Who by Water

  • Pages:288
  • Publisher:Cormorant Books
  • Series: Dame Polara Mysteries
  • Themes:female sleuth, female PI, hard-boiled detective, drowning, crime
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  • Available:04/19/2025
Paperback
9781770867871
$24.95

After barely surviving her last case, Dame Polara trades her part-time detective gig for the safer — though no less chaotic — life of a single, working mother, picking up toys instead of picking locks, chasing after her two-year-old instead of chasing crooks.

But when her ex-husband inexplicably drowns, and Dame becomes the prime suspect in his murder investigation, she must work alongside the woman who ruined her marriage to unravel the mystery of the man they both loved.

Dame’s sleuthing takes her to dive bars, industrial ports, and eventually, Toronto Island, where her ex spent his final days with a community of secretive and temperamental artists.

As she comes closer to the complicated truth, Dame realizes that in order to clear her name and protect her family, she’ll have to re-examine everything she thought she knew about the people she loved and left behind.

“Dame Polara’s second outing is a delight. Who By Water contains everything you’d want in a mystery – a wry and compelling sleuth, a twisty mystery, and a cast of characters who are loveable, possibly deceitful, and sometimes both. A novel that’s as refreshing and satisfying as a cold beer on a hot August afternoon.”
– Elizabeth Renzetti, author of Bury the Lead

“Greg Rhyno infuses wry humour and astute contemporary observations into this dark tale which make it a compelling read.”

– Maureen Jennings, author of The Paradise Café series

“This is the type of mystery that you can't put down, and my only concern is how long it might take before the next book is written and available to read.”

– The Walleye

“With a colorful cast of characters, the storyline takes readers to unexpected places in search of the truth, Who By Water delivers an emotionally packed adventure for an amateur female sleuth.”

– Novels Alive

“Although thoroughly intrigued by the setup of the novel, it was the characterization that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.”

– The Miramichi Reader