotenberg I've read and I enjoyed it. Though it's the six in a series, it works as a stand alone because there is enough background information provided. It is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is. I like the writing style and it moves at a good pace.

I like that this series is set in Toronto. The author is quite specific about the locations so I know exactly where the action is taking place and I have been to a lot of these places. Ari enjoys Caldense Bakery, which is just north of me on Dundas Street W. I went for a walk on Monday to the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, near where the golf course is supposed to be, and walked across the bridge on the cover of the book (about a 15 minute drive south of me).

I look forward to the next book in the series!

This is one of my favourite mystery series. The stories are set in Toronto and deal with familiar current topics in this city, which is certainly one of the things I like. But I think these would work for anyone who likes tamer mysteries with likeable characters. Downfall focuses on the murder of several homeless people near a golf course. The background stories of the various characters and how they came to live on the streets is well done. I eventually guessed who did it, but I don't really mind. I ripped through this one in less than two days - a perfect way to spend a winter pandemic weekend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.