A disoriented young woman, who appears with no identification and no memory, has wandered into a bar in remote Algonquin Bay in Canada. The nearest sizable town is Toronto, 250 miles to the south. It's black fly season, and she's covered with bites. John Cardinal is summoned to talk to her. Doctors at the local emergency room, where John has transported her, discover that she has been shot... she has a bullet in her brain.   Realizing that whoever tried to kill her may want to finish the job, the woman, dubbed "Red" for her bright red hair, is put into seclusion with a guard. Delorme and Cardinal kick their investigation into high gear when a member of the local biker group turns up without his head, hands or feet. At first they suspect the bikers, but then it appears that it may be the handiwork of a cult... maybe a local Indian ritual. They begin to look at Red Bear, who appears to be a Canadian Indian. He has gathered together a small group of loyal followers who deal in drugs. While investigation shows that  Red Bear is actually of Cuban descent, other clues surface that indicate the murders may be related to a cult with roots in Cuba called Palo Mayombe, an offshoot of Santeria and Voodoo.  

The riveting action will glue readers to the page, but the plot has its quieter moments when Cardinal must take time to deal with his mentally ill wife. Compelling characters, exciting police procedural action and graphic forensic details all make for a stay-up-all-night reading experience. This is my first novel by this exciting Canadian author, but you can bet it won't be the last. Dubbed Canada’s King of Crime, his newest John Cardinal thriller, By the Time You Read This will be on the bookshelves October 17.