The setting of this novel is what initially enticed me to read it for it is set in home province of Nova Scotia, Canada.  This is a crime novel which does not depict Nova Scotia in a very favorable light, yet I suspect I am a tad biased. LOL

The novel moves along at a fairly quick pace and the protagonist was likeable. Garrett Barkhouse was a forty-two year old RCMP officer who also happens to be an amputee (he lost his foot in Afghanistan). The subject matter was quite dark and included drug trafficking, people smuggling, sexual slavery, and corruption on a grand scale.

I found the narrative to be quite repetitive at times, especially when describing re-occurring characters. There were several aspects of the book which seemed unlikely (such as the main character’s love story after knowing the woman only two days). If you don’t mind suspending belief and are in the mood for a crime novel this one might appeal. Personally I found it to be more something a male reader might appreciate, with macho characters, improbable heroics, and ‘over the top’ action in places. Think a poor man’s James Bond.

“Misery Bay” is the very definition of a ‘potboiler‘. My favorite aspect of the novel was the mention of places and businesses that are very familiar to me. I am unlikely to read another book from this author.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Yucca/Simon and Schuster via Edelweiss. This is one of my Edelweiss backlist titles.
ISBN: 9781631580833 — ASIN: B01EEQ9DD0 — 400 pages
Publication Date: May 17, 2016Chris Angus comes from a literary family consisting of seven published writers. His father and mother, both professors of English Literature and authors of numerous works of fiction, were the best-selling collaborators of a series of anthologies published by Random House.

For ten years, Book Review Editor for Andirondack magazine, he has also been a newspaper columnist and has published more than 400 essays, articles, book introductions, columns and reviews in a wide variety of publications, including The New York Times, Albany Times-Union, Adirondack Life, American Forests, Wordsworth American Classics, Adirondack Explorer and many more.

He is the award-winning author of several works of nonfiction.

Connect with Chris Angus via his website or via Twitter.