Father Brennan Burke investigates the suspicious death of one of his parishioners, Meika Keller. Her body washed ashore on a Halifax beach and at first the cause of death was thought to be suicide. This troubles Burke because he failed to meet with Meika the night before her death as he promised. He feels he may have let her down in an hour of need. Before long, however, police charge an army officer with her murder because he was seen with her the night she died. Burke's investigation leads him eventually to Germany from where Meika emigrated to Canada after escaping from then Communist East Germany in 1974. Using his family network of contacts, Burke learns that Meika's backstory is much different from the one she told her family and friends in Canada. The already complex story takes a twist when the man accused of her murder is himself murdered. The resolution to the mystery comes when Burke tracks down Meika's family in Germany. He learns the truth about her escape from East Germany, and this in turn leads him to discovery of the cause of her death.

Burke is the principal narrator of the story, supplemented by the Halifax police officer investigating Meika's death, and Monty Collins, a recurring character in the series as Burke's long time friend. Collins coincidentally is the criminal defence lawyer for the army officer charged in Meika's death. This storytelling approach results in difficulty for a reader trying to follow the story. The narrators are at different points in uncovering what is going on and this interferes with a reader's progress. The police officer's narrative is a large red herring involving among other things, the storage of nuclear weapons in Atlantic Canada and the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces. Collin's role is largely from his past association with Burke and a falling out they have over a past event which led to Burke being imprisoned in Northern Ireland. The storytelling could have been pared down by eliminating these narrators and making for a smoother, less disjointed read.

A positive to the storytelling is the portrayal of the various locales. Halifax, is portrayed for what it is, a naval town with a strong military background. The author demonstrates a knowledge of Atlantic Canada culture and the Canadian military. The best portrayals are atmospheric of the German locales, particularly Leipzig, bearing in mind the story is set in 1996, a short time after the re-unification of Germany.

This book is the eleventh of a series, but there will be no difficulty reading it as a standalone. The author does a good job of telling enough about Burke's backstory to explain his then current situation and motivations.

It's a busy story that requires a close reading. Father Burke is the standout character of the book with several solid supporting characters. There's plenty of atmosphere from an abundance of local colour for both Halifax, Berlin and Leipzig . While it's a good blend of crime fiction and spy thriller, the complex storyline told through several narrators. muddles the storytelling. Despite these nits, it's a worthwhile read.

I requested and received a complementary advance reading copy of this book from the publisher, ECW Press, via Netgalley. The comments about it are my own. ( )

Honest Review given in exchange for early copy of this story. Father Brennan Burke is returning home to Halifax, Nova Scotia after finding himself interred in a prison in Belfast, Ireland. After a judge overturned his conviction, Father Burke returns to his duties. When a parishioner of his well known in town shows up dead in the harbor, Burke is overcome with guilt because this woman showed up at his home on the night she died seeking Father Burke’s help. Having forgotten about the appointment, Burke feels compelled to dig into the life of Meika Keller, in hopes he can understand what happened to her. What he learns is that Meika Keller was a woman with a tarnished past, who had more than her fair share of dirty secrets. Set in varied environments ranging from Halifax to Berlin, Burke goes to every length imaginable to understand who Meika Keller really was and what could possibly have happened to her. This story is somewhat of a slow burn, who’s strengths lie in the vivid descriptives of the scenic places described. The plot is a little slow to unravel, but there is enough complexity to the story and the characters that this can be excused. A worthy read for fans of this genre and fans of Anne Emery’s prior works. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. ( )

Brennan Burke, a priest from Halifax Nova Scotia, was too drunk one night to meet with a parishioner, Meika, who had reached out to him for help. When she washed up on the shore the next morning, he felt responsible and determined to find out if in fact she had committed suicide or been murdered. His quest brought him to East Germany from which Meika had escaped before the Wall came down. It turned out that Meika had several secrets, both in Germany and back home in Nova Scotia, and people in her life were less than forthcoming about revealing them. This is the latest in a series of mysteries involving Burke and his lawyer friend Collins, and this one stands alone. However, the pacing and character development make me look forward to reading the earlier ones for the back story. ( )