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Enquêteur Moralès /Detective Morales #3
Whisper of the Seals: The nail-biting, chilling new instalment in the award-winning Detective Moralès series
Detective Moralès becomes immersed in a chilling case set on the icy seas of Quebec's remote Magdalen Islands, in the midst of a brutal seal hunt. A breathtaking, atmospheric, race-against-the-clock thriller…
**Number One bestseller in Canada**
**Shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best French Crime Book**
'A shocking, exquisitely plotted mystery set in the brutal seas off Quebec. The writing is sublime … you can feel the sting of salt on your cheeks' Gill Paul
'Detective fiction [with] a dreamily poetic cast' Sunday Times
'Unique, stylish Canadian Noir … absolutely superb' Kjell Ola Dahl
_________________________
There's only one thing more deadly than the storm…
Fisheries officer Simone Lord is transferred to Quebec's remote Magdalen Islands for the winter, and at the last minute ordered to go aboard a trawler braving a winter storm for the traditional grey seal hunt, while all of the other boats shelter onshore.
Detective Sergeant Joaquin Moralès is on a cross-country boat trip down the St Lawrence River, accompanied by Nadine Lauzon, a forensic psychologist working on the case of a savagely beaten teenager with Moralès' old team in Montreal.
When it becomes clear that Simone is in grave danger aboard the trawler, the two cases converge, with startling, terrifying consequences for everyone involved…
The award-winning author of The Coral Bride returns with an atmospheric, race-against-the-clock thriller set on the icy seas in the midst of a brutal seal hunt, where nothing is as it seems and absolutely no one can be trusted.
For fans of Louise Penny, Ann Cleeves, Emma Stonex and Annie Proulx
_________________________
'From the very beginning I had a feeling of tragic inevitability … the sense of isolation, both physical and emotional, pours from every page' Jen Med's Book Reviews
'Beautiful prose, simple yet powerful, and a boatload of suspense … an absolute winner' From Belgium with Booklove
'Thrums with rhythm and tears at the heart … the best Detective Moralès yet' Live & Deadly
What Readers are saying…
*****
'Breathlessly gripping'
'Masterful storytelling'
'The suspense is palpable'
'If you like Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series, you'll LOVE this'
'No one does atmospheric quite like Roxanne Bouchard'
'Intricate, beautiful and compelling'
'Gloriously shocking'
Praise for Roxanne
**WINNER of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best French Crime Book**
**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**
'A haunting murder mystery about how human nature is every bit as dangerous and inscrutable as the sea draws out its suspense to the very last moment' Foreword Reviews
'A police procedural like no other – marvel at the clever plotting' Crime Fict
**Number One bestseller in Canada**
**Shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best French Crime Book**
'A shocking, exquisitely plotted mystery set in the brutal seas off Quebec. The writing is sublime … you can feel the sting of salt on your cheeks' Gill Paul
'Detective fiction [with] a dreamily poetic cast' Sunday Times
'Unique, stylish Canadian Noir … absolutely superb' Kjell Ola Dahl
_________________________
There's only one thing more deadly than the storm…
Fisheries officer Simone Lord is transferred to Quebec's remote Magdalen Islands for the winter, and at the last minute ordered to go aboard a trawler braving a winter storm for the traditional grey seal hunt, while all of the other boats shelter onshore.
Detective Sergeant Joaquin Moralès is on a cross-country boat trip down the St Lawrence River, accompanied by Nadine Lauzon, a forensic psychologist working on the case of a savagely beaten teenager with Moralès' old team in Montreal.
When it becomes clear that Simone is in grave danger aboard the trawler, the two cases converge, with startling, terrifying consequences for everyone involved…
The award-winning author of The Coral Bride returns with an atmospheric, race-against-the-clock thriller set on the icy seas in the midst of a brutal seal hunt, where nothing is as it seems and absolutely no one can be trusted.
For fans of Louise Penny, Ann Cleeves, Emma Stonex and Annie Proulx
_________________________
'From the very beginning I had a feeling of tragic inevitability … the sense of isolation, both physical and emotional, pours from every page' Jen Med's Book Reviews
'Beautiful prose, simple yet powerful, and a boatload of suspense … an absolute winner' From Belgium with Booklove
'Thrums with rhythm and tears at the heart … the best Detective Moralès yet' Live & Deadly
What Readers are saying…
*****
'Breathlessly gripping'
'Masterful storytelling'
'The suspense is palpable'
'If you like Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series, you'll LOVE this'
'No one does atmospheric quite like Roxanne Bouchard'
'Intricate, beautiful and compelling'
'Gloriously shocking'
Praise for Roxanne
**WINNER of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best French Crime Book**
**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**
'A haunting murder mystery about how human nature is every bit as dangerous and inscrutable as the sea draws out its suspense to the very last moment' Foreword Reviews
'A police procedural like no other – marvel at the clever plotting' Crime Fict
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2021
About the author
Roxanne Bouchard
15 books106 followersRoxanne Bouchard enseigne la littérature au Cégep de Joliette.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
May 28, 2021
Avec Le murmure des hakapiks, Roxanne Bouchard nous entraîne à bord du chalutier Jean-Mathieu, direction la chasse aux phoques. Rapidement, on réalise que cette expédition de chasse cache une tout autre vérité. On devient témoin des manigances, de la méchanceté et de la rudesse des hommes de l’équipage.
C’est une lecture qui m’a fait passer par toute une gamme d’émotions. J’ai trouvé qu’il y avait quelque chose de différent dans l’écriture, le rythme. Je l’ai trouvé plus sombre, plus entraînant aussi.
J’ai aimé découvrir plus en profondeur l’agente Simone Lord. Cette femme courageuse, au coeur solide qui a une détermination féroce.
La fin m’a ébranlé. Pis pas à peu près. J’ai terminé ma lecture les yeux baigner dans l’eau. Je ne m’y attendais pas du tout.
J’ai adoré !
C’est une lecture qui m’a fait passer par toute une gamme d’émotions. J’ai trouvé qu’il y avait quelque chose de différent dans l’écriture, le rythme. Je l’ai trouvé plus sombre, plus entraînant aussi.
J’ai aimé découvrir plus en profondeur l’agente Simone Lord. Cette femme courageuse, au coeur solide qui a une détermination féroce.
La fin m’a ébranlé. Pis pas à peu près. J’ai terminé ma lecture les yeux baigner dans l’eau. Je ne m’y attendais pas du tout.
J’ai adoré !
July 26, 2021
3,5/5
J'ai moins apprécié ce troisième livre que les deux premiers mettant en scène Joaquin Moralès. J'ai trouvé le début très lent, après une centaine de pages, je me demandais encore quelle était la fameuse troisième enquête de Moralès qu'on me promettait sur la page couverture! Le rythme s'accélère par la suite et le suspense jusqu'à la fin est efficace. L'auteur sait créer des ambiances ; ce dernier roman est plus noir que les autres. J'ai bien aimé le développement des personnages qu'on apprend à connaître de plus en plus. Un peu déçue de ce dernier tome, mais ça ne m'empêchera pas de vouloir lire les prochains.
J'ai moins apprécié ce troisième livre que les deux premiers mettant en scène Joaquin Moralès. J'ai trouvé le début très lent, après une centaine de pages, je me demandais encore quelle était la fameuse troisième enquête de Moralès qu'on me promettait sur la page couverture! Le rythme s'accélère par la suite et le suspense jusqu'à la fin est efficace. L'auteur sait créer des ambiances ; ce dernier roman est plus noir que les autres. J'ai bien aimé le développement des personnages qu'on apprend à connaître de plus en plus. Un peu déçue de ce dernier tome, mais ça ne m'empêchera pas de vouloir lire les prochains.
June 9, 2023
DNF à 30%
Je ne retrouve plus la vibe du premier tome… je trouvais ça long, ça tourne en rond sur les mêmes sujets depuis la première enquête, bref, ce n’était plus pour moi.
Aussi, j’écoutais en audio et, bien que ce ne soit pas une critique envers l’auteure ou le livre, entendre Paul Doucet avaler sa salive à tout bout de champs a précipité ma patience vers le bas quant à ce roman.
Je ne retrouve plus la vibe du premier tome… je trouvais ça long, ça tourne en rond sur les mêmes sujets depuis la première enquête, bref, ce n’était plus pour moi.
Aussi, j’écoutais en audio et, bien que ce ne soit pas une critique envers l’auteure ou le livre, entendre Paul Doucet avaler sa salive à tout bout de champs a précipité ma patience vers le bas quant à ce roman.
March 19, 2024
Je. Suis. En. Maudit.
🤬
Excellent roman, plume magnifique, intrigue haletante qui m���a tenue sur le bout de ma chaise, superbe narration de Paul Doucet, relations entre personnages travaillées et réalistes, émotions crédibles et déchirantes.
ET LA FIN M’A CASSÉE EN DEUX. NON.
Non, Roxanne. Pourquoi??? Je suis sans mot, je n’y croyais pas, jusqu’au tout dernier mot j’ai attendu le revirement qui m’amènerait ma fin heureuse… puis Paul s’est tu et mon coeur s’est brisé.
Tome 1 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 4⭐️
Tome 2 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 3.75⭐️
Tome 3 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 5⭐️
Lisez ça.
🤬
Excellent roman, plume magnifique, intrigue haletante qui m���a tenue sur le bout de ma chaise, superbe narration de Paul Doucet, relations entre personnages travaillées et réalistes, émotions crédibles et déchirantes.
ET LA FIN M’A CASSÉE EN DEUX. NON.
Non, Roxanne. Pourquoi??? Je suis sans mot, je n’y croyais pas, jusqu’au tout dernier mot j’ai attendu le revirement qui m’amènerait ma fin heureuse… puis Paul s’est tu et mon coeur s’est brisé.
Tome 1 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 4⭐️
Tome 2 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 3.75⭐️
Tome 3 des enquêtes de Joaquin Morales : 5⭐️
Lisez ça.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2021
Ce dernier tome, WOW! J'ai adoré! Une double narration parfaite entre l'agente Simone Lord et l'enquêteur Joaquin Moralès. Ce troisième tome est définitivement mon préféré des trois 💖
April 18, 2024
Que j'aime la plume de Roxanne Bouchard, elle nous transmet un panel d'émotions avec beaucoup de talent.
J'ai écouté le livre sur Audible, comme les autres, et j'ai encore plus aimé que les deux précédents. La voix du lecteur est parfaite, lui aussi fait passer les émotions avec brio. J'ai aimé les deux histoires qui se jouent en parallèle et finissent par se rejoindre. J'ai aimé suivre Simone Lord sur le bateau avec ces horribles hommes qui ne lui veulent pas du bien. J'ai aimé le parcours introspectif de Moralès. Mais pourquoi ? Pourquoi fallait-il qu'il se retrouve encore avec le cœur à l'envers !!!
J'ai écouté le livre sur Audible, comme les autres, et j'ai encore plus aimé que les deux précédents. La voix du lecteur est parfaite, lui aussi fait passer les émotions avec brio. J'ai aimé les deux histoires qui se jouent en parallèle et finissent par se rejoindre. J'ai aimé suivre Simone Lord sur le bateau avec ces horribles hommes qui ne lui veulent pas du bien. J'ai aimé le parcours introspectif de Moralès. Mais pourquoi ? Pourquoi fallait-il qu'il se retrouve encore avec le cœur à l'envers !!!
October 22, 2021
Les 150 premières pages sont vraiment lentes, difficiles à lire et un peu décousues, je ne savais pas où ça s'en allait. J'ai mis le roman de côté durant des mois. Puis j'ai repris tranquillement et j'ai finalement fini les 150 dernières pages en quelques heures, à tourner frénétiquement les pages afin de savoir comment allait finir ce troisième roman de Roxane Bouchard. Je suis heureuse d'avoir fini le livre mais tellement triste de la fin 💔💔💔
October 18, 2023
Une lecture « chips ». Pas incroyable, mais je me suis quand même claqué ce livre rapidement parce que je voulais savoir la fin (même si elle était prévisible et qui ne m’a pas vraiment touchée au final). Belle évocation de l’hiver.
May 22, 2021
Le moins lent et le moins contemplatif des trois Morales, mais le plus entraînant au niveau de l'enquête policière.
Magnifique !!
Magnifique !!
August 19, 2022
A new Detective Moralès is always something I look forward to. We Were The Salt of The Sea and The Coral Bride both captivated me and so Whisper of the Seals was one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year. It's not necessary to have read the previous books but I would recommend doing so if you can, in order to truly appreciate the full emotional weight of the storyline.
Whisper of the Seals sees the welcome return of Fisheries Officer Simone Lord who has been transferred to the remote Magdalen Islands, off the coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. Right from the start, there's a sense of foreboding and the disturbing early scenes that the reader is privy to while Simone remains unaware of what is happening are a chilling portent of what follows. Throughout the book, it's obvious just how vulnerable she is and yet her inner strength is never in doubt. She is a woman in a man's world and has suffered as a result, both personally and professionally. Her presence on board the Jean-Mathieu is greeted with anger and lechery, and it's more than just words that she has to contend with. She has been tasked with observing the largely unsavoury crew on their late season seal hunt and has to ensure the rules regarding the killing of the animals are properly adhered to.
I'm a vegan and can't pretend I enjoyed the scenes where seals are killed, however, although Roxanne Bouchard candidly describes what happens, it is never gratuitous. I am drawn to fiction that challenges me and so despite my own personal choices, I appreciated being shown a different perspective regarding the culling of seals as part of the necessary fine balancing act required to manage the seas effectively. It's not comfortable reading but it is thought-provoking as well as being the integral backdrop to the plot.
Meanwhile, Joaquin Moralés is away from land too as he embarks on a cross country skiing and cruising holiday with his friends. Érik Lefebvre and Nadine Lauzon. Newly divorced, adjusting to this change in his life is difficult and has left him feeling disjointed. Whisper of the Seals is a tense thriller but it's also an elegantly melancholic exploration of loneliness and regret. Moralés and Lord may be on different boats but there's a poignant similitude between them that means the terrifying inevitability of what occurs becomes even more moving. There is only a brief scene featuring some of the wonderfully eccentric Caplan villagers but the characterisation is as pitch-perfect as ever, even though most of the crew are various shades of despicable. The coked-up Painchaud, mysteriously enigmatic Michaël Lapierre and the violently misogynistic McMurray, who is encouraged by vengeful poacher Lucien Carpentier all spring from the pages, bringing with them a jarring sense of danger.
In such a dark book, the lighter moments come from Moralés's companions; for all Lefebvre's jocularity, he shows a perceptive awareness of what his friend needs and fortunately, Nadine is as dedicated to her work as a forensic psychologist as Moralés is to his job. Although she is on holiday, she's brought her latest case on board with her, as she endeavours to discover why a teenager was so mercilessly beaten in such a brazen display of violence. Detective work grounds Moralés and so as he questions who he is in the light of his divorce, it's unsurprising that he should be drawn to helping her with the case.
The atmospheric, poetically vivid prose irresistibly captures the unforgiving winter weather, almost thrusting the reader directly into the heart of the action, and consequently, the nail-biting, shocking final scenes resonate even more strongly. David Warriner's astute translation of this lyrical, affecting novel deserves high praise too. Whisper of the Seas is a stunningly effective novel; it evokes the stark beauty of the Gaspé Peninsula and the icy, treacherous waters that shape the lives of the communities living there while also being a tautly plotted, suspenseful thriller that never feels rushed or uneven. Roxanne Bouchard allows the storyline to unfold at its own pace and the result is devastating. Superbly structured and potently compelling, Whisper of the Seals is a mesmerising tour de force.
Whisper of the Seals sees the welcome return of Fisheries Officer Simone Lord who has been transferred to the remote Magdalen Islands, off the coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. Right from the start, there's a sense of foreboding and the disturbing early scenes that the reader is privy to while Simone remains unaware of what is happening are a chilling portent of what follows. Throughout the book, it's obvious just how vulnerable she is and yet her inner strength is never in doubt. She is a woman in a man's world and has suffered as a result, both personally and professionally. Her presence on board the Jean-Mathieu is greeted with anger and lechery, and it's more than just words that she has to contend with. She has been tasked with observing the largely unsavoury crew on their late season seal hunt and has to ensure the rules regarding the killing of the animals are properly adhered to.
I'm a vegan and can't pretend I enjoyed the scenes where seals are killed, however, although Roxanne Bouchard candidly describes what happens, it is never gratuitous. I am drawn to fiction that challenges me and so despite my own personal choices, I appreciated being shown a different perspective regarding the culling of seals as part of the necessary fine balancing act required to manage the seas effectively. It's not comfortable reading but it is thought-provoking as well as being the integral backdrop to the plot.
Meanwhile, Joaquin Moralés is away from land too as he embarks on a cross country skiing and cruising holiday with his friends. Érik Lefebvre and Nadine Lauzon. Newly divorced, adjusting to this change in his life is difficult and has left him feeling disjointed. Whisper of the Seals is a tense thriller but it's also an elegantly melancholic exploration of loneliness and regret. Moralés and Lord may be on different boats but there's a poignant similitude between them that means the terrifying inevitability of what occurs becomes even more moving. There is only a brief scene featuring some of the wonderfully eccentric Caplan villagers but the characterisation is as pitch-perfect as ever, even though most of the crew are various shades of despicable. The coked-up Painchaud, mysteriously enigmatic Michaël Lapierre and the violently misogynistic McMurray, who is encouraged by vengeful poacher Lucien Carpentier all spring from the pages, bringing with them a jarring sense of danger.
In such a dark book, the lighter moments come from Moralés's companions; for all Lefebvre's jocularity, he shows a perceptive awareness of what his friend needs and fortunately, Nadine is as dedicated to her work as a forensic psychologist as Moralés is to his job. Although she is on holiday, she's brought her latest case on board with her, as she endeavours to discover why a teenager was so mercilessly beaten in such a brazen display of violence. Detective work grounds Moralés and so as he questions who he is in the light of his divorce, it's unsurprising that he should be drawn to helping her with the case.
The atmospheric, poetically vivid prose irresistibly captures the unforgiving winter weather, almost thrusting the reader directly into the heart of the action, and consequently, the nail-biting, shocking final scenes resonate even more strongly. David Warriner's astute translation of this lyrical, affecting novel deserves high praise too. Whisper of the Seas is a stunningly effective novel; it evokes the stark beauty of the Gaspé Peninsula and the icy, treacherous waters that shape the lives of the communities living there while also being a tautly plotted, suspenseful thriller that never feels rushed or uneven. Roxanne Bouchard allows the storyline to unfold at its own pace and the result is devastating. Superbly structured and potently compelling, Whisper of the Seals is a mesmerising tour de force.
November 7, 2021
Roxanne Bouchard est pour moi une valeur sûre... mais ici, j'ai vraiment eu du mal. Et je suis déçue d'être déçue. J'ai mieux aimé la dernière partie par contre.
October 29, 2024
Je pense que cette troisième enquête de Moralès était ma préférée! Elle était différente, elle était intense et elle m’a tenue en haleine jusqu’à la dernière page!🥶
May 15, 2021
Troisième enquête de Morales.
Tour du chapeau pour Mme Bouchard.
Cette fois-ci , aux Iles-de-la Madeleine, on s'embarque pour la chasse aux phoques, loup-marins. Il fait froid, ça brasse sur le bateau. Morales divorce, on parle de la grande traversée de la Gaspésie en ski de fond aussi. Il y a un titre de chapitre qui m'a empêché de dormir et m'a fait continué mes lectures jusqu'à une heure du matin. Le point de vue des pêcheurs-chasseurs fait comprendre leur dégoût des animalistes, la chasse faite de la manière de leurs ancêtres avec les hakapiks.
On tourne les pages et ne veut pas que ça finisse.
J'ai hâte au prochain
Tour du chapeau pour Mme Bouchard.
Cette fois-ci , aux Iles-de-la Madeleine, on s'embarque pour la chasse aux phoques, loup-marins. Il fait froid, ça brasse sur le bateau. Morales divorce, on parle de la grande traversée de la Gaspésie en ski de fond aussi. Il y a un titre de chapitre qui m'a empêché de dormir et m'a fait continué mes lectures jusqu'à une heure du matin. Le point de vue des pêcheurs-chasseurs fait comprendre leur dégoût des animalistes, la chasse faite de la manière de leurs ancêtres avec les hakapiks.
On tourne les pages et ne veut pas que ça finisse.
J'ai hâte au prochain
June 7, 2021
À mon goût, pas le meilleur de Roxane Bouchard
April 14, 2022
La série vaut la peine d’être lue pour avoir la chance de lire ce troisième tome. J’avais du mal à déposer le livre : beaucoup d’action, une excellente intrigue et… beaucoup d’émotions aussi.
September 6, 2021
Le tome que j’ai personnellement moins aimé!
November 30, 2022
2,5⭐️
L’action commence dans le dernier 1/4 du livre.
La fin est touchante sans être quétaine.
Malheureusement le tome que j’ai le moins apprécié de la trilogie.
L’action commence dans le dernier 1/4 du livre.
La fin est touchante sans être quétaine.
Malheureusement le tome que j’ai le moins apprécié de la trilogie.
July 15, 2022
As much as I love standalone books, there is something undeniably satisfying about picking up a new instalment in a beloved series, catching up with characters you already know and love. Whisper of the Seals is the third book in the Detective Moralès series, and while it will be wonderful for any and all Roxanne Bouchard fans to dive back in, I also think it’s perfectly possible to read it as a standalone if you are so inclined.
I had been looking forward to heading back to Canada to find out how and what Moralès was doing and I fell head over heels in love with that cover as soon as I saw it, but I have to admit I also found it a bit scary. I mean, seal hunt? We’ve all seen the images of baby seals beaten to death, it’s not something I can stomach, and I’m pretty averse to any kind of animal being hurt in any kind of way in any book I read, so I did feel some trepidation.
For the first part of the book, Moralès is on holiday, involving himself in a case his old team is working on, taking a bit of a backseat as we follow fisheries officer Simone Lord on a trawler out on a seal hunt. A woman in what is basically considered a man’s job, especially one on board a trawler with a crew of manly men who don’t like fisheries officers nor women on board, let alone a combination of both, it’s obvious from the start this won’t be a walk in the park for Simone.
Before long, the announced seal hunts I was dreading are carried out and I do admire how the author tackles this subject. It was not the easiest read, but it was not by any means the vicious bloodbath I feared it might be. I learnt a lot about how seal hunts are organised and regulated. I was happy to learn that hunters need the necessary permits and that the authorities are coming down hard on poachers. I also didn’t know that seal hunting is allowed as a kind of culling system, like with certain forest animals, and that the manner in which the animals are killed is also highly regulated so as to prevent them from suffering.
Still, for the highly sensitive reader I must mention that a seal pup does get hurt inadvertently and that will hurt any animal-loving heart. However, if it didn’t mar my reading experience, I’m pretty sure it won’t spoil yours either so don’t let it stop you from picking up this book. For me, I think it helped that Simone is there, she loves the animals too and she’s very clear-headed and sober about the hunt so that did help me see beyond the emotional aspect.
Roxanne Bouchard, through David Warriner who is clearly an accomplished language magician, never fails to blow me away. She always manages to transport me to Canada, introducing me to a part of the country, be it geographical, historical or cultural, that I was previously unaware of. Her writing always oozes atmosphere, so much so that I actually felt like I was there on the ice in Canada despite my reading this on a warm summer’s day in Belgium.
Whisper of the Seals is another fantastic addition to a series I love first and foremost for its atmosphere, its setting and the fact that the ocean feels like a character in its own right. Add Roxanne Bouchard’s and David Warriner’s beautiful prose, simple yet powerful, and a boatload of suspense in the final chapters (no, you practically bit off the hubby’s head when he dared disturb you just as you were about to find out something vital!) and I don’t need to tell you this was an absolute winner for me.
Whisper of the Seals is out on 18 August in digital formats and paperback. Preorder it directly from Orenda Books here. In the meantime, do keep an eye out for the Random Things Tour next month and be sure to come back to FromBelgiumWithBookLove on the 30th, I’ll have an excerpt up for you.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
I had been looking forward to heading back to Canada to find out how and what Moralès was doing and I fell head over heels in love with that cover as soon as I saw it, but I have to admit I also found it a bit scary. I mean, seal hunt? We’ve all seen the images of baby seals beaten to death, it’s not something I can stomach, and I’m pretty averse to any kind of animal being hurt in any kind of way in any book I read, so I did feel some trepidation.
For the first part of the book, Moralès is on holiday, involving himself in a case his old team is working on, taking a bit of a backseat as we follow fisheries officer Simone Lord on a trawler out on a seal hunt. A woman in what is basically considered a man’s job, especially one on board a trawler with a crew of manly men who don’t like fisheries officers nor women on board, let alone a combination of both, it’s obvious from the start this won’t be a walk in the park for Simone.
Before long, the announced seal hunts I was dreading are carried out and I do admire how the author tackles this subject. It was not the easiest read, but it was not by any means the vicious bloodbath I feared it might be. I learnt a lot about how seal hunts are organised and regulated. I was happy to learn that hunters need the necessary permits and that the authorities are coming down hard on poachers. I also didn’t know that seal hunting is allowed as a kind of culling system, like with certain forest animals, and that the manner in which the animals are killed is also highly regulated so as to prevent them from suffering.
Still, for the highly sensitive reader I must mention that a seal pup does get hurt inadvertently and that will hurt any animal-loving heart. However, if it didn’t mar my reading experience, I’m pretty sure it won’t spoil yours either so don’t let it stop you from picking up this book. For me, I think it helped that Simone is there, she loves the animals too and she’s very clear-headed and sober about the hunt so that did help me see beyond the emotional aspect.
Roxanne Bouchard, through David Warriner who is clearly an accomplished language magician, never fails to blow me away. She always manages to transport me to Canada, introducing me to a part of the country, be it geographical, historical or cultural, that I was previously unaware of. Her writing always oozes atmosphere, so much so that I actually felt like I was there on the ice in Canada despite my reading this on a warm summer’s day in Belgium.
Whisper of the Seals is another fantastic addition to a series I love first and foremost for its atmosphere, its setting and the fact that the ocean feels like a character in its own right. Add Roxanne Bouchard’s and David Warriner’s beautiful prose, simple yet powerful, and a boatload of suspense in the final chapters (no, you practically bit off the hubby’s head when he dared disturb you just as you were about to find out something vital!) and I don’t need to tell you this was an absolute winner for me.
Whisper of the Seals is out on 18 August in digital formats and paperback. Preorder it directly from Orenda Books here. In the meantime, do keep an eye out for the Random Things Tour next month and be sure to come back to FromBelgiumWithBookLove on the 30th, I’ll have an excerpt up for you.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
August 22, 2022
J’ai eu beaucoup de difficulté à embarquer dans l’histoire, du à la lenteur de l’écriture dans la première moitié du livre, et au fait que je l’ai lu à coup de 10 pages. Je perdais le focus rapidement en cherchant « l’enquête » qui n’arrivait pas! Un livre très différent des deux premiers, plus noir et cru, et dont la fin ne m’a pas déçue! J’ai dévoré les 50 dernières pages et j’ai même eu des frissons et toute une gamme d’émotions à la toute fin! Ça m’a laissé avec un sentiment somme toute positif de ma lecture!
January 4, 2024
J’ai bien aimé ce roman. Ayant des amis venant des Îles et y ayant été deux fois, j’ai reconnu à travers ce roman le côté sauvage de l’endroit. L’écriture de l’autrice est belle, un peu poétique. Ses descriptions de l’hiver, des glaces et du vent m’ont presque fait frissonner.
L’intrigue policière m’a plu, malgré le fait de ne pas avoir lu les romans précédents. Par contre, cela m’aurait permis de mieux comprendre la dynamique entre les différents personnages.
En résumé, un bon polar qui se lit rapidement.
L’intrigue policière m’a plu, malgré le fait de ne pas avoir lu les romans précédents. Par contre, cela m’aurait permis de mieux comprendre la dynamique entre les différents personnages.
En résumé, un bon polar qui se lit rapidement.
May 8, 2024
The third book I have read in this series continues the travails of Hispanic Detective Morales living on the chilly cost to f Canada. While taking a boat he runs into some dodgy characters on another boat with a woman Fisheries officer. The story is pretty gory with the seal hunting description and there are several unsolved murders that keep happening. Meanwhile the weather is acting, and the boats hitting ice. You get the picture.
February 11, 2022
Je mettrais 10 étoiles si je pouvais!! J'ai encore une fois adoré la plume de l'autrice!!! Un vrai délice, dans les descriptions, l'enquête si bien ficelé... J'en prendrais bien d'autres!! Coup de coeur pour les personnages : l'humour de l'agent Lefebvre et le dévouement de l'agente Lord ❤️
October 7, 2022
La fin! La fin de ce livre! Les émotions! Frustrant mais inattendu! Wow! Le début de ce roman m’a tout de suite plongée dans l’histoire. Il n’y a que de l’amélioration dans l’écriture de Roxanne Bouchard! Chaque enquête de Moralès est meilleure que la précédente. La partie que j’ai moins aimé, c’est la description de la chasse aux loups de mer. C’est tellement triste. Sinon tout le reste est très bon. Et Moralès qui laisse aller sa colère et abat un des méchants. (C’était grandement mérité.).
November 23, 2023
Encore une fois, Roxanne Bouchard a su me captiver tout au long de ce roman. Elle sort des sentiers battus, et continue de nous étonner tout au long de cette intrigue. Le fleuve et l’air salin sont bien sûr encore au rendez-vous.
May 24, 2021
Moins drôle que les deux premières enquêtes mais passionnant avec une galerie de personnages toujours interessante. Vivement la prochaine enquête ...
June 13, 2021
J'ai beaucoup aimé le troisième tome des aventures de Joaquin Moralès. L'intrigue se déroule sur moins de jours et ça donne un rythme soutenu au roman. J'espère que nous aurons la chance d'en lire encore plus bientôt.
October 6, 2022
Le meilleur des trois livres!! 😽👌
June 11, 2023
J’ai adoré.
Mais que ça finisse de même, ça me crée une grosse peine d’amour à moi!
Mais que ça finisse de même, ça me crée une grosse peine d’amour à moi!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2021
C’est mon préféré de la trilogie! J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir et j’en ai rêvé. Le suspens est bien travaillé. J’ai hâte au prochain Moralès !
November 6, 2022
Le meilleur de la série. Beaucoup aimé. Seul bémol, la façon un peu caricaturale et répétitive à la longue de faire parler les personnages.
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