RCMP Sergeant Winston Windflower is at a crossroads as career opportunities intrude on his near-perfect life in the blustery paradise of Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Just as the pandemic ends, the little oceanside communities are rocked by the murders of prominent figures, an RCMP Staff Sergeant in St. John’s and a minister in Grand Bank, and it’s implied that there are national security implications to at least one crime. There’s also a sinister new character hanging around doing the parish’s dirty work. Windflower finds himself a primary investigator, balancing work, potential major changes, and life with a young family while seeking guidance from his ancestral teachings and dreams.
Are the crimes connected, and can Windflower and his team find the killer before they strike again? Even as the police work becomes more complicated and even dangerous, Sgt. Windflower finds time to enjoy his family, his friends and always some great food. Come back to Grand Bank for another great adventure in Sgt. Windflower Mysteries.
And our first early review from Jem’s Books
It feels like coming home to read about Winston, his wife and children, the cozy dinners, delicious recipes of fish and meats, friendships, and the beautiful community of Grand Bank. Mike Martin has created a likable character in Winston. He is a kind, caring and dedicated member of the RCMP. The men under his command respect and look up to him for counsel. An enjoyable read that I hope will continue with the next chapter of Sgt.Winston Windflower.
In other Sgt. Windflower Mystery news…
The Walker on the Cape is already available in Spanish: El caminante del cabo. And is now being translated into French: Le Promeneur sur le Cap and Italian: “Il Camminatore di Cape”
All over the world with Sgt. Windflower Mysteries.
Buried Secrets will soon be available fromAmazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies will be available after October 22 at:
I have now published ten books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series (plus Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries) and each time I have chosen to give away a number of copies, absolutely free. Not only that, but I actively seek out strangers or near strangers on social media to give them away to. Now, I am not giving away all copies of my books. I am neither rich nor daft and I am not particularly altruistic, but I do believe in helping people to read my book.
And quite honestly not everyone can afford to buy a book, especially new books. Tons of people are living on a tight budget, on social assistance or on a fixed income because of disability or not being able to work anymore. It’s hard to comprehend in this world of plenty, but twenty bucks is a lot of money if you haven’t got it and one of the ‘luxuries’ that many people give up is purchasing new books. They wait until they are available from the library or get them from friends or from the second-hand bookstore. I support libraries, but why do some people have to wait?
I realize that I can’t give anybody a raise in their monthly stipend to help them with their book budget, but I can help at least a few of them enjoy my new books, fresh out of the printer’s box. I believe in an idea called Reading Equality, a radically new concept that everyone should have access to quality, new release books. That’s why I am making 25 copies of Safe Harbour available to people on a low or fixed income. I am advertising this offer on Facebook and Twitter and as the time of writing there are still a few copies left.
If you want one or know of someone who could use one but can’t afford it, just message me with the mailing address and I will send a copy in the mail. And yes, I will even sign them. No questions asked. You can send me a message thru Sgt. Windflower Mysteries or Facebook.
Of course, if you have the money, I hope you will consider buying a copy for yourself. Maybe even one for somebody you know doesn’t have the cash. Pay it forward. It works for me.
And if you want to help get this book into even more hands, ask your local library to order a copy. They’re looking for your suggestions. And if they don’t have the budget, tell them to contact me and we’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.
You can get Safe Harbour from Chapters/Indigo/Coles bookstores in Ottawa and Atlantic Canada and from these fine independent bookstores:
Reviews are coming in for Safe Harbour, the new Sgt. Windflower Mystery on Amazon, Goodreads and NetGalley. Check them out on your favourite source. They are all good!!
Reviews from Canada, United States and the United Kingdom. Cozy Mystery Book Reviews and coming soon on The Midwest Book Review.
Here’s some teasers…
“Go on – take a break from gore and violence, read a mystery with some personal depth to it.”
“Well-written and well-researched. I certainly look forward to future Sgt. Windflower.”
Martin does a great job of teasing the reader and hinting to where the story will be heading in the next installment of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, and I cannot wait !!!”
“I love this character and feel like I am going home to be with family each time I read one of Martin’s books.”
“Safe Harbour may be the 10th addition to the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, but the pleasure of this and each of the other books is that they all stand alone, contributing to an expanding series without requiring prior familiarity with Sgt. Windflower’s investigations or life.”
…………………………….
“Safe Harbour may be the 10th addition to the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, but the pleasure of this and each of the other books is that they all stand alone, contributing to an expanding series without requiring prior familiarity with Sgt. Windflower’s investigations or life. The personal vignettes in the story focus as much on family developments and community interactions as the whodunit in a string of disappearances, making Safe Harbour a thought-provoking, fast-paced read.
Windflower’s adjustments to new challenges in his new life are realistically portrayed, his character is astute and clever, and the cat-and-mouse games he plays with the criminal are absorbing. Mike Martin takes the idea of safety and danger and turns the concepts on end to examine how a transplanted detective uncovers new meaning in his job, family, and interactions within the community.
Mystery readers looking for a whodunit that extends well beyond perp and his pursuers will find Sgt. Windflower a believable character that simultaneously goes after a normal home life and a safer community. The mystery woven around this home life is very nicely done, containing just the right amount of tension and development to make for an inviting leisure read.”
Excerpt from The Midwest Book Review
“I love reading these books and getting lost in the story. It doesn’t matter what is going on in the story, the reader will be thoroughly entertained and turning the pages as fast as their eyes can absorb the words and their fingers can turn the pages. Readers cannot help but love Windflower and his family and his rituals and the way he is there to help everyone. Readers will also love the family dynamic and the way Windflower and Sheila work together and how they complement each other and their relationship.
Martin does a great job of teasing the reader and hinting to where the story will be heading in the next installment of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and I cannot wait !!!
Cozy Mystery Reviews
United States
“I also like with way that the various forces interact and work together to bring perpetrators to justice. There’s also a little history thrown into the mix, all of which combine to raise these books above the ‘cozy mystery’ genre. I fully intend to read the other books in this series, as they are seriously good. They might not be full of high-intensity action, but they are well-written and well-researched. I certainly look forward to future Sgt. Windflower.”
Joanne H.
United Kingdom
“The thing about this series is that, although each book’s investigative focus for Winston can be really difficult and in some cases, harrowing, we are totally focussed on his day-to-day life; his strength and reasoning gained from communing with the spiritual world; his daily loving interactions with his family and the wisdom of his ancestors.
Go on – take a break from gore and violence, read a mystery with some personal depth to it.”
Hazel M.
Canada
“The book has a nice balance between detailing the investigation and Windflower’s attempts to balance work with his busy personal life. The insights that Windflower gets from his dreams help point him in the right direction at key points in the investigation,
This was another enjoyable read in the Sgt. Windflower mystery series.”
Grace K.
You can order Safe Harbour from Amazon all over the world or directly from Ottawa Press and Publishing. Signed copies will soon available at:
“Christmas in Newfoundland is a special time. In the depths of long winter nights memories are made and stories are told. Of Christmas by candlelight and horse and buggy rides to church. Of shopping on Water Street in St. John’s before malls and the Internet. In later years, Sgt. Windflower came to work and then to stay in the quiet town of Grand Bank by the Atlantic Ocean where the salt air froze in the wind and the Mounties were welcomed to warm themselves by every fire. Come and warm yourself by the fire and hear their stories. Some memories and some mysteries. Enjoy some holiday time with Sgt. Windflower and all the familiar characters that you’d come to know and love. Good food, good friends and always another chair at the table.”
The early reviews are in and they are great. Here is a sampling:
Lovely, Lovely Read
Oh my – this really is the icing on the cake (or snowy Christmases in Newfoundland) for the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. If you’ve not read any, then start at the beginning, they’re really good reads. I adored reading this collection of stories depicting St Johns and Grand Bank over Christmas periods past and present. Mike Martin paints pictures and creates atmosphere so clearly with his writing and elicits some rather emotional responses to the love and kindnesses shown at this particular time of year through his wonderful characters and memories. Goodness – when Winston saves Christmas – well, have tissues nearby.
Hazel M. Reviewer
United Kingdom
Highly Recommended
For those for whom this is the first exposure to the series, the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series shares tales about a Mountie who finds himself with a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Many of the characters from the first volume remain and most assuredly the setting of the dramas remains a place we learn to know well, but Mike Martin has that uncanny ability to open a new story with enough mix of entertainment and magnetizing hints of the mystery to come to capture the attention and imagination. Like this section from A Grand Bank Christmas: “This is a long slow stroll through winter and Christmas past in the small Town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland, home of adventure and the famous Grand Bank schooner, and for a ten-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl, a world of magic and wonder.”
Grady Harp Amazon Top Contributor
Los Angeles, California
Other reviewers said:
“A wonderful new way to look at Christmas”
“Some really good ‘comfort food’ stories”
“A collection to be cherished and shared with children and grandchildren”
“If you like the other Sgt. Windflower stories you will love this book”
The Body on the T is the second book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and once again it is being narrated by Frank Kearney. Frank and I met through an audition he submitted to Audible when we were producing The Walker on the Cape audiobook. He nailed the accent first time. Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising since while he now lives in North Carolina he was born and raised in Newfoundland.
Here is a link to the audiobook on Audible.com and a sample
People love the audiobook versions of Sgt. Windflower Mysteries
“This is a delightful audiobook version which I enjoyed so much that I decided to download the ebook too. The combination of Frank Kearney’s excellent narration with Mike Martin’s great dialog really won me over within the first 5 minutes.”
“I love the story because of its simplicity but at the same time the mystery enough to make you continue hearing the book.”
“The Walker on the Cape by Mike Martin is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining narration that combines mystery, good old-fashioned police work by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and wholesome romance set in the beautiful province of Newfoundland.”
Darkest Before the Dawn wins the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award
We are still pretty pumped about Darkest Before the Dawn winning the Bony Blithe Award as the best light mystery as the best light mystery of the year. Here is a link to a previous blog post on this and a new picture of the Bony Blithe plaque that was presented along with a cheque for $1,000. The money is long gone, but this will live on forever.
Memories and Mysteries: A Windflower Christmas is a collection of short stories that will be released in September of this year. These stories started as a way to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends. Now I offer them to you and yours. Look for it this fall
New Windflower book this fall
Yes, there will be another Sgt. Windflower mystery. Coming this October, Fire, Fog and Water (title may change) continues the adventures of Windflower and the Grand Bank gang. There are changes and challenges, especially for Corporal Eddie Tizzard, but there are also some great meals and good friends to help make life more enjoyable. While you are waiting here’s where you can still get Darkest Before the Dawn
Darkest Before the Dawn is available in many bookstores across Canada including Chapters/Indigo and many independent stores.
An Award, An Audiobook and New Books from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. The big news is that on May 24 Darkest Before the Dawn won the Bony Blithe Award for the best light mystery of the year. There’s also a new audiobook and new Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on the way!!
Darkest Before the Dawn wins the Bony Blithe Award
We are still pretty pumped about Darkest Before the Dawn winning the Bony Blithe Award as the best light mystery as the best light mystery of the year. As I said before, I was more than a little surprised to win. Mostly because of the competition. Alan Bradley who writes the fabulous Flavia DeLuce series with a precocious and adorable 12-year-old female sleuth and fun-loving troublemaker. Vicki Delany who is uber-famous as the author of 34 books and is currently writing three mystery series. Elizabeth Duncan who is a two-time winner of this award and who writes the coziest of mysteries set in Wales. Plus, a brand-new crackerjack author in Auralee Wallace who is destined to win many awards before too long.
Here is a link to my previous blog post on this and a new picture of the Bony Blithe plaque that was presented along with a cheque for $1,000. The money is long gone, but this will live on forever.
We are now in production for the audiobook version of The Body on the T. This is the second book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and once again it is being narrated by Frank Kearney. Frank and I met through an audition he submitted to Audible when we were producing The Walker on the Cape audiobook. He nailed the accent first time. Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising since while he now lives in North Carolina he was born and raised in Newfoundland.
The Body on the T audiobook will be released in early July.
Memories and Mysteries, A Windflower Christmas
Memories and Mysteries, A Windflower Christmas is a collection of short stories that will be released in September of this year. It starts with stories that were told to me about Christmas in a long-ago Grand Bank, where gifts were few and love was plenty. Days when the snow and a home-made sled was the entertainment and nights were filled with kerosene lamps and laughter. And the 12 days of Christmas were a time for family, friends and roving bands of mummers.
There are also stories from the streets of St. John’s in the 1960’s when Water Street was the only place to shop and stores like Ayres and Bowrings and the Arcade held a young child in rapture with the toys in the windows and the Christmas music blaring everywhere. When a live turkey and a boy with a giant bell called shoppers to the Mount Cashel Raffle and nights were spent on a hot, sticky bus to see the wondrous lights all over town.
The mysteries came much later but just like me, all of the characters in the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries loved Christmas and the enduring traditions of caring and sharing that they found in Grand Bank. Windflower, Sheila and Eddie Tizzard all had new adventures across Christmas time each year and they found their way into trouble and back out again. Always in time to enjoy the most magical time of the year.
These stories started as a way to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends. Now I will be offering them to you and yours. Look for it this fall and especially for Christmas.
New Windflower book this fall
Yes, there will be another Sgt. Windflower mystery. Coming this October, Fire, Fog and Water (title may change) continues the adventures of Windflower and the Grand Bank gang. There are changes and challenges, especially for Corporal Eddie Tizzard, but there are also some great meals and good friends to help make life more enjoyable. While you are waiting here’s where you can still get Darkest Before the Dawn
Darkest Before the Dawn is available in many bookstores across Canada including Chapters/Indigo and many independent stores.
Lots of exciting things happening at Sgt. Windflower Mysteries including a new Audiobook version of The Walker on the Cape. Plus a new Windflower mystery is brewing, a special project is underway and more Book Events.
Audiobook The Walker on the Cape
In the final stages and soon to released is an audiobook version of the first book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series, The Walker on the Cape. Narrated by Frank Kearney, here is a sample. Let us know what you think.
Book 8 in Progress
Book 8 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series is well underway. Up to Chapter 42 right now. Should have a first draft ready for beta readers in the Spring. It will be published in the early Fall by Ottawa Press and Publishing.
Special Project Coming Soon
We also wanted to tell you about another project that will soon be moving into production. For the last number of years I have been writing Christmas stories for family and friends. We’ve put those into a special collection that is tentatively titled Christmas in Newfoundland: Stories, Scenes and Memories. It features stories from my childhood in St, John’s as well as a series of new stories based on Windflower, Tizzard and the crowd in Grand Bank. More info coming soon…
Book Events
Kingston April 13
I will be in Kingston, Ontario at the brand-new Indigo store on Saturday April 13 from 12-2 p.m. More details to follow.
Belleville May 4
I will be in Belleville Chapters too, From 2-4 pm Saturday May 4
Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery. Darkest Before the Dawn.
Darkest Before the Dawn is available in many bookstores across Canada including Chapters/Indigo and many independent stores.
I have now published seven books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series and each time I have chosen to give away a number of copies, absolutely free. Not only that, but I actively seek out strangers or near strangers on social media to give them away to. Now, I am not giving away all copies of my books. I am neither rich nor daft and I am not particularly altruistic, but I do believe in helping people to read my book.
And quite honestly not everyone can afford to buy a book, especially new books. Tons of people are living on a tight budget, on social assistance or on a fixed income because of disability or not being able to work anymore. It’s hard to comprehend in this world of plenty, but twenty bucks is a lot of money if you haven’t got it and one of the ‘luxuries’ that many people give up is purchasing new books. They wait until they are available from the library or get them lent from friends or from the second-hand bookstore. I support libraries, but why do some people have to wait?
I realize that I can’t give anybody a raise in their monthly stipend to help them with their book budget, but I can help at least a few of them enjoy my new books, fresh out of the printer’s box. I believe in an idea called Reading Equality, a radically new concept that everyone should have access to quality, new release books. That’s why I am making 25 copies of Darkest Before the Dawn available to people on a low or fixed income. I am advertising this offer on Facebook and Twitter and as the time of writing there are still a few copies left.
If you want one or know of someone who could use one but can’t afford it, just message me with the mailing address and I will send a copy in the mail. And yes, I will even sign them. No questions asked. You can send me a message thru Sgt. Windflower Mysteries or Facebook. The links are at the bottom of this post.
Of course, if you have the money, I hope you will consider buying a copy for yourself. Maybe even one for somebody you know doesn’t have the cash. Pay it forward. It works for me.
And if you want to help get this book into even more hands, ask your local library to order a copy. They’re looking for your suggestions. And if they don’t have the budget, tell them to contact me and we’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.
Here’s where you can get Darkest Before the Dawn
Darkest Before the Dawn is available in many bookstores across Canada including Chapters/Indigo and many independent stores.
Darkest Before the Dawn is the latest adventure of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Mountie who finds himself surrounded by a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. There are signs of trouble that may disturb his pleasant life, including a series of unsolved break-ins and the lack of supports for young people in the most trying time of their lives. But there are always good friends, good food and the sense that if we all pull together, we can find a way to get through even the darkest days.
Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new character enliven the pages as Windflower and Tizzard and the other police officers awaken the secrets that have been lying dormant in this sleepy little town. The deeper they dig the more they find as the criminals they seek dive deeper behind the curtains of anonymity and technology. But more than anything, this is a story of love and loss, of growing up and learning how to grow old gracefully. It is also about family and community and looking after each other. Of not giving up hope just before the dawn.
Book Launch in Ottawa Oct 4, 2018
Come join us at the best little bookstore in Ottawa, Books on Beechwood (Beechwood and McKay) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday October 4, 2018 for the launch of the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery, Darkest Before the Dawn.