The Trickster's Lullaby

An Amanda Doucette Mystery #2

by Barbara Fradkin

A winter camping trip turns deadly as two missing teenagers, a twisted love triangle, and the spectre of radicalism create turmoil in the remote Laurentian wilderness.



Amanda Doucette’s cross-Canada charity tour is in for a cold snap when she organizes a winter camping trip for inner-city young people in the stunning setting of the Laurentian Mountains. With a view to bridging cultural divides, she brings along a mixture of Canadian-born and immigrant youth.


Trouble begins when two of the teenagers disappear into the wilderness during the night: Luc, a French/English-Canadian with a history of drug use, and Yasmina, an adventurous young woman from Iraq who dreams of becoming a human rights lawyer. Although frantic, their parents are strangely secretive amid suspicions of drug use and forbidden romance. But when a local farmer turns up dead and terrorist material is found on Luc’s computer, the dangers turn deadly. Now in a battle against both the elements and police, Amanda and Corporal Chris Tymko discover a far greater web of secrets and deception.


As Amanda races to save the young people from danger, she finds herself fighting for stakes far higher than their own lives.

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Crime, Audiobook, Wilderness, Romance, Fiction

336 pages, ebook

Published September 2, 2017

About the author

Barbara Fradkin (nee Currie), an award-winning Canadian mystery writer and retired psychologist whose work with children and families provides ample inspiration for murder. She is fascinated by the dark side and by the desperate choices people make.

Her novels are gritty, realistic, and psychological, with a blend of mystery and suspense. She is the author of three series, including ten novels featuring the exasperating, quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green, and three short novels about country handyman Cedric O'Toole which provide an entertaining but quick and easy read. FIRE IN THE STARS is the first book in her new mystery thriller series which stars passionate, adventurous, but traumatized aid worker Amanda Doucette.

Fradkin's work has been nominated for numerous awards, and two of the Inspector Green books have won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel from Crime Writers of Canada. Fradkin was born in Montreal but lives in Ottawa.

Series:
* Inspector Green Mystery

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2005): Fifth Son
◊ Best Novel (2007): Honour Among Men

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I enjoyed reading this book, which is the second book in the Amanda Doucette series. Amanda was an aid worker in Nigeria who barely escaped from a horrific massacre. She is now back home in Canada, gradually recovering from the emotional trauma she suffered. She wants to recover by giving back to the community and has organized a winter camping trip for refugee teenagers in the Quebec wilderness.
But first one, then a second teenager goes missing and when a dead body is found, Amanda realizes that there is a killer nearby. She enlists the help of friends introduced in book 1 of the series, Chris Tymko, a Mountie in Quebec for French language training and Matthew Goderich, a free lance reporter.
There are enough twists and turns in this mystery to make it an entertaining read. The author is a retired psychologist and likes to explore why people do bad things or risk their lives to do good things. Both themes are developed in this book.
One quote:
Sergeant Sechrest giving orders to Tymko: "Jesus H., try to stay low. You stick out like a bug on a bedsheet."
Thanks to NetGalley, Dundurn and Barbara Fradkin for sending me this ebook.

[Purple Country Girl (Sandy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Trickster's Lullaby from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5-3

The beautiful cover of Trickster's Lullaby grabbed my attention on Netgalley and, after reading the description, I thought this would be a good, entertaining read. Unfortunately, it never really gripped me and I never warmed up to Amanda, the protagonist. It also felt very ambitious and overloaded, and I don’t think it truly lived up to its full potential.

Amanda Doucette runs a charity that takes at-risk teenagers on camping trips in the Canadian wilderness. During her latest trip, one of the teenage boys, Luc, goes missing one night. He’s a kid with a history of drug issues. Among the theories are that he ran off to meet a dealer. Amanda doesn’t want to believe it because he seemed so eager to go on the trip as a way to challenge himself and to put his past behind him. Soon after, a body of a man is discovered in another part of the woods but Amanda is unable to get any information on his identity. She is worried that it is Luc. When another teenager goes missing, a Muslim girl named Yasmina, some of the campers wonder if the pair ran off together - possibly the two were in a secret romance. Amanda reaches out to her journalist friend, Matthew Goderich, for help. Worried about Amanda’s safety, Matthew reluctantly asks policeman Chris Tymko to see what he can find out from the local police.

Things get more complicated and troubling when terrorist propaganda is discovered during a search of Luc’s computer. The situation will go from bad to extremely dangerous and deadly very quickly - with Amanda in the thick of it. At each turn, Amanda, Matthew and Chris find a lot of secrets and a lot of lies, making it difficult to trust anyone or to get any real answers.

The Trickster’s Lullaby just didn’t click with me. Amanda didn’t work as a main character. I felt Matthew and Chris are better drawn and much more full of life. That could be because they do a lot of legwork and investigating while she is in the camp but, for whatever reason, she feels very flat. Of course, both men have feelings for her and Matthew is jealous of the younger, super trooper-type Chris. I found that a bit annoying. I also found Amanda being the type to run headlong into dangerous situations, as she does a few times in this book and, apparently in the previous book as well, to be brave but incredibly stupid. She seems the type to find herself in need of rescuing.

Overall, I found some of the situations implausible and the book a bit chaotic as the conclusion drew closer. Fradkin is a good writer but, in the end, this one missed the mark for me.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exciting, action packed book. I am enjoying the Amanda Doucette series immensely. The sense of place and the characters are well written and described. A feeling of suspense with never a dull moment was maintained throughout. There were twists and turns I never saw coming.

I do not care much for Amanda’s behavior so far. She has her faults but cares deeply for people in need of rescue and seems to have abiding friendships. As an international aid worker she witnessed much poverty, exploitation and finally a bloody massacre in Northern Nigeria. She has returned to Canada and is attempting to recover from the horror she experienced and is involved n a worthy cause to help disadvantaged and traumatized youth.

Amanda is involved with a charity who funds wilderness adventures for young people. Most are from war torn countries or survivors of natural disasters from immigrant families. The selection committee has chosen a small group from predominantly Moslem families to partake in a winter wilderness camping trip in the Laurentian region of Quebec. Amanda is helping to lead the group and feels it will be a worthwhile bonding and life changing experience for them.

Going against a decision of the selection committee Amanda chooses Luc, a young man with a history of drug abuse, an arrest, and lack of friends to partake in the winter camping excursion. He convinces her that he has turned his life around, is drug free and wants to resume his education. He is polite and persuasive during his interview with Amanda. He is from a broken family in Montreal. Once with the group he proves to be a volatile mix with the Moslem youth and disinterested in forming friendships. The winter experience is a disappointing failure. Luc disappears at night into the snowy wilderness. Shortly thereafter a bright, modest Moslem girl with ambition to become a human rights lawyer vanishes from the campground. Their trail is hard to follow due to snow. Is Luc looking for drugs? Are the two having a secret romance and plan to meet up? Soon a body is found in the direction they seemed to be heading.

Amanda is determined to find them before they freeze to death. She is independent, impetuous, impulsive and seems to have no fear of danger or death. One close friend describes her as an adrenaline junky. She puts her life in peril to rescue people, rushing off on her own with her faithful dog, Kaylee without waiting for further assistance. In doing so she puts not only her life but lives of others in jeopardy. Her risky behavior makes for compelling, suspenseful reading.

In the previous book her rescue effort in Newfoundland landed her in the midst of a vast criminal network. This time her search helps uncover a jihad terrorism conspiracy. Her friends, Chris, an RCMP officer and Matthew, a former war reporter also show up to lend any help needed.

I can’t wait to see in what location in Canada Is chosen for Amanda’s next adventure, and what dangers she will face.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trickster's Lullaby is an action packed mystery thriller that explores themes of self-radicalization of Canadian youth who are groomed and recruited by terrorist groups. Fradkin dives deep into the psychology of those vulnerable to the tactics used by terrorist organizations and what these tactics might be.

What initially drew me to The Trickster's Lullaby was the author herself. Fradkin is a retired psychologist who now writes novels that explores different facets of the human psyche, more specifically why people turn bad. That is present throughout this novel. All of the characters that were accepted for the charity tour have faced many atrocities in their quest for a better life in Canada only to find that acclimating to Canadian culture brings along its own set hardships and difficulties. Fradkin also explores how young people raised in Canada can be radicalized and indoctrinated by ISIS recruiters given the relatively easy life they've lived. These recruiters are skilled manipulators who know the rights things to say and know when to push and apply pressure to make their target malleable. Fradkin does a phenomenal job of communicating this potential recruitment technique by framing it in a way readers who have not experienced war and its devastating consequences could understand how someone could be converted. This is easily the best part of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple perspectives used to tell the story. The introduction of different perspectives was timed perfectly. At a certain point Amanda's perspective is too limited for the scope of the story, so having different perspectives and mindsets that offer more information and views on the situation gave the novel new life.

I haven't read the first novel, Fire in the Stars, but I think these novels can be read as standalones without losing too much of the characters and their relationships to each other. Amanda is a formidable character who will not take no for an answer. She charges headfirst into danger if there's a chance she can save a life. This quality makes her a frustrating character because a lot of the time she acts first then asks questions. However, this creates a significant amount of tension between the chapters as the reader puts together the information the characters don't have access to yet.

Overall, The Trickster's Lullaby is an action packed thriller that delivers more than a thrilling mystery to keep readers entertained. It also offers commentary and perspective into the psychological unknown of homegrown radicalization.

**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, can I just say that this was cover love at first sight – what an absolutely gorgeous cover! I couldn't resist it! Plus, I have discovered a lot of fantastic reads published by Dundurn in the past, so picking this book up was a double temptation for me.

The Trickster’s Lullaby was my first introduction to the Amanda Doucette mystery series, and I really enjoyed discovering a new interesting, multi-layered female protagonist who stands out from other fictional amateur sleuths by offering an interesting past that drives a lot of her actions. Plus, she has an adorable canine sidekick, who is the perfect companion to a woman who spends a lot of time in the mountains. In this latest instalment, Amanda is trying to enrich the lives of immigrant youths by exposing them to the Canadian wilderness, hoping that they will form some friendships in the process. Having experienced trauma in her own life, Amanda feels passionate about the youngsters, who each come from war torn countries and have lived through some hellish experiences. Even Luc, the only Canadian youth in the program, is battling with his own demons and substance abuse issues. It soon becomes obvious that things will not work out as Amanda has planned, and what better place for things to go awry than a wintry wilderness camp in a remote place!

I loved the scenes of slight discord as a diverse group of people are thrown together in a wild place, and the escalating tension as things spin out of control. To be honest, The Trickster’s Lullaby was not at all what I had expected, since I thought that the winter camp would feature for most of the story and focus on the group’s interpersonal relationships. It became very obvious in the first few pages that group dynamics would be an issue, and I loved how the author built the tension and the reader’s anticipation of conflict soon to come. However, the events in the camp only formed the first part of the story, and the scene soon shifted to a more political and current affairs arena, with other protagonists also featuring in the mystery and displaying a different angle to the story. Whilst I really enjoyed Amanda’s friends’ sleuthing and their various different characters, I admit that I would have preferred savouring the slow unravelling of the group and the escalating tension for a bit longer rather than the unexpected direction the novel was taking. Whilst the story was extremely well written and researched, and was certainly a topical issue, I admit I am not a great fan of politically based mysteries, and therefore perhaps not the perfect audience for this book.

That said, there is action, adventure, armchair-travel, some very interesting characters and a great surprise in store for the reader, so this is certainly an author who knows how to deliver a multi-layered, well-plotted mystery that keeps readers frantically turning the pages. I would love to see Amanda and her friends back in future novels – the more remote the setting the better. In the meantime, I must read the first in the series to discover a bit more about this remarkable former aid worker, who makes for such a refreshingly different protagonist.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an addictive and compelling thriller, that is very difficult to put down until the last page is read. It starts innocently enough as a planned adventure in the Canadian wilderness for disadvantaged teenagers – most of whom are recent asylum seekers from war-torn countries. The idea is to expose these young adults to the glories of Canadian nature, to challenge them physically and socially, and to allow them to escape the problems of their past and their everyday lives, at least for a short time.
The organiser, Amanda, is escaping her own hell formed by her experience in Nigeria, under attack from Boko Harum. Helping other damaged people is how she hopes to heal herself. Unfortunately, some of the teenagers have agendas that are quite different to what Amanda has planned, and her help is not always appreciated. First one teenager goes missing – then a second. Amanda ropes in two friends – Chris the policeman, and Matthew, the journalist – to find out what has happened to these youngsters before their inexperience of the Canadian winter and wilderness kills them. All too quickly, the hunt for the lost teens turns into a national security nightmare, and no-one is safe. Amanda – never one to trust lightly – discovers once again that appearances can be unimaginably deceiving. Amanda, Chris and Matthew are met with silence and stone walls at every turn – from the teenagers, the parents and even the police.
The characters in this book are all very believable and well rounded. Each has their particular reasons for acting the way they do, but their reasons are often well hidden from those around them. The plot twists and turns as more of the characters’ motivations are exposed.
As the story unfolds, it become horrifyingly apparent what a Sisyphean task the security forces have around the world in trying to keep a lid on terrorist activity. If the experts can’t cope, then what chance do Amanda and her friends have? And how many deaths will there be by the end of the book?
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the second book in the series, I can safely say that this isn't just an Amanda Doucette mystery. There are three solid characters that all seem to contribute to both the action of the story and the gathering of clues: Amanda Doucette, a former aid worker who has seem the damage war and violence can cause and is hoping to help heal some of that back home in Canada through at-risk youth camps, Chris Tympko from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who has a crush on Amanda and never seems to be doing any actual police work within his own jurisdiction, and Matthew Goderich who is a journalist that knew Amanda back during her aid work days and is great at using his skills to find out information. While I like having multiple main characters, it does confuse the story a bit because they are all separately hunting down information and communication is sketchy throughout the entire story. The book spends a lot of time with the three traveling places and not having all the information. It was difficult to gauge distances and time and this made the book feel a bit scattered. I hope that calms down a bit in future books. Otherwise, a great story that took an interesting look at how terrorists are recruited.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Dundurn in exchange for an honest review.

[Ivory Castle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda is still recovering from the psychological effects of a traumatic experience which occurred during her time as an international aid worker. Seeking a new purpose she forms a charity designed to help teenagers and their families coming from disadvantaged and migrant backgrounds. She takes a group of teenagers from Montreal on an adventure trip through the Mont Tremblant National Park. The camping plans don’t go as expected when two of the teenagers go missing and the remote location delays police assistance. The situation worsens when one person turns up dead and another is suspected of having links to a terrorist group. Defusing frustrations and tempers takes all the skills Amanda gained from her overseas work as she struggles to ensure the safety of the group.
In addition to Amanda there are several other main characters that the author is able to make a perfect fit for the storyline. Luc is the young man whose mother begs he be allowed to join the group only for him to disappear one night. When a body is found everyone suspects it will be his. Zidane is a youth counsellor involved with Muslim youth who joins the group. When he starts to act in a suspicious manner Amanda believes he may have an ulterior motive for going on the trip. Sebastien and Sylvie ran a tourist business from home and are the guides for this trip. As well as being expert guides they have extensive survival skills and a vast knowledge of outdoor equipment. Yasmina is a bright and spirited teenager who begged with her very protective parents before they would allow her to join the other teenagers.
Although this book is a novel it still serves as a reminder of the growing world of radicalisation, the types of people more easily recruited than others and how cleverly they are radicalised. It is very easy to imagine these events actually happening. I was absolutely caught up in the story and used every opportunity to read it. Reading the first book in the Amanda Doucette mystery series is not vital to enjoying this one.
The author is a retired psychologist with an interest in what makes people do the wrong thing and that interest is displayed throughout the book. In my opinion she did an excellent job of developing the storyline and the main characters as well as maintaining the gripping pace. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy mystery thrillers.
A digital copy of this book was obtained from the publisher via Netgalley and it was a pleasure to provide a review.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this one's striking jacket grabbed my attention, prompting me to read the blurb and then give this new-to-me author a go. (I'm also a fan of Canadian crime writing, and books set in the wilderness, so several boxes ticked even before I'd read a page).

Overall, I enjoyed the read. The Trickster's Lullaby is a good page-turner where Fradkin, who was a psychologist before becoming a well-established author with two previous mystery series, crafts an intriguing tale with plenty of 'what's going on?' and 'what's going to happen?' narrative drive.

I hadn't read the first book in the Amanda Doucette series, Fire in the Stars, but Fradkin gives new readers enough background to have a good grasp of her heroine's traumatic history, and how it might be affecting her current choices. Doucette has been an overseas aid worker who's seen the worst of what humanity has to offer, who has witnessed the potentially devastating effects of prejudice against those tagged as 'different' or 'other' in some way (particularly by those holding power). She's still looking to rebalance and reset herself by spending times in the peaceful Canadian wilderness, and by helping kids who come from different cultures to share experiences and perhap grow understanding.

There's plenty going on in The Trickster's Lullaby, and most of it works very well. Fradkin delves into the psychological ramifications of the trauma Doucette has witnessed, as well as social and political issues like the online recruitment of disillusioned teens by radical figures.

It's an action-packed story set against a beautiful backdrop - the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. The winter season adds to the sense of isolation and hovering danger, as Doucette and the schoolkids are beset by challenges from without and within. The group dynamics, challenges of dealing with teenagers, and the wild environment are all evoked with a nice sense of authenticity.

Personally, I found it a little tough to warm to Doucette. She's an interesting character with a fascinating backstory, but one I felt at a little bit of a distance from, rather than being right alongside. She seemed to make illogical decisions that were more about herself (proving something to herself?) than caring for the kids or doing what might be right in a situation, despite her experience. I was still compelled to find out what happens/ed, but I wasn't quite pulled in as much as I'd hoped. Maverick characters are a staple of storytelling, of course, but this felt a little different, and didn't quite click.

Despite this minor quibble, overall I really enjoyed The Trickster's Lullaby, and I'd definitely read more of Fradkin's mystery writing, and more of the Amanda Doucette series. A good solid four-star read that just had the occasional wobble or off-note that meant it didn't quite reach five-star status.

[Grace Koshida · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of her charity, Amanda Doucette organizes a group of culturally mixed Montreal inner-city teens to the remote Quebec wilderness for a winter camping adventure. But things go wrong when two of them go missing. Luc Prevost is a young man with a history of drug abuse and was someone whom Amanda was wary of from the start. When the group learns that a man has been killed not far from their camp, they suspect it might have been Luc. Unable to get any more information, Amanda and the group decide after a search to carry on with their outdoor adventure. But when Yasmina, an adventurous young Muslim woman also goes missing, panic begins to settle in. Did Luc and Yasmina run off together?

With the help of her journalist friend Matthew Goderich and RCMP Constable Chris Tymko, Amanda tries to collect information about Luc and Yasmina's motivations and soon learns about the self-radicalization of Canadian youth and how they are groomed and recruited by terrorist groups. The story then turns into a national security nightmare. It is a race against time for Amanda to save both Luc and Yasmina and to stop a homegrown terrorist attack in Canada's capital city, Ottawa.

This was a thrilling read and another fine addition to the Amanda Doucette mystery series.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and Dundurn Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling. Terrifyingly real read. This is movie material!

Amanda Doucette wants to do something good for immigrant teens in Canada. She wants to teach them about Canadian life, and also about each other. She sets up a five-day camping trip in the snow covered Laurentian mountains.

The teens are chosen from a variety of backgrounds and the idea is to rough it and enjoy a part of life most of them know nothing about. When you choose a person though, you cannot see into his heart, that which is written in his soul. The eyes smile but the mind is in the killing fields of ISIS. And three kids are acting increasingly strangely...

The snow trip is supposed to be a happy surprise. It just doesn’t match the surprise the jihadists are planning. Then two kids disappear from camp and all hell breaks loose in the Canadian wilderness.

The author takes complete innocence, pure white snow, and slowly draws the reader into the mind of an extremist. It's a terrifying journey, especially considering who the recruiter actually is.

Brilliantly researched and written. If I could give 20 stars and force people to read this I would. Great work. Well done Ms Fradkin!

Elsa

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 actually. Not as good as Fire in the Stars, tho it has the same 3 main characters: Amanda is a bit waffly in this one, Chris is just as stud-like but not in it enough, and Matthew was in it too much. Maybe the setting of snowed-in Quebec doesn’t live up to the harsh Northern Newfoundland.
The plot is good and believable, but Amanda charges in head first and somewhat stupidly, to protect her reputation and decisions, maybe?
Still a good read.

[Anne Fenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Youth camp in remote Canadian snowy mountains gets off to a slightly creaky start due to character clashes based on religion, culture, emigrants vs local born etc. Amanda is the leader, not fully prepared for things quickly going wrong. I liked the opening mountain based story, it built up mystery and suspense quite well. But then the novel opened up into other issues, and became more like an action movie.

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fradkin’s experience as a psychologist has no doubt given her insight to the darkness of humanity and it shows in her writing. But she also adds day-to-day concerns and fears that we all have (i.e. Am I sacrificing to much for my career? What about my love life?etc.) that gives a careful reader pause to consider in their own lives. And Fradkin has a nice clear style of writing that makes this book truly enjoyable, especially at the end of long, busy day that we all seem to suffer from.

https://pacifictranquility.wordpress....

[Linda French · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the Amanda Doucette series, I’m really enjoying this series. Really enjoy this author always action packed

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Doucette and her dog Kaylee are going on a trip to the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, Canada, leading a group of immigrant teenagers from the inner city of Montreal. Amanda, still having flashbacks from her harrowing time in Nigeria, fleeing from Boco Haram, wants to help youth from different countries build bridges, despite differing faiths and customs, as well as show them the beauty of their new country. A week in the winter wilderness; snowshoeing, skiing, ice fishing and outdoor cooking, sleeping in tents without modern day distractions, will hopefully form friendships and will work towards healing the wounds of their traumatic childhoods, fleeing their war torn countries.
Unfortunately, things go awry soon into the trip - one boy seems to have taken off into the wilderness and not much later one of the girls disappears as well. It could be the two were romantically involved, but when a man is found murdered in the area, things turn even more serious, adding the local police and the RCMP to the group's search efforts.
There are times when I got a little mad at Amanda, as she has a tendency to go into situations without thinking, putting her life and others' at risk, but the wonderful atmosphere of the Canadian wilderness, Montreal and the Laurentians had me reading way past my bedtime. This is the 2nd in the Amanda Doucette mysteries, and I am definitely a fan. Here's hoping the next adventure will be set in Ontario, maybe in the spring or fall?
Seriously though, this is a really good book and should appeal to a wide audience. Mystery, adventure, lovely setting, what's not to love?
Thank you Netgalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.

[Margaret Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent follow-up to first book in the series Fire in the Stars. Love the setting in the Laurentian Mountains, and the contemporary issues that Amanda Doucette has to deal with.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Amanda Doucette is a survivor of a Nigerian horror who is still trying to cope with it. She leads a group of culturally mixed inner-city teens to the wilderness for a camping adventure. Two go missing, an eighteen-year old youth and a young Muslim girl.

The young man, Luc Prevost is someone of whom Amanda was wary of from the start of the adventure. When they receive a report of a man killed not far from their camp, they suspect it might have been Luc. Unable to get any more information, Amanda and the group are frustrated. They decide after a search to carry on with their plans.

When the Yasmina, the young woman, goes missing panic begins to settle in. Did the two run off together? Was this planned from the beginning of the trip?

Amanda contacts the police, but in such an isolated place, there are jurisdictional issues. Amanda contacts Matthew Goderich. He is a journalist and friend of Amanda’s who also assists her in her outdoor adventure endeavor. She wants him to get information on some of the key people such as Yasmina’s parents and Luc’s mother. Matthew goes so far as to contact Luc’s father as well. Matthew suspects there is something odd going on. When Matthew finds a hidden laptop of Luc’s, he knows it.

Chris Tymko from Newfoundland an RCMP officer and friend of Matthew and Amanda’s who is in Montreal doing a French-speaking course. He gets involved too. At first he tries for information, but then becomes embroiled in the affair.

As the connections come together and the tensions mount, the reader races towards the conclusion. It is both surprising and explosive.

This is an extremely well written and plotted novel. The characters were likeable, except for Amanda’s tendency not to listen to advice and run off half-cocked into danger. This is my first Barbara Fradkin book, but it certainly won’t be my last. I truly enjoyed this novel. It was a refreshing and original storyline.

I want to thank Netgalley and Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.

[Schuyler Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Fradkin, a Canadian mystery writer, tried to follow the age-old advice to write about something she knows. But, after producing a couple of novels that “mined the themes of my life,” she decided that different topics might be less dull and more productive. “The Tricksters Lullaby” is her effort at change, journeying into the psychological unknown, a place familiar to her as a retired child psychologist. She does it well.

This is her second book featuring adventurous foreign aid worker Amanda Doucette, who has returned to Canada after an upsetting mission overseas. In a continuing effort at helping those who struggle with life, she organizes a group of immigrant teenagers into a winter camping trip in the glorious Laurentian wilderness area. Plans are quickly thrown into disarray when two campers go missing and frantic efforts at finding them are not successful.

One of the missing is a troubled 18-year old boy who, originally not selected, was recently added to the group after impressing Doucette with his earnest desire to get involved. A young Iraqi girl, beautiful and mysterious, disappears shortly thereafter. Are they together? Is it a planned defection? When a murder occurs nearby and an ISIS plot is uncovered, are they involved in helping to plan a bombing attack? Are they to be martyrs? Doucette, aided by a columnist and a RCMP officer, must solve the mystery before many people are killed in the scheme.

Fradkin has done a masterful job of researching ISIS recruitment and the planning of mass destruction. She has also established the mindset of impressionable young people, while also uncovering the uncertainty of their adolescent thinking. There are numerous characters here but the author keeps them separated and decipherable. The roles of the young and the more mature are carefully delineated and their behaviors are consistently age appropriate.

I was intrigued by her story and the believability of her premise. I learned a lot, was entertained, and think this writer is immensely talented.

[Al · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you find the notion of reading adult Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew etc. to be a worthy pastime, then this book is undoubtedly for you. Just the front cover illustration and the back cover synopsis serve amply to indicate what lies between. The evidently astute Ms. Fradkin, a retired psychologist, has divined that there exists considerable profit to be made exploiting a deep-seated neurosis afflicting seemingly numerous adults - those who yearn for the riveting adventure of childhood fiction. For those adults mercifully not so afflicted but who have nevertheless decided to risk embarking upon the voyage, this hulk’s rivets, in the form of blatant improbabilities, start popping as of page one - a troubled mother of an even more troubled youth manages (by some never explained miracle) to locate the organizer of a teen wilderness trip in her very remote winter retreat in the mountains. Furthermore, apart from being something of a Sally Sunshine, just how and why she receives authorization for this serious undertaking is never broached. As the tale navigates its basically predictable route, probability ‘rivets’ continue to give way at regular intervals and considerable rot sets in - largely the result of superfluous complication caused by adding a plethora of investigators, both professional and non, who constantly need to pool information. Suspend all semblance of credibility, and it may well be possible to reach page 100 or so, at which point it should become patently obvious that the damage is so grave that scuttling and abandoning ship are by far the best options. (So many worthier books, both mystery and otherwise to read!) Unfortunately, as this was a reading club choice, I felt duty bound to tread water and stay with this floundering wreck until it sank to its ultimate depths.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trickster's Lullaby: An Amanda Doucette Mystery is the second book in the Amanda Doucette Mystery series by Canadian author Barbara Fradkin. As a Canadian I love to support Canadian authors who are fantastic writers and storytellers. Fradkin has produced a contemporary Canadian mystery that is right out of today's headlines.


The Trickster's Lullaby is set in the woods of Northern Quebec. Amanda Doucette has brought a group of young multicultural Canadians on a camping trip to introduce them to the wonders of the Canadian woods. However, some members of the group have a hidden agenda that will take readers on a thrill ride.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Trickster's Lullaby. It was an excellent story set in Quebec which is always one of my favorite places to visit. The contemporary story line of young people drawn into the world ISIS was completely believable. The Trickster's Lullaby is filled with fascinating characters and a hint of romance for Amanda and RCMP Officer Chris Tymko.

I highly recommend The Trickster's Lullaby. It can be read as a stand alone but I would recommend enjoying the first book, Fire in the Stars, as well.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Fradkin's first Amanda Doucette mystery, Fire in the Stars, was one of my Best Reads last year, and this second book is a strong follow-up. Through reading these mysteries, I'm learning about parts of Canada that I previously didn't know a thing about, and I always enjoy that, especially since Fradkin does a marvelous job with her setting. The mystery itself is fast-paced and multi-layered, doing an excellent job of keeping readers guessing what's going on and who's responsible.

As in the first book, Amanda Doucette takes center stage. Retired from her humanitarian aid work in remote countries, she's now trying to manage the Fun for Families charity tour which takes disadvantaged youth on adventure trips that provide brief escapes from the daily struggle of their lives. For this particular trip, the teens are Muslims whose parents are refugees from a variety of countries, and it's interesting (and a bit frustrating) to read about the obstacles Amanda has to overcome in order to make this trip happen.

It's a good change of pace to read about a character who leads with her heart, a character who always wants to do good, a character who cares more about the welfare of others than she does her own life. That being said, reading about such a character can be exhausting and a real emotional roller coaster. Although she's firmly on the side of good, Amanda is a fanatic, and she always feels as though she's the one who has to be the savior of the day. The further I read, the more exasperated I got with her character until-- by the time I'd reached the end of The Trickster's Lullaby-- I knew that I didn't really care to read any more about Amanda.

Please be advised that your mileage can certainly vary. I like Fradkin's writing and will search out her other books. I just don't care to spend much time with fanatics. If they don't bother you, then you should enjoy this very well-written book.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda Doucette is one of the best characters I've read in a long time. This second novel in what I hope will be a series explores issues beyond a camping trip gone wrong. The radicalization of young people, whether in Canada, the US, the UK, or elsewhere, is a growing and insidious problem. Luc and Yasmina are both bright teenagers but they are both facing problems larger than Amanda knows when she takes them to the forest in Quebec. When they go missing, she calls on her friends Chris and Matthew to use their resources in the police and journalism respectively to help but what they find is not what she expected. I very much enjoyed this and thank the publisher for the ARC. You will like the if you enjoy well written suspenseful and topical tales which are well told.

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Canadian thriller.

Last fall, I went to Montreal and Mont Tremblant, so I could picture exactly where the story took place. I liked that it alternated between a city setting and the wilderness. It gave a full view of Quebec in the winter.

The mystery was so chilling. I really didn’t know what would happen. There were many possible explanations for disappearances, from drugs, to accidents, to escaping to terrorist groups, so I didn’t know what was the real answer.

I really liked that this was such a Canadian story. Even the way that the youth who go on the trip are immigrants from other countries demonstrates how the way that Canada is so multicultural.

I loved this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ll have to look for more books in this series!

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't quite love this one, although it had its moments. The first half was verrrry slow and I didn't really care about anyone. It took too long for the actual plot to get rolling and also too long for the underlying raison d'etre of the plot to get revealed. I won't get into spoilers but I didn't love the whole "ripped from the headlines" angle of this story. The action in the last quarter of the book was fun and kept me reading but was also highly incredible. I do like that Amanda's utter recklessness gets called out. But Tymko, man, that guy would be so fired from the RCMP.

I'll probably continue with the series at some point, and read Fradkin's other books, but not in a big hurry to.

[Linda Lassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent thriller. Fradkin's plotting is tight, complex, and well-conceived. Her characters are realistic and compelling. I found with this book in particular, I couldn't just read it because it was too intense; I had to put it down and do something else for a while before I could go back and read more. I found the premise of the book, the alienation and radicalization of youth, particularly immigrant youth, to be both frightening and heartbreaking.

I like Amanda Doucette, Chris Toyko, Matthew Goderich, and, of course, Kaylee very much and look forward to reading what comes next for them.

[Mirrordance · Rating 2 out of 5]

E' oramai chiaro a questo secondo libro della serie con protagonista Amanda Doucette che il trio formato da lei dal RCMP Corporal Chris Tymko e dal giornalista Matthew Goderich è il vero protagonista di queste crime stories/thriller ambientati nelle lande desolate del Canada.
L'autrice mescola tanti argomenti (come nel primo episodio): i problemi degli immigrati, la radicalizzazione, il terrorismo ma senza approfondire e con storie che non hai poi troppo spessore o ritmo. Secondo episodio di conferma e penso ci si possa fernmare qui nella lettura e passare oltre.

[Lynne Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a means for coping with her horrible experiences in Nigeria involving displaced children, Amanda opens an adventure experience for children at risk. One of the campers disappears. Since it's in the middle of winter and freezing cold, Amanda is very worried about his survival. There are indications that at least one of the other campers may be involved in Muslim terrorism. As if a missing camper wasn't enough. Mystery and suspense combine to make this a very exciting read.

[Margo Allore · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really is 3.5. I liked it but parts were very unrealistic like Amanda Doucette going off in the 'wild blue' yonder without thinking - that did not make sense. The plot was interesting - a group of bright, misdirected Muslim students who plan on doing something really big for Canada's 150 birthday. That could happen. The character Yasmina is chilling - a bright woman who is very strict in what she wants to do or not do.

[Martha Francescato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really a review, but I need to write this. I am reading the four Amanda Doucette Mysteries again, one after the other, and I am enjoying them even more this second time -- without interruptions! I am already on Book Three, Prisoners of Hope, and can't stop, and won't sleep until I reach the end of the fourth one again, and then, what? Please, more of these soon, Barbara Fradkin! Characters, landscape, story -- all fabulous!