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Book Summary and Reviews of Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany

Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany

Valley of the Lost

by Vicki Delany

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  • Published:
  • Feb 2009, 300 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In the bucolic mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia, a young woman is found dead of a heroin overdose, her baby lying at her side. While this should be an open-and-shut drug case, restraint marks on the victim suggest that the death might not have been completely accidental.

As the investigation into the young woman's death and life grows, the case becomes increasingly personal for Probationary Constable Molly Smith and Sergeant John Winters. Only two things are known about the dead woman: her first name is Ashley, and she has a three-month-old baby boy. Who was she? And was this is just a drug deal gone wrong, or is there something more sinister at play? Smith's mother, Lucky, has taken in the orphaned baby: does he hold the key to solving his mother's murder?

Meanwhile, Winters's wife, Eliza, is considering accepting a modeling contract with the same resort development that seems to be ripping the close-knit community apart. Has the controversial project pushed a member of this quiet community to murder?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Intertwined subplots, complex characters, and an easy prose style make this a great follow-up to Delany's debut, In the Shadow of the Glacier." - Library Journal.

"Delaney explores the social dynamics of a small mountain community as well as deftly handling the plot's twists and turns as it builds to a pulse-pounding conclusion." - Publishers Weekly.

".... contrasts the beautiful British Columbia wilderness, vividly described by Delany, with the sober realities of contemporary crime." - Booklist.

"Ingratiating until three-quarters of the way through, when everything falls apart with some exceptionally silly plotting." - Kirkus Reviews.

This information about Valley of the Lost was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Zoe, Naperville Public Library, IL

Heroin, Hippies and Even Mounties
A fun, fast-paced mystery set in a small mountain town in British Columbia. Smith and Winters, the police team who are the mainstays on the case, both come with backgrounds and baggage that makes us want to know more about their histories, which we hope the author will provide through additional books in the series. Written with a great sense of place and character development.

Emily

Valley of the Lost
A colorful setting in the southeastern corner of British Columbia, strong, realistic characters, and a suspenseful gripping plot make this mystery novel a fascinating read. It is the second novel (do read the first) in a series featuring young Constable Molly
Smith of the Trafalgar Police,along with her sergeant, her family, friends and foes and a mysterious baby found in the woods by Molly's mother. The action is fast-paced and the many unexpected turns in the plot keep the reader's attention looking
toward the solution. For someone brought up on stories of British Columbia this was an especially enjoyable reading experience.

Marcia

Valley Of The Lost
Even though I did not read the first book in this "traditional mystery series", I was never at a loss as to who or what was going on. This is a fast paced mystery, not at all predictable with a complex story line. There is a cast of very likable characters from the townsfolk to the police. There are, however,several facts disclosed in the first book which were not explained in this book which makes one curious in order for the story line to be more complete (thus, I will now go back and read book one). This did not hinder the story line one bit. This book will be enjoyed by mystery lovers and those who are not - it is a great read. I am very much looking forward to her third book as I am very anxious to learn the future of several characters.

Sue

Another Good One From Vicki Delany
This is a sequel to Vicki Delany's first book, In The Shadow of the Glacier - and a good one, too. My only negative comment is that if one has not read the first book, it's easy to get confused, as some things that occurred in the first book are not recapped in the second. Otherwise, the characters are engaging and likable, the mystery is fast-paced and intriguing, with a neat twist and a satisfactory ending. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

BETH

Good Read!!
This is the first book I've read by Vicki Delany. I did enjoy the story line and it's many twists and characters. The plot kept me reading and it was a good ending.
This book will appeal to mystery buffs.

Priscilla

Valley of the Lost
Vicki Delany has written a mystery you can curl up with on a rainy afternoon. The characters are not overdrawn and distracting to the plot. But they do shine through, and you realize they have real potential as new “book” friends. It is a comfortable novel with a plausible plot. I look forward to the next book in this series. If you enjoy the Sue Grafton or Patricia Sprinkle type mysteries, you should enjoy this book too.

...11 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Vicki Delany

Vicki Delany lives in Oakville, Ontario, where she is employed as a systems analyst, but her first love is the Canadian wilderness where her novels are set. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and is the editor of the Sisters in Crime, Toronto Chapter, newsletter.

For more information, see the author's home page.

More Author Information

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More Recommendations

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