We’re having 90s and high humidity here in Indiana. I know it’s even hotter some places where you live. Or, maybe you’re someplace where it’s comfortable. I hope this week is going well for you, no matter where you are. I have a friend who asks us to check in on Fridays, no matter how our week went. I hope you do the same. Tell us how you’re doing. Then, tell us what you’re reading, please.

I’m reading an older book by a Canadian author, Thomas King. DreadfulWater was written in 2002 and reprinted in 2017. King wrote the first two books in the series under the name Hartley GoodWeather. DreadfulWater was originally called DreadfulWater Shows Up. It is a comic mystery, with this summary. “Thumps DreadfulWater is a Cherokee ex-cop trying to make a living as a photographer in the small town of Chinook, somewhere in the northwestern United States. But he doesn’t count on snapping shots of a dead body languishing in a newly completed luxury condo resort built by the local Indian band. It’s a mystery that Thumps can’t help getting involved in, especially when he realizes the number one suspect is Stick Merchant, anti-condo protester and wayward son of Claire Merchant, head of the tribal council and DreadfulWater’s sometimes lover. Smart and savvy, blessed with a killer dry wit and a penchant for self-deprecating humour, DreadfulWater just can’t manage to shed his California cop skin. Before long, he is deeply entangled in the mystery and has his work cut out for him.”

I’ve said before that I don’t always finish the books I mention on Thursdays. I’ll finish this one. I like DreadfulWater. I liked him as a character when I read King’s short story “Chinook” in an anthology that comes out in September. That’s called The Perfect Crime: A Diverse Collection of Gripping Crime Stories for 2022, edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski. I’m reviewing that anthology in September, but I can say it’s an excellent collection. And, “Chinook” was one of my favorite stories. It led me to the first DreadfulWater mystery.

What about you? What are you reading this week?