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The Storm Murders Trilogy #3
Perish the Day
Perish the Day is a riveting new mystery from John Farrow, an author who brings a literary fiction writer's sensitivity to nuance and feel for landscape to this fine, character-rich thriller with a bang-up finish (Booklist).
A co-ed is found murdered on campus, her body scarcely touched. The killer paid meticulous attention to the aesthetics of his crime. Coincidentally (or not), a college custodian is also found dead.
While an epic rainstorm assails the Holyoake, New Hampshire campus, overflowing rivers and taking down power lines, a third crime scene is revealed: a professor, formerly a spy, has been shot dead in his home. A mysterious note is found that warned him to run.
Each victim is connected to the Dowbiggin School of International Relations, yet none seems connected to the other. The dead student was a close friend of Sergeant-Detective �mile Cinq-Mars's niece, so he puts his nose in; when internecine battles between police departments create a rift, he covertly slips into the crevice so he can be involved in the investigation.
Coming up against campus secrets, �mile Cinq-Mars must uncover the links between disparate groups quickly before the next victim is selected for an elaborate initiation into murder.
A co-ed is found murdered on campus, her body scarcely touched. The killer paid meticulous attention to the aesthetics of his crime. Coincidentally (or not), a college custodian is also found dead.
While an epic rainstorm assails the Holyoake, New Hampshire campus, overflowing rivers and taking down power lines, a third crime scene is revealed: a professor, formerly a spy, has been shot dead in his home. A mysterious note is found that warned him to run.
Each victim is connected to the Dowbiggin School of International Relations, yet none seems connected to the other. The dead student was a close friend of Sergeant-Detective �mile Cinq-Mars's niece, so he puts his nose in; when internecine battles between police departments create a rift, he covertly slips into the crevice so he can be involved in the investigation.
Coming up against campus secrets, �mile Cinq-Mars must uncover the links between disparate groups quickly before the next victim is selected for an elaborate initiation into murder.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 23, 2017
74 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
John Farrow
33 books73 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has written seventeen novels and four plays and has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. Under the name John Farrow, he has written ten crime novels featuring Émile Cinq-Mars which have been highly acclaimed and popular around the world. He was raised in Montreal and lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
John Farrow is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, a Canadian writer who has written seventeen novels and four plays and has been named Canada's best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. Under the name John Farrow, he has written ten crime novels featuring Émile Cinq-Mars which have been highly acclaimed and popular around the world. He was raised in Montreal and lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 25, 2020
I think I must have developed an addiction to John Farrow’s crime books featuring Detective Emile Cinq-Mars. This is the 5th book I have read this month. This is the 3rd in the Storm Murders crime series. In this trilogy Emile has retired from the Montreal City Police Force but misses the challenge, so he works as a consultant when requested or inserts himself into ongoing investigations.
This story finds Emile and his wife staying at her mother’s home in New Hampshire. His mother-in-law is terminally ill, and their niece is graduating from the nearby School of International Relations. One of his niece’s best girlfriends has just been murdered and she begs Uncle Emile to get involved in finding the killer. Emile holds high moral values and at one time was studying for the priesthood. His thoughts are often on religion and philosophy.
Detective Emile Cinq-Mars soon learns that two more murders have been committed. The modus operandi is very different in each case, and their only connection is with the School of International Relations. First, the young female student which was followed very shortly by the shooting of a professor, and the brutal slaying of the school's cleaning lady. A male student is abducted off the street and is in an induced coma with multiple injuries after being forced out of a moving vehicle.
Emile is a dedicated detective, even in retirement, and he soon inserts himself into the investigation. The local Police Chief, State Troopers, and eventually the Vermont Police Chief, and even the FBI become involved. As a foreigner and retired, he is not welcome and is ordered not to interfere. Emile, due to an honoured career in Quebec has made some powerful political connections and also friends within the FBI which allows him more freedom to carry on.
The various police departments eventually cooperate. They realize that he has superior powers of deduction and intuition, and notices clues that others miss. In order to solve the cases, they understand that they need his observations and his ability to question reluctant witnesses. He ends up practically running the investigations. When the solution to the crimes is learned, it is more complex and gruesome than had been anticipated.
John Farrow is the pen name for Trevor Ferguson, who writes renowned Canadian literature. He brings his literary sensitivity and skill into his crime novels. Even the supporting characters are interesting and well developed, and the dialogue is often witty and compelling.
This story finds Emile and his wife staying at her mother’s home in New Hampshire. His mother-in-law is terminally ill, and their niece is graduating from the nearby School of International Relations. One of his niece’s best girlfriends has just been murdered and she begs Uncle Emile to get involved in finding the killer. Emile holds high moral values and at one time was studying for the priesthood. His thoughts are often on religion and philosophy.
Detective Emile Cinq-Mars soon learns that two more murders have been committed. The modus operandi is very different in each case, and their only connection is with the School of International Relations. First, the young female student which was followed very shortly by the shooting of a professor, and the brutal slaying of the school's cleaning lady. A male student is abducted off the street and is in an induced coma with multiple injuries after being forced out of a moving vehicle.
Emile is a dedicated detective, even in retirement, and he soon inserts himself into the investigation. The local Police Chief, State Troopers, and eventually the Vermont Police Chief, and even the FBI become involved. As a foreigner and retired, he is not welcome and is ordered not to interfere. Emile, due to an honoured career in Quebec has made some powerful political connections and also friends within the FBI which allows him more freedom to carry on.
The various police departments eventually cooperate. They realize that he has superior powers of deduction and intuition, and notices clues that others miss. In order to solve the cases, they understand that they need his observations and his ability to question reluctant witnesses. He ends up practically running the investigations. When the solution to the crimes is learned, it is more complex and gruesome than had been anticipated.
John Farrow is the pen name for Trevor Ferguson, who writes renowned Canadian literature. He brings his literary sensitivity and skill into his crime novels. Even the supporting characters are interesting and well developed, and the dialogue is often witty and compelling.
November 3, 2020
3.5 stars
June 5, 2020
A well-written police procedural, despite the book's protagonist, Emile Cinq-Mars, being retired from active police duty, the plot is still centered on the police investigation of a trio of murders.
October 23, 2020
This is the final book of The Storm Murders trilogy featuring Detective Émile Cinq-Mars. He is now retired and attending the college commencement activities of his wife’s niece at a prestigious college in New Hampshire. Although intent on relaxation and celebration, Cinq-Mars’ antenna is still attuned to anomalies of time and place. Soon after his arrival, one of his niece’s closest girlfriends is found brutally murdered in ritualistic fashion. At his niece’s urging, he unofficially pokes around the crime scene. Shortly thereafter, two other bodies are discovered. Local, state and federal jurisdictions converge upon the prestigious campus in an effort to solve these seemingly disparate murders quickly and minimize the embarrassment to this hallowed institution.
Cinq-Mars finds himself thrust into a coordinating but unofficial role to sort out the investigative strands and keep the hunt on track. His logic, intuition and wry sense of humor keep the reader engaged as he works to a conclusion.
The final interplay between Cinq-Mars and the culprit was reminiscent of Hercule Poirot with a dash of Raskolnikov and Porfiry Petrovich from Crime and Punishment.On balance, this book was a very entertaining read.
Cinq-Mars finds himself thrust into a coordinating but unofficial role to sort out the investigative strands and keep the hunt on track. His logic, intuition and wry sense of humor keep the reader engaged as he works to a conclusion.
The final interplay between Cinq-Mars and the culprit was reminiscent of Hercule Poirot with a dash of Raskolnikov and Porfiry Petrovich from Crime and Punishment.On balance, this book was a very entertaining read.
May 30, 2020
Beautiful writing.
August 2, 2023
I've truly enjoyed experiencing John Farrow's great Emile Cinq-Mars character (ECM from this point...) and "Perish the Day" may be my favorite thus far. In it, ECM proves that retirement is, truly, just a word.
Perish the Day begins with the murder of a young coed at an Ivy-type college in New Hampshire by a deranged man who poses her body before leaving it to be discovered. ECM and wife Sandra happen to be visiting in the vicinity since Sandra's mother is terminally ill and is expected to pass shortly. The body of the young woman is found and turns out to be the friend of ECM's niece, who also attends the same university as had the deceased. She persuades ECM to help in the investigation and he agrees to do so, but he faces a few challenges: he's a visitor to the US, he's retired, and cops in general don't want 'help' from non-LEOs. ECM weasels his way in and before long another couple murders are discovered: a female maintenance worker at the college and a former spy/current professor at the same school who happens to be her lover. It's unclear whether the same killer is involved in all 3 murders and the connections between the victims are unknown, yet they're all tied in one way or another to the same university. ECM utilizes his legendary crime-solving brilliance while leading the group of cops who initially wanted nothing to do with him to wrap things up in a startling conclusion.
ECM seems to be one of those people who just can't let loose their old jobs in retirement (unlike me, who hasn't had a 2nd thought about work in the past 13 years). In fact, he seems to enjoy the more consultative approach his current status has resulted in and his reputation opens a lot of doors for him. Farrow's a solid writer who creates tricky plots and develops strong characters and Cinq-Mars, post-retirement, has proven to be just as competent as when he was on the force. This is a fine series.
Perish the Day begins with the murder of a young coed at an Ivy-type college in New Hampshire by a deranged man who poses her body before leaving it to be discovered. ECM and wife Sandra happen to be visiting in the vicinity since Sandra's mother is terminally ill and is expected to pass shortly. The body of the young woman is found and turns out to be the friend of ECM's niece, who also attends the same university as had the deceased. She persuades ECM to help in the investigation and he agrees to do so, but he faces a few challenges: he's a visitor to the US, he's retired, and cops in general don't want 'help' from non-LEOs. ECM weasels his way in and before long another couple murders are discovered: a female maintenance worker at the college and a former spy/current professor at the same school who happens to be her lover. It's unclear whether the same killer is involved in all 3 murders and the connections between the victims are unknown, yet they're all tied in one way or another to the same university. ECM utilizes his legendary crime-solving brilliance while leading the group of cops who initially wanted nothing to do with him to wrap things up in a startling conclusion.
ECM seems to be one of those people who just can't let loose their old jobs in retirement (unlike me, who hasn't had a 2nd thought about work in the past 13 years). In fact, he seems to enjoy the more consultative approach his current status has resulted in and his reputation opens a lot of doors for him. Farrow's a solid writer who creates tricky plots and develops strong characters and Cinq-Mars, post-retirement, has proven to be just as competent as when he was on the force. This is a fine series.
March 15, 2020
Definitely my favorite book of this trilogy. A college town ramping up for graduation. 3 found dead-a graduating senior, a custodian, and a college professor. At the outset, the deaths seem unconnected until Emile Cine-Mars gets involved as the dead senior is a friend of his niece's. Nice twists and turns in a story that kept me turning the pages.
"A co-ed is found murdered on campus, her body scarcely touched. The killer paid meticulous attention to the aesthetics of his crime. Coincidentally (or not), a college custodian is also found dead. While an epic rainstorm assails the Holyoake, New Hampshire campus, overflowing rivers and taking down power lines, a third crime scene is revealed: a professor, formerly a spy, has been shot dead in his home. A mysterious note is found that warned him to run.Each victim is connected to the Dowbiggin School of International Relations, yet none seems connected to the other. "
"A co-ed is found murdered on campus, her body scarcely touched. The killer paid meticulous attention to the aesthetics of his crime. Coincidentally (or not), a college custodian is also found dead. While an epic rainstorm assails the Holyoake, New Hampshire campus, overflowing rivers and taking down power lines, a third crime scene is revealed: a professor, formerly a spy, has been shot dead in his home. A mysterious note is found that warned him to run.Each victim is connected to the Dowbiggin School of International Relations, yet none seems connected to the other. "
September 29, 2021
I have been reading John Farrow's Cinq -Mars series for many years. It surprises me when people say Émile Cinq-Mars is similar to L.Penny's Gamache. Cinq-Mars has been around quite a bit longer than Gamache and though the detectives share several similarities in the characters' values and methods, that's about all they have in common. I also feel John Farrow to be a much better writer than Penny.
Perish the Day was not my favourite of his novels. At first I thought it was going to be really good but two things happened. I was getting bored with Cìnq-Mars' constant philosophizing (he's known for this but I found it excessive this time). The second problem with this novel is the way Cinq-Mars reveals the solution to the murders. The complex twists and the characters from out of nowhere...BAM! Cinq-Mars has it all figured out. Really? It's not something I would expect from Mr.Farrow. Hence the 3 stars.
Perish the Day was not my favourite of his novels. At first I thought it was going to be really good but two things happened. I was getting bored with Cìnq-Mars' constant philosophizing (he's known for this but I found it excessive this time). The second problem with this novel is the way Cinq-Mars reveals the solution to the murders. The complex twists and the characters from out of nowhere...BAM! Cinq-Mars has it all figured out. Really? It's not something I would expect from Mr.Farrow. Hence the 3 stars.
July 14, 2018
Inside cover of the book indicates it’s a thriller. It is not. Just a mystery. An interesting mystery, but there were some things that bugged me. It’s written in present tense. I’m not a fan, especially when I notice it and I noticed it right off. Lots of head-hopping. Granted, I’m glad the book wasn’t written in first person (I wouldn’t have bothered reading it then), and I can understand having more than one point of view, but within a paragraph? A little confusing and not something I expected in a mystery. I won this book, which is the third book in a trilogy, but that didn’t seem to matter with the story. I had no problems in that regard. Will I read the other two? No. Plain old mysteries are just not my thing.
June 14, 2017
First off, if you're annoyed by present-tense narrations, avoid this. Retired Canadian policeman Cinq-Mars is visiting New Hampshire, where his wife was raised, for family reasons, including the graduation of their niece from Dowbiggin College, when one of her friends is found murdered. There's another murder in the college family, and then a third, across the state line in Vermont. There are clues that don't lead anywhere and a lot of jurisdictional infighting among the police (local and state; then Cinq-Mars calls in a favor and brings in the FBI). The ending is more or less out of right field, with new characters as well as a solution in the last 100 pages.
August 20, 2018
Perish the Day caps Montreal author John Farrow’s widely praised Storm Series of novels, preceded by The Storm Murders and Seven Days Dead. Each is a distinctly different tale, the common denominator being the engaging characters of Emile Cinq-Mars and his wife Sandra. The strongest of the three, this time around readers will find less attention devoted to Sandra, though the poignancy of her mother’s death comes through clearly. Instead, the novel focuses on the nuanced world of an ex-spy, contrasted with the rigid thinking and clumsy actions of a State Police investigator determined to exclude the involvement of what he sees as meddling amateurs. A cat-and-mouse plot on several levels, the story is enhanced by the use of multiple viewpoints, including that of the killer, whose identity is kept from readers until the conclusion. The whole makes for a compelling and layered tale that will appeal to a wide range of readers.
July 7, 2017
I enjoyed it, well written etc, until I came to the dénouement and "all was revealed". I won't spoil it for others, but suffice it to say that this is yet another of those mysteries in which the perpetrator of the crime is simply unbelievable and his crime outlandish fantasy. More and more authors are creating these fantasy criminals and I wish they would stop ... can't we get back to a crime we can believe in, the sort the police actually deal with in real life. Only three stars given while earlier in the book I was wavering between four and five.
November 18, 2020
It's always fun to read a new author. John Farrow's writing style is interesting (except he calls a Beemer [BMW] a Bimmer), and so are his characters. The story kept me turning pages, although it seemed to wind up pretty fast, with many facts I wasn't aware of until the end (I call foul!). Still, it was entertaining and engrossing, which is what I'm looking for from a mystery writer. I've got two more of his books to read; hope they'll measure up to this one.
May 20, 2024
This third book in the Storms trilogy is the most
disappointing. IN fact, it is the most disappointing
of the first 6 Cinq-Mars series. This one is neither
entertaining nor clever. Very dry reading and a
climax that laid dead on arrival.
I will still move on to Book #7 but only because
I am curious as to how Cinq-Mars "un-retires"
and becomes official police again (if in fact that
happens as I seem to think from reading teasers).
disappointing. IN fact, it is the most disappointing
of the first 6 Cinq-Mars series. This one is neither
entertaining nor clever. Very dry reading and a
climax that laid dead on arrival.
I will still move on to Book #7 but only because
I am curious as to how Cinq-Mars "un-retires"
and becomes official police again (if in fact that
happens as I seem to think from reading teasers).
August 7, 2025
Politics of Police in Small Towns…
Three murders occur on an Ivy League campus. One a student, on the brink of a summer internship, one a mysterious professor, and one an over qualified campus custodian. Related murders?
For a Canadian “retired” criminal investigator, his trip to accompany his wife to her dying mother’s bedside and attend his niece’s commencement becomes further complicated as he is drawn to assist this local community solve these murders.
Three murders occur on an Ivy League campus. One a student, on the brink of a summer internship, one a mysterious professor, and one an over qualified campus custodian. Related murders?
For a Canadian “retired” criminal investigator, his trip to accompany his wife to her dying mother’s bedside and attend his niece’s commencement becomes further complicated as he is drawn to assist this local community solve these murders.
September 5, 2022
This mystery trilogy has spoiled me for other mysteries, at least for awhile. The third in the series takes place on an eastern college campus and begins with the murder of a coed. This leads to a corrupt trio who satisfy their evil nature. It is also an investigation into the elite ivy league and the wealthy who support these hallowed halls. I loved all three books and John Farrow, so literate, so intelligent.
June 29, 2017
Our hero Cinq-Mars does philosophize a bit much at times, for my taste, particularly in the very beginning, other than that a good, articulate, substantial and twisted mystery awaits you.
I've read all three 'storm' books now, and am looking forward to more from Mr Farrow.
I've read all three 'storm' books now, and am looking forward to more from Mr Farrow.
June 23, 2017
The third of the Storm Murder Trilogy and, I think, the best.
November 19, 2017
If you like police procedurals, you will like this book.
April 6, 2020
A great read by a master storyteller.
August 25, 2025
Took me almost 2 years to read but the last half was better than the first and was a quicker read
January 29, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed reading Perish The Day by John Farrow, aka Trevor Ferguson! Another captivating literary thriller in the Detective Emile Cinq-Mars series. While the detective is now retired, murders never seem to stop popping up around him wherever he and his lovely wife Sandra goes. The twists and turns of three apparently unrelated murders kept me reading all day well into the night. I couldn't put it down! Looking forward to the next one!
Check out the previous books in this series: City of Ice, Ice Lake, River City, The Storm Murders and Seven Days Dead. Other books written by this very fine Canadian author under his real name Trevor Ferguson are: High Water Chants, Onyx John, The Kinkajou, The True life Adventures of Sparrow Drinkwater, The Timekeeper, and The River Burns. You will not be disappointed!
UPDATE: January 2022 - I am taking advantage of the cold January weather compounded by the pandemic and am doing a re-read of all of the Trevor Ferguson aka John Farrow Detective Emile Cinq-Mars novels.
Perish the Day is the 3rd page turning thriller of a trilogy about the recently retired Det. Cinq-Mars, and it is the 6th novel of 9 published to date, with reportedly 2 more on the way! Woo hoo!
Check out the previous books in this series: City of Ice, Ice Lake, River City, The Storm Murders and Seven Days Dead. Other books written by this very fine Canadian author under his real name Trevor Ferguson are: High Water Chants, Onyx John, The Kinkajou, The True life Adventures of Sparrow Drinkwater, The Timekeeper, and The River Burns. You will not be disappointed!
UPDATE: January 2022 - I am taking advantage of the cold January weather compounded by the pandemic and am doing a re-read of all of the Trevor Ferguson aka John Farrow Detective Emile Cinq-Mars novels.
Perish the Day is the 3rd page turning thriller of a trilogy about the recently retired Det. Cinq-Mars, and it is the 6th novel of 9 published to date, with reportedly 2 more on the way! Woo hoo!
March 9, 2018
This newest installment of the series is the first I have read. Reminiscent of Louise Penny; Cinq-Mars and Gamache are both compassionate and thoughtful detectives. There is a certain formality and literary flavor to the writing. This story was extremely complex and went multiple directions, with much philosophical ruminations by Cinq-Mars, sometimes to the bogging down of the plot. While I would have initially given this four stars, I was disappointed in the ending. With very little of the book left, Cinq-Mars puts forth his theory, for which there had been no clues, informing the other law enforcement people involved who did it. It was a twist and left me out of the loop, and I do like speculating on the plot as I read, so I wondered if I had missed something amid the long philosophical passages. I was also startled with the ending discussion with his wife regarding their relationship issues, that had not been addressed throughout the story. All in all it just seemed to abruptly resolve the crime. I will go back and read from the beginning of the series because I liked the protagonist and the landscape.
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November 16, 2019Vacation reads #5
Needed another murder mystery because short stories weren't doing it for me. Retired québécois detective helping out on a case on a US college campus? Sure, I imagine this should appeal to fans of Louise Penny who don't mind a little more murder-gore (or ppl who can't stand cozy-mysteries but like a detective who sums it all up in the ends I guess). Vacaaaation!
Needed another murder mystery because short stories weren't doing it for me. Retired québécois detective helping out on a case on a US college campus? Sure, I imagine this should appeal to fans of Louise Penny who don't mind a little more murder-gore (or ppl who can't stand cozy-mysteries but like a detective who sums it all up in the ends I guess). Vacaaaation!
February 27, 2024
Finished this morning. Very good read great characters I like ECM but found the set up with him retired visiting the US and then taking over a rather complex matter a bit too much. I will continue on with the rest of the series.
mystery
May 24, 2017Find it at the West Hempstead Public Library http://www.alisweb.org/search/a?searc...
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August 25, 2017PW
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December 23, 2018Started a little slow but picked up. I liked the story and the characters.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews