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A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery #5
A Killing Spring
Gail Bowen, winner of the 1995 Arthur Ellis Award for best crime novel for her last Joanne Kilbourn mystery, A Colder Kind of Death, is back – with her most daring mystery to date.
In the horrifying opening paragraph of A Killing Spring, Reed Gallagher, the head of the School of Journalism at the university where Joanne Kilbourn teaches, is found dead in a seedy rooming house. He is dressed in women’s lingerie, with an electric cord around his neck. Suicide, the police say. A clear case of accidental suicide. But for Joanne, who takes on the thankless task of breaking the news to Gallagher’s wife, this death is just the first in a series of misfortunes that rock her life, both professional and personal.
A few days after Gallagher’s death, the School of Journalism is vandalized – its offices and computers are trashed, and homophobic graffiti are sprayed everywhere. Then an unattractive and unpopular journalism student in Joanne’s politics class stops coming to school after complaining to an unbelieving Joanne that she’s being sexually harassed. Clearly, all is not as well at the university as Joanne had thought. Nor is all well in her love life after the casual racism of a stranger drives a wedge between Joanne and her lover, Inspector Alex Kequahtooway. To make matters worse, Joanne is unceremoniously fired by her best friend from the weekly political panel on Nationtv, which she’s being doing for years.
Badly shaken by these calamities, Joanne struggles to carry cheerfully on. Action, she knows, is better for her than moping. She decides to find out why her student has stopped coming to class, and in doing so, Joanne steps unknowingly into an on-campus world of fear and deceit and murder.
In the horrifying opening paragraph of A Killing Spring, Reed Gallagher, the head of the School of Journalism at the university where Joanne Kilbourn teaches, is found dead in a seedy rooming house. He is dressed in women’s lingerie, with an electric cord around his neck. Suicide, the police say. A clear case of accidental suicide. But for Joanne, who takes on the thankless task of breaking the news to Gallagher’s wife, this death is just the first in a series of misfortunes that rock her life, both professional and personal.
A few days after Gallagher’s death, the School of Journalism is vandalized – its offices and computers are trashed, and homophobic graffiti are sprayed everywhere. Then an unattractive and unpopular journalism student in Joanne’s politics class stops coming to school after complaining to an unbelieving Joanne that she’s being sexually harassed. Clearly, all is not as well at the university as Joanne had thought. Nor is all well in her love life after the casual racism of a stranger drives a wedge between Joanne and her lover, Inspector Alex Kequahtooway. To make matters worse, Joanne is unceremoniously fired by her best friend from the weekly political panel on Nationtv, which she’s being doing for years.
Badly shaken by these calamities, Joanne struggles to carry cheerfully on. Action, she knows, is better for her than moping. She decides to find out why her student has stopped coming to class, and in doing so, Joanne steps unknowingly into an on-campus world of fear and deceit and murder.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Gail Bowen
46 books166 followersGail Dianne Bowen (née Bartholomew) is a Canadian playwright and writer of mystery novels. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan. She subsequently taught English in Saskatchewan, and is currently a professor of English at First Nations University of Canada. Bowen's mystery novels feature Joanne Kilbourn, a widowed mother, political analyst and university professor who finds herself occasionally involved in criminal investigations in various parts of Saskatchewan. Many have been adapted as Canadian television movies by Shaftesbury Films.
Series:
* Joanne Kilbourn Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (1995): A Colder Kind of Death
Series:
* Joanne Kilbourn Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (1995): A Colder Kind of Death
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 2, 2018
Gail Bowen's fifth Saskatchewan novel, “A Killing Spring”, is everyone's least favourite. There are great motives, decades-old history no one could surmise but Gail struck up too many bands. Race, Down Syndrome, homelessness, abuse, tough Dads, and girls feeling ugly all marched by. I might have raised my feedback if I had not read this 1996 mystery during today's “Me Too Movement”.
Joanne Kilbourne is as puzzled as everyone else, when a pupil accuses a likeable boy of leaving a lewd message in her library book. Fed up about being disbelieved, she runs off and Joanne's last contact is a drunken phone call. She disappears and a revered professor is murdered in a sleazy apartment. He had recently married an unpopular acquaintance of Joanne's, who consoles her and helps sort it out. Her proximity to mystery cases felt natural, without dating an officer. Drama over his Aboriginal culture being “too tricky” was odd and felt like Gail was adding to a hot topic roster.
Isolation was pervasive. Joanne couldn't stand her best friend's boyfriend, an unlikeable professor and got dropped from the political show Jill produced. We know he is a bad apple but the intrigue is Reed's murder location and their missing pupil. Was she a better journalist pupil than it seemed? My two thumbs-down are these. Are you tired of tacky endings, when a protagonist falls into harm's way, despite being surrounded by assistance? It disturbed the coup of simply making the triumphant arrest.
Lastly, most of Gail's books comprise a trip to someone's hometown. Then she discovers she neglected evidence in her pocket, while readers are yelling: “Check the cassette”!!!! I would have graded this higher, if I hadn't recognized Gail's formulas and sighed, “You went that route again”? I'm pleased Hilda returns in the next novel.
Joanne Kilbourne is as puzzled as everyone else, when a pupil accuses a likeable boy of leaving a lewd message in her library book. Fed up about being disbelieved, she runs off and Joanne's last contact is a drunken phone call. She disappears and a revered professor is murdered in a sleazy apartment. He had recently married an unpopular acquaintance of Joanne's, who consoles her and helps sort it out. Her proximity to mystery cases felt natural, without dating an officer. Drama over his Aboriginal culture being “too tricky” was odd and felt like Gail was adding to a hot topic roster.
Isolation was pervasive. Joanne couldn't stand her best friend's boyfriend, an unlikeable professor and got dropped from the political show Jill produced. We know he is a bad apple but the intrigue is Reed's murder location and their missing pupil. Was she a better journalist pupil than it seemed? My two thumbs-down are these. Are you tired of tacky endings, when a protagonist falls into harm's way, despite being surrounded by assistance? It disturbed the coup of simply making the triumphant arrest.
Lastly, most of Gail's books comprise a trip to someone's hometown. Then she discovers she neglected evidence in her pocket, while readers are yelling: “Check the cassette”!!!! I would have graded this higher, if I hadn't recognized Gail's formulas and sighed, “You went that route again”? I'm pleased Hilda returns in the next novel.
October 2, 2017
A good Canadian mystery series set in Regina.
Reed Gallagher, the head of the School of Journalism, is found dead in a rooming house, in an outfit that has people talking. Joanne Kilbourn was friends with Reed's wife and has to be the one to break the news to her. Joanne is then caught in a web that includes one of her students, who has since gone missing.
I haven't read any of the previous novels in the Joanne Kilbourn series and I didn't feel as though I was lost or confused by jumping in half way through. It's good to note that there are some spoilers from the previous books.
I did enjoy the novel, it was a light mystery with a solid main character. Joanne did seem to have this perfectness about her that I wasn't too big of a fan of. The book did seem long in some parts and I could of dealt without some of the minor story lines.
Reed Gallagher, the head of the School of Journalism, is found dead in a rooming house, in an outfit that has people talking. Joanne Kilbourn was friends with Reed's wife and has to be the one to break the news to her. Joanne is then caught in a web that includes one of her students, who has since gone missing.
I haven't read any of the previous novels in the Joanne Kilbourn series and I didn't feel as though I was lost or confused by jumping in half way through. It's good to note that there are some spoilers from the previous books.
I did enjoy the novel, it was a light mystery with a solid main character. Joanne did seem to have this perfectness about her that I wasn't too big of a fan of. The book did seem long in some parts and I could of dealt without some of the minor story lines.
February 14, 2022
No gaping plot holes this time but ridiculously far fetched haha. Perhaps a book that has not aged super well in the "wokeness" department (and by that I mean it probably was considered very progressive in 1996 but is a little cringey in 2022).
August 6, 2011
I love Joanne Kilbourn. I usually dislike "accidental" (i.e. non-professional) sleuths, but Bowen has somehow created a very special character. I have no conception of someone like Joanne - church-goer, very moral, unflappable widowed mother of four, always available to help anyone (even irritating characters who likely deserve to be left to stew in the messes of their own making) - this is a character I would expect to find incomprehensible. Instead, I'm finding this series surprisingly compelling. A strong Canadian series, superficially simple, yet with themes and characters that remain in the mind long after the mystery is solved. I recommend Bowen's Kilbourn series to all of my mystery-loving friends.
July 12, 2017
Although it felt a little long in places, I did enjoy that it's set in Regina!
December 23, 2023
What a great book! But I need to start with book 1! I need to know what happened to Joanne’s husband. It’s disappointing when your local library does not have the whole series!
Happy reading 📖
Happy reading 📖
January 23, 2016
I'm confused: I remember Julie and her husband separating and now she's married again, fine, but somehow there's a suggestion that she had another husband and had a child with him, a child who didn't prove as brilliant as she'd hoped. The character is as I remember but did I miss something here?
We're dealing with journalistic ethics in this one. Joanne is teaching an ethics seminar for the journalism faculty and we're close to year end with exams and final project deadlines rolling up. There is a lot of tension on campus and one of the journalism students, a hard working but not outstandingly talented student is convinced she's being harassed by another student in the class. Joanne sees no reason to believe her and then terrible things happen: Julie's husband of little more than a month and a professor in the Journalism faculty is found dead in a sleazy room, apparently of an autoerotic act gone badly wrong; Joanne flees Alex after a clod yells racist slurs at her when they're walking across the bridge; Taylor finally gets the kitten she wants and it doesn't approve of Joanne; Jill, the director of Joanne's tv program takes up with the one prof Joanne can't stand and then fires Joanne in order to replace her with the boyfriend.
Yes, a lot of action and the mystery twists round and round, although this one I had figured out well before the end. Still, a good story with interesting characters about whom you have to care. I understand the difficulties there are for cross cultural couples since some people seem to feel they have a right to make negative comments, but I certainly hope Alex comes back permanently into Joanne's life. There are hints that way by the end. For readers unfamiliar with Canada, the picture Bowen paints of racist attitudes in Regina is accurate and it is not just on the prairies. We have problems on the West Coast as well and problems for black people in some parts of the Maritimes. And yes the homophobia that turns up is also here. We're human and it is a constant battle to make the country safe for everyone.
We're dealing with journalistic ethics in this one. Joanne is teaching an ethics seminar for the journalism faculty and we're close to year end with exams and final project deadlines rolling up. There is a lot of tension on campus and one of the journalism students, a hard working but not outstandingly talented student is convinced she's being harassed by another student in the class. Joanne sees no reason to believe her and then terrible things happen: Julie's husband of little more than a month and a professor in the Journalism faculty is found dead in a sleazy room, apparently of an autoerotic act gone badly wrong; Joanne flees Alex after a clod yells racist slurs at her when they're walking across the bridge; Taylor finally gets the kitten she wants and it doesn't approve of Joanne; Jill, the director of Joanne's tv program takes up with the one prof Joanne can't stand and then fires Joanne in order to replace her with the boyfriend.
Yes, a lot of action and the mystery twists round and round, although this one I had figured out well before the end. Still, a good story with interesting characters about whom you have to care. I understand the difficulties there are for cross cultural couples since some people seem to feel they have a right to make negative comments, but I certainly hope Alex comes back permanently into Joanne's life. There are hints that way by the end. For readers unfamiliar with Canada, the picture Bowen paints of racist attitudes in Regina is accurate and it is not just on the prairies. We have problems on the West Coast as well and problems for black people in some parts of the Maritimes. And yes the homophobia that turns up is also here. We're human and it is a constant battle to make the country safe for everyone.
February 1, 2018
This is a cleverly crafted mystery that get top marks from several viewpoints. The solution to the deaths is not apparent until close to the end, and at the same time it touches the topics of unscrupulous journalism, abusive spouses and what makes the abused remain, and the underside of the gay world with cruising, amyl nitrate and cross dressing. Perhaps more importantly the story continues to demonstrate solid family life as Joanne enjoys the support of her youngest son Angus while she nurtures her relationship with adopted daughter Taylor. Tears will rise on several occasions and the story of the origination of Crocuses is beyond beautiful as are the crocus blossoms.
August 27, 2019
As a committed fan of Gail Bowen (and having met the author), I always look forward to the latest in my journey through the Joanne Kilbourn series. This, the 5th, did not disappoint. The mystery, the killing of yet another of Joanne's acquaintances--this time a university colleague, is engrossing and is compounded by the disappearance of a dogged but unlikeable student. Joanne's family life intertwines throughout the novels, and her decency as a human being is inspiring in that the now 50-year old professor is nowhere near perfect. I like that she doesn't agonize over her mistakes nor does she gloss over her shortcomings. It also helps that Bowen is an excellent writer. She moves the story along but allows her main character to have a pretty healthy home life despite sometimes dark intrusions.
June 26, 2021
DNF; gave up after 2 chapters as nothing made sense. A college prof in Regina studied Latin and Greek, but teaches politics and media and has a journalism student hounding her at home and at work? She also happens to be dating a police inspector so she gets tangled up in a murder investigation, and coincidentally knows the victim (head of the journalism department) and the victim's wife (previously married to her late husband's partner). I get it, Regina is a small city but not that small. Far too many coincidences in only 2 chapters. Also, the police bring the wife to see her husband at the scene of the crime instead of the morgue. Uh, no, that does not happen in real life. Additionally, the main character, Joanne Kilbourn, was snarky and unlikeable. That's enough of this character and her convoluted and unbelievable adventures for me. Next.
March 15, 2022
********* SPOILERS AHEAD ***********
This is the 5th book in the series but the 3rd one that I e read and by far is my least favorite. Joanne is a complete ass for most of the book and why God why does any book that includes a person of color always have to have some racist tool to highlight how non racist another character is? Secondarily Joanne’s lack of giving a crap about someone else and being judgmental was a plot device that was unappreciated. I’m not sure why I keep listening to these books other than I do like the voice of the narrator but I’m really disliking the main character. The idea that “unattractive” women wouldn’t be sexually harassed, especially by a popular guy wHo “can have any woman he wants” is vile especially coming from someone who is an educator.
This is the 5th book in the series but the 3rd one that I e read and by far is my least favorite. Joanne is a complete ass for most of the book and why God why does any book that includes a person of color always have to have some racist tool to highlight how non racist another character is? Secondarily Joanne’s lack of giving a crap about someone else and being judgmental was a plot device that was unappreciated. I’m not sure why I keep listening to these books other than I do like the voice of the narrator but I’m really disliking the main character. The idea that “unattractive” women wouldn’t be sexually harassed, especially by a popular guy wHo “can have any woman he wants” is vile especially coming from someone who is an educator.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2019
I liked this book, but it felt way more dated than the other Joanne Kilbourn books I've read recently. In particular, Joanne Kilbourn's immediate dismissal of the harrassment of one of the female characters by a suave, good-looking guy made her much more unlikeable. It was a reflection of the time, in many ways, but I wish that the character would have done better. The plot of the book was still quite interesting and I didn't really completely guess what was going on, so overall, it was just okay.
March 7, 2020
When a political compatriot of Joanne Kilbourne’s deceased husband turns up dead in questionable circumstances Alex Kequahtooway, friend of Joanne and a local RCMP Inspector, asks Joanne to accompany him to discuss the death with the widow, a particularly vicious source of gossip about other people. As Joanne’s investigations into the death of her friend’s husbands begins into something horrifying involving old colleagues her relationship with Alex becomes complicated by the endemic racism in Regina and her life becomes exceedingly dangerous and complicated. I enjoyed this book a lot.
June 4, 2021
The setting for "A Killing Spring" was on the campus of a College of Journalism.
Teachers, administration and students….all are in the mix
as one of the teachers, Reed Gallagher, has been murdered.
Narrative does not stay focused on the murder
….chapter 5 was all about a dinner party with a few friends. (boring)
I actually like less personal stuff in mysteries.
Weak point: I found the writing dishwater gray
I don’t think I will read more books by Gail Bowen.
Teachers, administration and students….all are in the mix
as one of the teachers, Reed Gallagher, has been murdered.
Narrative does not stay focused on the murder
….chapter 5 was all about a dinner party with a few friends. (boring)
I actually like less personal stuff in mysteries.
Weak point: I found the writing dishwater gray
I don’t think I will read more books by Gail Bowen.
May 18, 2023
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. I saw the Canadian tv movie adaptation of this book, so I thought I knew where it was going. I was so wrong and I'm glad because, as usual, the book was way better than the movie. I thought I knew who did it (I was right) but I didn't know who was in on it and stuff. A pretty solid read.
May 3, 2019
A character driven mystery. The main character, Joanne Kilbourn, is a single mother with 4 kids (2 older and out of the house). She is also a university professor. As she goes on with her regular life in Canada, mystery ensues.
September 25, 2018
Really enjoying this series
January 26, 2020
I am really enjoying this series. This is my second one. I have not been able to read them in order as the library doesn't have the older ones now.
July 22, 2020
enjoyed.
May 29, 2021
Still love this series. Joanne Kilbourn may be my favourite cozy sleuth of all time. Watch out Cadfael, you've got competition. :D
Read
June 22, 2022I just couldn't get into this. I think that I bought it years ago in Canada. But you might enjoy it.
April 8, 2023
The writer is getting into her groove and I'm enjoying the series more consistently. This book also focuses on a university which I'm always here for.
July 14, 2023
Good story. Fun that it is local for me.
August 27, 2013
It's very easy to relate to Joanne Kilbourn - she represents the alternative life I could have if I'd stayed in academia and been a few years older. She is also a do-gooder, who is sometimes more generous in theory rather than in practice, who can jump a bit too quickly to conclusions - a flawed, very human heroine. The characters are well developed and you can feel that this book is part of a longer story arc (I haven't read the others). The mystery element, however, is not terribly compelling. I figured out who the 'baddy' was quite early on. It just feels a little bit dry and academic, although of course ego, departmental rivalry and publication kudos are just as good reasons to turn criminal as money or lust.
September 8, 2014
This is the first Bowen book I have read. It was a short novel and moved quickly. The main character is a journalism professor who gets involved when an unlikeable student comes to her for help and she rebuffs the student and rejects her. Another professor is found dead and then the troubled student is murdered as well. Joanne, the main character, looks to find the connections. The murderer wasn't exactly a surprise, but the story unfolds well. Joanne isn't always a sympathetic character either leaving me confused at times as to her motives in involving herself in the woes of others. But, overall a decent book.
March 8, 2012
Pretty good story and an easy read with lots of Canadian details. The downside is that I have no affection for the heroine of this mystery series. I find her very judgemental and unsympathetic. She seems to have no empathy for other people. Normally if I can't identify at all with the main character, I won't read the books but in this case I am still reading the series so I guess that is due to the overall writing skill of Bowen.
November 10, 2013
My first Gail Bowen book and i was very impressed! This was a can't-stop...read-in-one-sitting book!
A 50 year old University professor/amateur sleuth in Regina, with a teenage boy & adopted daughter who is a gifted artist at home... a Native cop boyfriend.... Honestly, i bought this book mostly for the pretty cover art (and it was a murder mystery of course), and am very glad i did. I'll definitely be looking for more of her novels!
A 50 year old University professor/amateur sleuth in Regina, with a teenage boy & adopted daughter who is a gifted artist at home... a Native cop boyfriend.... Honestly, i bought this book mostly for the pretty cover art (and it was a murder mystery of course), and am very glad i did. I'll definitely be looking for more of her novels!
February 11, 2010
The mystery was good, the non-recurring characters were interesting, and the writing was down-to-earth. Many things happened in Joanne's personal life too, of course. Some of which made me sad. Read the full review.
May 25, 2013
One of the best in the series. I really enjoyed it.
September 1, 2014
One of the better ones of hers
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews