COUNTED AMONG THE DEAD

Another excellent mystery in the Collins/Burke series. Set in 1993 in Halifax Nova Scotia, students at the St. Bernadette School write and perform a play “Devastated Area”, featuring the 1917 great Halifax shipping explosion. It seems that information presented in the show dredges up potential uncomfortable events from the past. Threats to the students, a break in at the school, and the murder of a young woman, Trudi Ebbett, result in fear and confusion in the local area.

Father Brennen Burke, Music Director at the school, and lawyer Monty Collins team up again to share a few pints at their favorite Irish pub and use their skills to unravel the complex mysteries surrounding the children’s play. Normie Collins, Monty’s daughter, is one of the writers and an actor in the play. She was stalked by a man one night on her way home, increasing Monty’s determination to find the source of so much disturbance to their community.

Through the use of the children’s play, a good amount of information is presented regarding the Halifax explosion. It was the largest explosion ever before the atomic bomb was discovered. The story of the shipping explosion and the devastating destruction to the community in the aftermath was fascinating and heartbreaking. As with each of the Collins/Burke stories, interesting bits of Irish history are interwoven throughout the storyline. Although this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

I find the books in the Collins/Burke series always provide a complex and satisfying mystery with enjoyable and realistic characters. I would like thank NetGalley, Anne Emery, and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always wanted to get to her books since I see she is a staple in this corner of mystery writers .. but I think perhaps I've come too late in the series... it's all OK.. Good story exploring past tragedy in the town .. involving children/young people is surely a way to graB audience by selecting this tragedy. But in some ways it seems disconnected from that history (it's a bit flat). The characters come alive, certainly. And in a way I'm intrigued to read another in the series.. the detective partners are entertaining (and well drawn,). So I'm gonna' give Emery another chance for sure. She's anyway adept ...

A good historical fiction about a dramatic event that took place in Canada in 1917. Well plotted, tense.
It made go and search more about this even
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While this is the latest in a long running series, I enjoyed and learned from it as a standalone. While I was not thrilled with the idea of a school play, that device worked well on this tale that incorporates the Halifax explosion 0f 1917 into a murder mystery, I was not familiar with the explosion so I found self looking for more information. The murder mystery is twisty enough, the characters well drawn and the writing is good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Emery's fans will be pleased.

Counted Among the Dead by Anne Emery was a look back at the largest explosion in history before the atom bomb. Thousands died, even more were wounded, and many were left sightless. Tons of homes were destroyed, either by the explosion itself or by the fires that ensued. The streets were littered with dismembered bodies. Then, it started snowing. As in the midst of all tragedies, there are some who must take advantage. This is the story of how that damage can last generations. Three students at a Catholic school in Halifax, where this tragedy took place, were writing a play for the students to perform. The father of one of the students had just purchased a house in the middle of what would have been the destroyed area. The young playwrights happened to meet the elderly lady who lived next door and she gave them a box full of pages of writing and notes left by her brother and his friend from that terrible time. She had never looked at the pages as she was one of the ones blinded. It was a treasure trove and was the foundation of the two part play. They had been keen observers and saw things that otherwise had gone unreported.

This was a modern murder investigation that stemmed from something they boys had seen and heard. It was conducted by two of the girls, the lawyer father of one of them, and the de facto head of the school, a priest. It was a compelling mystery and really so sad. It was born of greed more than anything as was what the boys had originally witnessed. The characters were good and the book was plotted amazingly well. It was both intriguing and complex and solving it took both imagination and good skills. The whole thing, from then to now, destroyed lives, a sad outcome. Well done, interesting, and so full of a history that I had never heard about, although residents of Halifax are probably totally aware. I love it when I learn history when I am reading fiction. Thanks Anne Emery for this terrific book.

I was invited to read Counted Among the Dead, apparently book 13 of a series, by ECW Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #ECWPress #AnneEmery #CountedAmongTheDead

I will not be reviewing this novel. I tried to read it twice and could not. I read two to three books weekly but this one eluded me. Rambling and almost non sensical at times… i could not plow on. Sorry.

Counted Among the Dead
Posted on August 17, 2024 by Jack
I was pleased to see another book by Anne Emery on Netgalley so I immediately requested it. I had read several of her books over the years and often reviewed them on my blog. I was even more eager when I read a bit more on what the book was about.

My wife and I had visited Halifax a few years ago and were amazed to learn about the huge explosion in Halifax harbor during World War 1 while we were visiting a museum in that city. The explosion was so large it destroyed a large part of the city in 1917 and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.


The book is Counted Among the Dead: A Mystery by Anne Emery, It is book 13 in the A Collins-Burke Mystery Series.

At the center of this book is a 2 act school play with the 2 acts being performed about 2 months apart. But shortly after the performance of Act 1 threats begin to prevent the second act from happening.

Early the book I was a bit skeptical about the school play aspects but the research for the play added much of the historical background around the explosion as well as being a key part of murder mystery.



I thank Anne Emery for another great book and Netgalley for allowing me to read it before publication. The book is scheduled to go on sale September 24.

This book is part of a series, but this is the only one I have read. I didn’t realize it was a part of a series while I was reading it so it can be read as a standalone book.

This book takes place in 1993 when three students write a play depicting historical events in early 19th century Halifax in Canada. The story moves between “present day” and the past. When the kids are threatened if they continue their work on the play, the father of one of the students steps in to look into the mystery.

I have to say I really didn’t have an inkling of how this book would turn out but I stayed with it. I learned a lot about the explosion of two ships in the Halifax harbor that killed over 2,000 people that day. I enjoyed this book.

First of all thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story. Ann e Emery has written a wonderful story about the Halifax explosion of 1917. Using real facts and her own personal characters she weaves an unforgettable tale that I won't soon forget. I have previously read another of the Collin/Burke series. This one felt more personal. It is something when an author takes in important time in our Canadian history and come up with a wonderful plot in a historical fiction novel.
Ii don't want to give anything away, as you will understand as you read it. What happened in Halifax was horrific. The aftermath and two different time-lines tells a story that I think readers will learn from and enjoy. Well done Anne Emery.
I give this book 4 out of 5.

A really interesting and well written book featuring Father Brennan Burke, and set in Nova Scotia, this is told in dual time lines, and is based on a real incident. On 6th December 1917, two ships collided in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, causing an explosion that devastated the area
and killed 2000 people, injuring a further 9,000. Fast forward to the 1990s, and three of Father Brennans pupils set about writing and producing a 2 act play about the event, and are given. the journals of 2 young boys who had witnessed the whole event. When the first act has been performed, there are threats made to Normie, one of the authors, that they must cancel the next act, due to be performed 2 months later, or suffer the consequences. When the body of a young woman is found shortly after, it adds another dimension to the story as it appears there may be links to the past.

A fascinating story, I’d never heard about the incident in 1917 or how it devastated the area, leaving so many dead and injured, including so many people blinded by flying glass, whole families lost and survivors left homeless and bereft. It was a powerful read particularly with the descriptions of the area, especially from the view of the two young boys. Add in the mystery from the era and the murder after the play was performed and it makes for an excellent read. I loved Normies character, and we also meet Father Brennans father, a man with a past that threatens to catch up with him. Norma’s lawyer father , Monty, along with Brennan start to investigate after an incident at the school, as well as the threats.

I love any book where a real historical event is written about alongside a gripping murder mystery, well paced, with enough historical detail to keep you interested and not overloaded with information, some nice side story’s, such as part of Burkes fathers story, and a nice relationship between the main characters. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, the anuthor and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 stars. I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the latest book featuring Father Brennan Burke and Lawyer Monty Collins. The ARC was much appreciated, and the book is due to be published on September 24th. The Collins-Burke mysteries were set mainly in and around Nova Scotia, and I counted the team among my favourites and loved the entertaining series. I had previously read about a dozen of the books. My enjoyment faded when the settings shifted to Ireland, and I felt I lacked the knowledge of its history to be fully engaged. The books with the Irish setting were well-written but not as compelling for me.

Father Burke's choir class has written a historic, well-researched play about the great Halifax Explosion of 1917. One of the writers is Normie, the daughter of lawyer Collins. Part One of the play has already been presented, with Part Two to be enacted in a couple of months. Threats exist toward the school, and students to prevent the rest of the play from ever being performed. Also, in the present, a young woman has been found murdered, and Collins is representing her boyfriend, who is suspected of murder.

The major characters are Collins and Burke, and the story brings in a close relative of Father Burke, who was an IRA member until moving to Canada. ( In the past, members of Father Burke's family in Ireland had ties to the IRA). This way, we get snippets of Irish turmoil and history, which I felt could be omitted.

How could the present-day murder of the young woman have any connection with revelations in Part Two of the play that happened so long ago? Young Normie and the Collins-Burke team investigate the threats to the school to prevent the rest of the play from being performed along with the new murder. From past stories, I have learned that Normie, the young daughter of
Collins can provide valuable insights.

Author Anne Emery has written enthralling books in the Collins-Burke series. I hope for another book in the future with a setting mainly in and around Halifax. I enjoyed Counted Among the Dead and would recommend it.

I did like the fact that I was educated a bit more on the Halifax explosion of 1917. Some great descriptions of the aftermath and the injuries that were sustained. Also was familiar with many of the locations in Halifax as well as surroundings areas in Nova Scotia .Having lived in Saint John until adulthood if was interesting to have a character from there. The mystery itself became entangled at times with a variety of characters turning to solve it.The children’s involvement seemed a tad unbelievable. The combination of the Nancy Drew mystery component and the sleuthing by the lawyer , priest and IRA member made for it a so so mystery read.