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rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
Not having read the first 3 novels in this series, I felt I was a bit behind as I didn't know the backstory of several of the characters. I think the book would have been much more enjoyable had I known more about the characters. Otherwise, the book was an enjoyable read, and the mysteries solved with a satisfactory conclusion.
This story moves between the time that Hazel Micallef was 14 and present day, when she is about 64. Hazel is brought back to the time when a neighborhood girl, Carol Lim, has disappeared. The story is personal as she knew Carol, and Hazel's adopted brother, Alan, was considered a suspect in the disappearance.
Additionally, Hazel and her team are investigating the discovery of bones on a building site in present times. These bones are connected to a boys' home that is no longer in operation. Oddly, people associated with the building site and the development of the site are murdered.
#TheNightBell #IngerAshWolfe
This story moves between the time that Hazel Micallef was 14 and present day, when she is about 64. Hazel is brought back to the time when a neighborhood girl, Carol Lim, has disappeared. The story is personal as she knew Carol, and Hazel's adopted brother, Alan, was considered a suspect in the disappearance.
Additionally, Hazel and her team are investigating the discovery of bones on a building site in present times. These bones are connected to a boys' home that is no longer in operation. Oddly, people associated with the building site and the development of the site are murdered.
#TheNightBell #IngerAshWolfe
rodeorocks13's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy through GoodReads first reads.
This is the fourth book in the Hazel Micallef series by Inger Ash Wolfe. I have never read any of the other books in this series but its written in a way that you don’t have to in order to enjoy it. The author fills in enough reminder information to stop you from feeling lost.
The story follows detective Hazel Micallef as she starts to find bones of boys, no one knew were murdered. As these clues come forward so does clues to a cold case from her child. The story goes back and forth between Hazel’s present day life and life when she was a teenager. The author helps give you a smaller town feel and really sets everything up right. You get to get a look into how and why Hazel became who she is today. With lots of twists and suspense this is a great murder mystery story. I loved the plot, how it unfolds and how the book is written. I would definitely recommend this book to others mystery/ crime novel fans.
This is the fourth book in the Hazel Micallef series by Inger Ash Wolfe. I have never read any of the other books in this series but its written in a way that you don’t have to in order to enjoy it. The author fills in enough reminder information to stop you from feeling lost.
The story follows detective Hazel Micallef as she starts to find bones of boys, no one knew were murdered. As these clues come forward so does clues to a cold case from her child. The story goes back and forth between Hazel’s present day life and life when she was a teenager. The author helps give you a smaller town feel and really sets everything up right. You get to get a look into how and why Hazel became who she is today. With lots of twists and suspense this is a great murder mystery story. I loved the plot, how it unfolds and how the book is written. I would definitely recommend this book to others mystery/ crime novel fans.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
“When human bones turn up in a local field … ”
… the preparatory work for the construction of a golf course attached to a local seniors-focused subdivision, of necessity, grinds to a halt. Forensic anthropology and solid police work link the bones to residents of a now defunct orphanage, the Dublin Home for Boys. As Canadian news headlines currently scream about the remains of no less than 215 indigenous children in an unmarked mass grave associated with Kamloops Residential School in BC, it’s tough to imagine a police procedural/suspense thriller with a more timely topic. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), a police officer has been assaulted and kidnapped AND a murderer seems to have it in for informants and witnesses with the temerity to talk to the police.
DI Hazel Micaleff, formerly the acting commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served. Somewhat relieved and definitely de-stressed for having backed away from the administration of the detachment, she is still very much her own person and is driven to skirt the spirit of the orders she’s been given even if duty binds her to obeying the letter of the same. Results are what will determine whether she gets away with it as these two cases weave around one another.
THE NIGHT BELL is 80% informative, interesting and compelling police procedural that moves for its climax into a higher gear and finishes as 20% fully gripping, page-turner, suspense thriller. The ending is convincing and the identified culprits will put a satisfied smile on the face of any reader. I particularly enjoyed the resolution of the jurisdictional conflict between the RCMP and the OPP.
Definitely recommended. Canadian authors are doing it up big and ought to be proud of themselves.
Paul Weiss
… the preparatory work for the construction of a golf course attached to a local seniors-focused subdivision, of necessity, grinds to a halt. Forensic anthropology and solid police work link the bones to residents of a now defunct orphanage, the Dublin Home for Boys. As Canadian news headlines currently scream about the remains of no less than 215 indigenous children in an unmarked mass grave associated with Kamloops Residential School in BC, it’s tough to imagine a police procedural/suspense thriller with a more timely topic. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), a police officer has been assaulted and kidnapped AND a murderer seems to have it in for informants and witnesses with the temerity to talk to the police.
DI Hazel Micaleff, formerly the acting commanding officer of the OPP detachment in Port Dundas (presumably modeled on an amalgamation of Orillia, Huntsville, Parry Sound and North Bay), is a 60-something, feisty, crotchety, less than happily divorced, problem drinking, uncertain female in a male world whose modest libido is most definitely under-utilized and under-served. Somewhat relieved and definitely de-stressed for having backed away from the administration of the detachment, she is still very much her own person and is driven to skirt the spirit of the orders she’s been given even if duty binds her to obeying the letter of the same. Results are what will determine whether she gets away with it as these two cases weave around one another.
THE NIGHT BELL is 80% informative, interesting and compelling police procedural that moves for its climax into a higher gear and finishes as 20% fully gripping, page-turner, suspense thriller. The ending is convincing and the identified culprits will put a satisfied smile on the face of any reader. I particularly enjoyed the resolution of the jurisdictional conflict between the RCMP and the OPP.
Definitely recommended. Canadian authors are doing it up big and ought to be proud of themselves.
Paul Weiss
ljjohnson8's review against another edition
3.0
It seems like all of my favorite mystery series got a new installment this summer! This is the 4th featuring Hazel Micallef, once police chief (now demoted), in small town Canada. Wolfe writes rich, involving stories as much about her recurring characters as the mystery of the day. A new luxury housing development has opened and during construction some bones are found in an open field near a long-closed home for orphan boys. There's also a long-missing girl, several murders, and an abducted police officer. Somehow, Hazel manages to pull this all together, with the help of her able staff, especially the much-loved James Wingate. Very satisfying, especially the hint of romance for our Hazel at the end. It's about time.
eserafina42's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. The plot was a little too convoluted as I think was the last one in this series.
julesfreak's review against another edition
2.0
Not very engrossing, and the plot was all over the place. There were too many extraneous characters. But I've loved Hazel Micallef since the first book, so I had to finish the series.
sdramsey's review against another edition
4.0
An unsettling but well-written mystery. Kept me intrigued from beginning to end, and although the subject-matter is distressing, it was not too graphic to read about. I was a bit confused about the motivations of one of the characters but it did all come out pretty clear in the end. A deft handling of a difficult subject.
a_wondrous_bookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
It seems that lately I have been giving books in a series a try. I used to only read books in a series if they were the first book in the series or if I had read the previous books. Well, The Night Bell doesn’t fall in either one of my categories as it is book number four of the Hazel Micallef series, but I still gave it a try. This novel employs the narrative technique of past and present times. The book starts in 1957 when Hazel was a young girl and introduces the story of the unsolved crime of child, which Hazel’s brother may or not have been a part of. Wolfe does a good job at telling these two parts of the story, the past 50 years ago, and the present times in 2007 and skillfully merges these two parts of the story for the great finale. Overall, this is a great mystery book with wonderful twists and an intricate plot. Does it do a good job as a stand alone novel? I didn’t think so. By book 4 of a series, there were a lot of characters that jumped in the story and that I had no clue who they were. It would’ve worked better if the author had re-introduced some of the characters for the people (like me) unfamiliar with the previous books. My bet is if you read the other books in the series you are going to love this new installment.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
emmkayt's review against another edition
2.0
This is the fourth in a crime fiction series about Hazel Micallef, a police detective in her sixties in a fictional southern Ontario town, Port Dundas. I haven’t read others in the series, so found the wide cast of co-workers and some references confusing. A high point for me was the setting, which I enjoyed a lot. The story is very involved, featuring bones that turn up in a new housing development, linked to an institutional children’s home from decades ago. Also a gaggle of subplots, and shifting timelines back to when Hazel was a teen in the town in the 50s (that was a bit Nancy Drew, I liked that). It was too much, and a lot of the policing steps, pacing, and reactions/responses to events felt ‘off’ and unrealistic. I might read another in the series but I wouldn’t seek it out.
flogigyahoo's review against another edition
4.0
I was wrong. Here's another review for 2016. Hazel Micallef is still going strong in this mystery about young boys disappearing in the late 50's from an orphanage near Port Dundas. Hazel is no longer CO of the Port Dundas police department but still does what she wants. This mystery includes the disappearance of one of Hazel's childhood friends and leads to a surprising outcome. A really good, interesting police procedural headed by one of the most fascinating characters in this genre I have read. A real pleasure.
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