It's ten years after the first Dominion Archives novel and now we're introduced to Dr. Cate Spencer, Ottawa coroner, as she examines the body of a Dominion Archives employee who appears to have committed suicide. Cate has a harder edge than the author's previous heroines, and no wonder: she's a divorced alcoholic threatened by panic attacks if she encounters her ex, while she mourns her recently deceased brother and is combating an emotionally abusive father. But there are just enough oddities to cast some doubt on whether it's really a suicide after all. Cate vows to get to the bottom of things, even if she has to step on police toes to do it.

While almost none of the prior novel's characters are mentioned, it's clearly the same fictional universe and it takes place in the same city. The author brings Ottawa to vivid life once again, including several landmarks I remember from my own visits. Making the coroner the sleuth is an interesting angle, but Cate has a stronger stomach than I do; I had to skim a couple of detailed parts that would appeal to a CSI fan. I was most impressed with Cate's character depth and her personal journey through her struggles, which generates just as much tension as the mystery does. There were a lot of moving pieces in this one, more than I could penetrate to guess who the killer was, but it all fit together in the end. ( )