Sleuthing the Klondike by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey
Publisher: BWL, Inc (Books We Love, Inc)
Genre: Historical Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Helen Castrel and her lady’s maid, Mattie Lewis, have just arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, from England. Helen hires Detective Baxter Davenport to go with them to Dawson City and help find her brother David, who was sent to Canada as a remittance man ten years ago. Mattie has come along to look after Helen and also because she has her own motive to find David.

The last word the family had from David, he was on his way to the Klondike gold rush at Dawson City. Before they leave Victoria Helen and Baxter discover that a man had been killed the summer before and had never been identified. They wonder if he was David.

But Helen is determined to find her brother alive and the three head north armed with an old photograph and a recent description provided by David’s former landlady. When they arrive in Dawson City, the gold rush is in full swing and they are challenged by deceit, fraud, and danger in their quest to find David.

This one starts off with an interesting twist and pulled me along for an exciting ride! It’s not often that a mystery can keep me guessing until the final pages, but this one does just that!

Helen and Baxter make for an unusual pair, but as the story picks us their teamwork, along with the help of some friends, provides for a wonderful search for the truth. When all hope seems lost, a new clue or twist will put them back on the hunt. I loved meeting the cast in this one and enjoyed the storytelling.

Joan Donaldson-Yarmey is a new author to me, and I’d not heard of the Canadian / Alaskan mystery books that inspired and included this story before picking this one up but love the idea and am so glad I got to read this one!